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Korean skincare focuses on achieving a very clean skin look – almost like glass skin. Products range from cleansers, essences, sunscreen, serums and toners. There is an emphasis on hydrating the skin and preventing wrinkles.
Koreans are serious about their skincare and they don’t want to pay a lot for it. The packaging of these products has to be easy to read and pleasing to the eye. There are a ton of brands that are not popular in Western society but are huge in Asia.
Korean skincare has made me believe in using a toner and paying attention to what my skin type needs.
The best Korean skincare products are from brands you probably haven’t heard of but get ready to learn all about the world of Korean skincare!
Stylevana is the best website to buy Korean skincare because they have the best brands and products to create an entire K-beauty skincare routine.
Best Korean Cleansers
Korean cleansers are the start of any good Korean skincare routine. Korean skincare prides itself on double cleansing meaning you use one cleanser to remove dirt and oil and another cleanser to actually clean the skin. There are also a lot of cleansing balms for removing makeup in a very gentle way that doesn’t strip the skin of natural oils.
IUNIK Calendula Complete Cleansing Oil
The IUNIK Calendula Complete Cleansing Oil is good for all skin types. It combats black heads and reduces the size of pores. This cleansing oil is better for oily skin types. Since it’s a cleansing oil, you need a few pumps, rub it into the hands and apply directly to the face. After using a cleansing oil you’ll want to use an actual cleanser to remove the dirt and oil left by the cleanser.
COSRX Low PH Good Morning Cream Cleanser
COSRX is one of the best Korean Skincare brands on the market right now. They specialize in essences and snail mucin serums. The Low pH Good Morning Cream Cleanser is a great product because it is made for sensitive and oily skin types. The low pH of 5, this is good for dry skin types because it won’t irritate the skin. Oily skin types can still use this product because it is also good for stripping out blackheads. You can still use this cleanser at night even though it is called the Good Morning Cream Cleanser!
Krave Matcha Hemp Hydrating Cleanser
Krave is a very popular skincare brand and is known for its innovation. The Krave Matcha Hemp Hydrating Cleanser is a cleansing gel made for people with acne prone skin. It also helps to prevent anti-aging wrinkles and other skin concerns. You would use this product alone in the morning as a first cleanse and in the night you would use it as your second cleanse.
heimish All Clean Balm
If you’re looking for a cleansing balm, the heimish All Clean Balm is one of the best selling K-Beauty Cleansing balms. This one is good for all skin types. It also contains coconut which is a multi-use and soothing ingredient. It contains rose extract among other fruit extracts which make for a very naturally powerful product. It also contains tea tree oil which is perfect for combating acne if you have it.
Best Korean Eye Creams
Eye creams are super important in your skincare routine whether you are trying to prevent aging or already have an anti-aging skincare routine. If you have been following my blog for awhile now you will know that I swear by eye creams (read my post here). This is a list of the best Korean eye creams during my research into this topic.
PURITO Cantella Green Level Eye Cream
The main ingredient in the PURITO Cantella Green Level Eye Cream is Cantella Aisatica. Cantella Aisatica is a healing property that actually repairs redness and other skin wounds. In modern day, Cantella Aisatica is also known as cica and used to boost circulation and increase collagen production. This eye cream is also tinted green to counter the redness of the product so that it doesn’t look red upon application on the skin. You would use this product after a toner or serum and dab a pea sized amount around the eye area.
COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream
COSRX specializes in snail mucin and the Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream combats dark circles and promotes radiance. Snail mucin is crucial for collagen production and helps to heal and regenerate which is why it is found in a lot of skincare products. This is a Korean beauty eye cream best seller and can work on all skin types.
CARE:NEL PeptiED Max Rescue Eye Cream
If you have a lot of irritation around your eyes, this is the best eye cream for that issue. It is a very light eye cream and can be used on most skin types but specifically for sensitive skin. The skin around your eyes is the thinnest so if you already have a lot of sensitivity around skincare you may want to check out this eye cream for anti-aging and wrinkles.
Best Korean Toners
Toners are one of K-Beauty’s best kept secrets. For awhile, toners weren’t a huge trend in skincare but now toners are everywhere. Technically, you don’t really need a toner but it is a way for the skin to:
- Get more moisture
- Soothes skin after double cleansing
- Tightens pores
- Removes extra dirt and oil from makeup or environment
- Tighten pores and close cell gaps
- Conditions the skin for product absorption from serums and skin solutions
Because Korean beauty is so big on having a glass skin look, toners help with that extra nourishment to the skin cells.
SOME BY MI – AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Toner
This toner has a lot of letters in the name but it is something that will help exfoliate deep into the skin with the BHAs and on top with the AHAs. If you want to learn more about BHA and AHA refer to my Frequently Asked Skincare Questions post. With PHAs, work deeper into the skin and exfoliate even MORE. This toner is very strong so be careful when you use it but essentially, if you want to reduce the appearance of sun damage and wrinkles, this is the best toner for the job.
Pyungkang Yul Essence Toner
The Pyungkang Yul Essence Toner is one of the best selling toners for Korean skincare because it is very simple and not harsh on the skin. It is perfect for repairing the skin’s moisture barrier and won’t strip skin of natural oils. It speeds up healing of redness and acne open wounds on the face so if you suffer from acne you’ll want to try this toner. The main ingredient Astragalus Membranaceus is a root extract that has been used to heal in ancient Chinese medicine. If you have dry skin, this is going to hydrate your skin especially in colder months. If you are a first time user of Korean beauty this is a great toner to start with because the ingredients are minimal but you will still get lasting results.
Haruharu WONDER – Black Rice Hyaluronic Toner
There are three main benefits of the Haruharu WONDER Black Rice Hyaluronic Toner. Because it contains fermented rice which is an antioxidant along with Hyaluronic acid that is moisturizing and Phyllostachys Pubescens Shoot Bark Extract that helps brighten and overall skin tone, this is one of the best multi-use toners. This is also one of the best toners for product absorption and moisture in one.
Best Korean Moisturizers
Moisturizer is one of the main staples of a good skincare routine. There are so many different types of moisturizers out there from gels to creams, with SPF and without and ones formulated for different skin types. Keep reading to find out the best Korean moisturizers for combination, oily and dry skin types.
Best Korean Moisturizer for Combination Skin
IUNIK Cantella Calming Gel Cream
The Cantella Calmging Gel Cream is from the same family as the eye cream mentioned above. The reason why this moisturizer is good for combination skin is that it is an overall light moisturizing gel cream. You get everything in one bottle: anti-aging, fights redness, helps with dullness and has calming properties. If you’re looking for a good overall light moisturizer that does a bit of everything this one is your best bet especially if you have redness because the Cantella will help to close all wounds and fight against any skin concerns.
Etude House Soon Jung 2x Barrier Intensive Cream
This cream is good for combination skin types that also have an issue with their moisture barrier. It contains nourishing properties including Sunflower seed oils and Shea butter as well.
Best Korean Moisturizers for Oily Skin
Oily skin tends to have an issue with larger pores so you need to find a Korean Moisturizer that minimizes pores and controls oils. Oily skin does tend to break out more with acne than most other skin types.
COSRX Balancium Comfort Ceramide Cream
The COSRX Balancium Comfort Ceramide Cream is made for oily skin types because it contains medical grade Cantella which also helps with controlling oil production. It also has a lot of nourishing fruit extracts and antioxidants and 3 different types of ceramides. Overall, the COSRX skincare brand is very reputable and good quality that you will not go wrong with this type of Korean moisturizer for oily skin.
FRUDIA Green Grape Control Cream
The FRUDIA Green Grape Control Cream is perfect for oily skin because it actually shrinks down pores. It is the grape seed oil that cleans out pores by reducing the sebum that is built up. This is from the linoleic acid or Omega-6 fatty acid that strengthens the skin’s moisture barrier and reduces inflammation in the skin caused by acne.
Best Korean Moisturizers for Dry Skin
COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream
If you have been looking for a reason to try snail mucin but are unsure how to use it, the COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream is a perfect starter especially for dry skin. The snail mucin in this cream is extra hydrating so if you have dry skin you’ll love the texture of this moisturizer. Snail mucin strengthens and firms the skin with moisture so you will definitely feel moisturized. It also contains anti-aging properties so if you are looking for a Korean moisturizer for dry skin with anti-aging properties the COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream is the best option.
Best Korean Serums
Serums are a great way to give your skin added nutrients and to lock in potential anti-oxidants to help achieve your skincare goals. I always use a serum after cleansing but before moisturizer. The moisturizer will help lock in the properties of the serum. There are two main serums that you should consider adding into your Korean skincare routine: Vitamin C and Snail Mucin.
Purito Pure Vitamin C Serum
The PURITO Pure Vitamin C Serum is used for preventing aging and a first Defense against wrinkles and aging skin. It combines hyaluronic acid, vitamin c and UV protection in one serum so it does almost everything. It has skin brightening benefits from the white flower and red ginseng ingredients. If you want to prevent wrinkles, you should use a Vitamin C serum before your moisturizer.
COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence
This is an essence and not a serum but the COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence is perfect for providing moisture into the skin, like a serum. This is to be used after you cleanse the skin in the morning and night. The snail mucin releases moisture slowly throughout the day so that your skin is always hydrated. For best results it is recommended to pair this with the snail mucin cream from COSRX.
I hope you enjoyed this review of the best Korean Skincare Products. All of the items in this post are recommended to purchase on Stylevana because that is the most reputable website to buy Korean skincare from.
If you have any other lists of the best Korean Skincare Products I would love to hear them in the comments below.
Xo,
Beauty Reviews Daily Blog