Recently, I took a winter vacation to Sydney, Australia.
The city was filled with people from all over the world. At Coogee Beach—a local favorite—the beach was packed with sunbathers. Most of them had fair skin.
Koreans generally aren't fans of tanning. While some do tan, it's rare to see Koreans lying on the beach for a tan. Koreans tend to dislike sun spots and uneven skin tone from sun exposure. 😂
Different Skin Characteristics
Skin characteristics vary from person to person. What people worry about and the treatments they prefer often depend on their background.
That's why Korean dermatology clinics specialize in lasers for treating spots and uneven tone—it's what many clients here are focused on. 😉
📌 Skin Characteristics
While everyone's skin is unique, certain patterns do emerge based on background and genetics:
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Fair Skin: Tends to Show Wrinkles Earlier
People with fair often have a thinner dermis—the connective tissue layer beneath the skin's surface, filled with collagen fibers. As collagen support weakens with age, wrinkles may appear more readily.
In regions where fair skin is common, anti-aging skincare often focuses on preventing wrinkles rather than addressing pigmentation concerns.
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Deeper Skin Tones: Dryness and Texture
Skin with more melanin typically has a thicker dermis and epidermis. While this can mean dead skin cells accumulate more easily, the robust skin barrier provides natural protection against wrinkles.
Many people with deeper skin tones focus on exfoliation and hydration to maintain a smooth, even texture.
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Medium to Tan Skin Tones: Focus on Even Tone
In East Asia, particularly in Korea, clear and even skin tone is highly valued. Many people seek treatments like laser toning to address spots, freckles, and uneven pigmentation—even when these are naturally occurring.
Of course, individual skin type—dry, oily, sensitive, or combination—often matters more than background. Someone with deep skin tone might still have sun sensitivity. Some Koreans deliberately draw freckles on their faces as a beauty trend. Beyond these natural characteristics, everyone has their own skin priorities based on personal preferences. 😉
Your Skin Is an Organ That Reflects Your Health
Many Korean skincare brands advertise "clear, translucent skin." But achieving that healthy, radiant glow isn't just about what you put on your skin—it's about what's happening underneath.
Your skin is more than just what you see on the surface. It's an organ that reflects your overall health. In other words, you need a healthy body to have healthy skin.
📌 The Obvious (But Often Ignored) Health Rules
We all know what it takes to stay healthy. But I'm mentioning these again because I hope reading this will inspire you to actually practice them. Knowing is one thing—doing is another! 😂
- Get enough sleep and exercise
- Limit simple sugar intake
- Eat a variety of foods
- Fast occasionally 🌟
Sleep, exercise, less sugar, diverse diet—got it. But wait... "Fast occasionally"? That one might sound unfamiliar.
Yet in our age of food abundance, this is an important new health rule worth knowing.
📌 We're Eating Too Much
In modern life, we eat excessively. While we rarely lack energy, our bodies are constantly digesting, storing, and processing—always busy.
That's why we need to give our bodies time to clean house. When fasting begins, instead of focusing on digestion, our bodies can look inward. The process of clearing accumulated waste and damaged proteins becomes activated. This cellular self-cleaning process is called "autophagy."
During this process, macrophages—cells in our bodies—act as janitors, roaming and clearing away unnecessary debris.
Here's an analogy: Imagine a table covered with half-eaten cookie crumbs, unwashed dishes, and hardened pizza slices. Now picture someone diligently cleaning it all up. That's exactly what macrophages do in your body.
📌 Fasting Reduces Inflammation
When this cleaning process becomes active, long-accumulated waste and irritants are reduced, and chronic inflammation begins to subside.
Inflammation is essentially your "immune system in war mode." When you fast, inflammatory symptoms—such as swelling, redness, and itchiness—often improve.
📌 Try Intermittent Fasting the Easy Way
Many people now practice intermittent fasting to reap these benefits.
Among various methods, here's what I recommend: Once a week, eat only breakfast, then drink only water with a pinch of salt until bedtime.
With just one day of patience, you'll notice your body feels lighter, and your skin looks clearer.
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The Foundation of Beauty Is Always a Healthy Body. And the way to restore that balance already exists within us.
With the year-end season full of gatherings, are you finding yourself overeating every day? 😂
If so, why not try a one-day fast—for your skin and your overall health?
