The Beauty Report: Tips from South Korea for soft, supple skin

Asian-inspired beauty is slowly and steadily trickling into Europe and the United States, and for good reason. South Korean women in particular put an astonishing amount of money, time and effort into their skincare routines, using up to 17 products in the morning alone. As a devotee of skincare products, my own routine garners astonishment and eye rolls alike, but the idea of getting up at six in the morning just to layer 17 products on before work is more than mildly horrifying.

Still, the most innovative and interesting skincare is coming from South Korea, and beauty brands in this part of the world are taking notice. The result is a swath of new beauty hybrids that we haven’t seen before. They’re incredibly effective and pleasant to use, and you don’t need to use 17 of them to see results. Thankfully, they are becoming available from affordable brands as well as more luxurious department store brands, and the quality is almost universally impressive.

The 'sleep pack' or 'sleep mask' is a rich mask worn overnight. You can wear it alone, but I like to layer it with other products for best results. Generally, I will double cleanse (to make sure that every trace of makeup is gone), acid tone with a product like Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner, then apply a serum. Bear with me. I'll follow that with a good quality facial oil, then a thin layer of a nice sleep mask over the top. You can apply your oil after your mask – it's really a matter of preference. Do what works for your skin. The mask insulates the skin, holding in all of the products you've applied previously, almost like sealing the moisture into a piece of cake with cling film. Yes – you will look bizarrely shiny. I received a kiss on the cheek from my partner the other night; he promptly recoiled, declaring "It's like kissing a squid". Such is the price of good skin.

In the morning, you’ll wake to soft, supple skin that you can see the difference in. Squid face is temporary, and good skin is priceless.

Garnier Miracle Sleeping Cream (€19.99) contains LHA (lipohydroxy acid), which, like salicylic acid, is oil soluble, has an anti-inflammatory capacity and acts like a very weak retinoid to help resurface the skin. Hyaluronic acid hydrates while jojoba seed oil works on dryness.

Vichy Idealia Skin Sleep (€28) also contains hyaluronic acid and LHA, but has added caffeine. You'll wake to refreshed skin. This is highly fragranced, so best avoided by the very sensitive, but wonderfully soothing for dehydrated skin. Try it alone or over a hydrating serum for optimum hydration, and apply an oil over the top to boost effectiveness.

Lancôme Visionnaire Nuit Beauty Sleep Perfector (€74 from Brown Thomas from August 12th. Nationwide from August 26th) has a deliciously fresh, cooling gel-in-oil texture. Lighter in texture than the Garnier version but still hyper-effective, this is best layered under your facial oil, or worn over serum alone.

lkennedy@irishtimes.com