From snail mucin to bee venom, the best Korean skincare brands combine traditional ingredients with cutting-edge techniques. “In Korea, there is a long and rich tradition of skincare that has resulted in a very savvy and demanding consumer base,” says Alicia Yoon, founder of popular K-beauty brand Peach and Lily. “This consumer demand created a hyper-competitive industry that has allowed Korea to become a global mecca for skincare innovation with incredibly high standards for skincare products.”
From targeting specific skin concerns such as pigmentation or redness, to just generally maintaining that “glass skin” glow, K-beauty products are so effective that customers all over the world can’t seem to get enough.
Best Korean Skincare products at a glance
Does Korean skincare actually work?
Unlike some Western approaches, which are about fixing that which is already damaged, Korean skincare shifts the focus onto prevention. It’s about big picture thinking. “Korean skincare is a form of self-care, based on the fact that the skin is our body’s largest organ,” says Yoon. “There is a focus on long-term results, as opposed to quick overnight fixes.” Which is why, compared to Western approaches, which can be fairly aggressive, Korean skincare methods are much more gentle on the skin, with hydration being seen as one of the key pillars of skin health.
“Korean beauty brands use gentle ingredients and focus more on sensitive skin types,” adds K-beauty expert Elisa Lee. “This makes them suitable for many people.”
Why is Korean skincare so good?
By combining traditional ingredients with cutting-edge technology and focusing on prevention rather than cure, Korean skincare methods are an effective way to take care of the skin in the present, rather than having to rely on more invasive methods down the line. “K-beauty skincare is rooted in holistic wellbeing,” says Sarah Oh, K-beauty expert. “It has a great reputation in balancing effectiveness with user experience. Skincare that is good should feel good too!”
“There’s also a focus on innovation,” adds Coco Park, founder of The Beauty Wolf and co-author of Korean Beauty Secrets. “Korean skincare is still a good five to seven years ahead of the curve in comparison to Western products. You’re going to find cutting-edge products that offer incredible results if you know what you’re looking for and are willing to experiment.”
The country is known for its extensive multi-step routines, which you can find out more about in our article on The 10-Step Korean Skincare Routine That Could Transform Your Skin, which decodes every stage.
What are the best Korean skincare brands?
“There are over 20,000 Korean skincare brands,” says Yoon. “The largest skincare brands are part of the LG H&H and Amore Pacific company portfolios.” As for the most popular, it depends on your skin needs and individual tastes. “There are the classics like Missha that have been around forever, and are favoured by maybe a slightly more mature clientele,” says Wolf. “But there are also younger brands (that are typically a little more affordable) like Cosrx, Axis-Y, or Etude House.” Other cult brands include Laneige, Banila Co, Dr Jart, Round Lab, Aestura, and Abib.
Where to buy Korean skincare in the UK?
As K-beauty becomes more popular in the UK, there are increasingly more retailers where you can find brands from TirTir to Medicube. These include Sephora, LookFantastic, Boots, Space NK, and Beauty Bay.
Below, we round up some of the best Korean skincare products.
Beauty Of Joseon
Relief Sun Rice + Probiotics SPF50+
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: This SPF recently went viral for a reason. Offering high UV protection, anyone who’s tried it will know that it feels like a lightweight moisturiser that couldn’t be more comfortable to wear. Perfect for even the most sensitive skin, it’s a great example of excellent K-beauty formulating.
- Editor’s experience: “The viral TikTok product that earned Beauty of Joseon its cult status, the Relief Sun Rice + Probiotics SPF50+ is a lightweight daily skin protection cream with an advanced formula that makes it one of the most easily applied SPFs I’ve ever used. It doesn’t feel sticky or heavy and can be layered under make-up with no pilling. Rice extract, vitamins B, C and E and amino acids and minerals are the main ingredients that combine to create nourishing, glow-giving (but non-greasy) sun care that is easily absorbed.” – Ellie Davis, senior beauty shopping writer
Cosrx
Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence
- Best hydrating serum for glass skin
- Why it's Vogue-approved: You’ll have seen COSRX’s power essence all over your social media feeds – it’s a hit with fans for making skin plump, glassy and smooth. Formulated with Snail Secretion filtrate, it hydrates and strengthens the moisture barrier, improving suppleness and texture over time.
Medicube
Age-R Booster Pro
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: The Age-R Booster Pro – the enhanced version of the Hailey Bieber favourite Age-R Booster H – from K-beauty brand Medicube is designed to help you achieve glass skin, with a lot of unique settings as well as an app that’s as smooth and reflective as a windowpane. In addition to microcurrent, electrical muscle stimulation, and a needleless take on microneedling, Age-R Booster Pro delivers five LED wavelengths to tackle a full spectrum of skin concerns, Matney assures. While red and blue light (and their combination, purple) are most well-known for their use in treating signs of ageing and blemishes, the Age-R Booster Pro also offers inflammation-reducing green light and radiance-boosting orange light. Use these light wavelengths with any of the other glow-boosting settings after your skincare routine for best results.
- Best for: Uneven tone, enlarged pores, redness, laxity
- Specs: Five LED colours (red, blue, purple, green, orange), electroporation, microcurrent, EMS, electric needles
- Usage: Varies depending on setting; see user manual for best results
Erborian
Skin Therapy Eye Cream
- Best eye cream for: brightening
- Why this is a Vogue top pick: If your undereye concerns span a bit of everything, from lines and wrinkles to eye bags, dark circles and dryness, then this smooth, balm-like cream is the thing for you. Highly concentrated with active ingredients like niacinamide and caffeine as well as nine carefully chosen plant extracts, it promises to work on all seven recognised signs of ageing. The result is skin that looks more revived and youthful and feels firmer and less crepey.
- Vogue-approved review: “This has such a gorgeous texture that I actually look forward to applying it every night before bed. The formula is really lightweight and melting so it sinks in easily and doesn’t feel tacky on my pillow. My main concern is dark circles and waking up looking like I’ve not slept, even when I have, but since using this my undereye area is much brighter in the morning.” – Georgia Day, contributing beauty editor
- Key specifications:
- Size: 15ml
- Paraben-free: Yes
- Fragrance-free: Yes
Innisfree
Green Tea Seed Hyaluronic Serum
- Best hyaluronic acid for skin bounce
- Why it’s Vogue approved: South Korean skincare brand Innisfree knows how to make skin feel fresh-out-the-spa, even if you’re at home. This serum pairs multiweight hyaluronic acid with niacinamide and camellia, a tea leaf extract known to stimulate collagen production. Expect to enjoy skin that feels and looks smooth, soothed and bouncy. It has a refreshing scent that comes courtesy of limonene essential oil, which is worth noting if you’re fragrance averse.
