Make up for a more natural look is now in fashion all over the world, but it has been popular in Korea since the Koryo Dynasty (918–1392). In , a special envoy from China during the Song Dynasty (in 1123), unique makeup technique of people in the Koryo Dynasty is described. Noblewomen in both the Koryo and Joseon Dynasties preferred Damjang (淡粧), which is makeup that uses the least amount of color to reveal the wearer's natural beauty. In the book Korea and Her Neighbors by Isabella Bird Bishop (1832-1904), a British adventurer, the writer depicts Empress Myeongseong, the last empress of the Joseon Dynasty, as a very nice-looking woman with very pale skin, with her pallor enhanced by the use of pearl powder. The use of the word 'pallor' is deliberate on Bishop's part, as she also uses that word to describe the way Queen Min appeared not to be wearing any color makeup. Bishop writes that Queen Min's eyes were cold and keen, and the general expression one of brilliant intelligence. And that naturalness of makeup and beauty is part of the reason why Empress Myeongseong has remained a paragon of natural beauty shining from within to generations of Korean women.

Hwang Jini is rightly remembered as a pioneer of natural beauty who recognized the benefits of ginseng for beauty, as well as for health. Ginseng, known as the elixir of life, is rich in saponin, which rejuvenates the skin with its remarkable anti-wrinkle and anti-aging effects.
It is said that Hwang Jini not only drank ginseng infused tea, but also used it to wash her face and body, and mixed ginseng extract with her makeup powder. From its roots through to its twigs and leaves, the entire ginseng plant is good for beauty and wise Hwang Jini did not waste any of it, but used it all to care of her beauty.

In olden times, Korean women took great care of their hair because the hair was seen on a par with the skin for defining a woman's beauty. That is, glossy, raven-black hair was as essential as supple, milky-white skin when it came to beauty. Women used to comb each strand of their long, luxuriant hair, apply a coat of camellia oil and scrunch it up into a bun. Needless to say, it looked very neat and beautiful.
It was a tradition among Korean women to wash their hair in water boiled with sweet flag on Dano (the 5th day of the 5th month of the year according to the lunar calendar) as they believed that doing so would keep them free from illness that year. The sweet scent of sweet flag is like an all-natural shampoo with powerful anti-bacterial and essential oil ingredients that cleanse the hair. It also works on the skin, keeping both hair and skin supple and smooth.
Meanwhile, camellia oil has been used since the Silla Dynasty to keep the thick hair of women neat and glossy. With its good resistance to high temperatures, camellia oil protects the hair and adds silk-like softness and gloss to it. Korean women have long used it to give moisture and shine to their skin as well.

Korea's folk beauty treatment and herbal medicinal beauty treatment share the same roots. That is, both are inspired by nature and evolved in symbiosis with each other to establish themselves as an integral part of the daily lives of millions of Koreans. The remarkable scientific records of folk and herbal medicinal beauty treatments have been handed down the generations to modern scientists and doctors. Folk beauty treatment was communicated not through word, but through live demonstrations, while herbal medicinal beauty treatment was codified and kept stored in authoritative books on herbal medicine.
Among all, Donguibogam, written in 1610 by Heo Jun, the greatest doctor of his time, contains formidable knowledge of beauty treatment done with herbal medicine. Packed with a wealth of medical knowledge and detailed information on how to use herbal medicine, Donguibogam has rightly gained global recognition for its contribution to the history of medicine and was listed on UNESCO's Memory of the World Programme. Gyuhap-chongseo written in 1809 by Pinghukak Lee is a rich repository of folk beauty treatments, offering into what was then contemporary cosmetics culture. Its great cultural value lies in the experiments it details into the many theories contained in reference books, including Donguibogam.
Korea's documentary heritage as seen in Donguibogam and Gyuhap-chongseo encompassing extensive knowledge and experiments into herbal medicinal beauty treatments is an irreplaceable asset that has helped bring herbal medicinal beauty treatment into the technically and scientifically advanced form of modern times.