Ask any tourist in Korea where to shop, and you'll hear the same three names: Olive Young, Daiso, and Musinsa. 😉
The popular route is meeting K-beauty at Olive Young, trying trendy clothes in various sizes at Musinsa, and finally stopping by Daiso to buy budget-friendly gems under 5,000 won. 🛍️
One budget Daiso skincare product keeps selling out in Korea: Reedle Shot, the viral micro-exfoliation treatment.
Why is everyone obsessed with Reedle Shot? And did you know there's a Korean medicine treatment using similar principles? 😉
Exfoliation Treatment Using Micro-Particles
Reedle Shot products use the principle of rubbing very fine needle powder on the skin to provide physical stimulation for exfoliation. As dead skin cells are removed, the skin appears smoother and glows. That's why it became a popular product in Korea, where people rave about smooth, radiant 'glass skin'.
This approach can trace its origins to traditional folk skin treatments.
🫧 Thalassotherapy for Skin
For a long time, folk medicine has used thalassotherapy (sea water therapy) for skin treatment, utilizing mineral-rich seawater and seaweed. Ancient Greeks and Romans reportedly soaked in filtered, warmed seawater or applied seaweed powder and mud packs to maintain skin health.
Skin exfoliation using freshwater sponge began about 60 years ago. These sponges are made of tiny, microscopic spine-like structures clustered together. Freshwater sponges are particularly well-suited for peeling compared to their ocean counterparts.
Currently, these sponges are sterilized, undergo special chemical treatment, and are made safe for skin use as peeling tools. Various cosmetics are made from this, and one is the ingredient used in Hwa-an Care, one of the treatments at HJM Korean Medicine Clinic. 😊
🫧 Inducing Self-Recovery Through Safe Micro-Injuries
The principle of freshwater sponge treatment is simple:
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Creating Safe Micro-Injuries
The sponge's tiny spines create 'safe wounds' on the epidermis—the skin's outermost layer. This triggers mild inflammation that stimulates the skin's healing response, leading to redness and a warm sensation. -
Skin Cleansing
Powerful macrophages start actively cleaning your skin by removing debris and foreign particles. If they detect bacteria—especially acne bacteria—they team up with other immune cells to eliminate them. -
Skin Recovery
After cleansing, macrophages switch to the opposite pathway—working to repair damaged tissue. The tissue repair and regeneration system activates to heal the wounds.
🫧 'Hwa-an Care' Applied to Various Skin Conditions
Though there are differences in formulation and ingredient composition, HJM Korean Medicine Clinic's Hwa-an Care is a treatment tool that uses the same principles.
It provides appropriate stimulation to problematic skin's epidermis → quickly removes problems → rapidly rebuilds new epidermal layers.
Because it focuses on the skin's self-recovery, it's widely used to treat various skin conditions, including acne, folliculitis, and keratosis pilaris.
🫧 Hwa-an Care Treatment Intervals
The epidermis's normal turnover cycle is about 30 days (for facial skin). With Hwa-an Care treatment, skin shedding and rebuilding occur within approximately 1-2 weeks. Of course, since the skin barrier can become unstable, continuous moisturization is essential.
Additionally, treatment intervals vary slightly depending on which skin problem is being treated:
- Acne treatment: Weekly treatments. Alternating between Hwa-an care and regeneration care
- Keratosis pilaris treatment: Hwa-an Care treatment every two weeks
The number of sessions needed can vary depending on the client's skin condition, but, in general, at least 6 consecutive treatments are necessary. 😉
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Today, we explored the principles behind the widely beloved 'Reedle Shot' and 'Hwa-an Care.'
If you're struggling with skin conditions, we hope you'll visit HJM Korean Medicine Clinic to receive treatment that supports 'skin self-recovery.' 💞
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Author: Dr. Oh Chul, HJM Clinic
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Editor : Sia
