A Little Book of Secrets - My Preventative Skin Care Bible
Preventative skincare: The New Frontier (for me at least). I don't know about all of you, but I have just started to notice a major trend, and the huge increase in resources centred around preventing damage to your skin. When I say skin, I'm talking every inch of skin that covers your body, from your face all the way down to your feet. Similar to the fit lifestyle trend, this trend takes what we know about beauty and skincare, and flips it on its head. Just as strength and nutrition are "in", so are glow and SPF. Everything has changed to be about how we can prevent damage to our skin, rather than reverse it.
Among the many resources that have emerged about this topic is The Little Book of Skin Care by Charlotte Cho (of Soko Glam). This book has become my skincare bible. I first heard about it from Lauryn Evarts of The Skinny Confidential, who is equally obsessed with preventative skincare. The concept behind it is that you are never to young to start taking care of your skin. In the book, Cho discusses her early life, and how Koreans are taught at a very young age to protect and treasure their skin (which is something I wish I knew 7 or 8 years ago at the onset of my cystic acne).
It is comforting to know that, even though an entire nation on the other side of the world has their regime down pat, it took Cho (an American Korean) quite a while to figure out what worked for her skin -- just like me. The book goes into detail about topics that I wish were more popular in North America like the double cleanse, the magic of exfoliation, and the ten step routine that most Koreans follow to the t. She touches on SPF and sunscreen (as referred to in the book as "the most important word in skincare"), and how to master the art of dewy, glowing skin. Gone are the days of sunspots, tan accelerating lotions, and pre-mature wrinkles.
My favourite part about this book is not only the conversational tone (feels like a convo with my bff), but the fact that Cho shares some of the "soko secrets" that have been so well kept from us for so long -- us meaning North America.. Who knew fermented foods are rich in beneficial bacteria and help boost your immune system? (I did, we all did, and if you didn't.. read this)
To read more about Charlotte Cho's reintroduction into Korean culture and beauty, how to find the right skincare products for your skin, and the many skin care stories shared throughout the book, pick up a copy of The Little Book of Skin Care at your local book store or online here. And be sure to check out Soko Glam for even more tips and tricks, and to order some of the products she writes about in the book! I can't wait to put in my first order, that's for sure.
How much do you know about Korean beauty culture? Do you have any other preventative beauty tips to share? Let me know in the comments!
