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Korean star’s beauty secrets revealed

SINGAPORE — Cucumbers are one of the beauty secrets South Korean actress Son Ye-jin turns to for a quick facial pick-me-up.

Son Ye Jin was in Singapore for the official launch of Skin Inc's latest product, Facial in A Flash from May 19 to 20. Son was also appointed as Skin Inc's first brand evangelist. Photo: Skin Inc

Son Ye Jin was in Singapore for the official launch of Skin Inc's latest product, Facial in A Flash from May 19 to 20. Son was also appointed as Skin Inc's first brand evangelist. Photo: Skin Inc

SINGAPORE — Cucumbers are one of the beauty secrets South Korean actress Son Ye-jin turns to for a quick facial pick-me-up.

Son, who was recently appointed as Singapore brand Skin Inc’s beauty ambassador, revealed how as a young girl, she would watch her mother make cucumber “eye masks”. Her mum would refrigerate slices of cucumber, then place them over her eyes — an age-old remedy that is said to soothe and calm the skin.

“There were not a lot of cosmetic products back then,” said Son, 35, who was in Singapore for a Skin Inc event.

“I have followed in her footsteps — I still use cucumbers today,” she said, speaking through a translator.

Although beauty products are now widely available in South Korea — where 10-step skincare rituals are commonplace — Son keeps to her mother’s philosophy of streamlined simplicity.

“Some people have five to six steps (in their daily skincare regime), but I prefer to just have one or two,” she said.

That does not mean she does not use beauty products. Like many women in South Korea, Son is a fan of sheet masks. She loves Skin Inc’s new Facial in A Flash masks, a set of hydrogel sheet masks that comes in three variations and contains precious metals such as gold and platinum.

Son uses the masks — which must sit on the skin for at least 10 minutes — daily, and likes the fact that they can be “customised” since the variations come in half-sheets, for the top half or the bottom half of the face. Son uses the Get Glowin Platinum mask on the top half of her face “to brighten my complexion”. She uses the Soothe-n-Purify Black Gold Mask on the bottom half for calming and detoxing.

“Even though (using masks) can be time consuming, I find (it) very important,” Son added.

She also applies Skin Inc’s My Daily Dose serum, which “helps to keep my skin moisturised”. This, too, is customisable, and made for clients at Skin Inc’s Supplement Bar.

Son’s personal serum contains hyaluronic acid, which helps dehydrated skin; vitamin B3; and liquorice serum, as she has sensitive skin that is prone to irritation, she said.

When it comes to makeup, Son is a fan of “the natural look”, she said. She applies Skin Inc’s sunscreen, which guards against UV rays, and a bit of BB cream before heading out.

Son, who won the Baeksang Awards as Best Actress for the film The Last Princess (2016), is a busy girl. She is booked for the filming of a crime thriller, Negotiation, next month. Her best friends, she said, will be the masks, to help keep her skin looking glowingly fresh.

Skin Inc founder and CEO Sabrina Tan said that the sheet masks are ideal for today’s busy man or woman. “Many of us experience stress due to our urban environment and busy lifestyles,” said Tan, whose brand is available here and in Spain, Thailand, Brunei and Malaysia, as well as in Sephora stores in the United States.

For those with stressed skin, Tan’s recommendation is to use the Facial in a Flash Platinum Mask. “It will bring a glow to your skin within 10 to 20 minutes,” she said.

Visit Skin Inc at ION Orchard and Scotts Square. Skin Inc products are also available at Sephora stores or online at www.iloveskininc.com/store.html. The Facial in A Flash face masks cost S$17 per pack, and My Daily Dose serum costs S$169.

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