Women go through constant change in their lives—in all different aspects—especially when they enter the stage of motherhood. When it comes to their body and overall health, motherhood presents women with a different set of changes physically and chemically, causing skin problems that, though they are common, not everyone can address or resolve.
Of course, when one becomes a parent, following a skincare routine may become even more challenging as priorities and needs change from how it was before having babies in tow.
That’s why, perhaps for many mothers, achieving great skin or the so-called “glass skin” is impossible. However, entrepreneur and new mum Yoo Eun-Hye thinks otherwise.
For the 30-something founder of online Korean skincare store Unnie K-Shop, all you need is a “holistic skincare solution with products that works” to achieve “glass skin,” and that’s what she is trying to help mums in Singapore find through her webshop.
A Head Start To Great Skin
Yoo said having a head start when addressing skin concerns brought about or aggravated by pregnancy or motherhood allowed her to manage skin problems, if not avoid them at all.
“In Korea, we believe that mothers age very rapidly after giving birth. As skin starts to lose elasticity and pores will appear to be larger and skin becomes dull. So anti-ageing [skincare] is a priority for most Koreans, including myself, especially during pregnancy and after giving birth,” says Yoo.
“With this in mind, I focused more on products that are anti-ageing,” Yoo continued, adding that she made sure to incorporate them into her skincare routine religiously. “Perhaps this is why I did not have many skin issues during my pregnancy and after giving birth.”
According to Yoo, others even commented that her’s skin condition improved through her pregnancy.
According to Yoo, though she experienced occasional breakouts—at one point, minor eczema around her mouth and chin during her pregnancy and after giving birth—she managed them quickly, thanks to her proactive routine before getting pregnant.
Accessibility To Great Skin
Yoo also noted that having access to good skincare products allowed her to choose the best ones to suit her needs and improve the health of her skin. This, according to Yoo, is what she wants mothers in Singapore also to be able to do.
“I lived in Singapore for more than five years already, and I realized that although Korean skincare is very popular [here], consumers face many issues when it comes to buying these products,” said Yoo.
One is language. According to Yoo, born Korean, since many local Korean products only have websites and product information in the Korean language, non-Korean consumers face difficulty learning about them.
Another issue is the lack of information on these products and other Korean skincare techniques. “In Korea, there are many TV channels, YouTube channels, and influencer channels talking about new products, ingredients and skincare techniques so everyone can easily learn about proper skin care. There are just so few of such things available here!”
Finally, there is also the issue of accessibility as much smaller boutique brands only sell locally.
“I want to bridge this gap in information and convenience,” said Yoo, explaining how she decided to launch her skincare webstore, Unnie K-shop.
Yoo uses social media such as Facebook and Instagram, and hosts Facebook live sessions to showcase the Korean skincare products she tries and curates specifically to Singapore and Malaysia-based audiences.
“By curating products and reviewing them, I try to help viewers get to know the products better and help them decide if these products are what’s best for them,” said Yoo.
The skincare webshop founder also uses these platforms to host Question-and-Answer (Q&A) sessions to help customers dive deep into skincare routines, techniques and more. She also upload tutorial videos and explainers on her YouTube channel.
But perhaps the one thing that sets Unnie K-shop from other sites that sell curated skincare products is the “live” demonstration of how to use them properly.
“I use the products I sell ‘live’ for viewers to see and trust that Unnie K-Shop is authentic when it comes to recommendations. It also allows me to send the message across that one does not have to get clinical treatments or visit aesthetic and facial salons to achieve the ‘aesthetic-clinic-like effects.”
Yoo said she understands that there is an actual demand for premium and effective skincare for home use. “These customers are in the market for quality skincare products that assure them the desired results.”
According to Yoo, Unnie K-shop was launched to meet this demand. “To put it simply, they just want products that work, and Unnie can deliver.”
Discover “Dermacosmetics” at Unnie K-Shop
“Investing in derma-grade cosmetics will save mums from too much effort in their journey towards having great skin.”
Dermacosmetic products are specially formulated and often offer high quality, effective skin solutions, compared to generic skincare products.
They are usually more concentrated, purer, and with little or no bad ingredients. These are products that are used by aesthetic clinics in Korea.
“If budget allows, I recommend venturing into dermacosmetics because they truly make a difference that is worth the investment,” said Yoo “In Korea, the aesthetic clinics also use such products. It’s cheaper to get them yourself and you can apply them every day as part of your home skin care!”
These products, usually only sold at aesthetic clinics, are now available on Unnie-K-Shop.
A Holistic Solution
Yoo also emphasises that developing—and maintaining—a holistic skincare routine is important to achieve good skin. That’s why she encourages them to look for a more holistic solution.
“Every product serves a unique purpose,” said Yoo, adding that each step of skincare routines is there to address specific skin concerns. “If you truly want to improve your skin, you have to understand what the steps are for. And when you understand them, you will appreciate the importance of these steps.”
Through Unnie K-shop, Yoo breaks down each step and technique to help consumers better understand their skincare routine and make it more effective.
In addition, Yoo only sells products she personally approves of—narrowing down the choices for the consumers based on what products she believes are worth the investment.
“Curation of products for Unnie K-shop is based on three factors: ingredients, texture and effects,” shares Yoo.
Yoo notes that she only curates’ products with safe ingredients, adding that she will not sell products with sulphates, parabens and phenoxyethanol on her webshop. “This is especially helpful for mums as we should be more careful about the ingredients present in the products [we] use.”
Texture is another thing that Yoo prioritises in her product curations. “For a country like Singapore, it is important to choose products with textures that are appropriate for the climate here: not too oily, not too thick, and easy to apply.”
Lastly, Yoo said she curates “only effective products.” Yoo takes into consideration if the effectiveness of the products matches its existing reviews. “I do all these testing myself along with my husband, and we do not outsource this step. It is a very tedious and meticulous step.”
According to Yoo, out of 100 products that they review, fewer than 10 get selected.
Whether you are looking at starting your skin care journey, or level-up your skin care game, Unnie K-Shop aims to help you learn more about derma cosmetics and discover products to address your skin care needs.
Use the promo code TAPSG_18OFF for $18 discount off on your first purchase. Valid for new customers, with a minimum purchase of $188, valid till 30 Nov 2021.
