10 Things you Must Buy at Olive Young
Olive Young is probably my favorite Korean beauty store. They have a nicely curated selection of different brands and beauty & skincare products, including Korean, Japanese, European, and American products. When I first visited Olive Young, I went there looking for certain products and I was not able to find what I was looking for. Also I felt a little bit overwhelmed by all the products and I had no idea what to buy. I knew that there were some gems in the store, but I wasn’t sure what to get. I hope that this guide will help those of you who are looking for Korean beauty and Korean skincare product recommendations, or visiting Olive Young for the first time. I have tried all the products recommended in this video, and I like them (with the exception of the Neogen Real Cica pads which made me break out – however some people rave about them). I hope you find this video helpful, and happy shopping!
1. Acne patches.
Acne patches are basically hydrocolloid dressings, which are commonly used to absorb excess fluid in medical dressings for blisters. When you put these patches on top of your blemishes, and leave them on for a few hours or even better, overnight, they will usually suck out all the pus that is inside your pimple. Then it turns into a gel like substance and stick to the sticker. *Some of the patches contain salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide, while others are just simple hydrocolloid dressings. They are best used on white heads or pimples that are ready to pop. You can wear them during the day if you want – they are usually clear and not super noticeable (but it depends on the brand), and they will keep your from picking at your pimple. Olive Young carries a few different brands but this Nexcare one is popular. It is kind of thick though, so it will definitely be noticeable if you wear it on your skin. For this reason I’d recommend wearing it at night.
2. Sheet masks
I used to have really dry flaky skin and I credit daily sheet mask use with improving the texture of my skin. I try to do a sheet mask every day, especially during the winter. Medical masks, available at Olive & Young, are affordable and effective. I usually look for sheet masks that are on sale for 1000 won and buy them in bulk. My favorite medical mask is the collagen mask and this A:PE Creamy soothing protein mask – my skin feels plumper and more hydrated after using these two masks. Not all sheet masks are created equal though, some of the masks will make your skin feel itchy and sometimes even hurt. However, I have personally never had problems with Mediheal masks which is why I favor this brand. And also everyone’s skin is different so what may work for one person may not work for another. I would just select a variety of masks and see what works for you. Another favorite mask of mine is my beauty diary black pearl masks, and this is actually a japanese sheet mask. but you can buy it in korea at olive young. Olive young actually cares a lot of Japanese products.
3. Ryo shampoo
This shampoo brand is one of the most popular shampoos in Korea. It’s a premium haircare brand manufactured by the Amore Pacific group. The shampoo itself has a very medicinal smell to it. It smells very strongly of ginseng, which can be off putting to those who are not used to it. The shampoo uses things like ginseng, green tea, camellia and soybeans to treat problems such as hair loss, damaged scalp, dandruff, and dryness. There are a variety of different Ryo shampoos – I found this damage control one at my local Olive Young but you may be able to find different ones depending on where you go. The bestselling Ryo shampoo is the anti hair loss line which comes in a purple bottle.
4. Neogen Bio Peel Gauze Pads
These are little cotton pads soaked in chemical exfoliants. You wipe the cotton pad all over your face. which will gently slough off dead skin and other gunk as well as deposit whatever goodness the pad itself contains on the skin. * There are different types of patches. The red wine patch contains alpha hydroxy acids including red wine extract, glycolic acid and lactic acid which help with exfoliation. The red wine patch extract contains resveratrol, which fights free radicals that lead to wrinkles and pigmentation. The lemon peel patch contains lactic acid, glycolic acid, and lemon, orange, and papaya extracts—this will not only exfoliate but also give you skin a dose of vitamin c which helps with collagen production. Vitamin C is also an antioxidant that can neutralize free radicals in the skin. The green tea pads contain green tea, which is supposed to be soothing, anti inflammatory, and contains antioxidants which help neutralize free radicals that cause skin damage. The real cica pads are different – they don’t have the same double sided texture as the bio peel pads. They contain centella asiatica extract (also known as cica or tiger grass). This product is really trendy in Korean beauty products – it’s supposed to be good for sensitive and acne prone skin, but some people, including myself, are sensitive to this product.
5. Dr. Jart Products
Dr. Jart is the first brand that brought BB cream to the US. You can get this in the US at places like Sephora, but you can get it for cheaper in Korea. The rubber masks are very popular – there are 2 types, a sheet mask and a shake mask. These have gotten mixed reviews, but it’s a different and interesting type of mask to try. Also popular are the Dr. Jart ceramidin products. (ceramide which release over time, and soluble collagen.
6. Grape Vitamin C Gummis
These gumbos taste like candy. i want to eat them all! Korea really makes a good artificial green grape flavor that’s so sweet and delicious and these grape gummies are no exception. They kind of remind me of the japanese kororo gummy buy not as jelly like.
7. Sun cushion
This is basically like a bb cushion but it only contains sunscreen. It’s a way of applying sunscreen without getting it on your hands. This one is cute – it has has ryan from kakao friends on it. Since it only contains sunscreen, its great for kids who want to be fancy and pretend they are putting on makeup. It is pricey though. This compact is about 24,000 won or about $22 USD. As far as I can tell there is no way of manually refilling it and it doesn’t hold very much product. Also with sunscreen you’re supposed to re apply every 2-3 hours so you can use this to reapply on top of your makeup.
8. The Cosrx Good Morning Cleanser and One Step Original Clear Pads
Olive young doesn’t carry the full like of Cosrx products, you’ll have to go to Aland for that. But the 2 products you are most likely to find at olive young are these products. The good morning cleanser is a gentle low ph cleanser which is great for the 2nd step of the 10 step Korean skincare routine.
As a reminder, the pH scale goes from 1 to 14. We have acidic products which have a low pH (the most acidic with a pH of 1) and alkaline products, which have a high pH (the highest being 14). 7 is considered a neutral ph, and the skin’s neutral pH is 5.5. You don’t want your skin to be too acidic or too alkaline. When your skin is too acidic you’ll be more prone to breakouts, it can become red, inflamed and painful. When it’s too alkaline, you’re more likely to have dry sensitive skin that is prone to premature aging. A lot of cleansers tend to be too alkaline for the skin, and strip away your moisture leaving you with a dry tight feeling. This cleanser with a lower pH that is closer to our skin’s ideal pH level of 5.5 and is gentle on the skin.
The One Step Original Clear Pads are good for acne prone skin. They are soaked in willow bark water and other chemical exfoliants which are supposed to exfoliate your skin without drying it out. The chemical exfoliants also seep into your pores and dissolves dead skin and sebum. You can use these on your face as well as your body. Swipe it over your face after washing and leave the liquid on your skin and proceed with your routine.
9. Gel Nail Stickers
My friend recommended these to me, and they’re really popular right now in Korea. They are basically vinyl stickers that you stick on your nails which give you the look of a gel manicure. It works best for those of you who are good with your hands – probably good at doing your own nails too. If you put the sticker on wrong, it can leave a white residue and can look like … well a sticker on your nail.
10. Multi layered cotton pads & sebum removing cotton swabs
These multi layered cotton pads are great because you can separate the layers, and use a thinner or thicker layer depending on your needs. For example if you don’t want to waste a lot of toner, you can use 1-2 layers to apply it to your skin. You can also use a single layer and just soak it with your product and put it on your skin, kind of like a tiny sheet mask.
The sebum removing q tips are interesting. These are black quits that look like a regular q-tip on one end and a little plastic scoop with a hole in the middle on the other end. After you take a hot shower, take one of these and press the sebum removing end on one of your big pores, and if you’re lucky a little bit of sebum will squirt out of the pore. you can wipe it off with the black end of the quip. Its kind of gross, but if you get a good pore, it can be quite satisfying.
A few of other tips:
When you ask the salespeople for a product recommendation, they will almost always recommend their house brand. This may not necessarily be the best product for your needs.
Olive Young doesn’t carry the full line of every brand, and you will not find products from road house stores like Etude House, Tony Moly, Nature Republic, Innisfree, Banila Co, or Skin Food here. The exception is that you will find a handful of Too Cool for School products here. Nor will you find high end brands like Hera, Sulwhasoo, and O HUI at Olive Young. For these high end brands, you should shop at department stores like Lotte, Shinsegae, and Hyundai.
There are many Olive Young locations throughout Seoul. The largest branch is a 3 story building in Gangnam, near Gangnam Station. Some stores may carry more brands than others. For instance, you are sure to find more items in the Gangnam store, simply because it is larger.
Happy Shopping!
Website: http://www.oliveyoung.co.kr/