Who would have thought that snail mucus, donkey’s milk and horse oil would be something entirely normal in a beauty routine? Or a 10-step skincare regime, though by now we’ve all whittled it down to about five and let’s not forget sheet masks. That’s the power of the South Korean beauty market.

In a culture obsessed with youth and beauty, it was inevitable that the skincare products seen on the pristine perfection of its hallyu stars would make its way worldwide, igniting a beauty revolution.