I went to an event at Bergdorf Goodman last week where Jill Blakeway, an acupuncturist and clinical herbalist spoke about the benefits of Asian herbs and how Korean skincare brand Sulwhasoo (owned by Amore Pacific, which is basically the L’Oreal of Asia), has incorporated them into their products.
From what I gather Sulwhasoo is Korea’s equivalent to UK’s Liz Earle – they sell one of their serums every 20 seconds (Liz Earle sells one of her cleansers every 60 seconds), and it’s the number one prestige skincare brand in Korea. The line is aimed at maturing skin and the concept stems from Korean Herbal Medicine where it’s believed that the body undergoes internal changes every seven years causing energy shifts. It’s at age 35 that they believe these energies begin to fall out of balance, which is where Sulwhasoo comes in (though I feel like here in the States energies begin to fall out of balance starting around 16 when teens begin the college application process!).
Sulwhasoo has got a comprehensive line (check it out here), that is focused on re-balancing internal changes with their “marquee” product being their First Care Serum. It’s designed to prepare skin to receive subsequent treatments and like the rest of the line it’s formulated with Korean Medicinal Herbs. I haven’t tried the line myself, but there were two things that stuck-out to me. First, I was struck by hearing Jill Blakeway speak about how powerful these herbs are, especially in combination with acupuncture. In fact, a woman in attendance told me that at the age of 40 she was desperately trying to have a baby, but was told by traditional western doctors that she had practically no chance. After a long period of no success, she went to an acupuncturist and after six sessions (in combination with herbal remedies), she was pregnant! Read on for the second interesting tidbit!
Last week Beauty Snob Tina wrote about Liquid Diet, a product designed to fight water weight. If you’re thinking it seems too good to be true – maybe not! When Jill Blakeway was discussing Sulwhasoo’s eye care she noted that certain herbs, when applied topically, can actually help drain and move liquid around your body – hence certain creams and serums’ ability to “de-puff.” Do you use any medicinal herb-based products?
I’ve been using Sulwhasoo products for some years now. Love their eye cream! It smooths out fine lines in an instant with a soothing ginseng scent.
Is Bergdorf Goodman going to carry this brand so we can save the trip to restock overseas?