In the September of 2021, Squid Game dropped on Netflix and immediately held not just its 456 contestants, but the entire world captive. The show may have stomped on your heart, chewed it up and spat it out, but with the premiere of the third installment upon us, here we stand—ready to get hurt again. And if you are settling in for a long night indoors, it helps to make the most of this time to treat your skin to some TLC. Ahead, we round up all the Korean beauty essentials that will combat screen strain and help you leave the binge session with brighter, happier skin (even if you can’t say the same about your heart).
Centella has been a K-beauty staple for centuries, and for good reason. This mask calms redness, soothes inflammation, and delivers hydration without the heaviness. Infused with green tea, it also strengthens your skin barrier—making it the perfect gentle but effective reset for stressed-out skin.
Your mind will need some calming as you keep up with all the plot twists on Squid Game; and your skin could likely use the same as well. Damaged, inflamed skin will welcome the tranquil touch of centella asiatica in this soothing sheet mask from Beauty of Joseon. Green tea and cica extracts work on soothing irritated skin, while hyaluronic acid ensures that your skin remains hydrated—beyond all those tears from the unexpected character deaths.
These hydrogel patches are a targeted fix for tired, dehydrated under-eyes. Infused with snail secretion filtrate, they deliver a powerful hit of hydration while soothing and repairing delicate skin. The formula helps reduce puffiness and dullness, leaving the under-eye area looking visibly brighter and fresher. Each tub contains two patch sizes, so you can tailor your application based on your skin’s needs that day.
You may not be trying to dismantle a depraved gaming tournament run by the elite like Seong GiHun, but all the hours of doomscrolling have likely been taking a toll on your eyes. Allow COSRX to ride to your rescue with its hydrating hydrogel patches. Conveniently designed to fit the delicate area under the eyes, the patches impart a cooling sensation to reduce puffiness and ensure that you are no longer playing Russian roulette with dullness and fatigue.
After all those hours of biting your nails through the cliffhangers, your hands could likely use some love—and Milk Baobab’s perfumed hand cream is the perfect candidate for the task. Niacinamide and ceramides come together to soften the skin, while the mood-enhancing scent of lemon and red berries will ensure that you aren’t crying into your pillow all night.
The Front Man wears his mask and you’ll be wearing yours—the only difference is that yours will leave you with brighter, moisturised skin instead of unaddressed trauma. Inspired by the beauty rituals of the women of the Joseon dynasty, this exfoliating mask will clear away impurities to leave you glowing like royalty.
This mask is like a traditional Korean skin treatment in a jar. Ground rice gently buffs away dead skin while fermented makgeolli lees brighten and soften. Honey steps in to soothe irritation and leave your skin feeling hydrated, not sticky. It’s calming, clarifying and just the thing for when your face needs a reset without the drama.
As the rest of your visage is treated to some TLC, you’ll want to ensure that your lips get some love as well. For those that feel dry and chapped, Laneige’s lip sleeping mask makes for an instant saviour. Apply a generous layer of this berry flavour on to your pout before bedtime while you obsessively stay up reading and rereading fan theories all night.
This one feels more like an essence in a bottle than your average face mist. With chia seed extract (great for locking in moisture) and Vitamin B12 (for glow), it hydrates and calms skin without leaving a tacky finish. Light enough to layer between skincare steps, freshen up over make-up or survive a brutal office AC. A quiet overachiever especially if your skin leans sensitive or dull.
Looking for a quick face refresh during your binge? You’ll want to keep this chia seed-enhanced facial mist at hand. Designed to hydrate and refresh the skin, one quick spritz and no one will be able to tell that you spent the last hour howling as your favourite characters met an untimely end.
Best facial mask for ageing skin, you ask? Any conversation on the topic will inevitably lead you to SKIN1004’s viral offerings. If you are ready to channel your inner zombie, reach for this activator kit that needs to be applied with a brush. Once it sets on the face, you’ll instantly feel it hardening and cracking to create that zombie-like effect. Don’t worry, though. While this mask may make you look 80 years old for a few minutes, the arbutin formula is hard at work to ensure the exact opposite once you wash it off your face. Expect skin that feels visibly smoother and tighter while being deeply hydrated to reduce signs of ageing.
Attempting to binge all episodes of Squid Game 3 in one night might have you feeling like a zombie—and this skin-firming face pack will have you looking like one as well. The latter is for a good cause, though, as it relies upon an albumin-enhanced formula that sets instantly on the skin and cracks like a zombie, only to reveal firmer, exfoliated skin once the mask is washed away.