Not all scars are visible on the skin.
Some remain deeper — and they guide us throughout our lives.
Jihoon Kim, founder of Seon, knows this well.
His story doesn't start in a research laboratory or a startup, but in an elementary school in a suburb south of Seoul, when he was only 11 years old.
There, every day, his face marked by early acne became a target.
“It wasn't just my skin that hurt me. It was the looks, the comments, the whispers.”
Son of two teachers, strict but present, Jihoon grew up in a family where health was important — but only the "visible" kind.
“Don't waste money on a pimple,” his mother used to say. “You're a boy, it will pass on its own.”
But it didn't pass. In fact, it worsened.
And with it, his relationship with the mirror deteriorated.
Every cheap patch, every "miraculous" soap bought secretly at the minimarket below his house, became a small hope — always disappointed.
The encounter that changes everything
It was only at 17 that everything began to change.
In the midst of a crisis — with inflamed skin, a down mood, and a desire to hide — Jihoon accidentally entered a small specialized pharmacy, one of those rare ones that don't just sell products, but ask questions.
Behind the counter, an elderly pharmacist listened to him. Truly.
“It's the skin that needs to find balance, not you that must fight it,” he told him.
That phrase changed his approach.
It inspired him to study, to seek real answers, to understand why most products only seemed to "burn" the skin, never improve it.
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The birth of a vision
Years later, Jihoon graduated in biochemistry. Not to become a "cosmetic influencer," but to truly understand how the skin works.
He started working in a small independent laboratory, where research was more important than marketing.
There, he had an insight: what if, instead of attacking the skin, we helped it function better?
From this vision, the first formula with controlled ionic release was born.
A system capable of acting deeply, precisely, without drying out or irritating.
This is how IonClear™ was born, the first "smart" nasal patch.
Then Invisidots™, for individual pimples.
Then AreaFix™, for large, inflamed, hard-to-treat areas.
Why Seon is not just a name
The name Seon, in Korean, evokes purity, but also the concept of "line" — a path.
A system, not a trend. A logical choice, not an impulsive act.
"I didn't want another skincare brand.
I wanted a simple, respectful, effective method.
A way to stop hating your own skin."
Today, Seon has become a reality in thousands of homes.
It is the result of pain transformed into expertise. Of shame turned into motivation.
And of a promise kept: to treat the skin with intelligence, not force.