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Ah, Seoul: That fabled capital of startling street style, fey flower boys … and face-friendly foods?
Everyone and their mother’s mother may be obsessed with the latest K-Beauty loot, but topical treatments aside, we might want to consider pilfering their provisions, too.
As it turns out, the prototypical Korean’s perfectly poreless, perfectly porcelain complexion may be less about their frankly ridiculous 12-step skincare regimes and more about their scrumptious suppers.
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Want empirical evidence? Take this 2012 paper, for one; researchers of said study discovered that when adults adhering to a traditional Korean diet for 10 weeks “demonstrated significant clinical improvement in the number of both noninflammatory and inflammatory acne lesions,” with overall inflammation slashed by up to 50 percent. Consider us sold!
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Not sure where to start? You may want to kick off with a heaping helpful of kimchi, that famously funky fermented fare fashioned from seasoned cabbage shreds.
We’re gunning for the probiotics in this piquant powerhouse of a dish; studies suggest that the “good” bacteria in kimchi may contribute to a hike in gut health and a consequent spike in your skin’s production of hyaluronic acid – yes, that very same moisture magnet found in most cosmetic creams these days.
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Or sip on a steaming bowl of skin-brightening seaweed soup. Here’s why this marine manna is so good for you. The most direct beautifying benefits stem from seaweed’s stress-alleviating stockpile of riboflavin and pantothenic acids.
These B-vitamins bolster your body against fatigue by fortifying your adrenal glands, helping to soothe stress-induced skin sallowness, so don’t forget to eat your sea veggies!
Bottomline: Nibbling on Korean nosh may provide that precious skin-saving spark you need to ignite your way to a brighter, better complexion. Jal Mug Get Sum Ni Da (cheers)!
