The Best Korean Skincare Products for Every Possible Need

1. The Best Exfoliating Sleeping Mask:

GLOW RECIPE Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask

By day, you’re a multitasking whiz—so why let that stop when you’re catching some zzz’s? Slather this K-Beauty overnight mask on, and your smooth skin dreams will become a reality. According to our community’s rave reviews, it’ll leave your skin feeling extra soft without leaving marks on your pillows. The scented watermelon extract gets an extra push from AHAs, leaving you with glowing skin when you wake up.

2. The Best Clay Mask:

INNISFREE Pore Clearing Clay Mask With Super Volcanic Clusters

Clay masks can be tough on skin, but this cult favorite mask from INNISFREE brightens, softens, and gives pores a smaller appearance without over-drying. The secret? Jeju volcanic clusters, aka hardened volcanic lava hailing from Jeju Island in South Korea, that absorb just the right amount of sebum while lactic acid acts as a gentle exfoliant.

3. The Best Rich Moisturizer:

BELIF The True Cream – Moisturizing Bomb

Winter has nothing on this insanely powerful moisturizer that hydrates your skin without leaving a sticky or greasy feeling (and feels as light and refreshing as one, too).

4. The Best Acne Patches:

COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patch

Courtesy of COSRX

What did we do before pimple patches entered our lives? Stick one of teeny transparent hydrocolloid dressings right on top of a blemish to watch it diminish in size within hours and protect it from outside bacteria (and your own hands, let’s be real).

5. The Best Cleansing Balm:

BANILA CO Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm Original

Dry skin has met its match with this hypoallergenic cleansing balm that soothes and repairs even the most sensitive skin. Save the scrubbing for the tub—this formula goes on smooth as a balm before transforming into an oil and then a milk cleanser, moisturizing skin before nixing the remnants of your mascara or eyeshadows. That means no double cleansing is necessary, and you’ll still get extra glowy skin. Our community tells us that this balm is “absolutely fantastic” and one of their “favorite things.”

6. The Best Gel Face Wash:

GLOW RECIPE Blueberry Bounce Gentle Cleanser

Your favorite summer berry makes a surprise appearance in this powerful all-in-one cream cleanser, makeup remover, and mask. The antioxidants in the berries give your skin a helping hand at fighting off the effects of dry weather, while hyaluronic acid pumps extra moisture onto your face and AHAs exfoliate away your dead skin cells. Who knew such a hardworking product could come in such an adorable purple package?

7. The Best Essence:

AMOREPACIFIC Vintage Single Extract Essence

Courtesy of AMOREPACIFIC

Essences are, well, essential to K-Beauty, and once you experience this tried-and-true formula, you’ll understand why. Made with antioxidant-rich fermented green tea extract, it adds a lightweight layer of firming and anti-aging power to any skincare routine.

8. The Best Toner:

UNPA Lacto Cica Soothing Toner

Talk about a product that packs a punch. Infused with peptides, probiotics, lactic acid, and centella asiatica, this powerhouse formula exfoliates, firms and soothes—expertly prepping your skin for whatever comes next.

9. The Best Eye Cream:

BELIF Peat Miracle Revital Eye Cream

Great for sensitive skin, this all-star eye savior helps reduce the appearance of wrinkles, adds a plumping effect, and smooths the skin. This is all by way of underrated peat extract, a key anti-aging ingredient we swear by.

10. The Best Pore Pads:

MEDICUBE Zero Pore Pads

Courtesy of AMAZON

When we want to perfect the look of our pores, these acid-packed pads are what we reach for. Formulated with AHA, BHA, panthenol, and allantoin, the oily, enlarged crevices on our faces don’t stand a chance. Exfoliating, calming, and smoothing, these pads make our skin feel revived after just a few uses.

11.  The Best Vitamin C Serum:

GOODAL Green Tangerine Vitamin C Serum

Courtesy of AMAZON

We can bid adieu to dark spots and post-acne redness with this hyperpigmentation must-have. It’s packed with a powerful blend of 70% fresh green tangerine extract, 4% niacinamide, and arbutin to help you finally ditch the dullness and reveal a bright new you.

12. The Best Moisturizing Serum:

SWEET CHEF Kale + Vitamin B Serum Shot

Kale isn’t just for your lunchtime salad. Give your skin some well-deserved leafy greens with a serum shot from SWEET CHEF. The vitamin B in this lightweight formula is perfect for tackling redness and dry skin, while the aloe vera helps heal breakouts. A few drops is all you need to give your face a burst of extra minerals and nutrients.

13. The Best Glass-Skin Serum:

PEACH & LILY Glass Skin Refining Serum

Courtesy of PEACH & LILY

There’s a reason this product is synonymous with an entire skincare movement. “Glass skin” is the concept of dewy, lit-from-within, almost translucent skin in Korean beauty—and this serum can help you achieve it. But with a slew of active ingredients—niacinamide to even skin tone and brighten, hyaluronic acid to moisturize, peptides to plump fine lines, and more—it’s one you can reach for no matter your skincare goal.

14. The Best Color Corrector:

DR. JART Cicapair™ Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment SPF30

Courtesy of DR. JART

Redness, be gone! Apply this green-tinted color corrector to cheeks, nose, or anywhere you want to neutralize ruddiness, especially on makeup-free days. Bonus: This formula already has sunscreen built right in.

15. The Best Peel-Off Mask:

I DEW CARE Sugar Kitten

Courtesy of I DEW CARE

There’s a good chance you’ve seen this holographic peel-off mask while scrolling through your Instagram feed, but it’s not just for looks: There’s real ruby powder in there to fight dullness, along with hydrating hyaluronic acid and soothing rosewater.

16. The Best Serum for Pores:

SWEET CHEF Beet + Vitamin A Serum Shot

Don’t be fooled by the cute pink packaging: This is one tough skincare product. It’s packed full of vitamin A from the beets and seaberry fruit extract included in the formula. That means your skin gets smoother and your pores will be clearer with just one shot. Use this as an extra treat in between your regular toners and serums!

17. The Best Oil Cleanser:

HUANGJISOO Pure Perfect Cleansing Oil

Korean skincare routines are big on the double-cleansing method, which involves first using a cleansing oil to remove makeup, followed by a gel or foam cleanser to wash away excess sebum and any other impurities. Made with jojoba oil, apricot seed oil, and primrose, this gentle formula is so effective, it can be used without a follow-up cleanser. Plus, it’s non-comedogenic.

18. The Best Eye Mask:

MEDIHEAL Vita Collagen Eye Ampoule Patch

Courtesy of AMAZON

It’s time to leave your bags, wrinkles, and fine lines behind. We’re huge fans of these easy-to-apply eye ampoules packed with retinol liposome and five-layer collagen. We love wearing them while we complete the rest of our nighttime skincare routine—plus snapping a selfie or two while we reap the hydrating benefits.

19. The Best Overnight Repair Mask:

DR. JART Cicapair Sleepair Intensive Repair Night Mask

Courtesy of DR. JART

When we’re recovering from a breakout or a sunburn, or our skin barrier simply needs a refresh, we turn to this bad boy. It instantly smooths, soothes, and repairs the skin barrier—making it our go-to when our face isn’t feeling 100%. If you haven’t incorporated cica into your skincare routine, here’s your sign.

20. The Best Overnight Lip Mask:

LANEIGE Lip Sleeping Mask

This is a cult classic for a reason. Yes, we will say, this product lives up to the hype—no fancy frills, just results. A few basic Korean ingredients (berry fruit complex, murumuru seed, and shea butter) offer intense moisture, antioxidants, and exceptionally kissable lips by morning. What else can we say, except pucker up! 

21. The Best Sheet Masks:

LAB FOR YOU Tomato and Pumpkin Sheet Mask Set

Move over, PSL. Pumpkin is making the leap into face masks, alongside another familiar superfood: tomatoes. Tomatoes may be a summer salad staple, but thanks to this sheet mask, they’re now an every-season treat for your face. When paired together, these two natural ingredients are the perfect way to relax and help out your skin. Ipsters report that these masks are “very moisturizing” and “super gentle for sensitive skin.”

22. The Best Luxury Serum:

SULWHASOO First Care Activating Serum

From the silky formula to the precious blend of five key Korean herbs, we love this multifaceted serum because it helps target primary signs of aging (fine lines, discoloration, and dark spots) while hydrating, balancing the complexion, and improving the appearance of skin tone and texture. Is there anything it can’t do?

23. The Best Ampoule:

SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica First Ampoule

Whenever our skin’s craving a shot of hydration, we turn to this ampoule. The one-and-done formula quickly boosts moisture and preps the skin to absorb the next steps of our skincare routine. Hyalu-Cica—the brand’s unique complex made from hyaluronic acid and centella asiatica (aka cica)—offers a dewy complexion while helping restore the skin barrier.  

24. The Best Lip Plumper:

COSRX Refresh AHA BHA Vitamin C Lip Plumper

Courtesy of KOREAN SKINCARE

We believe you haven’t tried a lip enlarger until you’ve gotten your hands on this. Packed with acids, vitamin C, hydrating shea butter, and a built-in plumper, this is no ordinary lip product. We love that we can enhance our pout while glossing and glowing at the same time.

25. The Best Cream for the Cameras:

OLIVIAUMMA Glass Skin Tanghulu Pudding Calming Cream

Pretty in pink? Say no more. We can’t get enough of this playful shade and its putty-like consistency. In addition to its glassy, hydrating formula, this product is packed with fig extract, centella asiatica, and aloe vera, which calms the skin and boosts the barrier. This is our pick whenever we’re prepping for the perfect photo-op.

26. The Best SPF:

BEAUTY OF JOSEON Daily Relief Sunscreen

Courtesy of BEAUTY OF JOSEON

Lightweight? No white cast? Silky texture? This SPF 40 formula checks all the boxes. It even doubles as a makeup primer—hence why we call it the best. It’s also gentle, making it suitable for sensitive skin. Need we say more?

27. The Best Beauty Tool:

MEDICUBE Booster Pro

Courtesy of MEDICUBE

Glass skin is just a few treatments away. When we don’t have time to dive into a multistep skincare routine, we love that we can turn to our favorite user-friendly tool to simplify the process. Some of the key benefits of using this advanced technology? Enhanced product absorption, radiance, elasticity, pore care, and customized LED care.

28. The Best Body Spray:

BEEKMAN 1802 Milk Shake Moisture Mist for Body

Courtesy of BEEKMAN

When it comes to body care on the go, we turn to this trusty, alcohol-free spritz. Packed with hyaluronic acid, squalane, and goat milk, our favorite spray offers eight hours of moisture, offering softer, more supple skin. And have no fear—its scents are free of harsh allergens, making it sensitive skin-approved.

29. The Best Scented Cream:

TONYMOLY The Chok Chok Green Tea Watery Cream

While we don’t suggest fragranced items for sensitive skin, one of the things we love most about K-Beauty is its array of delicious aromas. Case in point? The fresh green tea scent in this face cream. If you’re a fan of light fragrance in skincare, we stand by this yummy scent that also doubles as an effective product, too. 

30. The Best Exfoliating Budget Buy:

CARE:NEL AHA BHA Peeling Serum

Courtesy of AMAZON

Whenever we need a quick fix on a budget, we turn to this exfoliating, hydrating, smoothing serum. In just minutes, it gets rid of dead skin and helps clear out pore-clogging sebum. We definitely recommend using it at night, followed by a rich moisturizer for bed.