Is Korean Food The Secret To Beautiful Skin?
What if I told you that kimchi, steamed and fermented veggies, teas, and fish are the secret to luminous skin?
While we've been spending so much money obsessing over the 10-step Korean skincare regimen, could it be that there's so much more to good skin than a bottle of good moisturizer or magical serum?
“Everything you eat becomes a part of not only your inner being, but the outer fabric of your body as well. The healthier the foods are that you consume, the better your skin will look," says Samantha Heller, MS, RD, a clinical nutritionist at NYU Medical Center in New York City.
As I watched more and more Korean dramas and indulged in Korean beauty products, I came to realize that Koreans’ luminous and porcelain skin is not all due skincare and makeup. A huge part of their secret is their well-balanced diet, which is high in grilled protein, rice, teas, and fermented vegetables—and many of these food are rich in the nutrients that give skin that subtle glow.
“Foods get digested and broken down into vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that your body can use to build healthy skin. If you crash diet or eat highly processed foods, your skin won’t be as strong and supple as it could be,” adds Dr. Jessica Wu, a certified dermatologist and author of a book that talks about the importance of a good diet in your skincare, entitled, Feed Your Face.
And it turns out, the Korean diet is a healthy mix of all of these good foods that will greatly benefit your skin health. Here are some of the most popular Korean foods you should be adding to your own diet to get that luminous, beautiful skin.
Is kimchi the secret to good skin?
Is kimchi the secret to good skin?
Kimchi
Kimchi is probably one of the most famous Korean food that has almost become synonymous to Korean food culture. An average Korean eats 40 lbs of Kimchi every year—because they eat it with anything! As a food that’s rich in probiotics, kimchi is not only good for the gut. According to Belinda Duncan, Educator at Beauty EDU, probiotics found in food like kimchi “work by helping the skin regain its natural pH balance, much like they do for your gut by neutralising and removing toxins.” Kimchi is also high in vitamin C and beta-carotene, which can improve your skin’s elasticity. Improved elasticity means it can reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Photo Credit: Halley Blog
Korean Barley Tea
Korean Barley Tea or boricha is a kind of tea made from roasted barley and water. It’s a popular caffeine-free drink that’s a staple in every Korean household. During the hot summer days, you’ll find pitchers of this tea in the ref for cooling down. In colder months, it’s prepared hot. The benefits of drinking boricha is endless: it protects the eyesight, acts as a natural antacid, helps with heartburn, lower cholesterol levels, and is great as a sleep aid. For the skin, roasted barley tea is rich with lignans and other antioxidants that can fight oxidative stress, which is a major contributing factor to aging. The nutrients found in boricha also protects the skin from cellular damage and increases collagen levels.
Photo Credit: Thirsty for tea
Collagen-rich soups
Korean cuisine is filled with a variety of hearty soups that are rich in collagen such as beef tendon Gumtang collagen soup, Seolleongtang (ox bone soup), collagen chicken broth, and many more. And any skin junkie would know that collagen is a holy grail when it comes to skincare. Many would even take collagen supplements just to amp up the collagen in their body, which is essential in preventing skin ageing and reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Photo Credit: Ang Sarap
Makgeolli
Even the alcohol that Koreans consume is great for the skin! Makgeolli or fermented rice wine is a Korean staple that usually served in a bowl rather than a cup. It usually contains 6 to 8 percent alcohol and is also rich in gut-loving and skin-friendly probiotics. It’s also rich in amino acids such as lysine and methionine to keep the skin firm, and vitamins B2 and B3 to help brighten the skin.
Photo Credit: @bk_julie
Doenjang jjigae
This Korean Soybean Paste Stew is a Korean favorite made primarily with doenjang or fermented soybean paste. And since it’s fermented, it has more nutritional benefits than regular soybean. The doenjang is a good source of bioactive peptides that has many skin benefits such as keeping the skin radiant and slowing down the ageing process. It’s also rich in Vitamin E, which is a great antioxidant that helps protect and repair your skin.
Photo Credit: Korean Bapsang
Seaweed
Seaweed has recently become popular as an ingredient in Korean skincare because of its immense benefits for the skin. It’s rich in humectants that is great for hydration, contains natural minerals for healing acne and sensitive skin problems, and full of antioxidants and vitamins B and C to even out skin pigmentation. So if applying it topically produces wonders, imagine consuming it! Koreans love using seaweed in everything, such as soups, kimbap, and samgyeopsal. Holistic nutritionist Sally Pansing Kravich says, “The rich vitamin C in seaweed provides the added beauty benefit of supporting collagen production, and the natural niacin is great for hyperpigmentation and blemishes. Chlorella is a cleansing seaweed that is helpful for removing toxins, heavy metals, and radiation.”
Photo Credit: Filippo Faruffini/Unsplash
Top Stories
Metro Beauty Picks Of The Week
BEAUTYMar 14, 2023