LENS · K-BEAUTY

K-Beauty

Your FYP has been a K-beauty haul for three years and the prices are part of the appeal. These are the ones that hold up: cleansing oils that melt sunscreen, essences that make skin bouncy, and the original pimple patch.

The short answer

K-beauty is great at gentle, hydrating, affordable skincare: toners, essences, light serums, sunscreens and pimple patches. It's not automatically better, but brands like Anua, Beauty of Joseon, COSRX and Torriden offer strong formulas under $30. Start with one hydrating step and one sunscreen.

66 picks

Some picks ship from other brands. We may earn a commission. It never changes our take.

Showing 24 of 66

Show more picks

K-Beauty, answered.

Is K-beauty better than Western skincare?
Not better, different. It leans gentle, hydrating and texture-forward, and it's often cheaper. Many Western brands now use the same ingredients.
What should I buy first?
A cleansing oil if you wear sunscreen or makeup, and one hydrating toner or essence. Build from there.
What's the deal with heartleaf, centella and snail?
They're popular soothing and hydrating ingredients in Korean skincare. Generally well tolerated, though anyone can react to anything, so patch test.
Do these ship from Korea?
Each product shows where it ships from or which retailer it links to.