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From the luge, curling, and skiing, to snowboarding, hockey, and bobsleigh, the world’s focus was squarely on Korea in February.

 The Winter Olympics gave Korean culture a global audience like it has never had before, something which continued with the Winter Paralympics.

It’s not just a land famed for Kpop, kimchi, and international tensions, though. It also has its own, distinctive grooming style.

When it comes to health and beauty, it’s all about looking well, hydrated, and with naturally-pigmented skin. Fake tan is out!

If you watched the Winter Olympics or Paralympics and were wondering why people were talking about Kbeauty, here’s our essential guide…

1. ‘Chok chok’ skin is in. What does that mean? It’s skin that’s supple, bouncy and hydrated. Skincare is an important part of the grooming routine. Most Koreans – men and women - have a regime of cleansing, toning, and moisturising, and they take skin hydration seriously. There is the need to protect the skin from pollution and UV rays, in particular, so moisturisers containing sunscreen are seen as vital. For both men and women in Korea, a natural pigment is seen as beautiful, rather than skin which is darkened by fake tans. The ideal skin for men is sometimes referred to as ‘glassy’ because it has a glass-like sheen. In recent years, Korean women have all hankered after what they call ‘cloudless skin’ – a completely flawless complexion. You’ll often find that Korean women use double cleansers to help them get that.

2. It’s not just OK for men to be into beauty, it’s expected! In Korea, men take care of their appearance as a matter of course. It’s simply a part of the culture that men, as well as women, want to look as attractive, healthy, and well as they can.

3. Concealer is important. It’s all about looking well and rested, and Korean women and men know that concealer helps cover up dark circles under the eyes and any blemishes you may have.

4. Coloured hair is everywhere…Korean men and women are unafraid of experimenting with colour in their hair. Some will dye all their hair blonde, neon or slice a dash of colour into their fringe.

5. Pearl extract is huge. Its anti-oxidants and amino acids are used by many Korean women to help heal blemishes and give the skin a pearly sheen.

6. Niacinamide (vitamin B3) is the magic ingredient. This is a vitamin which Korean people say brightens skin, reduces pigment problems, and helps prevent wrinkles. It’s said to improve the moisture content of the top layer of the skin. Some scientific studies have also pointed to it helping reduce acne inflammation and oil production in the skin. Foods which are rich in B3 include broccoli, avocados, dates, almonds, spinach, carrots, mushrooms, and tomatoes.

7. Nail art isn’t just for women! For Korean men, and women, stunning nail art designs are a way of life.

8. Tremella mushrooms are magic…They have deep, hydrating properties and give the skin a boost in anti-oxidants. They’re found in many Korean beauty preparations.

                                                                                                                                  What’s the best way of showing off that perfect, ‘chok chok’ skin? A white smile, of course! Get the basics right with your dental hygiene to show off the Kbeauty look – order our Brushbox subscription boxes here: www.brushbox.com

20% of people fear visiting the dentist more than they fear heights, giving dentists worldwide a serious complex about their profession. Considered the most devious profession right behind ‘politician’ and ‘defence lawyer’, dentists have a tough time convincing the world to cheer them on. Thankfully March 6^th is Dentist Appreciation Day, and at Brush Box we want to share some reasons with you why dentists are so important.

• Only 9% of men, and 11% of women have oral health that can be classed as ‘excellent’. On average each adult in Britain has seven fillings, which means a lot of elbow grease from dentists to fix those not so pearly white.

• Thanks to the hard work from dental hygienists though, the percentage of Britons with tooth decay has decreased from 68% in 1973, to 31% in 2016.

• In 2017, dentists pulled 4 million wisdom teeth in the UK alone, needing 9000 litres of general anaesthetic to perform the operations.

• Alongside a few buckets of general anaesthetic, Britons use 9.3 billion gallons of toothpaste a year. That’s enough to completely fill 70 Olympic swimming pools. Talk about a refreshing swim.

• With all that toothpaste being used, its surprising to hear that almost 16.5 million people in Britain only brush their teeth once a day. The same amount of people also admits to not visiting their dentist in at least two years.

• As of March 2017, 22.2 million adult patients were seen by an NHS dentist, equating to 51.5% of the adult population, a rise of 15% in the last three years.

Every year dentists find themselves facing a mountain of tooth extractions, fillings, and people who insist that they floss every day. The least they deserve is a pat on the back for keeping our smiles so bright (and putting up with our obvious flossing deception).

To keep your gum nuggets looking their best and feeling fresh, grab yourself a Brush Box subscription. After all, you know what they say, a Brush Box brush a day keeps the dentist away…

Whether it’s the impact of hi-tech printing technology or a back to the 1980s fashion trend, 2018 is set to be a landmark year for male grooming.

Make sure you stay ahead of the pack with our magnificent 7 trends to watch out for this year:

1.    Shorter beards – the return of designer stubble

Forget long, hipster beards in 2018.  That’s so last year!  Instead, think George Michael on the cover of his album, Faith – groomed stubble and short, clipped beards.

The trend is being inspired by the fashion industry and the model in catwalk shows which are heavily influenced by the enduring styles of the 1980s.

Put away the beard baubles and get ready for some serious shaping.

2.    Traditional barber shops will continue to grow in popularity

The rise of traditional barber shops has been the key grooming trend over the past five years.  

It’s all part of the experience economy – for many, the desire to buy things has been replaced with the desire to buy into enjoyable experiences.

From having a good quality shave and haircut, to steam facials and manicures, a visit to a traditional barber has become a weekly or monthly must for many men.

Whether it’s a solo treat or a shared experience with your mates, a visit to the barber shop will continue to be a welcome small pleasure during the coming year.

3.    A rise in skincare products which target blemishes and black circles under the eyes

Women have had products such as concealers and skin brighteners for years, so why shouldn’t men also have a little help when it comes to looking fresh and healthy?

One men’s grooming company is planning the launch of a roll-on product to help brighten and protect the area under men’s eyes, helping to reduce puffiness, fine lines, and dark circles.

Where do I sign up?!!

4.    Consumers will be looking for products which help protect them against pollution

Women’s grooming products have including protection against UV ways and pollution for several years, and that trend is set to expand into male grooming products in 2018.

UV rays and pollution particles can prematurely age the skin.  The move to include protection in products targeted at men is happening in Asia and the Middle East, where there is a strong focus on skin health, and it is shortly expected to become a major trend in the western world.

5.    Sustainability will be more and more important – from packaging to ingredients

Many of us have seen the problems waste plastics have created in our seas and oceans.  There is a growing demand from consumers that the products they buy, and the packaging they come in, are all sustainable.

The life-cycle of products will become increasingly important.  Some grooming product manufacturers are switching to 100% recyclable plastics or plastic made from plant sources such as sugar cane.

When it comes to the ingredients used in grooming products, expect a trend towards natural materials created in a sustainable way, and products which have an ethical basis.  In other words, they are not tested on animals, they will be Fair Trade ingredients, or they will help to fund social projects.

6.    3D printed dental crowns – to give you that perfect, Instagram smile

The growth of the use of 3D printers has a huge impact on many industries – from printing edible logos for cakes to printing parts for machinery.

In dentistry, it will soon replace many milled items such as crowns.  Your dentist will be able to scan your mouth and your existing teeth to create the perfect crowns for you, giving you a bespoke service.

7.    Convenient grooming in a box grows – from dental care to hair care and beard products

The rise of subscription boxes for grooming products is set to continue.

Whether it’s hair care, products for shaving or grooming your beard, or products to help you get that perfect, white smile, the joy of having a box delivered weekly or monthly to your home is addictive!

It’s also a convenient way to ensure your products don’t run out and the items you use are always up to date.

(Cough, not so subtle self-promotion intended 😉 )

Check out our convenient, cool, affordable Brushbox oral care products which come straight to your door.

There’s nothing better than walking into a room and seeing someone flash you a warm, friendly smile.

Makes you feel great, doesn’t it?

It makes the smiler feel wonderful, too.

In fact, smiling changes the physiology of your brain.

Researchers have found that when you smile, your brain keeps track of the activity.

The more you smile, the bigger an effect it has on your brain.

‘Why is that’, we hear you ask?  It’s because the brain is naturally wired to look for any sign of negativity which might indicate a threat of some sort.

Logical, when you think about it. A frowning or angry face could lead to a physical attack or a threat to our food supply or shelter.

Useful in a prehistoric world where competition for resources was fierce.

In the modern world, that physiological trait can help cause us unhappiness and suppress our moods and energy.

If you smile, however, your brain reacts in a different way.

Smiling breaks that hard-wired negativity and rewires your brain for positivity.

The American author, researcher, and speaker Shawn Achor describes how smiling helps the brain scan the world for good things. It also helps us to feel energised.

He calls it the ‘positive Tetris effect’.

If you’ve played the computer game Tetris, you’ll know that after you turn it off, there is a tendency to still ‘see’ the block colours in your mind afterwards.

Smiling does the same thing, leaving us with positive patterns of thinking long after we’ve smiled.

The more smiling we do, the easier it becomes to train our brains to filter out negative thoughts.

On a cellular level, smiling can also help kick-start a profound change.

Biochemist Sondra Barrett’s book Secrets of Your Cells tells us that smiling also helps your cells release tension, reducing the stress on them.

And that my fiends has a massive effect on your overall well-being.

So, smiling more can have a huge effect on all areas of your life – from your health, relationships, and friendships to work and business.

A smile is also a key tool of communication.

Smiles can convey warmth, attraction, confidence, positivity, and competence, and it has been shown that people who smile a lot are seen to be more honest.

Need to find the happy? Slap on a smile…

Last but not least, here’s some really cool facts for you:

• It may not be caught on a prenatal scan, but babies start smiling in the womb.  That means the baby’s systems are getting the benefits of smiling from as early as possible, which is great because the physical effects of smiling help us to reduce stress on the body. It decreases the stress hormone cortisol in the body.
• Smiling also releases endorphins which make us feel happier. So, a smiling baby is a happy baby!
• Socially, it’s also a really important tool to cement relationships.  Our brains like to be in synch with the people around us and if they smile, our brains tell us we need to smile too, so smiling becomes contagious.
• In fact, 70% of people find smiling faces more attracting than non-smiling faces, studies show – so stop it with the duck pout selfies!
• All humans and some animals recognise smiles as a universal sign of happiness.
• And last but not least, scientists have identified 19 different types of smile (yes really…) – from the polite to the completely overjoyed.

Who has the perfect smile? Emma Watson or Harry Styles? Zac Efron or Miley Cyrus?

Well wonder no longer, Scientists now say that they have come up with the formula for that ‘perfect’ Instagrammable smile! Now where’s my phone…

In summary, they say that to get that perfect smile, you have to hide your gums, you shouldn’t bleach too much, and you shouldn’t show your bottom teeth.

In addition, several researchers and scientists also commented on the current trend for the whitening of teeth, driven by the desire for a Hollywood smile.  Whilst a white, sparkling smile can open doors and make you feel confident, go too white however and your smile looks terribly fake.

For those who want something a bit more detailed, here’s the science bit (according to the researchers at the Loma Linda University School of Dentistry in the USA).  

To get a perfect smile:

• All your visible teeth should be straight.
• Your gums should be pink, but you shouldn’t show too much of them.
• The width of your smile should be no less than half the width of your face at the same height.
• The lateral teeth either side of the front two teeth, should be 61.8% the size of the top teeth. The next teeth along should be 61.8% of the lateral teeth.
• The width of your central top teeth should be 80% of their height, and their length should be around a 16th of the height of your face. They should not be so long that they impinge on your lower lip.
• Your upper and lower lips must be symmetrical on each side of the mid-line of your face.
• Your back teeth should gradually reduce in size from front to back.