3 Things to Watch out for When You’re Buying Korean Skin Care

With so many Korean beauty sellers around, are you overlooking these three major things just to get the lowest price?

One of the beauty of Korean beauty is its affordability. Compared to most Western skin care brands, Korean skin care stands out due to its high-quality, innovative formulas, minus the hefty price tag. Customers like us are spoiled not just in terms of product variety, but also where we choose to get these products from. There seems to be new Korean skin care stores popping up everyday, offering the lowest, craziest prices possible. Hey, everyone loves a good deal, but really, how much is too little? Before you fall into the price trap, ask yourself these three questions the next time you’re shopping for any K-Beauty product:

1. “Are these products fake?”

Fake beauty products are more common than you think, especially with K-Beauty brands like Banila Co, Elizavecca, Innisfree, Missha or Laneige that have gone mainstream. To the non-discerning eye (and nose), they can look and smell scarily similar to the original… well, until you slather it on your face and realise that it’s burning your skin. This is why it’s important to really, really know where you’re getting your beauty products from, and do your due diligence. Be selective and purchase only through retailers with a history of good business practices (positive customer reviews are a good indicator!).

Another way to find out about official sellers of a particular brand is to visit the official brand website, where they might have a list of all their official global partners.

For example, Nudie Glow is an official partner of COSRX & KLAIRS as listed on their websites :)

Related article: How to Spot Fake K-Beauty Products

2. “Are these old stocks?”

While we like to keep our products at the Nudie Glow warehouse in fresh batches (yes, like pastries), not all companies are willing to do the same, or they just don't turnover fast enough. Here’s the truth: Most of the time, sale products that are slashed to the craziest, groundbreaking prices, or “free” sheetmasks a store is giving away are probably expired, or close to being expired. They’re probably old, unwanted stocks that the store has been holding on for a very long time, and desperate to get rid of. So the next time you see a deal that seems too good to be true, question it. You don’t want to save $20 on a new cream, just to find out that it’s expiring in a month!

3. “How are these products handled and stored?”

Another thing that might not cross a customer’s mind when purchasing Korean skin care is how the products have been handled or stored before reaching customers' hands. The general rule is that the bigger the brand, the more distributors in the market and the more difficult to find out the product source. Some businesses get their goods from indirect sources that have been moved around multiple times, or stored in multiple locations, meaning the quality of these products might have been compromised. I.e. a product could have moved from manufacturer to brand warehouse to first distributor to second distributor to seller to customer. That is 5 moves before a product reaches you. Would you know what kind of weather condition, timeline and storage the product has gone through? Nope! If you don’t know where, exactly, you’re buying things from, there’s always a chance that they could come spoiled, opened or even used. Yikes! That's why it's best to buy direct, or from a direct retailer if possible. 

Bottom Line

When you’re shopping for K-Beauty, whether online or offline, the two most important things to consider are the seller and the price of the item. Is it a first-time seller or someone with poor reviews? Skip it. Is the price too good to be true, like that $55 Missha First Treatment Essence for $20? Give it a pass. At this day and age, when it comes to purchasing skin care, it’s not enough just scrutinising skin care ingredients and equipping yourself with skin knowledge. Being a smart shopper and knowing where you’re putting your money to is also important!

Have you purchased a fake product before? Let us know in the comments below!