10 Best Expert-Approved Korean Skin Care Brands Of 2024
These Korean skincare brands make products with natural and hydrating ingredients.
Anna is a licensed esthetician and the founder and owner of Beauty and Cutie® hair, skin and nails vitamins from New York. Her interest in nutrition analysis and beauty propelled her to obtain a certification in Nutrition Science from the Stanford Center for Health Education and then develop and successfully market her product to improve hair, skin, and nails.
Read full bio of Anna Misztela
Experience: 4 yearsShiboli has a master’s degree in English literature from The English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad, and is a certified skincare coach with four years of experience. As a commerce editor, she guides her team members on the best practices to create crisp and authentic content.
Read full bio of Shiboli Chakraborti
Experience: 5 yearsAditi Naskar has a postgraduate degree in English literature from Presidency University, Kolkata, a bachelor’s degree in education from WBUTTEPA, Kolkata, and a diploma in health and wellness. She is an associate commerce editor with 5 years of experience and specializes in reviewing fitness and health products.
Read full bio of Aditi Naskar
Experience: 11 yearsRamona is an editor at StyleCraze with 11 years of experience in writing and editing. She has authored over 200 articles on skin and hair care. She graduated from the University of Calcutta, West Bengal, and did her post-graduation from the University of Kalyani, West Bengal.
Read full bio of Ramona Sinha
Image: StyleCraze Design Team
Korean beauty products have taken the world by storm. Once available only to a select few, they are now available to everyone as effective skin care solutions. Some of the best Korean skincare brands make their products with natural ingredients like matcha, ginseng, centella asiatica, and snail mucin, which hydrate the skin and keep it soft and smooth. With their innovative formulas and so many options out there, trying to select the right one for you can be a dizzying experience. To help you out, we have curated a list of the top Korean skincare brands you should think of checking out. Some of them are backed by cutting-edge science technologies and formulations. What are you waiting for? Scroll down to know more about them!
While these Korean skincare brands are pretty fast to innovate, picking the right one can be a bit overwhelming. To make things easier, we have listed some of the absolute favorite brands here. Their products are worth adding to your everyday skincare routine.
In This Article
The Best-Selling Korean Skin Care Brands For Soft And Smooth Skin
1. Best For Sensitive Skin:Cosrx
Why Should You Try It?
Cosmetics + Rx (prescription) makes Cosrx. The brand defines itself as a solution to all your skin problems. Their journey started in 2013. The brand is known for its skin-friendly ingredients and simple yet effective products. Cosrx does not have a physical store. They prefer selling online as they want to keep the costs low and make skincare affordable for everyone. Their products have simple formulas and fewer ingredients. If you are looking for one of the best Korean skincare brands that are affordable, highly effective and have products that are clean and free of harmful chemicals, check out the products by Cosrx. From anti-aging formulas to nourishing serums and acne care products, the brand offers everything you need for a perfect skincare routine. Click on the video review to know more about a tester’s experience after using the Cosrx AhA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner.
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Bestselling Product: AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner
Caution2. Best For All Skin Types:Skinfood
Why Should You Try It?
Nutrition drives good health. When you eat right, you feel healthy. The same philosophy drives Skinfood. This brand uses high-quality natural extracts and food ingredients to develop its products. Their products are like food for your skin, containing all the essential antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals derived from the finest food ingredients. The brand believes in providing natural and wholesome skincare, even if it takes longer to get results. If you believe in naturally derived ingredients and holistic skincare, check out the products by Skinfood. For further information, check out the video of the tester’s experience of using the product before buying it.
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Bestselling Product: Black Sugar Perfect Cleansing Oil
Remember3. Best With Natural Ingredients:Peach & Lily
Why Should You Try It?
Peach & Lily was born in 2012 when its founder, Alicia Yoon, was encouraged to attend a beauty school by a random lady on the street when she saw her flawless makeup application. Alicia was 18 and struggled with eczema. She was on a constant quest for an effective skincare solution and wanted to share her knowledge with the world. The sole goal of her brand was to empower women through skincare by delivering effective products and educating them with the best information. All the products by Peach & Lily are carefully tested and crafted with unique and natural ingredients. Watch the video of the tester’s experience to gain insights on the Peach & Lily Glass Skin Refining Serum.
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Bestselling Product: Shangpree S-Energy Repair Eye Cream
4. Best Vegan:Amorepacific
Why Should You Try It?
Best Vegan:Amorepacific is one of the biggest names in K-beauty. It has many brands under its umbrella, including Etude House, Innisfree, Laneige, Mamonde, and IOPE. It all started with the founder harvesting sacred green tea on Jeju island. The tea leaves offer healing properties and are a powerhouse of antioxidants that can do magic on your skin. Amorepacific makes sure that all their ingredients are of high quality and offer visible results. They also pick their plants and collect the ingredients only at a specific time of the day and during a specific season. For instance, they collect green tea leaves only when the tree sprouts during the spring. They collect everything in its purest form and give it to you.
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Bestselling Product: Amorepacific Time Response Skin Renewal Serum
5. Best Hypoallergenic:dear, Klairs
Why Should You Try It?
It’s “Simple but Enough.” It’s “Basic but Ultimate.” It’s “Mild but Powerful.” dear, Klairs is a brand that believes in keeping its products and formulas simple and improving their efficacy. The high quality skincare products and the brand dear, Klairs envisions itself as a love letter to a girl who struggles with her skin issues. The products by dear, Klairs are clinically backed skincare formulas that do not contain any harsh ingredients and are not tested on animals. If you love simplicity in your skin care routine, you can try out the products by the brand for visible results.
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Bestselling Product: dear, Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin Drops
6. Best For Skin Protection:Sulwhasoo
Why Should You Try It?
Sulwhasoo (Sul meaning “Snow,” Wha meaning “Flower,” and Soo meaning “Phenomenal”) has a very holistic approach towards skincare. It is a part of the Amorepacific group. The brand believes that everything is connected organically and that humans and nature are not different but one entity. Sulwhasoo was born in 1966 when Amorepacific launched ABC Ginseng Cream, an Oriental medicine cosmetic. Sulwhashoo is a blend of science and ancient Oriental medicine. Their products work as a shield that protects your skin from environmental stressors and other damage. From nourishing face oils to rejuvenating face creams, the brand has plenty of products to offer. These products are costly, but all are worth the price!
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Bestselling Product: Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum
7. Best For Rough Skin:Dr. Jart+
Why Should You Try It?
One of the pioneers in K-beauty, Dr. Jart+, was launched in 2005 by Dr. Sung Jae Jung, a dermatologist, and Chin Wook Lee, an architect. Their products are backed by dermatological science and innovation and are extremely result-driven. The brand believes in providing skincare that gives you real results. Their breakthrough formulas are made using safe ingredients and most products are dermatologist-tested. This is one of the brands that first developed and introduced BB creams in the US market. It has won numerous beauty awards.
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Bestselling Product: Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Cream
Why We Think It's Worth Buying
The product has received 1,359 positive Amazon reviews from its users, stating its numerous benefits.
8. Best Affordable:Missha
No products found.
Why Should You Try It?
The Korean beauty brand believes that “quality should be affordable.” Missha develops both skincare and makeup products that are high on quality but very affordable. They also have another line of skincare and makeup products called A’Pieu. This line is targeted towards younger people. If you are looking for a brand that offers quality products at an affordable price, you can try the products by Missha.
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Bestselling Product: Missha Time Revolution The First Treatment Essence
9. Best With Active Botanicals:Banila Co
Why Should You Try It?
This professional skincare brand describes itself as a friend of those who love makeup. Banila Co believes that makeup looks better on healthy skin. Their cult-classic Clean-It-Zero makeup oil revolutionized the way women removed their makeup. So far, no other Korean product has come close to this iconic product that can easily dissolve even waterproof makeup. It also has a range of skincare products that are customized for all skin types.
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Bestselling Product: Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm
Why We Think It's Worth Buying
There are more than 8,385 Amazon reviews attesting to the quality of the product and endorsing its value.
10. Best For Dull Skin:Goodal
Why Should You Try It?
The name Goodal has two words in it – Good and All. The products by Goodal “contain all that is good and be good for all.” Goodal uses quality natural ingredients to develop their products that are gentle yet effective. They develop their ingredients using a Fresh Brewing technology (using cold water) so that the natural Korean skincare extracts do not lose their effectiveness. Their products help recharge your skin by bringing it close to nature and offer a brightening effect.
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Bestselling Product: Goodal Green Tangerine Vita C Dark Spot Serum
Infographic: What To Look For In A Korean Skin Care Product
The Korean skin care routine has taken over the world and has become a lifestyle for most skin care enthusiasts. It’s not all about how expensive your products are, but using the right products and the order of application that play a pivotal role in your skin health. Find out more about what ingredients to look for in products for each step of this revolutionary routine. Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team
Achieving smooth and soft skin is everyone’s dream. But it is possible only when you use the right skin care product according to your skin concerns. The Korean beauty industry offers the best Korean skincare brands that provide deep hydration to your skin and keep it soft. These brands produce skin care products with powerful ingredients like snail mucin, ginseng, matcha, and other natural skin-friendly ingredients. Their products work effectively to improve skin elasticity, strengthen the skin barrier, and give you smooth, soft skin that looks healthy and glowing. Among these brands, you can find products that suit your lifestyle and choices like vegan, paraben-free, allergens-free, and others. However, check user reviews before committing to any brand.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are Korean skin care products better?
Korean skin care products are formulated without harsh ingredients or irritants. All-natural ingredients like turmeric, green tea, propolis, ginseng, tea tree, and rice extract are primarily used in their skin care products. Some products also include fermented ingredients like kombucha tea and soy that promote glowing skin. Also, Korean skin care is known for its hydrating properties. Therefore, their products are more effective and safe than other OTC skin care brands.
Why do people like Korean beauty products?
Korean beauty products have a high concentration of potent ingredients that are safe and beneficial for your skin. In addition, Korean makeup is focused on building natural looks, so is liked by many.
Why is Korean skin flawless?
Koreans abide by natural skin care products. They have a 10-step skin care regime that includes a double cleanser, exfoliator, toner, essence, ampoules, sheet masks, treatment serums, eye cream, moisturizer, and sunscreen. Also, Koreans indulge in skin treatments, like skin tightening and reducing acne scarring frequently. Thus, Koreans have flawless skin.
Is Korean skin care cruelty-free?
Yes. Skin care products from Korean brands are cruelty-free.
Why Trust StyleCraze?
The author, Shiboli Chakraborti, is a certified skin care coach and is well-versed with the Korean skincare products available on the market. She advocates using these products, given the presence of natural ingredients and a proven record of safety and effectiveness. The author also considered hundreds of reviews posted on the trusted online forums to compile this list of the best Korean skincare products.
Read full bio of Anna Misztela
Read full bio of Shiboli Chakraborti
Read full bio of Aditi Naskar
Read full bio of Ramona Sinha
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