My Smart Korean Cosmetic Shopping Experience feat. ChatGPT

South Korea is often called the beauty capital of the world, and after spending a few days walking through the skincare wonderlands of Myeongdong and the many Olive Youngs in Seoul, I came back with a big luggage, a carry-on, a large Longchamp, and a medium one — all fully packed. (Sure, they had my mom’s and my things inside, but let me be dramatic.)

Whether you're a skincare newbie or a full-blown ingredient nerd (hi, it’s me ), there’s something for everyone — but only if you know how to shop smart.
And on this trip, that’s exactly what I did. Instead of impulse-buying everything that came in pretty packaging, I used a mix of tech, local tools, and good ol’ ChatGPT to figure out exactly what my skin needed.

A Skincare Diagnosis in Seoul

At first, I booked a consultation at a local dermatologist office — mostly out of curiosity, and also because I’m in my late 20s and want to know what my skin needs to keep looking as young and radiant as I am today.

We booked it for the day before leaving... which was a bad idea, because two days after arriving we had already bought a lot — A LOT. So we ended up canceling the appointment.

(Although we did try a scalp treatment… and oh boy, it was good.)

When I mentioned the derm appointment, my mom was like:

“Why are we going to spend money on something we already know?”

She said the same thing about the hair treatment, but she ended up loving it. (Probably because I paid.) But that’s a story for another blog.

Enter Olive Young… and ChatGPT

One thing we learned, the hard way, is that in Korea, smaller beauty stores often have the best prices and deals.
But sadly, they don’t always carry all the brands or full product lines.

Also, pro tip: enter these stores knowing what you want, because these people will try to sell you everything. And as good Asians, they are great sellers… or maybe my mom and I are just great buyers, because we ended up buying everything.

That said, we still visited a lot of Olive Youngs. And of course… we bought… Because what’s a trip to South Korea if you don’t fill your luggage with serums that could hydrate your entire body for the next two years?

In one Olive Young, my mom found something curious: a free skin analysis machine tucked into a corner. You just place the scanner on three different parts of your face (sanitized, of course, otherwise, no thanks), and within 30 seconds, it gives you a report on hydration, elasticity, pores, sebum, pigmentation, and even wrinkle depth.

I got kind of excited because I thought the machine was going to give me product recommendations right there, like, “your hydration is low, here are five serums we sell that can help.” But nope. Just cold hard data and no shopping guidance.

Smart Shopping with AI.

Lucky me, I already had a conversation set up with ChatGPT before the trip. I had uploaded my current skincare routine, told it what I was concerned about, my age, my skin type, and the brands I liked. So when I got my Olive Young skin report, I just fed that data into the chat.

With that personalized info, Chatie (yes, I call it that) recommended products that matched both my needs and my preferences.
Armed with the info, I went aisle by aisle picking up exactly what I needed, not just what some influencer recommended online or looked cute.

Why This Matters: Using AI in Everyday Life

Most people still think of AI as some complex, futuristic tool, or worse, the robots that are going to kill us all. But in reality, it’s a powerful assistant for everyday life. Even for something as personal as skincare.

Instead of relying only on influencers or store clerks (who may be biased or just upselling), I used AI to translate ingredient lists, suggest alternatives, and double-check that a product aligned with my goals.

I felt empowered. I wasn’t just a tourist buying cute K-beauty goodies, I was making informed, personalized choices, using the best of tech and Korean skincare innovation.

My Smart Skincare Picks

Okay, so here’s what made it back home with me (minus the 500 face masks the stores gifted us that my mom instantly claimed). Everything in this haul had a reason, or at least a really good excuse.

Aestura Cream – This was actually a gift from one of the stores we bought skincare in. I haven’t tried it yet, but the packaging gives “derm-approved” and I’m keeping it for when my skin gets stressed.

Multi Balm  – You can always find one of these on my shelf. It got super popular thanks to K-dramas (which is also how I learned it even existed), and honestly? It lives up to the hype. Easy to reapply, compact, and my skin loves it.

Ilso Super Melting Sebum Stick – Did I buy it because it has Hello Kitty on it? Probably. BUT in my defense, I’ve had my eye on this product for quite some time (not the Hello Kitty one). I use sebum-removing strips at least once a week, and this one is so much better because, it’s lasts around 40 uses! Unlike the 5-strip packs I usually buy that create too much trash. So yes, the packaging was a plus... but the important thing is to save the Earth one less trash at a time.

COSRX Snail Peptide Eye Cream – I’ve used COSRX before and love the brand, so when I asked Chatie what eye cream to use for tired, puffy eyes, this one won over the others. Gentle, effective, and no unnecessary ingredients.

Green Tomato serum on the left and Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum on the right.

Sungboon Editor Green Tomato NMN Serum – I was looking for something to help with pores and hydration, but also something that made sense for my age — not too heavy, not too anti-aging. Chatie picked this one because it’s all about preserving your youthful glow before it disappears. Iconic behavior. (A plus that I was not looking for, Vernon from Seventeen is the ambassador for this brand. Yes, I’m a Vernon bias.)

Beauty of Joseon SPF + Glow Serum – The SPF is my go-to and I always restock when I can. No white cast, great under makeup, and gentle enough to reapply, one downsize is that if you have makeup on it might remove it. This time I also picked up the Glow Serum because I love the brand and wanted something that could brighten and calm without being harsh.

Rep!el Moisturizer – This one is new to me. The girl at the store recommended it based on my age and skin condition, and Chatie confirmed it would be a great fit. I haven’t tried it yet, because I still have an open moisturizer that I haven’t finished yet, but will update once I start using it.

Gold Snail Peeling Mask – My mom had her eye on the Mixsoon Essence after seeing it online (apparently people say it exfoliates?), but when we asked in the store, the woman told us it’s actually just an essence. She recommended this one instead, and it did not disappoint. It not only gets the job done, but it leaves my skin feeling so soft and moisturized. I love it and would 100% buy it again.

Final Thoughts

Something that was curious for me is that when I went to buy moisturizer, the lady at the store said:

“Don’t buy that one, that was popular two years ago but not anymore.”

It made me wonder, is skincare really in and out of trend? I get that new formulas keep coming out with improved results, but if a product is working for me and I like it, I’m going to keep using it. You know? This happened when I was about to buy the rice moisturizer from Beauty of Joseon.

In the end, I bought the one the woman recommended, but only because I like to try new products from time to time. If this one doesn’t work, I’ll just go back to BoJ.

I keep noticing we live in a society where trends change so fast we barely have time to breathe. So just remember to always be you. Buy what you like and what suits you best. Use what you think looks good on you. Be your own trend. Get inspired by others, but never try to be them and always stay genuine to yourself.

This trip, besides being a skincare haul, was a learning curve that taught us that with the right tools, we can make smarter, more fittable, and not just prettier, choices.

Whether it’s analyzing your skin, translating product labels, or asking ChatGPT what a certain acid actually does, AI can be part of your self-care routine, and it’s way easier than people think.

Let me know (throught email, cuz I don’t know how to add comments he…hehe) how this new way of using ChatGPT goes for you!