In the ever-evolving world of skincare, finding the right products that cater to your unique needs can often feel like a daunting task. With a multitude of options flooding the market, it’s easy to become overwhelmed and uncertain about where to start.
The good news is that Korean skin care products are becoming a skin care revolution over the years.
By the end of this post, you’ll be armed with valuable insights to help you make informed choices when it comes to your skincare routine.
Say goodbye to the confusion and hello to a radiant, confident you, as we unveil the ultimate solutions offered by these top 10 Korean skincare products. Your path to flawless skin begins here.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through the link.
The most popular Korean skincare products of 2022:
1. COSRX – Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence
About the brand: COSRX was established in 2013 by Sanghoon Jeon. The company is devoted to helping customers find solutions for their skin concerns using its products which contain ingredients free from Parabens, Artificial fragrances, Artificial dyes, Alcohol, Mineral Oils, Essential Oils, and more.
About the product: containing as much as 96% snail secretion filtrate, this mucin essence adds moisture to hydrate the skin while improving damaged skin and restoring vitality. Snail secretion is known to benefit aging skin and soften the appearance of fine lines.
Free from: parabens, ethanol, synthetic surfactant, artificial pigment, synthetic fragrance, triethanolamine, and phthalate.
Texture: slightly sticky/slimy
Benefits of the product:
- Fades dark spots
- Improves skin texture
- Anti-aging
- Soothes damaged skin
- Hydrates dry skin
- Affordable
How to use: apply a small amount to the entire face after cleansing and toning, then continue with your moisturizer.
Best for skin type(s): dry, sensitive
As I read through the reviews of people on the internet, there were mixed opinions. Some saw great changes to their skin while others saw little to no change at all.
I would purchase this product just to try it out myself since it does no harm, but I think that I would be using it less often because I have oily skin.
2. LANEIGE – Cream Skin Refiner
About the brand: LANEIGE is a Korean brand dedicated to skin hydration. In their labs, they have been studying Water Science for 25 years, because they believe it is the secret to great skin.
About the product: this product is meant to moisturize the skin and reinforce the skin carrier with a rich amino acid from white leaf tea water, it is formulated with mild ingredients to moisturize sensitive skin caused by dryness.
Texture: milky consistency
Benefits of the product:
- Softens skin
- Moisturizes
- Soothes irritated skin
How to use: you can spray on the face whenever your skin feels dry or after applying your makeup or apply a proper amount on the face and pat gently for absorption. If your skin still feels like it needs more, just reapply a layer on top.
Best for skin type(s): dry, normal
Worth the hype!
Super hydrating!
Since we are approaching winter, I would definitely want to purchase this product to compensate for the lost moisture, even though I have oily skin, my skin sometimes has a tough time during the colder seasons.
3. I’m From – Rice Toner
About the brand: I’m From is a Korean skincare brand that is all about Natural & Clean Beauty. It proudly lists all of the ingredients used in each product as well as the origin of the primary ingredient and the name of the farm that it was harvested from. The brand uses naturally derived ingredients and ensures that only the freshest ingredients are used in its products.
About the product: This product contains ingredients that help you achieve a dewy look. Containing 77.78% goami rice extracts that replenish the skin’s moisture levels leaving it soft and supple and niacinamide to brighten the skin. This product is formulated with non-GMO ingredients.
This toner is Vegan, Alcohol-Free, Fragrance-Free, and cruelty-free.
Texture: almost water-like
Benefits of the product:
- Moisturizes irritated skin
- Brightens dull skin
- Gently gets rid of excess oils and impurities
- Promotes a smoother texture
- Affordable
How to use: pat onto the skin after cleansing. Can be used in the AM and PM.
Best for skin type(s): dry, sensitive
4. Isntree – Hyaluronic Acid Watery Sun Gel SPF50+ PA++++ – 50ml
About the brand: Instree is a brand that focuses on maintaining natural beauty using natural, safe, and clean ingredients in its products.
About the product: a lightweight and hydrating sunscreen with a gel-like consistency, SPF of 50+, and PA++++, which means that this sunscreen will allow you to handle 10 times as much UVA exposure. It is recommended to reapply this sunscreen like any other sunscreen every 2 hours, but the upside of this product is that it makes your skin feel hydrated every time you reapply.
Texture: soft, creamy, and light.
Benefits of the product:
- Applies smoothly with no white cast or sticky finish
- Great for daily use
- Hydrates the skin
- Moisturizing
- Very high protection from UVA
- Brightens skin
- Improves wrinkles
- Affordable
- 8 types of hyaluronic acid
- Skin barrier strengthening
- Oil and water balance
- SPF50+
- PA++++
How to use: as the last step of your skincare routine, evenly spread a moderate amount on exposed areas.
Best for skin type(s): all skin types
5. BEAUTY OF JOSEON – Calming Serum: Green tea + Panthenol – 30ml
About the brand: Beauty of Joseon is a clean, cruelty-free Korean brand that uses luxurious oriental herbs to create skincare for women in their 20s to 40s. The brand also reveals one’s natural beauty by improving its overall condition and resolving fundamental problems such as roughness and dull skin tone.
About the product: with 76% green tea and 2% panthenol, this product will calm, soothe, and moisturize your skin when it is feeling dry and in need of moisture. Green tea is an excellent ingredient that helps skin damage and prevents skin aging, as well as brightens the skin tone. The green color is not an artificial color, but the natural color of the ingredients.
Free from: cruelty, paraben, mineral oil, artificial colors, phenoxyethanol, EU allergens, and PEG.
Texture: light texture, spreads quickly, finishes semi dewy
Benefits of the product:
- Calms the skin
- Soothes damaged, sensitive skin
- Prevents skin aging
- Restores healthy skin
- Whitening effect with rich vitamin C
- Naturally-derived calming and moisturizing ingredients
- Effective at an affordable price
How to use: apply a few drops onto cleansed face and pat gently
Best for skin type(s): sensitive, mature
6. Axis-Y – Dark Spot Correcting Glow Serum – 50ml
About the brand: Axis-Y is a community-focused brand that cares about your skin. Their vision is to develop products that are effective and made with natural formulas using the safest and most natural ingredients. Their products are free of parabens, artificial fragrances, mineral oils, silicones, talc, petroleum, and many more.
About the product: a serum for correcting dark spots, this product contains key ingredients for glowing, healthy skin (papaya, squalane, calendula, sea buckthorn, allantoin, Oryza sativa bran). This serum can be applied to the whole face, problematic areas, or as a sleeping mask.
Texture: gel-like serum, lightweight, and absorbs quickly into the skin
Benefits of the product:
- Treats oily, acne-prone skin
- Revitalizes the skin
- Prevents breakouts
- Clarifies pores
- Hydrates dry skin
- Repairs damaged skin
- Corrects dark spots
- Brightens skin and fades hyperpigmentation
How to use: apply a small amount after toner to the entire face or problem areas and pat gently for absorption
Best for skin type(s): oily, acne-prone
7. ROVECTIN – Conditioning Cleanser
About the brand: Rovectin is a K-beauty brand that began with a brother wanting to help his sister’s skin which was severely damaged by chemotherapy. After that, Rovectin became the most trusted skincare brand among people across Korea. The brand believes that everyone should be comfortable and confident in their own skin using simple, safe, and effective skincare.
About the product: a gentle, low-pH, and hydrating cleanser that safely washes away daily rime without stripping the skin of its protective moisture barrier using clean and natural ingredients. This cleanser restores pH balance and cleanses the skin without irritation.
Free from: parabens, artificial colorants, artificial fragrances, mineral oil, and steroids. Cruelty-free.
Texture: it forms a foamy lather
Benefits of the product:
- Gentle cleanser
- Restores skin’s pH levels
- Hydrates the skin
- Does not leave you with a dry-tight feeling
How to use: as the second step in double cleansing, massage the product into the skin in a circular motion then rinse with lukewarm water
Best for skin type(s): dry, sensitive, normal, combination, oily, irritated
8. COSRX – Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser
About the brand: COSRX was established in 2013 by Sanghoon Jeon. The company is devoted to helping customers find solutions for their skin concerns using its products which contain ingredients free from Parabens, Artificial fragrances, Artificial dyes, Alcohol, Mineral Oils, Essential Oils, and more.
About the product: light and gentle low pH cleanser that exfoliates dead skin cells and cleanses pores. Cruelty-free, ethanol-free, silicon oil-free, artificial coloring-free, artificial fragrance-free.
Texture: gel-like
Benefits of the product:
- Exfoliates dead skin cells
- Refreshes the skin
- formulated with natural ingredients
- Soothes and strengthens the skin
- affordable
How to use: use more and night after removing makeup
Best for skin type(s): all skin types
9. Klairs – Midnight Blue Youth Activating Drop
About the brand: the brand is a cruelty-free, vegan, and eco-friendly brand that focuses on sensitive skin. It first began in 2010 with its brand philosophy of no harsh ingredients, no animal testing, and products of high quality and reasonable prices.
About the product: a night serum that is meant to reduce fine lines and wrinkles. It contains ingredients that fight and prevent aging to maintain youthful-looking skin.
Texture: light and sinks in quickly
Benefits of the product:
- Helps soothe redness and irritation
- Hydrates the skin
- Boosts a youthful appearance
- Bright blue color (fun)
- Not too sticky on the skin
How to use: apply 3-4 drops over the face after cleansing and before toner
Best for skin type(s): all skin types
10. Glow Recipe – Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops
About the brand: Glow Recipe is a Korean skincare brand that is built on the philosophy of taking it day by day, skin by skin. It creates gentle yet effective formulas to deliver results. It uses ingredients of the highest quality including antioxidant-rich fruit extracts.
About the product: a serum containing niacinamide that reveals an instant glow, helps brighten the skin, and also helps to reduce hyperpigmentation.
Texture: a thin, lightweight gel, absorbed quickly
Benefits of the product:
- Makes skin feel hydrated and smooth
- Helps reduce hyperpigmentation
- Gives the skin a glossy finish
How to use: can be used as a hydrating serum before moisturizing or as the last step of your skincare routine
Best for skin type(s): all skin types
After researching and reading all about each Korean skincare product, I gathered that the most popular products are the ones that are meant to calm and soothe the skin.
This means that a lot of people are having trouble with their skin being irritated or damaged. I will be keeping that in mind for the next blog post. I hope this list was helpful.
You can also find a nighttime skincare routine that may help you incorporate these products into.
Comment down below what skin type would you like me to create a K-beauty skincare products list for!
