If you’ve seen Korean actress Oh Yeon Seo acted in K-dramas like A Korean Odyssey (Hwayugi) or My Sassy Girl, you’d probably have noticed how glowing her skin looks.
And you might wonder, where does she even find the time to maintain such good skin when she has her plate full juggling acting, emceeing and endorsing brands such as Korean beauty brand AHC?
Her World sat down for a group interview with her to get tips on maintaining the glow, preventing breakouts especially during this Covid-19 period and practising self-care.
PS: If you’re wondering how to do self-care at home and have a spa-like experience while waiting for your next spa appointment, Jay Kim, AHC Aesthetician, shares this tip: “Premium EX Hydra B5 (to be launched in Singapore end of 2020) is upgraded to premium purity derma ingredients. It’s highly recommend for Singaporeans. These ingredients are really needed any skin type and probably you can feel spa at home if you know how to apply at home.”
She adds, “When we have many stressful things to do, our skin becomes [dull] and looks stressed. I recommend The Aesthe products too, it has four kinds of herbs oil in the Aesthe toner which makes your soul and skin relaxed together!”
Of course there will be times when us actresses feel a bit tired but for me, a little rest is enough to boost my energy and keep me on the go again. Coffee helps too! It’s also important to take some time for yourself and meditate from time to time just to lower my stress levels.
My self-care routine is quite simple, to be honest. That includes working out regularly to make sure I keep my core and immune system strong, a balanced and healthy diet in order to have all the necessary micro- and macronutrients, and if I have the time, I meditate in order to clear my mind.
It’s also important for me to have time to follow and create a skincare routine. I make daily beauty rituals a priority, because I know that this benefits my mental and emotional well-being, just as much as my skin.
In today’s hectic world, it’s very easy to get stressed about everything—and that stress shows on your skin too, making you look older than you are! So it’s important to teach people how to cope with that stress and to use the right products and beauty rituals for your skin. I think AHC is the perfect partner to champion this movement because they are already the skincare experts and have over 20 years of hands-on experience.
They use premium ingredients and innovation to deliver the best results. And their products are also affordable! I’ve been using their products for a long time, even before I became their ambassador.
I think the first and most important step of self-care is to take some time to focus on yourself. Find a hobby, stay active, stay happy and calm. When it comes to skin, I need to emphasise the importance of using sunscreen and eye cream. If you do these, everything [good] will follow because when you have a healthy mind, it reflects on your well-being and shows your true beauty.
Healthy and beautiful skin is skin that is radiant and glowing. You’ll know if your skin is healthy if it looks well-hydrated, soft, and tight.
To be honest, I don’t really like vegetables and fruits. But as I become older, I eat them for my health. I don’t eat any specific food for my skin but I make sure that my diet is well balanced.
Yes, filming schedules can get really busy and sometimes go later than expected. However, I make sure that I still have sufficient time for myself to meditate and take on my skincare routine. I also make sure that I get enough energy by eating healthy and doing few exercises now and then, and i like to rest and have my beauty sleep.
It’s truly a matter of time management and being able to find time to take care of myself despite the busy schedule. It also helps that my skincare routine is really easy to do and doesn’t take up too much of my time.
Since I am mostly at home and always looking at my mobile phone or laptop, I tend to get more exposure from blue light, which can darken your skin by two shades. It’s a good thing that I use AHC products such as the Peony Bright Toner which contains niacinamide to keep my skin protected while being productive at home.
Wearing face masks for a long period of time can really take a toll on our skin and cause breakouts. As much as possible, what I do to avoid this is to make sure that I wash and cleanse my face properly with a facial cleanser and toner. This way, I get to do deep-cleansing and clean everything out. And of course, staying properly hydrated throughout the day is important.
For me, a skincare routine doesn’t have to be overly complicated, but rather simple and effective. Both my day and night beauty rituals are almost the same, but I put in a little more effort at night, especially when my skin looks really tired coming from a whole day shoot. I always make sure that I wash my face thoroughly, and properly remove all my makeup. I usually have to double-cleanse. Then I apply AHA/BHA toner and a super hydrating serum. Then, I use the Real Eye Cream for Face PURE for both my eyes, face, neck and elbows. If I’m not too tired, I also put on a sheet mask to keep all the nutrients in. It sounds like a lot but it’s only about five steps and takes less than 20 mins!
I really believe in the Aesthebalance technology by AHC: advanced skincare science, thoughtful formulation, and optimised application. Being the Number One Korean skincare brand, AHC is truly a top quality brand but at an affordable price.
Actually, I really like all of AHC products. Even before this, I’ve bought a lot of the products. On top of my list is AHC’s Real Eye Cream for Face PURE. This number one eye cream in Korea is really perfect for me as it helps prevent wrinkles, dryness, and other signs of skin aging.
I also like the Peony Bright spot corrector with its brightening effects, Red Serum for that effective skin lifting effect, and the Aqualuronic toner, which makes my skin hydrated and glowing.
When I don’t have time to do a full routine, I use this Hydra Gold Foil Mask that I really love since it nourishes and takes care of my skin so well. Plus, it’s so handy that I can bring it along when I travel.
It’s really hard to choose from all these amazing products that I use from AHC, but I think the Hydra Gold Foil mask has become a part of my relaxation routine already. It’s very handy that I can put it in my pouch and use it whenever I want to feel refreshed and hydrate my face.
Since I started using the Real Real Eye Cream for Face PURE, I felt that it really made my skin look younger. I noticed that my skin got softer and more hydrated plus it improved my skin’s elasticity.
Nowadays, skip makeup is in trend in Korea now. In the past, we applied a lot of products and that took time. Now, we only apply the products we need. When I’m not working, I want my makeup to still look very simple. I apply sunscreen, cushion foundation and lipstick—that’s a complete look for me. If I apply too much makeup, my skin tends to break out, so I don’t put on a lot of makeup.
Every person has a unique skin type, so I recommend that they find a skincare routine that would fit their own lifestyle—one that’s simple and not too complicated. It’s also important to check if the products that they use are carefully researched and backed up by experts.
To prevent breakouts and continue having healthy skin, I make sure that I take care of myself even with my hectic schedule. I maintain a healthy diet, adequate sleep and keep myself physically active by working out regularly. After all, self-care is indeed the best way to look your most beautiful self.
In the morning, I do a simple routine. I use a toner, moisturiser and sunscreen—this is important. When I come home at night, I usually use masks. I really like the AHC Hydra Gold Foil mask, so I use that and then do the rest of my skincare routine. If I’m really tired and can’t be bothered to do on my full skincare routine, I just put on the AHC Hydra Gold Foil and that’s basically my skincare routine done. When I’m travelling, I only bring the eye cream and the mask.
Healthy skin comes from having a healthy body and having your self-care routine, and that includes working out regularly to make sure I keep my core and immune system strong, a balanced and healthy diet in order to have all the necessary micro and macronutrients. If I have the time, I meditate in order to clear my mind.
After morning and night cleansing, prime skin with toner, then dispense an appropriate amount of The Real Eye Cream for Face PURE and lightly spread and dab around the eye area, or your whole face until absorbed by the skin.
Ten years from now, I want to still look young and still have that healthy and glowing skin. Hopefully, with all the self-care and skincare routine that I do, I am able to achieve that and age gracefully.
The best part of doing this drama is knowing that we were able to reach a lot of viewers from different parts of the world, and I think the reason why Hwayugi has been a success up until now is because of the good relationship that Lee Seung-gi and I had during the project. He’s a gentleman, has good manners, good in acting, good-looking and very professional to work with. So it was a busy but fun filming experience.
People think that Korean skincare is complicated and includes many steps, but it doesn’t have to be. As I’ve mentioned, as long as you find the right product for your skin and make it a part of your everyday self-care routine, it will do wonders for you and your well-being in general.