Valentine’s Day runs a gamut of emotions – anticipation for some, dread for others. So what does this emotion-charged day mean for people around the world? In Korea, Valentine’s Day is a day women give men chocolate, not the other way around. This tradition was influenced by a practice in Japan that’s been around since the 1950s – according to some Japan studies scholars, one theory is that a chocolate...

Toners vs. Lotions vs. Skin vs. Softeners vs. Mists vs. Treatment Essences? The terms for toners are even more varied than the serum category. Let’s start with the key differences between toners in Asia and toners from Western markets, which boils down to the purpose. Toner is a relatively new term in Asia – it’s more often referred to as a ‘skin’ or ‘softeners’. These products serve as the first...

Whamisa’s Organic Flowers Water Cream is in Refinery29! One of our favorite hydrating & nourishing facial creams that we’ve ever curated, Refinery29 describes it as such: “There are moisturizing creams, and then there’s this. This is my special, unique little star. The texture is so light that when I dip my finger into it, I can’t even detect whether I’ve made contact with the product. For all its souffle-like weightlessness,...

One of the questions we most often get is ‘What on earth do all of these names mean? How do I properly use a ’? So without further ado – our guide to decoding the Korean Skincare Routine, Part 1. After your cleanser and toner comes the treatment step of your routine that is meant to address your primary skin concern – which are often named essences, serums or ampoules....

Hey, let’s be honest. While we might like to think we’re faithfully using a transcendental 30 step skincare regimen every night, the Glow Recipe team isn’t perfect either :). So after a long discussion with the team about our own skincare vices and after sifting through many email questions from our beloved customers, we’re drawing up a list of our 10 skincare resolutions for the new year. Just as one...

Just in time for Christmas, we’re introducing the second part of our winter skincare series. (Also check out how we recommend to treat blemishes and troubled skin in the winter time here) Image: Nick Mealey 1. Hydration is King No matter what your skin is like during the summer months, winter is a season where skin seems to get tight and dry regardless of skin type. Hydration is considered the...

We’re honored to be featured in Self.com. An excerpt from the article: “Much like BB Creams and Konjac Sponges, if there’s a new buzzword in beauty, you can guarantee it came from Korea. While their innovative products have us scrambling to find them before they sell out, often the products’ flaw is that they aren’t natural. Two former L’Oreal Paris employees, Christine Chang and Sarah Lee, joined forces and set...

Sarah and I have been in the beauty industry for a combined 19 years. We’ve touched, tried and tested thousands of beauty products over the years and it takes a lot to surprise us. Whamisa’s Organic Sea Kelp Mask? Completely blew us away. We were fortunate to discover Whamisa during one of our beauty-hunting trips in Korea. It’s a wonderful brand that prioritizes efficacious natural ingredients and they are truly...

Photo: Nina Frazier Hansen/Fashionista Glow Recipe is in Fashionista.com! An excerpt from the article: “Now imagine a Venn diagram with Korean beauty in one circle, and “safe, natural” products in the other. Glow Recipe, a newly launched K-beauty e-commerce site, sits squarely in the intersection of these two concepts….” Read more here: http://fashionista.com/2014/12/safe-natural-korean-beauty-products

Macadamia nuts. We’ve all eaten them, had them covered in chocolate and toffee, and baked into cookies with white chocolate and even sprinkled on lattes. After a recent series of highly unfortunate events in Korea – and where Macadamia nuts were a minor player – news outlets are reporting that sales of Macadamia nuts have spiked locally. We felt our friend the Macadamia nut could use a little pick-me-up and...

Does Tea Tree really Treat Acne & Troubled Skin? Since I was a teenager going through the all-too-common phase of angsty teenage blemishes, I’ve commonly heard that Tea Tree extract was the solution. So I’ve just assumed – like many of you, I’m sure – that tea tree was for treating breakouts and never questioned its actual benefit. Luckily for me, I stopped breaking out after my teen years except...

While we have many a product obsession at Glow Recipe, the team definitely tries to find every excuse possible to ‘test’ the Whamisa Hydro-gel Sheet Masks. “Oh, a new version with tomato and fruit extracts? I think I should try this out…(for the 10th time)” Long before sheet masks became a staple in Korean skincare regimes, geishas would boil water underneath a blend of flowers and herbs and capture the...