Im obsessed with Korean skincare I spend thousands a year and plan vacations around it

A K-beauty obsessive plans her holidays around trips to 24-hour Korean spas — and spends thousands chasing perfect skin.Uwu Tofu, 29, became fixated on beauty after suffering from acne and feeling like an “ugly kid.”“I remember in seventh grade, when I felt my ugliest, I thought, ‘I’m going to make a business plan on aesthetic improvements so that by the time I hit college I’m going to be the hottest person ever,’ ” the Texan recalled.“I was thinking, ‘OK, I have braces and acne right now.By year eight my braces will be off, and then in high school I’m going to learn how to put on makeup.’”Now, the content creator is hooked on Korean beauty and wellness, often flying 1,435 miles across the country to her favorite LA spa and maintaining a long wish list of skincare products.Over the years, she’s tried everything from Rejuran injections to radiofrequency microneedling, ultrasound lifting and facial contouring treatments.

A salmon sperm facial left her crying and clenching her hands in pain, but wanting more.Tofu estimates spending between $2,000 and $3,000 a month on Korean skincare, spa visits and beauty treatments.“I’d be lying if I said my teenage insecurities didn’t still fuel my obsession with beauty today,” said Tofu, who has 575,000 followers on Instagram (@iamuwutofu).“But now I want to enhance the features I already have and maintain my skin health as I get older.”After watching beauty tutorials on YouTube as a kid, Tofu developed her own aesthetic and became particularly interested in Korean skincare.She is constantly researching products but tries to finish each bottle in six months before buying another, partly to avoid waste and partly because she once learned the hard way what can happen when products expire.“I have used expired skincare before, thinking it was no big deal.No — my face broke out,” she said.Her three favorite affordable products are Birch Moisturizing Sunscreen UVLock SPF 45, Madagascar Ce...