The Book of Korean Self-Care

There’s no doubt that creating a skincare routine can get overwhelming with so many different products available. When you start out, focus on the key basics: a cleanser, serum, moisturizer, and sunscreen. When drying, pat, don’t rub.

Koreans realize that outer beauty is more than just skincare and makeup—it’s a reflection of inner health.

healthy skin is one’s natural makeup.

sake of brevity, I will be using “Korean” to mean “South Korean” in this book).

Korean, is referred to as um and yang), or the opposing forces of two extremes, thermal (heat/cold) contrast is known to produce sudden changes in the circulatory system to promote healing. This is important to Koreans who emphasize enhanced circulation and blood flow as essentia

In 2011, I had the opportunity to be stationed in Seoul,

Umma tells me that she cried all the way to the U.S. as she processed the abandonment of everything familiar to step into the unknown indefinitely.

After several decades, all but two of my aunts and uncles traveled one by one to the U.S.

Despite hailing from a wealthy family in Pyongyang, Harabuji and my grandmother left their riches to escape to the South.

Although I lived with Harabuji until I was 18, my relatively limited Korean did not allow us to communicate about his past in depth.