Soko Glam's Charlotte Cho Just Launched Her Own Skin-Care Brand — and I'm Already Obsessed

According to the restaurant host who sat me at dinner the other night, I wear "a lot" of glitter on my face. If he hadn't reminded me, I would have completely forgot that I had stripes of shimmer cascading down the center of each of my eyes. I'm sure many of my friends would tell you, "I used to think that was a lot of glitter — then I met you." Now, they'd tell you it was a modest amount of sparkle compared to the other glitzy looks I've tried out, like glitter freckles. Strangers usually follow up their comments on the quantity of glitter on my face with questions about how I wash it all off. A single, basic cleanser is not the answer. Instead, double cleansing is the only way to go.

Luckily, Charlotte Cho, the co-founder of popular K-beauty e-retailer Soko Glam, just dropped a revolutionary new way to wash your face, no matter how much glitter you like to decorate it with. Yep, you heard right. She's not having a baby or moving back to Korea — both are theories people on Instagram started to come up with when she started a mysterious new Instagram called @thenimetyou last week. Instead, Then I Met You is the name of her first skin-care line, which is complete with everything you need to effectively double cleanse: the Living Cleansing Balm and the Soothing Tea Cleansing Gel.

The Jeong of It All

Over to past couple of years, Cho has been working on a skin-care brand separate from Soko Glam that conveys a concept that's stuck with her since she moved back to America from Korea called jeong (정). She defines the term as "a deep emotional bond to the people, places, and things that matter most, that is only cultivated by taking time to develop those connections." She feels jeong with Korea and the practices she learned there, like double cleansing. That's where the new Living Cleansing Balm and Soothing Tea Cleansing Gel come in.

Because double cleansing is the foundation of any Korean skin-care routine — 10 steps or otherwise — Then I Met You's cleansing duo helps you wash away all the makeup and impurities on your skin so the rest of your regimen can work to the best of its abilities. To me, the two cleansers prove the idea that skin care is more than just the products we decide to slather on our faces every morning and night. Skin care is the time we set aside in our busy day to truly take care of ourselves and focus on our faces, and washing my face is my favorite part of the process due to its instant gratification.

After dinner the night the host called me out on the amount of glitter on my face, I put Then I Met You's cleaners to the test. Spoiler alert: It left my skin totally glitter-free and cleaner than ever.

The Living Cleansing Balm ($38)

No matter how tired or busy I may be, I never rush my oil-cleansing process. Sometimes, I put on a song to act as a timer. (At the moment, it's Monsta X's "Be Quiet.") Rubbing cleanser on your face for three minutes straight might seem excessive, but when a golden yellow balm that smells like a $10 bottle of cold-pressed grapefruit juice is involved, time flies by. Dipping into it with its little periwinkle-blue spatula feels like a little end-of-day indulgence.

I rub the balm onto dry skin, starting with my cheeks. Then, I work my way around my face before focusing on my eyes. By the time the song is over, my makeup is thoroughly melted away, thanks to the elixir of antioxidant-rich seaberry oil, healing vitamin E, and nourishing olive and grapeseed oils. Even if you don't wear makeup, the cleansing balm is still helpful for breaking down your sunscreen and cutting down the oiliness of your skin. After you rinse your face, the balm doesn't leave your face and hands feeling slick and greasy like you just poured olive oil all over them. Instead, they'll be velvety soft.

Soothing Tea Cleansing Gel ($36)

A water-based cleanser always follows oil cleansing, and in this case, it's the Soothing Tea Cleansing Gel. You only need a pea-sized amount to wash away the water-based impurities, like dirt and sweat, from your whole face.

Cho ensured that the floral-scented cleansing gel has a pH of 6, so your skin won't feel tight and dry after using it, like many cleansers with a higher pH level tend to do. Skin is naturally on the more acidic side with pH levels around 4 to 6. Maintaining these levels helps your skin retain moisture and protect against nasties, like bacteria and pollution. So using a cleanser that is about the same level as your skin keeps it balanced and the cleanser won't strip away moisture.

The Soothing Tea Cleansing Gel is also spiked with brightening ingredients like sake and licorice extract, as well as tea tree extract and green tea, which help clear skin.

Then I Met You's Living Cleansing Balm and Soothing Tea Cleansing Gel are available now exclusively on thenimetyou.com. (Because it's not technically a K-beauty brand, you won't find Then I Met You on Soko Glam.) You can shop them separately, but they're also available as a duo for $68.

Follow Devon Abelman on Twitter and Instagram.

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