Korean beauty products now in Kenya

Korean beauty products enjoy great popularity in Kenya. Products made from natural extracts such as snail mucin, vitamin C, green tea, coconut oil, floral water, seaweed, bamboo extract and mushrooms have made a big entry into the Kenyan market.

Glow Secret is one of the companies that sells the products in its two physical stores in Nairobi and online.

Fatma Mohamed, head of Glow Secret, said she launched Korean products in 2019 after seeing a gap in the market.

The Glow Secret store at AdLife Plaza, Kilimani on November 26, 2021, where Asian, Korean and Japanese beauty products are sold to customers who are passionate about their daily skin routine. PHOTO | DIANA NGILA | NMG

“We realized that the skin care products were overpriced or bogus. We decided to import from Korea and Japan. The recovery was really good. To our surprise, Kenyans already knew about Asian beauty products but couldn’t access them, ”says Fatma.

One of the reasons the demand has grown so rapidly is that Korean products are made from non-harsh ingredients.

Explaining the basic process of a skin care routine that everyone needs, Fatma says that a cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen, in that order, are a must.

She says sunscreen prevents skin from aging prematurely and helps reduce skin pigmentation caused by the sun’s rays.

Hyaluronic Acid Travel Waist Kit at Glow Secret Store in AdLife Plaza, Kilimani on November 26, 2021. PHOTO | DIANA NGILA | NMG

“Your skin type doesn’t matter. These should be on your dressing table, ”she says.

Korean sunscreen is their bestseller and is “sold out most of the time.”

Ranging from Sh1,500 to Sh2,000, sunscreen, she says, doesn’t leave a white mark on the face with any skin tone.

Fatma noted, however, that if you have oily skin, use a water-based sunscreen with a matte finish.

Facial treatments

Your morning routine should include a cleanser, then a toner (a moisturizing toner for the morning to balance the skin’s pH, then a vitamin C serum that protects the skin, then a moisturizer, then finish with a cream. solar.

For the nighttime routine, use a cleansing oil, do the second cleanser which is called a bubble cleanser where you exfoliate the skin, then tone it, apply serum, then eye cream, then moisturizer.

“People have different skin routines. At night your skin needs more than during the day, ”she says. She notes that people of different ages should use different products.

For a person in their twenties, moisturize and exfoliate. In your 30s, be sure to use products rich in antioxidants and retinol. At 40, get yourself products that help strengthen your barrier and keep skin firm.

Ginseng serum at the Glow Secret store in AdLife Plaza, Kilimani on November 26, 2021. PHOTO | DIANA NGILA | NMG

“Have a routine that works for you this holiday season, find something that works to make you feel confident about yourself,” says Fatma.

[email protected]