What the Asians smear on their faces, we want too. That’s why we cheer louder than children when we visit Toys’r’us to see that the masks from the Korean label Aromayong are now finally available in Switzerland. We met founder Sun-Hee Yong for an interview.
FACES:
Why did you decide to launch your own face masks?
Sun-Hee Yong: My label name is made up of my surname “Yong” and the suffix “Aroma” because I am an aromatherapist. Aromatherapy is already very well known in Europe, but in my home country of Korea it is still too little known. My goal was to bring aromatherapy to the Korean market using natural ingredients from my home country, Jeju Island.
F:
How did you get into aromatherapy in the first place?
SHY: I studied ballet in Russia when I was 16. Sometimes I was very upset by this, and at one such moment a friend recommended aromatherapy to me. The subject then stuck with me and I learned more and more before running a spa in Korea for six years. During this time I have seen how good aromatherapy is for body and mind. I then recommended them to my family and my husband, who has been testing the products ever since. (laughs)
F: And so your own company was born. Impressive! So why did you choose face masks?
SHY: Aromatherapy and face masks go so well together because the application not only targets the skin, but also the mind. The scents of the mask soothe and create the right feeling of relaxation that aromatherapy aims to achieve. The user should have the opportunity to create their own spa moment at home.
F: That sounds like a lot of work. What was the biggest challenge for you?
SHY: The Korean market is incredibly fast – products come and go, everything changes from one day to the next. What’s more, the mask market is actually saturated. I was unsure whether the timing of the launch was right and whether consumers would even accept my products.
F:
How long did it take you to actually bring the masks to market?
SHY: I worked on it for four years until I was able to present it to people. I had my masks tested over 100 times – my family and friends were there, but also many people from different countries, from Europe, the USA, China and Japan. In Korea, I managed to get some Korean stars to join in the testing.
F:
What is special about your masks?
SHY: When you open the packaging, the first thing you smell is the aromatic fragrance, which has an immediate effect. The geranium mask, for example, has two areas of application: the face and the neck, which is rare for other labels. What’s more, all our products are made from purely natural ingredients, which is very important to me.
F:
Have you always believed in your success?
SHY: I have tried it. (laughs) My goal would be to become the number one Korean beauty label in the European market.
F: The Asian market defines beauty differently to the European market. What do you think is the biggest difference?
SHY: Korean beauty products are incredibly complicated. The market moves fast and people use an extremely large number of products in their beauty routine. In Europe, the situation is different – studies show that consumers use just three products, compared to ten in Korea!
F:
Are there any current beauty trends from Asia that you can tell us about?
SHY: At the moment, everyone is totally crazy about these lifting patches that can be used to tighten the face. You even see young women walking around on the street wearing them. (laughs) Hand, foot and head masks are also very popular at the moment, and when it comes to make-up, there are many color tints in the form of eye shadow or eyebrow paint that last forever.
F: The beauty industry is crazy about masks. How do you explain the hype surrounding these products?
SHY: Masks have a long tradition in Korea, and for a long time only people of high social status could afford to use them on a daily basis. Masks were practically a status symbol and still benefit from this way of thinking today.
F: How often do you use your own masks?
SHY: Because Aromayong masks are so concentrated, it is not necessary to use them every day. Twice a week is enough.
F:
How is the concept understood?
SHY: The masks differ according to their functions. “Cool Mint”, for example, moisturizes the skin, “Fresh Mandarin” gives it a glow, and “Lovely Geranium” has an anti-aging effect and visibly reduces wrinkles. All fragrances are purely natural.
F:
Do you have a favorite mask?
SHY: They are like my children: I can’t make up my mind. (laughs)
F:
How do you use the time during which you leave the mask on?
SHY: I put on my mask and then stretch my body. (laughs)
F:
Can you remember your first beauty product?
SHY: It wasn’t an actual product, but more of a ritual. I used to slap my hands gently against my cheeks because I liked the sound so much. I’ve used a lot of face creams, but due to my sensitive skin I didn’t tolerate them very well. At some point I started to pay attention to the ingredients – and well, what can I say, expensive creams are unfortunately not always better in this respect. This is also the reason why it is so important to me to use purely natural ingredients in Aromayong.
F:
What’s next for Aromayong?
SHY: I would like to expand my line. Creams, tonics, lotions… It would be great to develop more products that bring aromatherapy closer to people.
The Aromayong face masks are available at Manor or
here
available.