Model, entrepreneur, and skit founder Irene Kim joins Skin Anarchy from Seoul for a real world look at K beauty: why Korea innovates so fast, how Korean consumers decide what to trust, what sits beyond the glass skin trend, and what is actually in her makeup bag.
How did Irene Kim get into beauty?
Through years inside the industry, not a lab. A longtime model, Kim grew up in makeup chairs with access to artists, facialists, and dermatologists worldwide, and traces the spark to childhood. "My mom would tell me I would always be playing in her makeup vanity, trying on lipstick and stealing her best creams," describing beauty as part of her DNA long before it was her career.
Why does K beauty innovate so much faster?
Because the whole ecosystem is competitive and informed. Korean consumers hold high standards and know their ingredients, pushing formulators to reinvent quickly. "It's the quickness and the competitiveness around K beauty that really just innovates everything," she says, pointing from snail mucin to newer plant derived PDRN as proof of how fast the market moves.
How do Korean consumers decide what to trust?
Through trust built across the whole brand, not just a viral product. Kim says belief comes from a mix of innovative ingredients, marketing, and consistency over time. "It's really building the trust... having your audience believe that it works," she says, but adds that finding what works for your skin matters more than chasing whatever is trending.
Does PDRN actually work in topical skincare?
It depends on the formulation, Kim says. Injected PDRN is more effective, and topical results hinge on concentration and quality because the molecule is large. "It's like buying a sweater... the purest form maybe is the better quality," she explains, so the PPM and how it is formulated determine whether a topical PDRN product delivers.
How often should you really get skin procedures?
Less often than the trend suggests. Kim has very sensitive skin and does one treatment consistently, Thermage, about once a year, favoring restraint over frequency. "Just because you do a certain procedure at a doctor doesn't mean it makes your skin better," she says, stressing that aftercare matters more than how often you go in.
What actually matters more than chasing trends?
A healthy barrier and consistency. Kim says her definition of good skin shifted from perfection to resilience, built on a strong foundation before any actives. "It's really about resilient skin and a healthy barrier," she says, crediting the lesson to watching her grandmother, who at 88 still does her full routine daily.
Is glass skin all K beauty has to offer?
No, and Kim wants the world to see past it. She is proud of K beauty going global but says the trend only scratches the surface. "K beauty is more than that. It's more than the virality, it's more than the trends," she says, pointing to barrier care and ingredient innovation as the deeper story glass skin opened the door to.
Why did Irene Kim start skit?
To prove K beauty is more than trends. Kim built skit around sustainability, barrier first formulas, and accessibility, spending a year and a half on a single product. "I always ask for the opposite... what's not trending," she says, designing for what works for her sensitive skin and her community, not the hottest ingredient.
Does skincare need to be different for different ethnicities?
No, skin is skin, Kim says. She pushes back on the idea that Korean skincare only suits Korean skin, framing it as a matter of skin condition, not ethnicity. "Just because you're Asian doesn't mean it's different," she says, arguing good formulas and barrier science translate across a global, increasingly diverse audience.
Listen to the full episode with Irene Kim on Skin Anarchy, available wherever you get your podcasts.