Korean skincare words and concepts: What do they actually mean?!

Korean skin care comes with a series of words and concepts that describe different skin conditions, different types of shine and techniques. You've probably heard some of them, but do you know what they mean?
Get a sense of who they are with our list of words and concepts!

Glow and finish:

Chok Chok - dewy, hydrated skin that has been given a lot of glow from several layers of moisture

Glass skin - healthy, clear and hydrated skin whose texture and shine is reminiscent of mirror-like glass

Gwang – describes a natural glow and skin that is fundamentally smooth, soft and supple

Honey Skin – Shiny, supple skin with a glossy glow reminiscent of the texture and glow of honey

Water skin - also known as water glow, a thick and highly hydrated skin whose glow gives the appearance of being wet

Products:

AC – a product intended for acne-prone skin, stands for acne care

Ampoule – highly concentrated serum, making it more powerful and result-oriented

BB Cream – a Korean innovation that stands for Blemish Balm, a tinted cream that gives light coverage without clogging and has skin conditioning properties and often SPF

CC/CCC Cream – stands for color correction and often has the same properties as a BB cream but with more coverage, evens the skin tone and often has a higher SPF

Cushion compact – a Korean innovation consisting of a box with a moistened sponge/cushion filled with product that is mainly used in make-up, for example for BB Cream or highlighter

Emulsion – a light moisturizing cream in liquid form that is quickly absorbed by the skin, can act as an extra step between serum and day cream

Essence – targets hydration and can be condition specific, is thicker than toner and thinner than a serum

Hydrogel – water-based gel that is pressed and molded into masks, such as an eye mask or sheet mask, and provides hydration and a cooling effect

Lotion – moisturizing cream in a light liquid form, slightly thicker than an emulsion and but thinner than a moisturizer

Pack – another word for face or hair mask, for example in gel form or as clay, and is usually washed off

Pad - Compressed cotton sheet (sometimes called cellulose) that can be purchased in multipacks such as cotton pads and used for cleaning and application, or in a jar where they are moistened and used for cleansing and exfoliation or for their soothing, cooling properties

Patch – patch made of hydrocolloid that protects, reduces inflammation and accelerates the healing of pimples by absorbing sebum

Sheet mask – a single use face mask, often made from cotton sheets and soaked essentially for the purpose of providing rapid hydration and often has additional purposes, e.g. to have a smoothing or softening effect

Toners - often have a thin and watery consistency, alternatively slightly thicker and gel-like, are used after cleansing to restore the skin's pH level, moisturize and prepare the skin for the next step

Treatment – ​​in skin care an umbrella term for the products that treat specific conditions or are otherwise adapted to one's own skin type (toner, essence, ampoule, day cream), while in hair care it corresponds to a hybrid between hair pack and conditioner

Concept:

7 skin method - method where you apply your toner in up to seven layers depending on the daily form and need to saturate the skin with moisture before moving on to the next step in the routine

Brightening – sometimes whitening, refers to evening out skin tone and has nothing to do with bleaching or bleaching chemicals

Double cleanse – method where you wash your face first with an oil-based cleanser followed by a water-based cleanser to remove all types of dirt (makeup, SPF, sebum, exhaust, sweat)

Physical sunscreen/SPF – provides instant protection through mineral-based ingredients that reflect and reflect sunlight off the skin

Chemical sunscreen/SPF – the ingredients form a chemical reaction on the skin that absorbs, transforms and neutralizes the UV rays, must be applied at least 20-30 minutes before sun exposure to start working

PA – designation followed by one or more plus signs (e.g. PA++++) and is a classification system for how much UVA protection a sunscreen product has

Tok tok or tapping technique – a technique of applying skin care products by tapping the hands rather than dragging them over the skin to reduce friction