27 Best Korean Skin-Care Products, According to an Obsessive Beauty Editor

We might have another viral hit on our hands, folks. Mixsoon's Bean Essence offers up a syrupy texture — à la Cosrx's mega-viral snail mucin essence — but the key ingredient at play here is soybean ferment extract, which replenishes moisture lost from, well, everything life throws at you (including the passage of time). Another fermented ingredient, pomegranate, serves up gentle exfoliation, because who says you can't have a skin-care product that does it all?

While you can use the essence as you normally would (apply and forget it after cleansing), you can also keep massaging the product until you start to feel residue forming, and then apply another layer of the essence and massage it in with a hint of extra pressure to "remove" the debris.

Looking for intensive moisture without any frills? Aestura's Atobarrier 365 Cream is your gal. Since this is the last step of my nighttime routine, I also like slathering this on my neck, décolletage, and hands before turning in. This fragrance-free cream hydrates like a dream and is suitable for all skin types, including sensitive skin. At the heart of the formula are squalane, vitamin E, and triple-lipid capsules containing ceramides, cholesterol, and fatty acids — together, these skin-restoring ingredients are responsible for up to 100 hours of hydration.

All I've ever wanted in a sunscreen is a lightweight, hydrating, smooth-gliding, invisible, and white-cast-free formula that's also reasonably priced. Sound like a tall order? Well, let us introduce you to Korean sunscreens — specifically, Innisfree's Daily UV Defense Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 36. Ringing in at $16, this chemical sunscreen is spiked with green tea and cica to soothe any signs of UV-induced (or otherwise) irritation, as well as sunflower seed oil for lightweight moisture. It's a top Allure rec, in case you haven't gathered from the 2023 Best of Beauty Award seal.

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%, 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.

A K-beauty product you've seen all over your FYP and is actually worth the hype it's garnered? Yeah, that's Cosrx's Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence. This mega-hydrator is chock-full of, you guessed, snail mucin to brighten acne scars and even out hyperpigmentation. While the gooey stuff accounts for 96% of the formula, you'll also find hyaluronic acid and allantoin to hydrate and strengthen the skin barrier.

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.

Belif The True Cream Aqua Bomb is an intensely soothing formula that's perfect for sensitive skin, 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. This gel-like cream feels like a refreshing drink that my skin slurps up — I use it all year round but some might prefer using it during the hotter months since it's so light and airy.

If you're looking to start retinol but are worried about irritating skin effects, the Iope Retinol Expert 0.1% is a 2023 Best of Beauty Award winner that's gentle enough to use on all skin types. As someone who has experienced irritation from stronger retinol formulas, this one didn't bother my skin at all — to the point where I can use it daily with no issue.

Padded with hyaluronic acid and panthenol, this serum has been through 10 iterations since its conception almost three decades ago, so you know it's been thoroughly tested and perfected. (Korean brands, if you didn't already know, are always reformulating and improving formulas based on the latest technologies.) The packaging is innovative, too, as there's a three-stage oxygen barrier system that prevents light and air from oxidizing the retinol.

Even though it has "intense" in its name, don't be intimidated by Some By Mi's Retinol Intense Advanced Triple Action Eye Cream. For those concerned with fine lines and wrinkles forming (hello, people in their 30s and above), this powerhouse formula features 0.1% retinol and retinal for a milder yet effective treatment. But that's not all — this formula boasts plant-based collagen and peptides, plumping and firming skin that's lost collagen over time.

With star ingredients like Niacinamide, it brightens the under-eye area, while Hyaluronic Acid, Centella Asiatica Extract, and Panthenol soothe, repair, and nourish your skin. Glutathione and Tranexamic Acid focus on dark circles, preventing pigmentation and providing effective brightening care.

If retinol is too harsh for your skin, dial it back with HaruHaru Wonder's Black Rice Bakuchiol Eye Cream, which replaces the active with bakuchiol. As a refresher, "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," Sejal Shah, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City, previously explained.

I'm an avid fan of Haruharu Wonder's entire black rice lineup — including the Black Rice Moisture Deep Cleansing Oil and Black Rice Hyaluronic Toner — but the eye cream is the standout product for me. As the name suggests, this gentle, quick-absorbing formula is spiked with fermented black rice and bamboo shoot bark extract to promote a brighter and even skin tone, while madecassoside (derived from the cica plant) to soothe and prevent irritation.

Sulwhasoo's Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Cream contains a proprietary Ginsenomics blend, which features ginseng in the form of saponin, peptides, roots, and flowers to visibly hydrate and lift skin. If you weren't aware, ginseng is a do-it-all ingredient that addresses fine lines and wrinkles by boosting circulation, which in turn ramps up collagen synthesis, leading to firmer, plumper skin.

Ginseng also guards your skin against environmental stressors like free radicals that could lead to the formation of fine lines and wrinkles, as well as dark-spot-causing pollutants, as previously explained by New York City-based board-certified dermatologist Shari Marchbein, MD.

Got 10 minutes to spare? Once or twice a week, maximize that time by slathering on Innisfree's Super Volcanic Pore Clay Mask to clear out congested, enlarged pores and sop up excess sebum. This creamy, fragrance-free (and recently reformulated!) wash-off face mask is laced with finely ground volcanic ash clusters from Jeju Island, South Korea, and resurfacing lactic acid to give your complexion the smoothing and softening reset it deserves.

This isn't a hyperbole. Neogen's Day-Light Protection Airy Sunscreen feels as weightless and, well, airy, as it claims to be. The fluid texture is similar to that of an essence, and despite its white tint, this chemical sunscreen doesn't leave behind any white cast or general ghostiness. The pleasant-to-use and synthetic-fragrance-free formula is chock-full of 20 types of plant extracts, including damask rose for moisturization, mugwort for soothing, and evening primrose for curbing excess sebum.

Laneige Cream Skin Toner & Moisturizer, which offers refill cartridges for $30 a pop, is a lightweight, milky fluid that does a fabulous job replenishing hydration after you've cleansed. After all, it won a 2023 Best of Beauty Award because of that. (It's also ideal for those who would prefer, say, a minimal morning A.M. skin-care routine — just apply SPF and you're off!) Laneige's straightforwardly named CeraPeptide complex is made up of deeply nourishing ceramides and peptides that support and fortify the moisture barrier.

This 2018 Allure Best of Beauty Award winner, Amorepacific Vintage Single Extract Essence, comes with a heftier price tag, but the long-lasting effects on the health of your skin will be worth it — I've been using this for years and I swear my skin is bouncier than ever at 30. 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 to soak in better. Pat, pat, pat your way to instant and long-term radiance.

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. 

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.

If this was a competition, I'd award Thank You Farmer's Sun Project Light Sun Essence SPF 50+ top scores across the board. It's one of the most pleasant-to-apply formulas and textures I've experienced — it absorbs super quickly (it's called a "sun essence" for a reason) and leaves 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 look glowy, but never greasy.

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 blemishes wait 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.

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. Along with antioxidant-rich yuzu to enhance your natural radiance and niacinamide to smooth over uneven skin tone, this jelly-like 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.

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.

No matter whether you deal with dry or combination skin, anyone can benefit from adding essence to their daytime and nighttime routines. Neogen Dermalogy's Real Ferment Micro Essence feels like a lovely wake-up call as you gently pat or press the liquid into your skin. And better yet, a potent blend of 93% 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.

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.

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% bifida ferment lysate and other probiotics to improve moisture levels, nourish the barrier, and firm skin with continued use.

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% 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.