If you think K-beauty is all about kitschy products and cutsie trends, think again. It goes way deeper than that and is surprisingly holistic. It’s part of the reason I make a weekly trek to visit my skincare sage in the deep, dark, underground beauty world of New York City’s Koreatown.  

While studying my face during my last visit, she noticed that it was a bit drier than usual. “You need to chew your age,” she told me in broken English. She meant that every time you take a bite, you should chew it the same number of times as the years you’ve been alive.

It turns out that her “gut is glow” approach isn’t wrong. Studies have shown that many skin conditions (like acne, eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis or rosacea) begin in the digestive system, and chewing your food well makes the entire process easier on your body. This translates to less stress and bloating on the inside and more glow on the outside.

While I don’t think my sage meant for me to really chew my food a number of times I’d rather not tell you, it did remind me to slow down, savor each bite and be more mindful about what I’m putting into my body.

Of course, for an immediate radiance booster, you can always use our Savor Beauty Carrot Rose Serum.