Medicinal magic: Chinese herbs can treat a range of ailments, and maybe even turn you into a princess for a day. Photo provided to Shanghai Star

All about Korean skin care

Story of facekinis' inventor

My pores were diagnosed as being clogged, so I was prescribed one of the spa's signature treatments: taichi skin cleaning and nourishing. This is the most common prescription given, because air pollution clogs the pores, and slows down the metabolism.

The two-step treatment of cleansing and nourishing takes a little over one hour.

Taichi detoxifying and nutrient clay they use is one of the group's bestsellers in Sephora and other retail outlets. The alcohol-free and all-natural clay is artistically formed into the black-and-white circular logo associated with taichi, with the dark side used for detoxifying and light for nourishing.

Aside from the herbs typically found in skincare products, the clay features a special"four-branch soup" as its foundation. It is believed that the soup, using extracts from the boiled water of mulberry, willow, locust and peach branches, is excellent at calming the irritated skin. In ancient times, Chinese people used to bath in this to avoid skin problems.