The secret to K-beauty is endless treatments

The global market for South Korean beauty products is booming in tandem with voracious demand for cultural exports like music and movies. Buyers should beware, though. Achieving the glowing, pore-free complexion of K-drama stars isn’t possible with what comes out of a jar alone.

While K-beauty’s vast array of skincare formulations are effective and much more affordable than Western brands of comparable quality, they’re mainly for sun protection, hydration and maintenance. They don’t tend to feature strong active ingredients. So even the famous 12-step routine isn’t enough on its own to deliver the luminous “glass-skin” look popularised by actresses like Song Hye-kyo of The Glory, a Netflix mega-hit series.