Korea’s love of beauty

I didn’t know what a BB cream was, until I came to Korea. This mecca of beauty industry has been into a remarkable surge of sales of cosmetic products, and much of that boom is powered by consumers willing to do anything for good, flawless skin. In fact, beauty has become an obsession; looking good is a matter of utmost importance, especially for the younger Koreans.

Korea is now at the forefront of beauty industry, amassing millions of dollars in revenues. In Daegu, the hosting of the 2015 Beauty Expo at the EXCO is a showcase of the Korean innovation for beauty and wellness, with over a hundred participating companies. 

I came with a fellow Touch Daegu blogger to cover the event, along my sister, my two daughters and a niece on the second day of the event. It was delightfully engaging for me, for it turned out to be a perfect venue for crowd watching, as I am not a cosmetic junkie. My skincare regimen involves just the basic - cleansing and moisturizing - which is so unlike the Koreans’ multiple skincare ritual. A multi-step process means several skincare products in a day - a cleanser, an exfoliator, a refresher, the essence (which is considered the most important step), the ampoule (or serum), the sheet mask, an eye cream, a moisturizer, a night cream, etcetera. It’s a seemingly unending ritual of self-pampering. 

The colorful array of cosmetics, nail art stuff, hair accessories, wigs, and health and wellness gadgets such as those used for Pilates and hyperbaric therapy left us wide-eyed in amazement. And we were delighted to find people doing the Zumba at the west side of the hall. The fervor of the dancers on stage was contagious. The dancers have apparently sweated their way off to their beautifully toned bodies through a whole lot of dancing and exercising.

My daughters and niece had a great time, at the makeover area, where everyone walks out spruced up. Next to the makeover area is a wedding exhibitor. You get to try one of their gowns, so lovely even ajummas line up for their chance to feel like pretty brides and have their photos taken by the official photographer. 

The day’s event inside the exhibition hall was a microcosm of the country’s love affair with aesthetic values, a love that has translated into economic gain for the country. Of course, for a country that was able to make itself over economically in a just a few decades, it is not surprising that it is also the capital of cosmetic industry.