28 Best Korean Skin-Care Products, Revealed by a Beauty Editor
Imagine a world where you can get dewy, beautiful skin with products that work like magic. Korean skincare is so appealing because it is a place where modernity and tradition come together to make revolutionary cosmetics. As a beauty journalist who has tested numerous skin-care brands, I’ve grown slightly fixated on K-beauty’s distinctive method of skin nourishment. The idea of care is all-encompassing and places skin health first; it’s not merely about the occasional indulgence. Because there are so many possibilities, I’ve set out to find the finest Korean skin-care products that you should include in your beauty routine. No matter what your skin care needs are—deep hydration, anti-aging, or just a little more glow—you’ll find what you’re looking for on this list.
For quite some time, Korean skin-care brands have raised the bar for the international beauty business and, to be honest, for us as well. Korean sunscreen products are unparalleled, and double washing has transformed our skin (and pore health) for the better. Unwind, because we have compiled the top Korean skin-care products for bouncy glass skin that are both unique and affordable.
Top Picks:
Best Cleansing Oil: Anua Heartleaf Pore Cleansing Oil
My obsession with Anua’s heartleaf skin care range has no bounds. Traditional Chinese medicine has long made use of heartleaf, a plant indigenous to Southeast Asia, due to its high concentration of polyphenolic flavonoids, which possess numerous anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial characteristics. Emulsifying the Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil gently removes blackheads, extra sebum, and makeup from the delicate eye area. A clearer, less clogged face is waiting for you.
Best Foaming Cleanser: Etude House SoonJung pH 6.5 Whip Cleanser
Proceed to a water-based cleanser to eliminate any invisible dirt and grime. We recommend Etude House’s SoonJung pH 6.5 Whip Cleanser if you’re a stickler for foamy cleansers (and we totally understand it, the texture is so fun to experiment with). To ensure that our skin does not experience any irritation, the complete Soon Jung range is meticulously developed at a pH of 6.5. This is slightly higher than our skin’s natural acidic pH of 5.5. Specifically, this fragrance-free foam has panthenol for intense hydration (because nobody likes that dry, stripped feeling) and madecassoside (derived from cica) to heal skin damage.
Best Gentle Exfoliant: Mixsoon Bean Essence
It looks like we might have another internet sensation here. Like Cosrx’s mega-viral snail mucin essence, Mixsoon’s Bean Essence has a syrupy consistency. However, the secret component is soybean ferment extract, which replenishes moisture lost due to, well, everything (even time). Who says you can’t have a skin care product that does it all? Pomegranate, another fermented ingredient, provides moderate exfoliation.
If you find that the essence is building up residue after washing, you can either apply more essence and massage it in with a little more pressure to “remove” the debris, or you can use it as you normally would (apply and forget it after cleansing).
Best Moisturizer: Aestura Atobarrier 365 Cream
Want intense hydration with no unnecessary fuss? The Atobarrier 365 Cream by Aestura is perfect for you. I also enjoy applying it on my hands, décolletage, and neck before going to bed, since this is the last part of my nightly regimen. No matter your skin type—even the most sensitive—this fragrance-free cream will hydrate your skin like a dream. Squalane, vitamin E, and triple-lipid capsules with ceramides, cholesterol, and fatty acids are the main components of the composition. These skin-restoring compounds work together to provide up to 100 hours of moisture.
Best Sunscreen: Innisfree Daily UV Defense Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 36
The pore cleansing foam described, containing Jeju volcanic clusters, is designed specifically for oily skin and those with enlarged pores. Jeju volcanic clusters are formed from minerals released by volcanic explosions on Jeju Island, a place known for its pristine, natural environment. These clusters have a unique ability to absorb sebum and impurities from the skin, leading to a cleaner and clearer complexion.
In essence, this product combines the natural purifying properties of Jeju volcanic clusters with a foam-based cleanser to offer a solution that targets the core issues of oily skin and enlarged pores, ensuring a smoother, cleaner, and more balanced skin texture.
Best Vitamin C Serum: Goodal Green Tangerine Vita C Dark Spot Serum
Interested in taking a direct approach to hyperpigmentation? Green Tangerine Vita C Dark Spot Serum by Goodal is an affordable and effective option. It contains a potent blend of niacinamide, arbutin, and cold-pressed green tangerine extract (specifically 70%). Not only does this serum work to fade black spots, but it also contains green tea extracts, sodium hyaluronate, and Centella asiatica (cica), so you can rest assured that it won’t irritate your skin.
Best TikTok-Viral Product: Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence
A Korean cosmetic product that has been making waves on your FYP and lives up to expectations? To be sure, that is the Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence by Cosrx. Snail mucus, an ingredient in this mega-hydrator, helps reduce the appearance of dark spots and fade acne scars. Hyaluronic acid and allantoin, which moisturize and build the skin barrier, are also included in the composition, although the gooey stuff makes up 96% of it.
Best Soothing Face Mask: Dr.Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Sleepair Intensive Mask
Editors have consistently praised Dr. Jart+’s Cicapair range for its ability to calm sensitive skin ever since Korean skin care became popular in the United States. (For the uneducated, cica, also known as Centella asiatica, is a powerful skin healing and firming agent that also helps to minimize redness.) Winner of the Best of Beauty Award in 2021 and again in 2022, the fragrance-free Tiger Grass Sleepair Intensive Mask instantly cools, refreshes, and calms your overworked skin. Glycerin, niacinamide, and houttuynia cordata extract (also known as heartleaf, an anti-inflammatory herb) make for an ideal moisturizing treatment for sensitive skin, but it work wonders on any kind of skin.
Best Lightweight Moisturizer: Belif The True Cream Aqua Bomb
If Belif Intensely calming and ideal for delicate skin, the True Cream Aqua Bomb contains a combination of tiger grass, oat kernel extract, and comfrey leaf, which fights inflammation. Although it gives you a chill right away, the skin-plumping effects of the squalane and glycerin remain all day. My skin slurps up this gel-like cream like it’s a cool drink; I use it year-round, though its lightness and airiness may make it more appealing to some in warmer climates.
Best Vitamin C Cream: Belif Aqua Bomb Brightening Vitamin C Cream
The Belif Aqua Bomb Brightening Vitamin C Cream is a hydrating, lightweight cream that’s rich in Vitamin C and E, Lady’s Mantle herb, and hyaluronic acids. It is designed to brighten and even out skin tone while providing intense hydration, making it particularly effective for those dealing with dullness or uneven skin texture. Users have praised its refreshing texture and quick absorption, making it a convenient addition to both morning and evening skincare routines.
Best UV Shield: IOPE UV Shield Essential Tone Up Sun
iT provides high protection against UV rays but also brightens the skin tone. It incorporates Skin Shield TM technology, offering protection against environmental stressors like blue light and fine dust, which contribute to skin aging. The product is designed to improve dull skin tone, leaving the skin with a natural radiant and translucent glow. It’s specifically formulated to block UV rays while enhancing skin brightness, making it a multifunctional product suitable for those looking to protect their skin and achieve a brighter complexion simultaneously.
Best Eye Cream for Wrinkles: Some By Mi Retinol Intense Advanced Triple Action Eye Cream
Retinol Intense Advanced Triple Action Eye Cream by Some By Mi may have the word “intense” in its name, but don’t let that put you off. If you’re worried about the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles (hello, 30s and older folks!), this potent solution contains retinal and 0.1% retinol for a gentler yet powerful therapy. Plus, the collagen and peptides in this solution are derived from plants, which helps to restore the skin’s natural plumpness and firmness after years of collagen depletion.
Panthenol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, and Niacinamide are some of the main components that help brighten the under-eye area while also soothing, repairing, and nourishing the face. Dark circle prevention, excellent brightening care, and glutathione and tranexamic acid are the main focuses of this product line.
Best Eye Cream for Sensitive Skin: Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Bakuchiol Eye Cream
Black Rice Bakuchiol Eye Cream by HaruHaru Wonder is an alternative to retinol that is gentler on the skin. For your reference, “bakuchiol functions similar to a retinol, increasing cell turnover thereby stimulating collagen production and diminishing signs of aging such as fine lines, wrinkles, skin laxity, and overall photodamage,” as previously explained by Sejal Shah, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City.
Of all the black rice products from Haruharu Wonder, my favorite is the eye cream. I also really like the black rice hydrating toner and the black rice deep cleansing oil. This mild, rapidly-absorbing solution contains fermented black rice and bamboo shoot bark extract, which work together to balance out skin tone and enhance brightness, while madecassoside, a component derived from the cica plant, calms and prevents irritation.
Best Anti Aging Cream: Sulwhasoo Timetreasure Renovating Cream
This cream has received positive reviews for its luxurious, rich texture. Our editors have reported it being effective when used after the Timetreasure serum, appreciating its richness and the luxurious feel it provides. However, one noted its pine bark scent and mentioned it applies easily without being oily or slick, suggesting it works well as a night cream due to its dense texture. Overall, it’s highly valued for its moisturizing properties and is recommended for those looking for a premium skincare product.
Best Pore-Unclogging Face Mask: Innisfree Super Volcanic Pore Clay Mask
Is ten minutes all you have? Make the most of your time off by applying the Super Volcanic Pore Clay Mask by Innisfree once or twice a week. It will shrink clogged pores and absorb excess oil. This redesigned wash-off face mask is creamy, fragrance-free, and infused with resurfacing lactic acid and finely powdered clusters of volcanic ash from South Korea’s Jeju Island. It will give your skin the much-deserved reset it needs by smoothing and softening.
Best Foam Cleanser for Sensitive Skin: Neogen Dermalogy Real Fresh Foam Green Tea
It is praised for its soothing effects on combination skin. Its standout feature is the use of real green tea leaves at the base, emphasizing its commitment to natural, potent ingredients. It’s formulated to offer powerful antioxidant effects while cleansing gently, making it suitable for daily use. This cleanser is also clinically tested for its efficacy in reducing sebum, moisturizing, and improving complexion, making it a recommended choice for those seeking a gentle yet effective skincare solution.
Best Multitasking Formula: Laneige Cream Skin Toner & Moisturizer
It is highly praised for its hydrating qualities, making it an almost-holy grail product for some users. It features a lightweight, silicone-based formula that spreads easily, dries matte, and leaves the skin feeling soft and smooth. This mask is particularly suitable for adding hydration to the skincare routine without clogging pores, and it’s also compatible with sensitive skin conditions like seborrheic dermatitis and malassezia folliculitis. However, it does contain fragrance, which may irritate some users.
Best Cleansing Foam: Amorepacific Treatment Enzyme Cleansing Foam
The Amorepacific Treatment Enzyme Cleansing Foam is a gentle, hydrating cleanser that turns from a creamy texture into a light foam, offering a soothing cleansing experience. It’s particularly noted for its pleasant floral scent, effectiveness in deeply cleaning the skin without drying it out, and leaving the skin feeling velvety smooth. Recommended for sensitive, oily, combination, and normal skin types, this cleanser combats dullness and uneven texture while being gentle enough for sensitive skin. Its key ingredients include Green Tea, Cotton Extract, and Hyaluronic Acid, which together promote cell renewal, soothe inflammation, and increase hydration.
Best Lip Treatment: Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask Vanilla
This 2021 Readers’ Choice Award winner is unbeatable when it comes to dry lips. The Lip Sleeping Mask by Laneige envelops dry lips in a protective barrier of glycerin, shea butter, and vitamin C. While you sleep, the moisturizing concoction softens the skin, allowing you to wake up with smooth and supple lips.
Best Hydrating Toner: Round Lab 1025 Dokdo Toner
It should come as no surprise that mild exfoliation is also a part of Korean skin care regimens, which revolve around moisturizing and barrier-restoring formulas. As an illustration, consider Round Lab’s 1025 Dokdo Toner. This toner is a bestseller at Olive Young, which is like the Sephora of South Korea. It contains deep sea water, which rehydrates and gently exfoliates the skin, and glycerin and allantoin, which calm and soothe problematic skin. What is the outcome? It prepares your skin to accept the serums and moisturizers that follow by leaving it feeling revitalized and softer.
Best Lightweight Sunscreen: Thank You Farmer Sun Project Light Sun Essence SPF 50
Light Sun Essence SPF 50+ by Thank You Farmer would win every single category if this were a contest. The consistency and feel are among the most pleasant I’ve ever encountered when applying makeup. It absorbs rapidly (there’s a reason it’s called a “sun essence” after all) and doesn’t leave behind any sticky residue or white cast. The serum-like solution has a sun protection factor (SPF) of fifty, is packed with skin-repairing and soothing ingredients including soybean lipids, aloe vera, and lotus flower water, and has a semi-dewy finish that gives skin a sheen without making it seem greasy.
Best Pimple Patches: Cosrx Acne Pimple Master Patch
The ever-popular Cosrx Acne Pimple Master Patches never run out of stock. Overnight (or anytime, because blemishes don’t care) these hydrocolloid patches protect your skin from bacteria, further discomfort, and your natural tendency to pick at pimples, while also drawing out impurities to help your pimples shrink more quickly than ever before.
Best Overnight Mask: Saturday Skin Yuzu Vitamin C Sleep Mask
Put away those disposable sheet masks that hurt the planet: When it comes to battling dryness, dullness, and visible pores, sleep masks are among the most effective treatments available on the K-beauty market. This jelly-like leave-on treatment has a plethora of vitamin A to smooth out texture and reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles. It also contains antioxidant-rich yuzu to boost your natural radiance and niacinamide to smooth over uneven skin tone. With as little as three to five uses per week, you’ll be set, just like the bright and cheery box.
Best Cleansing Balm: Banila Co Clean It Zero Original Cleansing Balm
The adoration for Clean It Zero Original Cleansing Balm by Banila Co. is well-known. This two-in-one solution is a hit with the editors at Allure and Allure Korea; it sells every three seconds and handles both halves of a double-cleansing process. Glycerin and centella asiatica extract are two of the components that help this cleanser remove oil, grime, and makeup (even waterproof) without irritating the skin.
Best Brightening Essence: Neogen Dermalogy Real Ferment Micro Essence
The addition of essence to both your nightly and daytime skincare routines can help all skin types, including combination and dry skin. When applied to the skin with a gentle pat or press, the Real Ferment Micro Essence by Neogen Dermalogy feels like a pleasant awakening. Even better, a combination of 93% naturally fermented components, such as saccharomyces ferment filtrate (fermented yeast) and bifida ferment lysate, infuses a face that is about to glow with plenty of moisture. Greetings, tender skin.
Best Watery Cream: TONYMOLY The Chok Chok Green Tea Watery Cream
The TONYMOLY Chok Chok Green Tea Watery Cream is highly praised for its hydrating and refreshing qualities. It contains fermented green tea with higher antioxidant and moisturizing benefits than fresh green tea, along with lemon seed oil for antibacterial properties and rosewood oil for soothing effects. Users love its citrus green tea scent, though some find it strong. Its watery gel-like texture absorbs quickly, making it an excellent moisturizer, especially in summer.
Best Nighttime Serum: Missha Time Revolution Night Repair Ampoule 5X
Pay attention to the “5X” in the name of this Missha product. Time Revolution Night Repair Ampoule 5X is the latest iteration in a long line of successors to the original, immensely popular Time Revolution Night Repair Ampoule. The mixture of probiotics, which includes 77% bifida ferment lysate, improves moisture levels, strengthens the skin’s barrier, and makes it firmer over time.
TikTok-Approved Sunscreen: Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun Rice + Probiotics
The Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics Sunscreen SPF 50+ PA++++ is appreciated for its elegant lotion-like texture, fast absorption, and natural sheen without leaving a heavy or greasy feeling. It’s fragrance-free, making it suitable for sensitive skin, and provides moisturization that varies with skin type. Oily skin may find it too moisturizing in humid weather, but it’s ideal for dry, combination, or sensitive skin. It doesn’t cause irritation or breakouts, and it works well under makeup.
