Everything K-Beauty is Doing Wrong (And Right)

There’s a viral meme format going around which is “Propaganda I would NOT fall for”. It then lists an number of things which are promoted through social media as something you need to do but really, isn’t necessary.

We joined in — here’s our take on the trend.

When I first saw these videos, I thought to myself “YES, this is my chance to speak up about the misleading propaganda some K-Beauty promotes”.

As a founder of a K-Beauty brand myself, I’m not here to bash the industry — but I do think it’s time we cleared up some common skincare misconceptions.

One, not everyone needs to double cleanse.

Disclaimer, double cleansing does help for some, there are proven reviews from those that say double cleansing helped them clear skin breakouts. However, not every skin type is suitable for double cleansing.

So what exactly is double cleansing, and do you really need it?

It refers to when you first cleanse your face with an oil-based cleanser (such as cleansing oils or balms) and then cleanse again using a water-based cleanser (like cleansing foams, bubbles, or gels). Not many people used to double cleanse, but this became a popular trend led by K-Beauty and its viral cleansing balms & oils.

Double cleansing is critical if you have heavy make-up and sunscreen on. Because most make-products and sunscreen are oil-based, emulsifying with an oil-based cleanser is the most effective to deep cleanse. You would need to gently rub cleansing oil on your face until it emulsifies and then wash off completely with water. It’s important that you wash off cleansing oils entirely as the residue could potentially block pores and cause break-outs.

If you’re not wearing heavy makeup or thick sunscreen, you likely don’t need to double cleanser every night. A quick reminder is, you do need to wear SPF everyday but the amount needed would vary depending on the level of sun exposure. That said, there would be days when you don’t wear as much make-up or sunscreen, and those days would not need double cleansing.

As answered on this medical platform in Korea called Dr. Now, cleansing oils are best for use only 1 to 3 times a week. Overusing cleansing oils & double cleansing could irritate the skin and hurt your skin barrier.

On lighter makeup days, opt for gentle alternatives such as cleansing foams, gels, or bubbles. Also remember to apply hydrating and barrier-strengthening moisturizers after you cleanse. (Wink wink, we’re launching our barrier-strengthening moisturizer soon.)

Two, sunscreen does NOT cause cancer.

Oh my god, I couldn’t believe it when I say this “influencer” claiming sunscreen causes cancer. His reasoning was that people in the 1800s did not wear sunscreen but were never burnt. Uh, what? Please don’t fall for this misinformation — it’s not backed by science. I know most of you won’t, but I was worried for the younger folks on internet who are more vulnerable to these misinformation.

The social media myth that sunscreen causes cancer is not based on factual data, but rather, the SUN causing cancer is proven in many, many studies. Dr. Buzney, MD, outpatient clinical director of the Department of Dermatology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and assistant professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School, talks about this in her interview for The Skin Cancer Foundation.

“Sun exposure causes DNA damage in skin cells. That damage can cause mutations that lead to skin cancer. Getting sunburned at a young age increases your risk for skin cancer as you get older and is strongly associated with melanoma.” - Dr. Buzney, The Skin Cancer Foundation

So now you might be wondering — what does K-Beauty have to do with this sunscreen myth?

Well, this is the part K-Beauty is doing absolutely RIGHT. K-Beauty industry leaders, like Beauty of Joseon, SKIN1004, and Dalba, are promoting the daily use of SPF with its world-leading formulations. Korean sunscreens that are formulated to achieve SPF 50 with lightweight formulations that leave minimal white-cast allow for easy daily applications.

I shared two very strong opinions I have — and I stand by them.

One is that double cleansing (and any other skincare tip on the internet) does not work for everyone. Some K-Beauty marketing that makes it seem double cleansing would solve it all, sebum, pollutants, and makeup, could be held accountable. Two is that sunscreen is vital to protect yourself from skin cancer — here, K-Beauty industry leaders are doing an amazing job of creating & marketing top-tier SPF.

Final remark I’d like to make is to take skincare tips you come across online with a grain of salt. At AROOM, our goal is not to make you need a 10 step skincare routine for the rest of your life. Rather, we want your skin to get actually stronger and healthier as you’re using our products. This post is part of our efforts to create a healthy environment for consuming beauty and skincare.

We are launching our very first products this Summer. Before that, subscribe to our newsletter for more skincare myth-busting and BTS stories of AROOM 📩

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