Over the past few years, Korean beauty (or K-beauty) has exploded in popularity. Known for its gentle but highly effective ingredients and innovative formulas, the Korean beauty industry is currently among the top 10 global beauty markets — in 2017, it was worth over $13 billion, according to market research firm Mintel. And that interest only seems to be growing — another trend forecasting company, Prophecy Market Insights, projects the Korean beauty industry will be worth $31.6 billion by 2029.

While K-beauty products have always existed in Korea, they hit the U.S. in 2011. Licensed estheticians Charlotte Cho and Alicia Yoon, founders of Soko Glam and Peach & Lily, respectively, have both contributed greatly to the growth and visibility of Korean beauty in the United States. Cho helped popularize the now-notorious “10-step routine” that has become synonymous with K-beauty, while Yoon brought her Peach & Lily K-beauty products to more than 2,100 CVS stores across the country. And the experts we consulted believe that as this facet of the skincare industry has grown, so has the understanding of Korean culture in the U.S. “I think it’s great that the K-beauty is here because it’s another avenue by which to share cultural knowledge, tolerance and understanding between people,” said Christina Lee Chung, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist at Schweiger Dermatology Group.

To help you navigate the expansive world that is K-beauty, we consulted board-certified dermatologists and the founders of leading K-beauty brands for some advice on getting