The Best Korean Beauty Products In 2023 (According To Koreans!)

I have previously written about best-selling Korean skin care products in the West, but that left me wondering – what are the best skincare products according to Koreans, and is there a Korean skincare brands ranking list somewhere online? The answer is yes – a Website called Glowpick specializes in exactly that.

If you’re into K-beauty as much as I am, you know that when it comes to Korean beauty, there isn’t that much information or reviews readily available for English speakers, and certainly very little information when it comes to new product launches.

However, I found a way around it. Glowpick is a Korean website that features nearly all Korean beauty products that you could ever think about.

It’s a website meant for consumers themselves to voice their opinions about products. Thus, it makes it easy to find a product, read reviews about it, and compare it to similar products on the market.

Glowpick also provides useful lists for us to browse, such as best-rated face creams, best-rated foundations, etc, for those of us who are just browsing to become inspired.

But wait, isn’t Glowpick in Korean? Yes, yes it is. However, with the wonders of Google translate, you can go a long way. If you browse Glowpick on Google Chrome, you can translate the whole website into English with one simple click, and search for the products that you’re after.

And that’s exactly what I did. I wanted to know what were the best-selling products of 2021 in each category and share them with you.

 

 

For now, I only focused on the products that would be used in the 10 Step Korean Skincare Routine, however, I may add a few more products (or do an entirely new post solely focused on makeup) if you’re interested in seeing more.

Luckily, many of these products are also available in the West, and I’ve linked to them where ever I could. Most of these products are available on Amazon, which is great because it allows you to read even more reviews in English before making a purchase.

But, if you wanted to read the reviews on Glowpick, you can do that too (click here to go straight to Glowpick!).

Now, without further ado, let’s see what are the best-rated skincare products in Korea.

 

More K-Beauty Posts:

• The Ultimate Guide To Korean Hair Care
• 10 Best Selling Korean Skincare Products On Amazon
• 3 Best Products Similar To SK ii
• The Ultimate List Of Korean Beauty Brands

 

The Best Rated Skincare Products By Koreans:

1. Best Cleansing Oils

Korean Skin Care Brands Ranking: Best Cleansing Oil

Sulwhasoo – Gentle Cleansing Oil (Glowpick ranking – 4.29)

The luxurious Sulwhasoo cleansing oil has been hailed as the holy grail beauty product by both Korans and Westerners alike.

The product is gentle enough to be used on the eyes, and it’s designed to take off all impurities on your face, without stripping it from its natural oils. And according to Glowpick, this is exactly what it does!

The key ingredients of the product are Coix Lacryma-Jobi seed, tangerine peel extract, and apricot kernel oil, which clears the skin and leaves a healthier base.

This product is meant to be used for all different skin types, however, if you are after a deeper cleanse, consider adding a foam-based cleanser as the next step in your skincare routine to really target blackheads and stubborn impurities.

Sulwhasoo is a premium skincare brand, so the price point of this product is a little bit higher than your average lotions would be. If you’re not willing to splurge on skincare, check out some more affordable products below.

 

Read More Reviews & Check The Latest Price on Nordstrom | Also Available on Sephora

 

OTHER OUTSTANDING CLEANSING OILS

Banila Co – Clean It Zero Cleansing Night Original (Glowpick ranking – 4.50)

Manyo Factory – Pure Cleansing Oil (Glowpick ranking – 4.31)

Manyo Factory – Herb Green Cleansing Oil (Glowpick ranking – 4.16)

 

2. Best Cleansing Foams

Korean Skin Care Brands Ranking: Best Cleansing Foam

Primera – Natural Rich Cleansing Foam (Glowpick ranking – 4.17)

Primera’s Natural Cleansing Foam contains broccoli sprout and chamomile extract, so it’s no wonder that this has become a top-rated product in Korea – it’s mild enough for sensitive skin, but it will also cleanse the face from all impurities.

The texture of the product is very creamy and it lathers up easily when rubbed. As the product doesn’t become too liquid when mixed with water, it’s great to be used in conjunction with a Clarisonic brush.

Glowpick’s reviews reveal that users find this product to leave the skin soft and hydrated, thus preserving the natural oils of the skin’s surface.

However, people who are prone to getting clogged pores should use this with caution and definitely in conjunction with a cleansing oil – otherwise, the product may not provide a deep enough cleanse.

 

Check The Latest Price on Sephora | on Ebay | On YesStyle

 

OTHER OUTSTANDING CLEANSING FOAMS

Sulwhasoo – Gentle Cleansing Foam (Glowpick ranking – 4.10)

Skinfood – Black Sugar Perfect Scrub Foam (Glowpick ranking – 4.07)

 

3. Best Exfoliators 

Korean Skin Care Brands Ranking: Best Exfoliator

Sidmool – Green Tea PureSkin Peeling Gel (Glowpick ranking – 4.37)

An exfoliating gel? Yes, that’s exactly what this product is!

The ingredients of the Sidmool Green Tea PureSkin Peeling Gel are very natural, and although the main purpose of the product is to exfoliate, instead of experiencing rough, dry and flaky skin, the skin will feel supple, soft and very moisturized after use thanks to ingredients such as cellulose, aloe vera and lavender.

The green tea extract adds a brightening effect, and it’s so gentle that it can be used on all body parts – hands, neck and lips included.

 

Check The Latest Price on Ebay HERE

 

OTHER OUTSTANDING EXFOLIATORS

Primera – Facial Mild Peeling (Glowpick ranking – 4.33)

The Saem – Cell Renew Bio Micro Peel Soft Gel (Glowpick ranking – 4.17)

9 wishes – Rice Powder Polish (Glowpick ranking – 4.16)

 

4. Best Toners

Korean Skin Care Brands Ranking: Best Toner

Tony Moly – Wonder Ceramide Mocchi Toner (Glowpick ranking – 4.33)

Ceramide is skin care’s new superweapon that you need to try out.

Not only will oral ceramide supplements leave your skin supple and soft, when applied topically, it fills dry and rough skin patches with nourishing moisture that prevents water evaporation – healthier skin for longer!

Other ingredients include hyaluronic acid and panthenol (vitamin B5) to add extra hydration to the skin, and Centella Asiatica extract to soothe sensitive skin mildly.

 

Check The Latest Price on Macy’s HERE | Also available on Walmart

 

OTHER OUTSTANDING TONERS

Skinmiso Pore Purifying Toner (Glowpick ranking – 4.22)

Belif – Hazel Herbal Extract Toner (Glowpick ranking – 4.20)

 

5. Best Essences

 

Korean Skin Care Brands Ranking: Best Essence

Skinfood – Royal Honey Propolis Enriched Essence (Glowpick ranking – 4.32)

 

Skinfood’ Royal Honey Propolis Enriched Essence is a highly concentrated formula with black bee propolis extract (63%), royal jelly extract (10%) and honey extract (10%) that brighten up the skin’s appearance and provide rich nourishment.

The essence is very calming to the skin, and even heals blemishes (honey is amazing for acne-prone skin). People suffering from eczema, irritated and dehydrated skin will also notice incredible healing benefits.

 

 Read More Reviews & Check The Latest Price on YesStyle HERE

 

OTHER OUTSTANDING ESSENCES

The Face Shop Yehwadam Heaven Grade Ginseng Regenerating Essence (Glowpick ranking – 4.24)

Huxley – Secret of Sahara Oil Essence (Glowpick ranking – 4.17)

Primera – Miracle Seed Essence (Glowpick ranking – 4.09)

 

6. Best Serums, Boosters & Face Oils

 

Korean Skin Care Brands Ranking: Best Serum

Sidmool Natural Cold Pressed Jojoba Oil (Glowpick ranking – 4.24)

 

Quite surprisingly, the best serum was voted to be jojoba oil – the same good old jojoba oil that we can get our hands on quite easily here in the West too.

Koreans weren’t picky when it came to their choice of Jojoba oil either – I have cited Sidmool as the winner here, but in reality, many different brands that offered jojoba oil had an equally good rating on Glowpick.

Thus, if you want to follow in the footsteps of Koreans, you don’t need to buy a certain brand of jojoba oil – any company that offers cold-pressed jojoba oil will do just fine.

 

See Best Selling Jojoba Oils On Walmart HERE

 

OTHER OUTSTANDING SERUMS, BOOSTERS & FACE OILS

Rovectin – Skin Essentials Barrier Repair Face Oil (Glowpick ranking – 4.35)

Neogen Dermalogy –  White Truffle Serum In Oil Drop (Glowpick ranking – 4.19)

 

7. Best Sheet Masks

 

Korean Skin Care Brands Ranking: Best Sheet Mask

Real Barrier Aqua Soothing Ampoule Mask (Glowpick ranking – 4.37)

 

Real Barrier’s Aqua Soothing Ampoule Mask is designed for dry, irritated, and sensitive skin.

It’s paraben-free, infused with panthenol to calm, madecassoside to moisturize and allantoin to soothe. It also contains hyaluronic acid which is known to bind moisture to the skin.

 

Related Beauty Post: 10 Extraordinary Korean Sheet Masks

 

The mask is also enriched with bamboo charcoal, which helps to purify skin that has been exposed to and damaged by environmental pollutants – sign us up!

 

See More Of The Product on YesStyle HERE

 

OTHER OUTSTANDING SHEET MASKS

Sum:37 – Secret Programming Mask (Glowpick ranking – 4.42)

AHC – Triple Hyaluronic Wrinkle Care & Whitening Sheet Mask (Glowpick ranking – 4.30)

 

8. Best Eye Creams

Korean Skin Care Brands Ranking: Best Eye Cream

AHC – The Pure Real Eye Cream For Face (Glowpick ranking – 4.17)

Although this eye cream has a funny name, it’s not a translation mishap – The Pure Real Eye Cream For Face was actually named that way intentionally: Many Korean actresses actually recommend using eye cream for the entire face.

Eye cream is the most concentrated skincare product because the eye area is one of the first to show early signs of aging.

AHC’s concentrated eye cream has been enriched with 17 peptide complexes such as the Pamitoyl peptide family (hexa peptide-7, tripeptide-7, pentapeptide-4, etc and acetyl hexapeptide- 8, also known as “botox-peptide”) to firm wrinkles and enhance the skin’s elasticity, while salvia miltiorrhiza bunge extract tackles pigmentation marks.

Rich, nutritious rice extract deeply hydrates the skin as well.

With all these amazing ingredients, it’s no wonder that AHC’s the Pure Real Eye Cream For Face has been the best-selling anti-aging product in 4 home shopping channels for 5 consecutive years! (They’ve sold over 37 million products!)

You can choose to use this eye cream either as an eye cream, a face cream or both – try it out, and see which you think is the best.

(P.S., It’s recommended by Anne Hathaway and EWG – plus it’s completely non-toxic!)

 

 Read More Reviews & Check The Latest Price HERE

 

OTHER OUTSTANDING EYE CREAMS

Sulwhasoo – TimeTreasure Perfecting Eye Cream (Glowpick ranking – 4.21)

Etude House – Pink Vital Water Eye Serum (Glowpick ranking – 3.98)

 

9. Best Face Creams

 

Korean Skin Care Brands Ranking: Best Face Cream

Skinfood Royal Honey Propolis Enriched Cream (Glowpick ranking – 4.35)

 

Skinfood’s propolis line is not only the best-rated essence; it’s also the best-rated face cream according to Koreans!

The Royal Honey Propolis Enriched Cream is a cream specifically formulated to enhance the skin barrier.

Its main ingredient is 7 day matured black bee propolis, which is superior in its vitamin and nutrient content to ordinary honey, providing strength to the moisture barrier layer by layer from the inside out.

 

Related Beauty Post: 9 Affordable Products Like Olaplex

 

Propolis is known to be an anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial ingredient, however, it isn’t the only benefit that this cream offer to the skin: perfect to combat aging, this Skinfood bestseller will leave your fine lines untraceable, and your skin as plump as ever.

 

See More Of The Product on Ebay HERE

 

OTHER OUTSTANDING FACE CREAMS

Su:m37 – Secret Repair Concentrated Cream (Glowpick ranking – 4.24)

 

10. Best Primers

 

Korean Skin Care Brands Ranking: Best Primer

 

Etude House –  Glow On Oil Volume Base (Glowpick ranking – 4.26)

 

The two best-rated primers in Korea are both from Etude House – both of them are from the ‘Glow On’ range, with the oil-based formula designed for dry skin, and the hydra base designed for oily skin.

Both of these formulas are light, so they are best to be applied after your normal skincare routine to add a dewy glow to your makeup.

The main difference between the two primers is that the oil version provides a slick feeling to the skin – if that’s not what you’re after, perhaps try the hydro version.

Some people compare the Etude House’s Glow On Primer to Guerlain’s L’Or (which retails for about x2-3 the price), as the consistency is very similar, and the primer also contains gold flakes! The finish of this product isn’t oily at all, instead, it glides on more like a gel that masks away flaky skin.

 

See More Of The Product on YesStyle HERE | On Ebay

 

OTHER OUTSTANDING PRIMERS

Etude House – Glow On Hydra Base (Glowpick ranking – 4.19)

The Face Shop – Gold Collagen Luxury Base (Glowpick ranking – 4.17)

Hera – Vital Lifting Essential Base SPF 15 PA+ (Glowpick ranking – 4.02)

 

11. Best Face Mists

 

Korean Skin Care Brands Ranking: Best Face Mist

Holika Holika – Stronger Super Ceramide Mist (Glowpick ranking – 4.37)

 

As I mentioned before, ceramide is an amazing ingredient to smooth out uneven skin and to provide extra plumpness.

Holika Holika’s Ceramide Mist is designed to be used throughout the day (if desired) to protect it from drying – the finely dispersed ceramide particles penetrate deeply into the skin, which allows the skin to be hydrated at a cellular level.

The mist also contains oils of orange, lemongrass, chamomile, bergamot, geranium and other natural ingredients, which not only add an amazing scent to the product but also provide moisturizing and anti-aging properties, as well as stimulation of new tissue growth.

 

OTHER OUTSTANDING FACE MISTS

Su:m 37 – WaterFull Timeless Water Gel Mist (Glowpick ranking – 4.12)

 

I hope you found this post useful and as always if there are more topics that you would like me to cover, please let me know in the comments! If you would like to read more about Korean beauty, check out the links to my other K-beauty articles below.

 

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