K-beauty has always been famous for its skincare, and I’ve seen many people wanting to try out some products. However, the endless array of creams and serums and cleansers from so many brands, each promising different effects, can be overwhelming at first. This is why I think so many posts have been written on Korean skincare product recommendations. As someone who has lived in Korea almost all her life, and as a cosmetics lover, I’ve read through a lot of them, mostly out of curiosity as to what products are popular outside of my country. And to be frank, I was disappointed to find that most recommendations did not reflect the popular ones in Korea. So I thought I would write an article about the REAL popular skincare products Koreans swear by, based on the sales rates of Korean beauty retailers, surveys and personal experience!
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R.E.D Blemish Clear Soothing Cream by Dr. G
This product has been awarded Best Cream from Hwahae and Glowpick (top rating apps for cosmetics) and is a steady bestseller at Olive Young (#1 beauty retailer, the Korean version of Sephora). Multiple Korean beauty Youtubers have named it their holy grail, and I have also been using this product for a long time. The most notable things about this cream is that it’s super light, one of the lightest I’ve tried on, hydrating without being oily, and SO gentle. I have hypersensitive skin that breaks out from almost any product, and it was least reactive to this cream –maybe due to the 5 cica (i.e. centella asiatica) ingredients it contains, known for their calming effects.
My opinion is that although this cream does not promise other anti-aging or brightening effects, it excels at its job of calming and hydrating irritated skin. Since it is so gentle, I would recommend this to people with all types of skin, and especially to those with super sensitive or oily skin.
2. Green Tangerine VitaC Dark Spot Serum+ by Goodal
This bestselling product gained popularity for its effects on erasing sunspots. It received best award in the serum section from Unpa and Powder Room (top beauty communities) and Get It Beauty (popular beauty show). This serum contains 70% of Jeju Green Tangerine Extract which has been proven to gradually lighten dark spots. So many people have marveled about this serum brightening up and clearing their complexion in reviews and videos, so if you are someone who tends to get a lot of sunspots, try this product out!
3. Blemish Care Serum ii by Isoi
This serum is one of the longest-running bestsellers in Olive Young, for 8 years(!). More than a million bottles were sold, and it received awards from the global NYLON magazine. Like the Green Tangerine Serum, it promises the lightening of blemishes and sunspots, but through a different ingredient: Bulgarian rose oil. If choosing between the two, I would recommend taking the main ingredient into consideration –if your skin works well with citrus extracts, go for Goodal, and if it doesn’t, try Isoi! I’ve seen friends who love the Goodal much more than Isoi one and vice versa, so in the end I suppose it’s case by case.
4. Soon Jung 5-Panthensoside Cica Balm by Etude House
This cica balm is a bestseller from Etude House and has been rated almost 100% in gentleness in the Hwahae app. Thousands of people with dry skin love this product, saying that no matter how much they put it on, it doesn’t feel heavy as most cica balms tend to do. Many of them also say that putting a thick layer of product onto a pimple or acne spot before going to bed leads to an apparent shrinkage in the morning. So, if you are someone with dry skin and occasional pimples, this may be perfect for you.
5. Pure Cleansing Oil by man:yo
Recently, a way of ‘melting’ blackheads with cleansing oil has been trending instead of physical removal. However, this method must be done carefully, as harsh face oil can hurt your skin in the process of rubbing, and if the oil is not cleansed properly, the residue can lead to facial troubles. This cleansing oil gained its popularity due to its fast but gentle cleansing that doesn’t leave much residue and has received awards from Hwahae and Powder Room. If you were thinking of a gentle and speedy oil cleanser, you should definitely put this in your shopping cart!
6. Time Revolution Artemisia Treatment Essence by Missha
This Missha Essence became popular after a famous beauty Youtuber posted a video praising it. Since then, it has become a steady bestseller, earning more than 10 awards from various beauty apps and communities. It has been said to improve grainy skin textures and help create smooth skin, and a lot of people soak cotton pads in this essence to use as a simple face mask. One thing to note about this product is that it contains fermented artemisia extracts, and there are people whose skin does not work well with fermented ingredients. So be aware of that, but if your skin does work with fermented ingredients, this may become your holy grail.
7. Ginger Sugar Overnight Lip Mask by Aritaum
I’ve seen how popular the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask has gotten globally, so I assumed people would already know that product and have decided to recommend the Ginger Sugar Overnight Lip Mask! This is one of Koreans’ favorites that always comes up with the Laneige one. This product is great for exfoliation: just sleep with a thick layer of it on your lips and the next day you’ll be able to easily rub off all the crusty parts. I’ve tried this one and have loved it, and I hope you guys do too.
These are the most popular skincare products of Korea at the moment, and I hope you like them as much! Stay tuned for more *real* K-beauty recommendation posts ☺