15 Cult-Favorite Korean Skincare Products That Have Broken Into The U.S.
Korean skincare is the beauty community's newest superpower with its insanely innovative products. We rounded up the most talked about in K-beauty so you can keep up with the newest technology for flawless, glowing skin. Find your faves before they're all sold out (again)!
by Taylor Borde
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Too Cool For School Egg Mellow Cream
This isn't your typical moisturizer. It's a five-in-one serum, priming moisturizer, eye cream, neck cream, and sleeping mask that will give you younger-looking skin with its collagen-enriched formula. Egg yolk extract, egg white extract, and inka omega oils also bring intensive nourishment to your skin. No wonder this face cream is one of the top-rated Korean skincare products. ($36; nordstrom.com)
Snail extract has been slowly creeping its way into mainstream Korean skincare, gaining a cult-following by devoted K-beauty users thanks to its skin-regenerative benefits. Mizon's All-In-One Snail Repair Cream, with 92 percent snail extract, targets your most common complexion concerns—acne scars, fine lines, and sunburns all included. Apply just a dollop every morning to enhance tone, texture, and overall brightness while soothing inflammation from the night before. ($37; cultbeauty.co.uk)
Don't let the term "skin peel" scare you away. These gentle chemical exfoliant pads help you say goodbye to dead, flaky skin. The two-part exfoliation process melts away dry patches, revealing a glowier, brighter complexion. The triple-layer gauze pad uses an AHA chemical to dissolve dirt and oil, giving you a clean, fresh base to soak up your favorite serum, moisturizer, or sleep mask. ($27; sephora.com)
SKINFOOD is a Korean skincare brand rooted in the nutritive properties of food for the sole purpose of creating healthy and beautiful skin. This wash-off sugar scrub uses organic Brazilian black sugar, naturally enriched with vitamins and minerals, to hydrate, nourish, and rejuvenate skin, leaving behind a scent sweet enough to eat. ($10; theskinfood.us)
Dr. Jart is now a household name, not just in the Korean skincare realm, but throughout the entire beauty world, and its latest clay-to-foam technology has quickly become a huge hit. This trio of quick-drying clay masks lets you target your skin's specific needs, be it oil control, moisturizing, or calming redness with a gentle foaming cleanser that removes any remaining makeup, absorbs excess oil, and detoxes tired skin. ($35; sephora.com)
Want baby-soft, bright skin overnight? Look to Glow Recipe's revolutionary Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask, formulated with soothing watermelon extract, hydrating hyaluronic acid, and refining AHAs that gently exfoliate and clarify all while you're sound asleep. You'll wake up with radiant and refreshed skin the next morning, effortlessly. ($45; sephora.com)
Jelly lip masks blew up on social media after a pre-Golden Globes Emma Stone was seen sporting one before her big win. But there are so many other reasons why this Korean skincare product has taken the beauty community by storm—it plumps, hydrates, and softens fine lines, giving you the perfect pillowy pout before a night out. It's just an added bonus that the Bioaqua Hydrating Lip Mask is Instagram gold.
Forget everything you thought you knew about toner. Unlike alcohol-based toners, Beauty Water is made with hydrating ingredients like rosewater and humectants to protect (not strip) skin. This K-beauty staple also has willow bark and papaya extract that gently exfoliates and cleanses without drying you out. Use morning and night to replenish and refresh your complexion, and your skin will surely thank you. ($30; sephora.com)
In the true spirit of breakthrough K-beauty, Korean skincare brand Blithe has brought us a 15-second (yes, we said 15-second) mask. The revolutionary splash mask takes a matter of seconds to skin into your skin. Just add the citrus fruit extracts and honey and to water, splash your face, and gently pat your skin to activate a natural, quick glow. It's practically a spa treatment on-the-go. ($45; glowrecipe.com)
The name says it all! This ultra-lightweight, oil-free gel-cream injects a burst of hydration to your skin, leaving you with a cooling, refreshing effect. Calming apothecary herbs like lady's mantle disarm damaging free radicals and shrink pores while releasing tons of moisture onto skin for a healthy and supple appearance. Who knew all that could be in this little pot? ($38; sephora.com)
Botanic Farm is an indie Korean skincare brand that farms all its own grains, plants, and flowers to ensure all-natural ingredients. Now that's something we can get behind. It's famous for its Grain Ferment Cleansing Sherbet that literally melts your makeup off as you massage the smooth cream into your skin. It doesn't stop there—this balm also removes other impurities and leaves behind a hydrating oil finish to add moisture back into your clean skin. ($30; botanicfarm.us - use code "more25" for 25% off, excluding holiday bundles!)
If you're looking for an all-in-one skin fix, the Whal Myung Skin Elixir was made for you. This amazing toner/serum/face oil was created more than 100 years ago for the Korean royal family, which could be why it's one of the top Korean skincare products today. Day and night, this traditional formula works to hydrate, nourish, and soothe your skin back to a youthful glow. It can even be worn under sunscreen and makeup to shield your dewy skin from harmful environmental pollutants. Yes, please! ($58; nordstrom.com)
New to K-beauty? This Laneige trial kit is the perfect place to dip your toes in. The five-piece set is packed with ionized mineral water and includes a cleanser, toner, serum, cream, and the fan-favorite sleeping mask, all wrapped up in an adorable pouch. These little minis can revive even the most stressed-out skin on the move. I think we just found your new favorite travel buddy. ($25; sephora.com)
Soko Glam raves about these best-selling sheet masks by Manefit. The brand collaborated with the site's founder Charlotte Cho to create a new type of sheet mask. Infused with green tea leaves and evening primrose, this hydrogel mask cools, de-puffs, and soothes acne-prone skin. Get this K-beauty cult-fave before it's out of stock again. ($19; sokoglam.com)
First, can we talk about how cute TonyMoly's packaging is? Now let's get down to why this undeye balm is killing it in Korean skincare: It's made with nourishing bamboo, soothing seawater, and cooling gel to brighten, fight fine lines, and instantly reduce any puffiness. It's gentle enough to apply directly onto your sensitive eye area, making this little panda the perfect thing to pop into your purse for a midday refresh. ($12; birchbox.com)