Are Japanese Beauty Products Better Than Korean?
February 10, 2008 by Sasha Manuel
Filed under Makeup
Just another thought coursing through my head over the weekend. Yea, we do have to take a closer look.
“…keep in mind that korean [sic] products have A LOT of chemical additives. Also, many products have special “whitening agents”, since the vast majority of Korean women want to have whiter skin, like foreigners. I have no idea if these agents actually work, but it’s what sells.
For better Asian products, look to Japan, which has been in the beauty business longer and caters to a variety of consumers, including those looking for all natural products.”
Is there any truth to this statement, which I found at a beauty forum?
no way, Korean Products would be better because Japanese Products would contain whale oil in it, I hate it all.!
I’m a fan of Korea generally, however Japanese products are more refined. Japanese quality assurance is envied the world over.
On a related matter, Im doing some research into Korean/Japanese Hair-care products (which are the best manufacturers). Perhaps equivalent to Redken or Sebastian in the West. Can you point me to a good English language forum to ask a number of users. Thanks. Dan.
I feel that Korean and Japanese products go hand in hand with each other. To talk about whitening agents, Japan has them as well. I have personally been to Japan and tried their products and they really are top notch, I have not yet tried Korean products yet, but I’ve just ordered BB cream which I hear now is popular in Korea for brightening skin, being a foundation/concealer, and having SPF.
Personally I think they both do have good products, to base solely on the fact that Japan has been around longer is not really a good statement.
I guess being around the cosmetics industry longer would give you leverage in terms of perfecting your formula ahead of those who came in at a later time. Knowing your market (being around longer) and customising your product accordingly will help you earn the right to come up with better products than those newer brands.
IMHO, Korean brands still need to produce products that will not be seen and treated as novelty, hence its popularity. I guess if they are producing good products, ones that are at par with their Japanese counterparts, then I reckon they should be making a huge splash globally.
Moreover, I really wouldn’t trust a multi-purpose (or an all-in-one) product. It often lacks the real quality of a product made to satisfy your specific need since it’s geared towards economy and profit than anything else. I’d rather spend more on individual products at least I’m sure I can check with ones work and which ones don’t.
Japanese brands are much better. Just take a look at Shiseido, Kanebo and Kose. Skinfood and The Face Shop products just don’t compare. I’ve personally tried their products. Korean products don’t do anything for my skin, while Japanese products, just a few tries and you’ll be sold for life!
I have used both and have not seen major differences in quality. Btw, Marie (above), you can’t really compare Shiseido to The Face Shop or Skinfood because Shiseido is a high-end brand while Skinfood and The Faceshop are drugstore brands. The Face Shop and Skinfood both target young consumers who are willing to sacrifice quality for their extremely cheap prices. The same could not be said about Shiseido, which are mostly sold in department stores in Japan.
I’ve tried more Jap brands than Korean brands. However, I wouldn’t say the Jap are the best (unless you are talking about high-end brands like Shiseido). I had used Fancyl skincare and ended up with rashes on my face. The washing powder is pretty good though. I’ve tried Laniege (Korean) skincare & some products are pretty effective too.
There are not many Korean companies that could rival the big giants (shiseido, kose, etc) of Japan simply because they have not been in the business nearly as long. There are hundreds of different product lines offered by these companies and are designed to suit particular market segments based on age, skin type, personally desired effects (moisturising, whitening products, etc) so you really need to do your research on any product you buy from Japan/Korea.
Caprice, shiseido have many product lines available in drugstores at the moment, including Aquabel. My opinion is that Japanese products overall work better for me but Korean products are far cheaper, and do an adequate job. You just need to find the right product for your needs.