We can all agree that K-beauty is more popular than ever. Take on TikTok, for example, where hashtag #kbeauty has racked up over 2.5 million posts. Google reflects a similar trend too, where K-beauty searches are up 23% versus last year, according to our data. These record numbers reflect both the fascination with South Korean beauty products and the region’s unmatched care for skin—delivering glass skin via gentle, yet exfoliating solutions that create a ritual out of cleansing, moisturizing, and treating.
In Korean, skin-care is an act of self-care and wellness, a philosophy rooted deep in their daily lives; from which the best Korean skin-care brands draw inspiration—infusing cultural best practices and heritage ingredients with traditional medicine. This is reflected each skincare formulas, which are often enriched with fermented active ingredients or plants such as ginseng and centella asiatica beloved for centuries for their regenerative properties.
Vogue’s Favorite Korean Skin-Care Products
Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Light Cleansing Oil
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According to the Cosmetics Observatory (CosmeticOBS), South Korea is “the country whose inhabitants consume the most cosmetics in the world. Every month, women use an average of 27 products and men 12.” That said, its no surprise so many stellar products—think: BB creams and sheet masks—or skin rituals (like double cleansing) originate in Korea. Not to mention, Korean skincare has become so popular that there are even retailers dedicated to it, like Yesstyle, Stylevana, and Soko Glam.
For those looking to discover some of the K-beauty treasures to brighten, firm, smooth, and nourish, we’ve compiled the leading Korean skin-care brands to know below. Read on to discover each label, along with a curated edit of its bestsellers we’d actually recommend.
Beauty of Joseon
Recognizable by its sleek minimalist packaging, Beauty of Joseon is best known for its sunscreen, beloved for its lightweight, yet nourishing texture that instantly sinks into skin. The history of this brand is quite symbolic: its name is directly inspired by the Joseon dynasty, whose beauty rituals were handed down through the generations. Its compositions enriched with traditional Korean ingredients, such as ginseng, fermented rice, honey, and camellia oil are a reflection of this heritage. While the Relief Sun SPF is a bestseller, the propolis and niacinamide Glow Serum is also incredible to brighten and smooth.
Erborian
Combining Korean technology with ancestral medicinal herbs that are particularly effective against all types of imperfections (centella asiatica, in particular), Erborian is probably the most popular Korean skincare brand. Launched in 2007 by Hojung Lee and Katalin Berenyi, Erborian products draw upon natural, plant-based oils. Of its lineup, the BB and CC creams are to note: both of which impart a more even skin tone and a complexion that improves day after day.
Laneige
One of TikTok’s favorite K-Beauty brands, Laneige owes its success above all to its Lip Sleeping Mask, available in a range of irresistible fragrances (candy bear, mango, vanilla, watermelon or, when the sun comes back out, cotton candy). Gourmet scents and pop packaging, each mask imparts a glowing, glossy finish that hydrate the pout with ease. Its moisturizing face creams, enriched with hyaluronic acid and available in three textures (light, normal and rich), are also worth coveting.
Skin1004
Another K-Beauty brand that deserves more hype? Skin1004. Like Erborian, the brand’s formulas revolve around a particular ingredient: centella asiatica, whose soothing benefits it explores in a host of formula types. Think a nourishing cleansing oil and a featherlight SPF cream. By combining it with other active ingredients (think: hyaluronic acid, bakuchiol, and tea tree), it aims to respond to very specific skin problems, be it hydration, hyperpigmentation, or or acne, all while ensuring a flawless glow. Of its lineup, the exfoliating toner is one to know, removing dead skin cells via potent PHA.
Dr. Jart+
Launched in 2004, Dr. Jart+ has revolutionized the anti-blemish skin-care market, thanks in particular to its Cicapair range, enriched with tiger grass, which neutralizes minor redness and soothes skin affected by pollution, stress, and lack of hydration. From that collection is the Cicapair color-correcting treatment suited perfectly for sensitive skin types. The brand also offers a range of sheet masks unlike any we’ve ever tried. Take the Rubber Mask for example—a single-use cellulose mask infused with hyaluronic acid to plump and illuminate the skin when paired with a featured ampoule serum treatment.
Yepoda
New to the K-beauty game, Yepoda was launched in 2020 with the aim of making Korean beauty accessible in Europe. “Every time we visited Sander Joonyoung’s (co-founder of the brand) family in Korea, our relatives would ask us to bring K-Beauty products back to Europe,” explains Yepoda’s second co-founder, Veronika Strotmann. Each of its products are made in Korea of clean, natural ingredients. The standouts? The Depuff Eyespresso decongesting patches, whose caffeine-green tea active ingredient combo works wonders on dark circles and puffiness, and The Bubble Cleansing Foam for a clean, clear complexion.
CosRx
If we had to sum up the brand’s credo in one expression, it would have to be “less is more”—CosRx formulas are intentionally simple, relying on a streamlined ingredient list. The top three? Snail mucin with its regenerative and moisturizing properties, centella asiatica, best known for soothing sensitive skin, and ceramides, which help the skin’s barrier to defend itself against external aggression. The all-in-one snail cream, which is gaining in popularity on TikTok—a version of the viral Snail Mucin Power Essence, and the AHA/BHA Treatment Toner to visibly reduce pores and improve skin tone.
Belif
Drawing inspiration from 19th-century herbalist tradition and cutting-edge Korean skin-care innovation, Belif (short for “believe in truth”) offers pure formulas, boosted by traditional plant extraction methods. Its Aqua Bomb cream, which, as its name suggests, is particularly suited to quell dehydration on dry, sensitive skin types. Consider its Peptide Eye Bomb for a similar treatment catered to les yeux. As for brightening, its vitamin C serum is known to impart a fresh gleam.
Innisfree
Founded in 2000, Innisfree is a combination of the words “island” and “purity”. This is a direct tribute to the place where the brand was born: Jeju Island in South Korea. It was here that founder Suh Sunghwan dreamt up beauty products formulated from pure ingredients containing on average up to 80% ingredients of natural origin. Those interested in testing the collection should try its Daily UV Defense sunscreen, Green Tea Enzyme 7% PHA toner, or PDRN-enriched ampoule.
The Six Essential Steps of a Korean Skin-care Routine
To achieve that famous “glass skin”, Korean women follow a very precise skin-care routine—here’s the breakdown.
- Double Cleansing: Combining cleansing with oil and gentle milk, double cleansing has multiple virtues. By gentling removing makeup and impurities, it primes skin for a targeted foaming or gel cleanser to ensure the complexion is clean while maintaining moisture levels.
- Exfoliation: K-beauty prioritizes exfoliation at lease once a week to unclog pores and revive skin radiance.
- Double Moisturizing: This involves first applying a lotion, followed by an emulsion—layering very gentle, lightweight skincare products that work in synergy to enhance their absorption. This step makes the skin more supple and radiant.
- Targeted Treatments: Choose a potent serum or spot treatment according to your skin’s specific needs, be it acne-fighting, wrinkle smoothing, or radiance boosting.
- Eye Cream and Moisturizing Cream: These provide targeted moisture for glowing skin on the eyes and face.
- Sheet Masks: Sheet masks act as a complement to our usual skin-care routine, saturating the skin with moisturizing active ingredients.
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