"There is a huge trend in double serum-ing, where Korean women are layering different serums to treat multiple skin concerns," Chang says. And that's where the team's newest venture comes in: The Sweet Chef line, which launches on Glow Recipe and at Target at the end of January, includes three different serums meant to be mixed and matched, combined and layered.
"The Sweet Chef Ginger + Vitamin C Serum Shot helps with brightening, the Kale + Vitamin B Serum Shot is great for hydration and the Beet + Vitamin A Serum Shot assists with refining pores," explains Lee. "The textures of each serum are different, ranging from being essence-like to jelly or milky in texture."
Yoon predicts that micro-spicules — a new technology that's often compared to micro-needling — will start to gain popularity in 2019, explaining that they "help enhance absorption and also cell renewal." As for this particular product, she notes, "The reviews are unparalleled when it comes to helping to improve all manners of scarring, including ice pick marks."
And though the term "micro-spicules" might sound scary, there's really nothing to fear. "The formula looks just like a serum — you can't visibly see the spicules — but upon application, it's tingly and then sinks right in," she says. "The tingling lasts just for a short while, but it's very active and you can tell it's working hard for your skin."
Lee agrees that micro-spicules will be big this year, noting the "clinical trend" making waves in Korean skin care lately. "It's all about preventing aging in a very new approach," she says, citing Sephora newbie brand Private Doctor as an example of this trend. Of the line's Minus Serum, she says, "It has a really interesting blend of ingredients, including micro-tingling spicules, which help to create pathways into the skin to aid penetration of the formula. It also has sodium dexoycholate, which is an active that's been used in in-office slimming procedures and we've never seen it used in skin care before."
Have you heard of glass skin? As Yoon explains, the term refers to "poreless, luminous, translucent skin like a pane of pristine glass, that really reflects what skin looks like when it's at its healthiest" — in other words, it means the radiant complexion of your favorite K-pop star. Her new line includes a serum, designed for the express purpose of making "achieving glass skin super easy." This is thanks to its "clinically proven ingredients" and "super clean formula" that includes skin-loving ingredients like niacinamide, peptides, hyaluronic acid and more.
"A product category we see expanding in Korea is the fog mist," says Chang. Fog mists are pretty much exactly what they sound like: As Chang puts it, "They do all the heavy lifting of a regular mist but in this ultra-fine spray that envelops you."
Another bonus? This spray mechanism makes fog mists extra ideal for setting and touching up makeup. "Sarah and I like to mist the Make P:rem Safe Relief Mist right over your makeup because it just gives you that perfect dewiness without messing anything up or smudging," says Chang. She also notes that this particular mist is laudable for its "very clean, short ingredient list."
