K-Beauty, also know as the wonder products, routines and practices from South Korea, has established itself as greater than only a trend. Once dismissed by some due to its fun and quirky approach to skincare, it now has a everlasting place in many ladies (and men’s) beauty arsenals.

One group, nevertheless, that’s been a bit slower to adopt the Asian-imported products and multi-step routine are Black women. And with good reason. Charlotte Cho, the founding father of the wildly popular K-Beauty site Soko Glam, wants to alter that. We chatted with Cho on the WWD Digital Beauty Forum in NYC to set the record straight on K-Beauty. 

One reason many ladies with deeper skin tones have been hesitant to purchase and take a look at South Korean beauty products is because they don’t see themselves represented within the marketing or promoting of said products. As we’re all well aware, representation is amazingly vital since it allows consumers to feel confident that those products are intended and can work for them.

Nonetheless, Cho reminds us that things aren’t that straightforward in the case of K-Beauty. It’s vital to keep in mind that these products are being imported from probably the most homogenous countries on this planet for global consumption. So it’s comprehensible that there aren’t models featured within the promoting of popular Korean beauty firms who’ve diverse skin tone or backgrounds.

“One among the explanations that K-Beauty has taken off within the US is because at its core it’s about skin,” the certified esthetician says. “Skin is skin, so the bulk of K-Beauty products work on a big selection of skin tones,” she told ESSENCE. 

Cho does acknowledge that Korean color cosmetics, like the favored cushion compacts and BB creams, have been slow to maintain pace and innovate to meet the needs of its now diverse customer-base. “Lots of these firms now have to create latest shades and products to appeal to a latest mass market,” she said. 

While the makeup products and promoting will not be as diverse or inclusive as we’re used to here within the states, Cho is quick to indicate that the guts of K-Beauty is skincare, so Black women shouldn’t be afraid to embrace it. It’s about having a skin-first beaut philosophy and looking out at it as a delight as an alternative of a chore or routine —something we must always all do. 

“K-Beauty is progressive and discoverable and has a lower priced so you may experiment so much. With K-Beauty you’ll feel like I need to do that and I need to get to know my skin more,” she said. 

Unsure how to begin a K-Beauty skin-first routine? Too Cool For School’s Egg Cream Sheet Mask or NEOGEN’s Bio‑Peel Exfoliating Pads are two great inexpensive products to include into your beauty routine. Allow us to know the way and when you try any K-Beauty products!