For beauty lovers, South Korea is one of the most exciting places to shop for skincare. Long before K-beauty went global, it was already pushing boundaries in ingredients, textures and formats – from sheet masks that feel like a facial in a packet to ultra-hydrating essences and barrier-repair creams that have shaped routines worldwide. After years of reporting and travelling to Seoul, I’ve learned where to shop to get the very best beauty products every time I visit. Below, I’ve rounded up all the products I buy each time, split by use, so you can leave knowing you’ve made the best beauty choices.
The best Korean cleansers
Korean cleansers prioritise barrier health over harsh stripping, using low-pH formulas, gentle surfactants, and hydrating ingredients such as glycerin, centella, and rice water. The “double cleanse” method used here – which involves an oil-based cleanser to remove makeup and grime, followed by a regular face cleanser to deeply cleanse – leaves skin calm, balanced and prepped. These are the most popular ones to pick up.
Dr Althea Pure Grinding Cleansing Balm
A cult Korean cleansing balm that melts into oil on contact, lifting stubborn SPF and make-up without any waxy residue. The clever grinding packaging keeps it hygienic – and super easy to use and travel with. Ideal for make-up wearers.
haruharu wonder Black Rice Moisture Cleansing
Black rice extract supports barrier health while natural oils dissolve make-up without stripping the skin. A must if your skin freaks out at fragrance-heavy formulas.
SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Light Cleansing Oil
Centella soothes while the oil lifts dirt and SPF without heaviness. It emulsifies beautifully, feels lightweight and is the ideal entry point into double cleansing – especially if you’re nervous about cleansing oils.
A bestseller in Korea for good reason, this lightweight but thorough cleansing oil tackles waterproof mascara and blackheads in one go. The 19-oil blend sounds intense but feels silky on the skin. It’s everywhere in Seoul for a reason.
The best K-Beauty toners
Toner in Korean skincare is a far cry from the harsh formulas you might remember from your teen years. Used straight after cleansing, it rebalances, hydrates and preps the skin so everything that follows works better. The result is calm, resilient, well-hydrated skin – these are the most popular ones to buy when you’re in Korea.
Cream Skin Cerapeptide Toner & Moisturiser
This milky formula delivers the hydration of a moisturiser in toner form. Ideal for dry skin or long-haul flights, it reflects how Korean skincare prioritises efficiency without compromising results. Oily skins might like this over a traditional moisturiser too.
Thank You Farmer Rice Pure Milky Hydrating Essential Toner
A creamy, milky toner that delivers more hydration than your average formula, thanks to rice extract – a staple in Korean skincare for softening and brightening. Shake before use and press into skin for a dewy, cushiony finish. Ideal for drier skin types.
Innisfree Green Tea Ceramide Milk
This milky toner hybrid taps into green tea and ceramides to hydrate while reinforcing the skin barrier. It’s ideal for sensitive skin that needs a calming hydration boost.
The best Korean essences
In Korean skincare regimes, essences sit between toner and serum, delivering lightweight but concentrated hydration and active ingredients. Thicker than toner but more fluid than serums, they’re applied after toner to boost absorption, refine texture and enhance the effectiveness of anything you apply afterwards. These are the ones you should definitely pick up on your travels.
A cult favourite of Korean skincare obsessives, this essence uses just four ingredients to hydrate and plump the skin. Pat in or follow the TikTok trends of mixing a little with your foundation for a super glass-like finish.
d’alba White Truffle First Spray Serum
This mist-essence hybrid delivers instant hydration and glow thanks to white truffle extract. You can also spritz throughout the day to rehydrate the skin and revive your make up without disturbing it. I’m on my second bottle because of the amazing glow it gives.
COSRX Advanced Snail Mucin Essence
Despite the curious name, this is a hugely popular Korean skincare icon with one bottle reportedly sold every 16 seconds. Snail mucin extract repairs, hydrates and improves texture over time. Best for compromised or dull skin that needs a boost.
Numbuzin No.9 Nad Bio Lifting Essence
This essence targets fine lines and elasticity with a silky, nourishing texture and ingredients like NAD to boost energy and peptides to help repair. Layers beautifully without feeling heavy.
The best Korean serums
K Beauty is known for its super serums. For the uninitiated, serums are targeted treatments used after toner and essence to address specific concerns, from dehydration to pigmentation. They come as classic serums, highly concentrated ampoules and increasingly, capsule or micro-needle formats. Lightweight but potent, they’re central for visible, layered results – and Korea is where to get the very best.
Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Capsule 100 Serum
This viral serum combines regenerative compound PDRN with hyaluronic acid capsules for hydration and repair. Great for tired, stressed skin. Press gently to burst capsules and boost absorption.
VT Cosmetics Reedle Shot 100
A buzzy innovation in Korean skincare, this clever serum uses spicule technology – known as liquid microneedling – to boost absorption and skin turnover. It helps to improve skin’s texture and resilience over time, but start with lower levels. It tingles a bit, so might not suit sensitive skin.
Medicube Triple Collagen Serum
Focused on firmness and bounce, this serum is loved in Korea for improving skin density over time. It’s ideal for dry, mature or depleted skin – and perfect to help skin recover pre, during and post-flight. The texture is beautifully soft so you’ll love using it.
The best Korean eye creams
Korean eye creams tend to focus on prevention as much as correction, using lightweight, layerable textures that hydrate, smooth and support the skin barrier without overwhelming it. You’ll often find cutting-edge actives – like retinal or peptides – paired with calming botanicals, making them effective but far gentler than many Western counterparts. Here’s what to pick up.
Beauty of Joseon Revive Eye Serum Ginseng + Retinal
A standout eye cream for anyone with fine lines, this combines retinal with ginseng to smooth and firm without irritation. The lightweight texture absorbs quickly, making it ideal for those wanting visible results without heaviness or a steep price point.
This refreshing gel targets puffiness and dehydration in one step. Lightweight and cooling, it’s perfect for mornings or post-flight skin, helping eyes look brighter and more awake almost instantly.
Soko Glam Chasin’ Rabbits Bunny Eye Smoother
Playful but effective, this eye product focuses on softening fine lines with hydrating and smoothing ingredients. Best for early signs of ageing or as part of your make-up prep, it creates a smoother, more even-looking under-eye area.
The best Korean moisturisers
In Korea, moisturiser is designed to do more than simply seal everything in. They focus on barrier repair, long-term hydration and calming inflammation, often using soothing ceramides and centella and hydrating, low-weight hyaluronic acid. The result is skin that feels resilient, balanced and healthy. These are the ones you need to pick up on your visit:
Dr. Althea 345 Relief Cream 50ml
This TikTok-viral K-beauty staple has become the cream for stressed-out, post-breakout, reactive skin, and it’s now fast cementing its place as a global must-have. Use it when your skin needs some extra love; during flights, when you’re skiing, after sunburn. I always have an emergency tube in my skincare stash.
Aestura Atobarrier 365 Cream
A pharmacy favourite in Korea, this gel-cream is all about deep, long-lasting barrier repair. Packed with ceramides, it’s ideal for very dry or eczema-prone skin. It’s my daily go-to when my eczema flares up.
Medicube PDRN Pink Collagen Capsule Cream
This uses collagen and PDRN capsules to target firmness and bounce. Best for dull, dry skin, it delivers a plumper, more elastic look over time. The formula is also very inventive; press gently to activate the capsules before applying to the skin.
The best K-beauty masks
Korean face masks are in a league of their own, delivering visible results with minimal effort. From sheet masks to overnight treatments, they target specific concerns like breakouts, dehydration and pores – making them some of the best Korean skincare products to try. Here’s what you should try:
Medicube Collagen Night Wrapping Mask
A viral favourite, this overnight peel-off mask locks in hydration by drying into a flexible layer that seals everything in. My advice? Use a few layers of hydrating products underneath and finish with this mask on top – you’ll wake up with the most hydrated, juicy skin.
Biodance Bio Collagen-Real Deep Mask
One of the most talked-about top Korean skin products, this delivers intense hydration while subtly tightening pores. The collagen-rich formula leaves skin looking plumper and more refined. Ideal before events or long flights when your skin needs some serious revival.
Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Mask
These luxury Korean facial masks are soaked in the brand’s iconic First Care essence. Designed to boost radiance and improve overall skin health, they hydrate and smooth the skin in one step. Ideal for using before events, they epitomise the quality that K-beauty is known for and they’re genuinely worth the price.
The best Korean SPF
SPF is arguably the backbone of K-beauty regimes and one of the best Korean skin care products to buy while in Korea. Formulations are lighter, more elegant and easier to wear daily than many Western counterparts, making consistent use far more likely. They also sit beautifully under makeup. These are the ones you should try:
Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics
This high factor SPF has become a modern classic and comes with a lightweight, texture and skin barrier-supporting ingredients like rice and probiotics. It’s ideal for everyday wear and feels more like skincare than sunscreen.
Dr Jart+ Every Sun Day Priming Sun Stick SPF30
SPF sticks are a Korean skincare essential for reapplication on the go. This clever SPF glides over (and under) make-up without smudging and leaves a soft, matte finish. Ideal for travel days and for protecting those hard to reach places like the ears, parting and lips.
haruharu wonder Black Rice Pure Mineral Relief Daily Sunscreen, SPF50+
For those who prefer mineral SPF, this one offers gentle protection without the typical mineral heaviness. It also contains calming ingredients making it perfect for sensitive skins.
The best Korean exfoliators
Exfoliation in Korean skincare routines is less about harsh scrubs and more about gentle renewal. From acid toners to peeling pads, the best Korean exfoliators focus on refining texture, clearing pores and boosting the skin’s glow without damaging the skin barrier. These are the ones worth trying:
Erborian Ginseng Skin Hero Peeling
A hybrid at-home peel that smooths and refines texture while boosting radiance. Slightly more intensive, so best used weekly rather than daily, but ideal if you want that polished, post-facial finish without leaving home.
COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner
A Korean skincare classic, this exfoliator offers gentle, daily exfoliation to keep pores clear and skin smooth. It’s less about instant transformation and more about maintenance. The spray applicator is pretty handy too.
Needly Daily Toner Pad 80 pads
These oversized, essence-soaked pads are designed for gentle daily exfoliation and hydration in one step. Swipe lightly over the skin or leave on as a quick mask.
