Walking the streets of Myeong-dong, you can't help but notice signs and posters outside every cosmetic shop advertising something called 'BB cream'.  In case you don't know, it is a woman's skin product widely popularized first by a Korean company that has since swept through the Asian market along side the so-called 'Hallyu' in countries like Japan and China.  Now, the blemish covering cream that has tricked so many of us guys into thinking every Korean girl has perfect skin is taking the Western market by storm.

Technically, BB cream is nothing new and not at all a Korean invention.  It was actually formulated first in 1967 by a German doctor to help laser surgery patients to cover their scars.

It is said that the popularity of the product shot through the roof after a well-known Korean actress attributed her skin beauty secret to the very cream that was created almost 50 years before.

Now, the global giants of the cosmetic industry are looking to cash in on this Asian beauty phenomenon by producing their own lines of BB creams.  Names that our male readers might not recognize but our female readers are likely quite familiar with, such as Clinique, Garnier and Sephora are jumping on the band wagon.

Pretty soon, the infamous Korean wave (a.k.a Hallyu) could be found on the faces of the Western women on the other side of the hemisphere. 

Here's an article from a highly reputable Canadian magazine MaCleans on the invasion of BB Cream craze into Canada.

Share this page