The 21 Best Korean Skin-Care Products You'll Wish You'd Known About Sooner
Try listing all the reasons we look to South Korea for inspiration and stock up on the best Korean skin-care products from major brands like Amorepacific, Belif, Cosrx, and Dr. Jart+ to maximize the benefits of our routines, and we'd likely be here until tomorrow. Glass skin? Mochi skin? "Koreans are serious about their skin care," says Charlotte Cho, cofounder of Soko Glam, an online retailer specializing in Korean beauty products, and more recently her own brand, Then I Met You. "They also know what they want, like innovation, gentle ingredients, pleasing packaging, and they definitely don't want to pay a fortune for it," she adds.
Even the Korean approach to treating acne is gentle in nature and tends to feature hydrating, calming ingredients. To name a few, there's niacinamide, green tea, hyaluronic acid, and Centella asiatica (aka cica), Y. Claire Chang, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at New York City's Union Square Dermatology, previously told Allure.
In other words, Korean brands have long upped the standards for the global skin-care industry — and if we're being honest, our personal standards as well. Our skin (and the state of our pores) has been forever changed by double cleansing, and Korean sunscreen formulas are basically second to none.
Get comfortable and get your clicker finger ready to add all of these products to your online shopping cart, because we gathered the best, most innovative, and price-savviest K-beauty products for your glass skin journey.
All products featured on Allure are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
- 1/21
Banila Co Clean It Zero Original Cleansing Balm
It's no secret just how beloved Banila Co's Clean It Zero Original Cleansing Balm is. Allure and Allure Korea editors alike love this multitasking product, which sells every three seconds and covers both steps in a double-cleansing routine. It removes makeup (even waterproof), dirt, and oil, without stripping skin, thanks to ingredients like glycerin and centella asiatica extract.
- 2/21
Round Lab 1025 Dokdo Toner
Korean skin-care routines are centered around hydrating and barrier-restoring formulas so it's no surprise that they take a gentle approach to exfoliation as well. Take Round Lab's 1025 Dokdo Toner, for example. This water-based toner is a best-seller at Olive Young (the Sephora of South Korea, essentially) that’s infused with deep sea water to replenish moisture and mildly exfoliate, as well as glycerin and allantoin to soothe troubled skin. The result? It leaves your skin feeling refreshed, softened, and ready to absorb your subsequent serums and moisturizers.
- 3/21
Goodal Green Tangerine Vita C Dark Spot Serum
Looking to tackle hyperpigmentation head-on? One of your best bets (and reasonably priced, at that) is Goodal's Green Tangerine Vita C Dark Spot Serum, which is infused with a powerhouse brightening blend of cold-pressed green tangerine extract (70 percent, to be exact), niacinamide, and arbutin. This is no ordinary dark-spot-fading serum, however, as this formula also contains Centella asiatica (also known as cica), green tea extracts, and sodium hyaluronate to assure you that there won't be any instances of irritation.
- 4/21
Innisfree Pore Clearing Clay Mask 2X
Congested, oily skin and enlarged pores aren't anything to fret about when you have Innisfree's Pore Clearing Clay Mask 2X and 15 to 20 minutes to spare. Once or twice a week, slather on this thick face mask laced with finely ground volcanic cluters from Jeju Island in South Korea and resurfacing lactic acid. It's the reset your clogged pores deserve.
- 5/21
Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence
All these years later and Cosrx's Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence continues to be a standout product that’s chock-full of, you guessed, snail mucin to brighten acne scars and even out hyperpigmentation. While the gooey stuff accounts for 96 percent of the formula, you’ll also find hyaluronic acid and allantoin to hydrate and strengthen the skin barrier.
- 6/21
Saturday Skin Yuzu Vitamin C Sleep Mask
Forget single-use sheet masks that aren't so kind to the environment: Sleep masks are some of the most potent treatments you can find on the K-beauty market that combat dryness, dullness, and noticeable pores. Due to its jelly-like texture, the Saturday Skin Yuzu Vitamin C Sleep Mask already seems approachable in nature, but it really is quite unintimidating as far as retinol-laced products go.
Along with antioxidant-rich yuzu to enhance your natural radiance and niacinamide to smooth over uneven skin tone, this leave-on treatment contains an ample amount of vitamin A to refine texture and minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Use up to three to five times a week, and you'll be golden — just like this cheerful packaging.
P.S. Saturday Skin has an accompanying Yuzu Vitamin C Bright Eye Cream that's packed with the powerful antioxidant, as well as niacinamide and caffeine, to soften the look of dark circles.
- 7/21
Thank You Farmer Sun Project Light Sun Essence SPF 50+
Thank You Farmer's Sun Project Light Sun Essence SPF earns five stars for its fast-absorbing texture (it's called a "sun essence" for a reason) and leaving no stickiness or white cast after application. The serum-like formula provides SPF 50, is jammed with soothing and skin-repairing ingredients like aloe leaf extract, lotus flower water, and soybean lipids, and leaves a semi-dewy finish that makes skin looks glowy, but never greasy. Your search for the perfect sunscreen is over.
- 8/21
Hanskin BHA Pore Cleansing Oil
Of course, you want an oil cleanser that removes makeup, but if you need some gentle exfoliation to clear your pores of excess sebum that's accumulated throughout the day, Hanskin's BHA Pore Cleansing Oil is formulated with salicylic acid to do just that. Massage two to three pumps of oil all over your dry skin and start off your skin-care routine right.
- 9/21
TonyMoly I'm Rice Exfoliating Enzyme Cleanser
TonyMoly's I'm Rice Exfoliating Enzyme Cleanser is one of the keys to a clearer, brighter complexion. This 2021 Best of Beauty Award winner is a powder-to-paste cleanser that activates once it comes into contact with water and sweeps away pore-clogging dead skin cells. A potent blend of rice powder, rice extract, and papaya enzymes accelerates cell turnover to improve texture and soothes areas of irritation.
- 10/21
Dr.Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Sleepair Intensive Mask
Since the rise of Korean skin care in the U.S., Dr.Jart+'s Cicapair line has been an editor favorite in terms of soothing sensitized skin. (For the uninitiated, cica or Centella asiatica reduces redness and works hard to repair and firm skin.) The Tiger Grass Sleepair Intensive Mask, a 2021 and 2022 Best of Beauty Award winner, is a fragrance-free gel treatment that provides your stressed complexion with an instant cooling, refreshing, and calming effect. A blend of glycerin, niacinamide, and houttuynia cordata extract (otherwise known as heartleaf, another anti-inflammatory herb) treats sensitive skin just right, but all skin types can benefit from this deeply hydrating treatment.
- 11/21
Cosrx Acne Pimple Master Patch
Cosrx Acne Pimple Master Patches are so popular, they're constantly sold out. These hydrocolloid patches help heal acne overnight (or during the day, because acne waits for no one) by acting as a barrier against bacteria, further irritation, and your own pimple-picking habits, and extracting impurities so your pimple deflates faster than ever before.
- 12/21
Acropass Trouble Cure
If you're a fan of those clear, acne-healing stickers, then consider this your next-level upgrade: Acropass Trouble Cure uses innovative microneedling technology to penetrate the skin with ingredients like niacinamide and hyaluronic acid to speed up healing time. Before you slap on a patch, you should use the included cotton swab that's soaked in salicylic acid and tea tree leaf oil to treat the area.
Additionally, it's a game-changer for stubborn cystic acne, which can sometimes be harder to treat with traditional breakout-busting ingredients.
- 13/21
Missha Time Revolution Night Repair Ampoule 5X
Don't gloss over the "5X" in this Missha product's name. The Time Revolution Night Repair Ampoule 5X is the fifth generation of the dynasty that has spawned from the brand's highly successful and popular Time Revolution Night Repair Ampoule. Concocted with 77-percent bifida ferment lysate and other probiotics to improve moisture levels, nourish the barrier, and firm skin with continued use.
- 14/21
Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun SPF 50
If you've been on Beauty TikTok over the past years, chances are Beauty of Joseon's Relief Sun SPF 50 popped onto your FYP at least a few times — and the hype is well-deserved. "If you're looking for a moisturizing sunscreen, this one checks off all of the boxes," Allure commerce editor Sarah Han says. "You'll actually look forward to applying this every day because it leaves your skin looking dewy and healthy without a trace of white cast."
Not only is there a 30-percent concentration of rice extract (that's spiked with amino acids and vitamins B, C, and E) for serious moisturizing properties, but there's also skin-tone-evening niacinamide and soothing ginseng. Consider your skin protected.
- 15/21
Amorepacific Vintage Single Extract Essence
This 2018 Allure Best of Beauty Award winner, Amorepacific Vintage Single Extract Essence, has a pretty price tag, but it'll have long-lasting effects on the health of your skin. The hand-picked leaves from South Korea's Jeju Island are fermented for 50 days, aged in traditional Korean earthenware for another 50 days, and then extracted for 24 hours to create a concentrated skin superfood.
Not to mention, green tea leaves are rich in antioxidants, which means they'll defend your skin against free-radical damage caused by UV rays and pollution — while allowing your skin-care products soak in better.
- 16/21
Belif Moisturizing Eye Bomb
As far as refreshing, moisture-boosting eye creams go, Belif's Moisturizing Eye Bomb is a total keeper. The intensely soothing formula is perfect for particularly sensitive undereyes, thanks to a blend of tiger grass and oat kernel extract, as well as inflammation-fighting comfrey leaf. It provides an instant burst of coolness upon application but the benefits of skin-plumping glycerin and squalane last for the entire day. "Just like [Belif] Aqua Bomb, this gel-like cream feels like a refreshing drink that my skin slurps up," Allure commerce editor Sarah Han previously said.
We love the Belif Moisturizing Eye Cream so much that we added it to our 2021 Allure Beauty Box lineup. You can score the Allure Beauty Box here for access to even more editor favorites — for just $23.
- 17/21
Some by Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner
Some by Mi's AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner is so good, one bottle is apparently sold every three seconds. It's not hard to see why, given this multitasking toner has three types of chemical exfoliants (alpha hydroxy acids, beta hydroxy acids, and poly hydroxy acids) in its formula, as well as papaya and witch hazel extracts, to effectively boost cell turnover, deep-clean pores, and keep skin extra-smooth. Despite this impressive list of powerful ingredients, it boasts an optimal pH of 5.5 (your skin's natural pH).
- 18/21
Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Cream
If you haven't considered incorporating ginseng into your skin-care routine, we (and Sulwhasoo) are here to convince you to. This multitasking ingredient is able to address a wide breadth of skin-care concerns, including but not limited to fine lines/wrinkles, free radicals, dullness, and hyperpigmentation. The Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Cream contains the luxe K-beauty brand's signature Ginsenomics blend, which features ginseng in the form of saponin, peptides, roots, and flowers to visibly hydrate and lift skin.
Ginseng is excellent at boosting circulation, which then ramps up the synthesis of collagen, resulting in firmer, plumper skin over time. Its antioxidant properties guard your complexion against environmental stressors like free radicals that could lead to the formation of fine lines and wrinkles, as previously explained by New York City-based board-certified dermatologist Shari Marchbein, MD.
In terms of hyperpigmentation, ginseng is capable of inhibiting melanin production by acting as a shield between your skin and dark-spot-causing environmental pollutants, as New York City-based board-certified dermatologist Arash Akhavan, MD, previously mentioned. So, while this rich treatment costs a pretty penny, it's certainly worth the splurge.
- 19/21
Neogen Dermalogy Real Ferment Micro Essence
No matter whether you deal with dry or combination skin, anyone can benefit from adding an essence into their daytime and nighttime routines. Neogen Dermalogy's Real Ferment Micro Essence feels like a lovely wake-up call as you gentle pat or press the liquid into your skin. And better yet, a potent blend of 93-percent naturally fermented ingredients — including bifida ferment lysate and saccharomyces ferment filtrate (fermented yeast) drives ample moisture into a soon-to-be-glowing complexion. Hello, honey skin.
We love it so much that we added it to our April 2022 Allure Beauty Box lineup. You can score the Allure Beauty Box here for access to even more editor favorites — for just $23.
- 20/21
Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask
Parched lips don't stand a chance against this 2021 Readers' Choice Award winner. Laneige's Lip Sleeping Mask coats cracked lips with a blanket of moisturizing and protective ingredients, including shea butter, vitamin C, and glycerin. The hydrating cocktail softens skin while you snooze, so you can wake up to smooth, supple lips.
- Courtesy of brand21/21
Medicube Red Body Wash
Forget the harsh scrubs of years past. Medicube Red Body Wash is soothing and gentle on all skin types but is especially beneficial for acne-prone skin. When you skim the ingredients list and spot salicylic acid, lactic acid, and niacinamide, you'll understand why. Those two powerhouse ingredients refine texture and minimize excess sebum for clearer, softer skin from the neck down, and there's also a healthy dose of hyaluronic acid to seal in moisture.
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