This Korean Beauty Brand Has a Line Dedicated to “Whitening.” Here’s Why.

The Korean skin ideal is characterized by glowing, clear, luminous skin, and we’re like you — we want to get that bouncy, translucent look, too!

We also know that there are many products and ingredients that promise to get us there, and making sense of them can be quite overwhelming. In addition, for many of us here in West, one word found on many Korean beauty products can be particularly daunting: “whitening.”

You might see the word “whitening” proudly labeled on a product and put it down, thinking that it will bleach your skin or treat it with harsh ingredients (like hydroquinone) that will irritate or, maybe even, damage your skin — that’s not an unreasonable assumption to make! We’re here to tell you, though, that there’s nothing to fear! The thing is, in Korean skincare products, “whitening” products are actually just products that help brighten the overall tone of your skin and fade discoloration, bringing out your skin’s inner radiance.

As with much of K-beauty, the formulas of these “whitening” products are quite gentle, and, rather than damaging your complexion, they use many time-honored, beneficial ingredients like niacinamide and licorice extract to even out your tone and maximize your skin health.

We wanted to get the inside scoop on “whitening” in Korean skincare, so we sat down with Bora Moon, the Head of Education at the Korean beauty brand, Be the Skin. We focused our conversation around the brand’s Purifying White Waterful collection, which includes a “whitening” toner, serum, and cream.

Can you please explain what “whitening” actually means?

In Korea, “whitening” your skin translates to toning-up, brightening, removing spots, and achieving transparency (think: glass skin). Here, there’s a category for whitening skincare, and the main ingredient is niacinamide. Unlike in Asia, these products can be marketed as products that fade skin pigmentation and freckles in Western countries.

Here in the States, people often think “whitening” means “skin bleaching.” What does it mean to Korean beauty consumers?

In Asia, we have a saying that “when the skin is white, a hundred flaws are obscured.” There is a high desire to achieve spotless, bright skin. In Korea, “whitening” means achieving pure, transparent skin, not bleaching it or making it literally white. For already evenly-toned skin, “whitening” will make it brighter and cleaner-looking and help relieve skin pigmentation and dark spots. It’s not actually about making skin a lighter shade.

Can you share a bit about Be the Skin’s philosophy? What’s the brand’s approach to skincare formulation?

Be the Skin started by acknowledging skin’s own regenerative ability through natural ingredients. By balancing skin’s condition using nature’s offerings, you can experience dramatic yet gentle results. Even though the results might not be as strong or as fast as those from chemically-produced ingredients, the aim is to achieve better results through a mild process. Not only do we think about skin’s comfort, but we also think about whether the chosen ingredients — and, even, the manufacturing process, resulting waste, etcetera — are harmful to the environment. We work with the ingredients to find the perfect, balanced formula.

What does Be the Skin’s Purifying White Waterful collection actually do? What ingredients are included to achieve these results?

To explain each product, the Purifying White Waterful Toner brightens the tone of skin, while tidying skin’s surface and readying it for the “whitening” stage. Star ingredients include witch hazel leaf, portulaca extract, and green tea extract to help keep skin moist and comfortable while also relieving inflammation.

The Purifying White Waterful Serum is a concentrated product full of  fine ingredients that brighten skin and provide “whitening” results. Star ingredients include hyaluronic acid to hold moisture and edelweiss extract to help soothe skin.

Finally, the Purifying White Waterful Cream protects skin while hydrating skin with a variety of nourishing ingredients. When used regularly, you can achieve clean and pure skin. Star ingredients include shea butter to soften skin, as well as hyaluronic acid and beta-glucan to hydrate.

The commonly-shared ingredients in all 3 products are:

1) Niacinamide: the main ingredient that evens out skin tone and spots. Regular usage brings brightening effects.

2) Buddleja davidii extract, thyme flower and leaf extract, artemisia umbelliformis extract: herbs certified as Swiss organic ingredients that have antioxidative properties.

3) Laurus nobilis leaf extract: has antioxidative properties.

4) Licorice, green tea, and bay leaf extracts: target redness and skin pigmentation to give you bright, toned-up skin with faded dark spots.

Can you speak a bit more about the Purifying White Waterful products? What skin types are they for? How should these products be used?

The Purifying White Waterful line was originally developed for people with naturally dark skin or naturally fair skin. However, it is also great for mature skin that may have developed pigmentation. You can also use these products as a preventive measure for if and when you develop spots and freckles from skin aging and environmental effects.

For best results, use the toner, then the serum, followed by the cream. Apply evenly onto your face morning and evening, and apply a double layer onto your dark spots for better effects. Laurus nobilis leaf extract, which is used in all three products, is an ingredient that is included in a lot of our products at Be the Skin. These leaves are green all-year-round, and they symbolize victory. Laurus nobilis leaf’s efficacy offers unchanging vitality to skin, and these products can be used on all types of skin.

When it came to formulating a “whitening” collection, what was your approach? Did these products take a long time to develop? Was there a big demand for them?

There are many reasons why skin becomes darker as you age. One of the biggest reasons is the effect of sunlight, which activates melanin cells, causing skin pigmentation that leads to spots and freckles. We created the whitening line with a reversed approach where we tackled spotted and freckled skin rather than looking to merely “whiten” skin.

We invested a lot of time, from technology development to product launch, in these products to bring out their best effects, while also making sure they would be mild and suitable for sensitive skin types. The demand for these products is consistent, and the sales performance for our Purifying White Waterful line’s toner, serum, and cream is evenly good. In Korea, the demand for whitening products is highest in March when spring begins until October when winter sets in.

Brightening products oftentimes have harsh ingredients. In Korea, what are the go-to ingredients for brightening?

We usually use licorice, green tea, and other extracts from nature. Licorice has no toxic substances, and green tea is known for its quick soothing effects on sensitive skin. Both ingredients are also known to give good results in whitening. When it comes to FDA-approved ingredients, we use oil-soluble licorice (glycyrrhiza) extract, niacinamide, vitamin C derivatives, and alpha-bisaporol. Among these, the most commonly-used ingredient for whitening is niacinamide because it’s a very stable, effective ingredient.

Can you tell us some of your best-selling products in the US vs. Korea? Are we, as consumers, basically looking for similar results? Are there any trends you’ve noted?

In Korea, different products are chosen for different skin types, but, because Korea has four very distinctive seasons and skin changes with weather, the most suitable products in a routine are selected  according to seasonal changes.

For example, our Botanical Nutrition line is great for spring and fall, our Botanical Pore line for summer, and our Botanical Power collection for winter. In the States, though, the four seasons are not always as distinctive as in Korea, so you don’t have to have different skincare sets for different seasons. However, because the air can be quite dry, you should focus on hydrating your skin and prevent potential dryness by choosing the right products.

In general, is it better to use “whitening” products at night or during the day?

You should use “whitening” products both morning and evening. You can use use the toner, serum, and cream together because each product has different levels of performance in skin. It’s highly recommended that all the formulas be used together for maximum results. Since sunlight can be the biggest cause of dullness, you should always use sunscreen during the day.

Thank you for taking the time to talk to us, Bora! We hope this was helpful for you!