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The best Korean skin care products of 2024 will hydrate and plump your skin
New to K-beauty? These picks from Peach & Lily, CosRx and Mediheal will work near-miracles for an aging face.
Korean beauty has profoundly transformed the way we approach skin care ever since it hit the U.S. over a decade ago. It brought sheet masks, 10-step skincare routines, and innovative ingredients (salmon sperm, anyone?) into the Western consciousness, changing everything we knew about how to nourish skin. The best Korean skincare products on the market are even fun and effective enough to charm celebrities like Emma Stone and Demi Moore, who have both shown off a K-beauty mask or two on their social feeds. (Hey, if snail slime is good enough for Bella Baxter’s skin, it’s good enough for me!)
Best K-beauty face cleanser
Manyo Deep Pore Cleansing Soda Foam Wash
Best K-beauty face serum
Peach & Lily Glass Skin Serum
Best K-beauty face moisturizer
Etude House SoonJung 2x Barrier Intensive Cream
Best K-beauty face toner
Good Light Moon Glow Milky Toner
Best K-beauty face mask
Peach Slices Snail Rescue Intensive Treatment Wash-Off Face Mask
Best K-beauty sheet mask
Mediheal Watermide Essential Sheet Mask
Best K-beauty snail mucin
CosRx Snail Mucin 96% Power Repairing Essence
Best new K-beauty brand
OliviaUmma Glass Skin Tanghulu Blueberry Serum
With experts predicting K-beauty to reach 18.32 billion in profits by 2030, there’s no sign of Korean skin care losing popularity anytime soon. While American beauty brands have begun incorporating new products and ingredients inspired by Korean beauty, it's hard to beat the innovation and affordability of K-beauty serums, moisturizers, sunscreens and more. One could say they’ve found their own skincare Seoul-mates.
As a longtime beauty editor, I’ve tried literally hundreds of skincare products (maybe even thousands at this point), and many of the best ones have been from K-beauty brands. Ahead, you’ll find the best Korean skincare products I've tried. Each has impressed me with its ingredients and effectiveness. If you're looking to level up your skin care routine with science-backed and skin-loving ingredients-packed products, read on.
Table of contents
The best Korean skin care of 2024
Formulation: Cream-to-foam | Size: 5 oz | Skin type: All | Key ingredients: Aloe, green tea leaf, papaya enzymes, aloe, kaolin
This foamy cleanser is my favorite for oily skin, but it's suitable for all skin types. Kaolin clay and baking soda pull out impurities while papaya enzymes gently exfoliate the skin. Meanwhile, green tea and chamomile soothe and help keep the skin retain moisture, so it stays soothed and balanced.
There's a lot of power packed in this cleanser, yet it never overdoes it.
- Reduces the appearance of pores
- Free of at least 16 questionable chemicals like PEG, petrolatum, silicone
- Gently exfoliates and deeply cleans
- Made with 99% natural ingredients and botanicals
- Some users complain about the light citrusy scent
- Doesn't easily remove longwear lipstick
Formulation: Liquid | Size: 40ml | Skin Type: Dry, normal, oily, combination | Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, peach extract, peptides
For the uninformed, "glass skin" is smooth, luminous, clear-looking skin, and Yoon helped popularize the coveted concept with this serum. Alongside vitamin and antioxidant-rich peach extract, this serum features a skin-plumping hyaluronic acid complex, niacinamide for brightening, East Asian mountain yam (which is believed to help with hydration), and a peptide complex. It also contains madecassoside, a compound in centella asiatica — another popular K-beauty ingredient known for its calming properties.
- Weightless formula
- Fragrance-free and alcohol-free
- Vegan, cruelty-free and Leaping Bunny certified
- Clean ingredients
- Some reviewers say it's not worth the price
- Too sticky for some reviewers
Formulation: Cream | Size: 2.02 oz | Skin Type: All, especially dry | Key ingredients: Panthenol, sunflower seed oil, shea butter, madecassoside, camellia sinensis leaf extract
If you have dry, dehydrated or irritated skin, pay attention! This rich moisturizer is a holy grail for many K-beauty enthusiasts due to its hydrating powers. It features panthenol, a compound derived from vitamin B5 which has been shown in studies to reduce TEWL (transepidermal water loss.) It also has madecassoside, which soothes and repairs damaged skin. Plus, it is fragrance-free and has a low pH, all great news for sensitive skin types.
- Non-comedogenic
- Fragrance-free with no notable scent
- Free of 10 questionable ingredients like mineral oil, silicone, PEG and parabens
- Dermatologically tested
- Some reviewers claim it broke them out
- Some people think it feels greasy
Formulation: Lotion | Size: 3.38 oz | Skin Type: All | Key ingredients: Meadowfoam seed oil, snow mushroom, niacinamide, ceramides
Good Light’s toner doesn’t just have the dreamiest name (Moon Glow!), it comes with a U-Haul’s worth of skin benefits. Hyaluronic acid and snow mushroom (an ingredient that’s been popping up more and more in skincare), pummel the skin with moisture, while ceramides strengthen the skin barrier. It also features anti-inflammatory meadowfoam seed oil and natural AHAs that gently exfoliate the skin. For unbelievably soft skin after cleansing, this toner takes the cake.
- Vegan and cruelty-free
- Free from BPAs, parabens and phthalates
- Very hydrating
- Derm-tested and hypoallergenic
- Some users complained of breakouts after using
- Has a fragrance, so not suitable for scent-sensitive types
Formulation: Jelly | Size: 3.38 oz | Skin Type: Dry, normal, oily | Key ingredients: 95% snail mucin, cica, birch juice, licorice
When I tested this snail mucin mask for our best face masks story, I loved how fun the thick, jelly texture was to apply (though it might not get the same reaction from others who are sensitive to texture). Aside from that, I was amazed at how good my skin looked — less noticeable pores and a brighter complexion.
Snail Rescue features a 95% concentration of snail mucin, which contains allantoin, collagen, elastin, glycolic acid, natural peptides, proteins, antioxidants, and more skin-loving compounds. No wonder it's become such a hero in the K-beauty skincare world!
- Leaping Bunny certified
- Helps reduce bright spots
- Gently exfoliates
- Hard to rinse off quickly
- Jelly texture might be off-putting to some people
Formulation: Sheet | Skin Type: All | Key ingredients: Sea water aqua seal, glyceryl glucoside, niacinamide
Ask any K-beauty enthusiast, and they will say that Mediheal is the gold standard for sheet masks. (The brand was a favorite of K-pop royalty BTS.) This Watermide Essential Sheet Mask is a godsend for anyone whose skin needs a lot of moisture, and fast. I always pack it in my suitcase; just leave it on for 15 minutes and your skin will look and feel like a baby's. I also love popping it in the fridge beforehand so it's extra cool.
- You get a lot of product in the mask
- Affordable
- FSC Certified and sustainable packaging
- Vegan-certified
- Has a light watermelon scent that may be too much for some
- Some have broken out after using
Formulation: Liquid | Size: 3.38 oz | Skin Type: All | Key ingredients: 96.3% snail secretion filtrate, sodium hyaluronate, panthenol, allantoin, arginine
When it comes to essences, not many come close to this beloved snail mucin essence from CosRx — it’s won multiple awards, has almost 70,000 five-star reviews on Amazon, and has also impressed Yahoo Senior Beauty Editor Jennifer Romolini. After using it the first time, she remarked that her “face was noticeably dewier,” and her skin “felt softer than it usually does.” In fact, other users have boasted about its ability to soothe, hydrate, repair, and improve dullness in the skin.
If you’re totally new to K-beauty and are looking for a product that defines the entire genre, this is it.
- Lightweight
- Affordable
- Not tested on animals
- Free of parabens, sulfates and phthalates
- Some complained of breakouts after using
- Not vegan!
Formulation: Liquid | Size: 40ml | Skin Type: All | Key ingredients: Glycerin, blueberry, fig, camellia seed oil and vitamin E
New on the K-beauty block is the mother-daughter brand Olivia Umma (umma means mother in Korean), whose debut line centers around the coveted glass skin effect. This first collection is cleverly named after Tanghulu, the candied fruit stick dessert that originated from China but is popular in Korea. (You may have seen them on your Instagram or TikTok feeds.)
I've become instantly enamored with the line. This blueberry serum, in particular, is packed with antioxidants and makes my skin glow. (Also, I can't get over how pretty the packaging is.)
- Lightweight
- Ingredients sourced from Jeju Island in Korea
- Free of parabens, mineral oils and artificial colors
- Vegan
- Pricey
- Has a scent, so not best for those sensitive to fragrance
How we tested
As a longtime beauty editor, I've tried and tested dozens of K-beauty products over the years and developed an ongoing list of those I love that work. For this story, I spoke with product experts along with dermatologists and pulled out 25 of my favorites.
I re-tested each on my own skin over the course of two months before eventually narrowing down the list. I rated these according to efficacy (does the product do what it says it will?), quality of ingredients, universal appeal (will it work across skin types?), value, texture (how does it feel on my skin? does it absorb quickly?) and scent (is it subtle or overpowering?).
Others we tried that didn't make the cut
I wasn't as impressed with the popular Illiyoon Ceramide Ato Lotion (I think my skin might have liked it better when it was oilier, before perimenopause) and while the Numbuzin No.3 Super Glowing Essence is a hit with Amazon reviewers, it didn't make much of a difference on my skin.
Korean skin care or K-beauty FAQ
What is K-beauty (or Korean skin care)?
Most simply, K-beauty is the term used to describe both the skin care philosophy and products from South Korea. The routines tend to be multi-step and include deep cleansing, targeted treatment and intense hydration of the skin. K-beauty also introduced popular ingredients such as snail mucin, cica (Centella asiatica), rice water and bee propolis to international audiences.
What is the difference between American and Korean skin care?
One of the obvious differences between Korean skin care and American or European skin care is the ingredients used — for example, snail mucin — but there’s also a whole philosophy behind K-beauty that makes it stand out. "Korean skin care is all about hydration, prevention, and consistency," explains Dr. David Kim, a board-certified dermatologist at IDRISS Dermatology in New York City. "It's all about taking the time to take care of your skin and keeping it protected and hydrated at all times. Everyone in Korea uses sunscreen — it's just part of the skincare routine. Most people don't associate sunscreen use with vacation — it's a daily ritual."
Dr. James Kilgour, resident Stanford dermatologist and founder of KilgourMD, also points out that Korean skin care is generally considered to take a more preventative and gentle approach in contrast to the more problem-focused, active ingredient-heavy approach of Western skincare. "Korean skin care regimens tend to comprise a double cleanse, followed by multiple hydration steps, then topped off with sunscreen," he says. "Instead of actives like L Ascorbic Acid and Retinol, more natural, soothing plant extracts are preferred such as Bakuchiol."
What skin types are best for Korean skin care?
Numerous products are available in the K-beauty market that target different skin types and issues. However, Dr. Kilgour says that Korean skin care is especially beneficial for dry and sensitive skin types, given the focus on hydration and more gentle ingredients.
How can Korean skin care particularly benefit over-40 skin?
As we get older, our skin gets drier, and we develop more brown spots," says Dr. Kim. "There are great moisturizers with ceramide and fatty acids that will keep your skin hydrated. Using products with brightening ingredients such as vitamin C, kojic acid and tranexamic acid will help brighten the skin." He also names Centella asiatica as a good ingredient for skin that needs calming and soothing. "Rice extract is another great ingredient that has a brightening and soothing effect," he adds.
Is a 10-step skincare routine necessary?
One of the first things that made Korean beauty stand out was the famous 10-step skin care routine, which is based on using multiple skin care products, including cleanser, toner, essence, serum, ampoules and moisturizer. "It's not necessary to have a 10-step skin care routine to have good skin," says Dr. Kim. "It's all about finding three to four key products you love and using them consistently."
What is double cleansing?
Another feature of K-beauty you may have heard about is double cleansing. "Typically, a double cleanse comprises of an oil-based cleanser followed by a water-based cleanser. The oil-based cleanser is effective at removing makeup, sunscreen and other residues from the skin, while the water-based cleanser comes in as a second-round for any remaining debris," says Dr Kilgour. "In my opinion, double cleansing is something to consider for people who tend to wear heavier makeup (for example long-wear foundations) or water-resistant sunscreens. However, for lighter days, it's probably overkill."
Where can I buy Korean skin care?
K-beauty products can be found in most places where you'd normally find quality skin care — including Amazon, Ulta and Sephora.
Meet the experts
Dr. David Kim, board-certified dermatologist at IDRISS Dermatology in New York City
Dr. James Kilgour, resident Stanford dermatologist and founder of KilgourMD
