K-beauty has some very special serums and moisturizers. But, here are the ones that stand above the rest!
Vegreen Fragrance-Free Nature Mucin Serum
This is one of the best K-beauty serums that Cassandra has ever used. Some people say it’s wound healing, and it’s good for acne. This is a vegan version of yams. You get all of the hydration and all of the same ingredients but with zero cruelty. It’s questionable how snail mucin is extracted so vegan is better. Vegreen has a lot of great fragrance-free options. This is one of the most hydrating and skin-reparative serums.
Jumiso All Day Vitamin Brightening & Balancing Facial Serum
This is the all-day brightening serum from Jumiso and vitamin C. This also has niacinamide, licorice, and panthenol. If you’re looking for a brightening serum, this will be the best to apply. It’s a gelatinous texture that absorbs into the skin so well. If you’re someone who’s irritated by vitamin C, you’re going to love this too.
Skin1004 - Madagascar Centella Ampoule
This is one of the best centella products that Cassandra has ever tried. They source their K-beauty from Madagascar. This is 100% centella asatica extract, and the texture is thicker. This is probably your best bet for a serum with healing, anti-redness, and soothing properties.
Goodall Apricot Collagen Youth Firming Cream
This has vegan peptides which penetrate well into the skin. This is such a lightweight, beautiful, fluffy moisturizer, and it’s also a $30 dupe for Kim K’s moisturizer. The ingredients are so good, but it’s not like apricot seeds. It’s made from the nourishing pulp of apricots which contains vitamin C among other benefits.
Purito Centella Green Level Eye Cream
This is an essence that gives pure hydration with a couple of antioxidant boosts. It is one of the first essences and K-beauty toners that Cassandra tried. It’s a little less viscous than the Pyang Kul Essence. But, it has more ingredients such as centella, panthenol, and vitamin B5. It’s definitely a more calming moisturizer. So, if you’re struggling with redness or irritation, this is going to be the best bet for you. The pH of this product is 5.5 which is the pH level our skin likes to hang out at naturally.
CosRX Balancium Comfort Ceramide Cream
This is very good for sensitive skin. It’s basic but hydrating and skin-supporting. There are also other ingredients like centella, sunflower oil, and palm oil. The cream is great for dry skin. You could use it by itself or over a lighter moisturizer like the apricot one.
Purito - Deep Sea Pure Water Cream
This is hydrating and filled with niacinamide, panthenol, and hyaluronic acid. As for the deep sea water, it’s actually water from the deep sea. Deep sea water is a bit thicker and saltier, and it’s very hydrating for the skin. It’s exfoliating as well. This is a thick moisturizer, and since Cassandra has oily skin, she uses this as a night cream.
Purito - Dermide Cica Barrier Sleeping Pack
This has squalane and panthenol, and it’s even more hydrating and moisturizing than the Purito Deep Water Serum. It’s more similar to the CosRx screen. It feels a little more like an ointment and gives your skin a glazed donut look, but it’s very lightweight. The ceramides are also so hydrating and skin supportive.
Frudia Pomegranate Nutri-Moisturizing Cream
Frudia Blueberry Hydrating Intensive Cream
Frudia Citrus Brightening Cream
These Frudia products all smell wonderful, and the ingredients are much more lightweight. You’ll see a base of glycerin, but the fruit extracts make them great antioxidant moisturizers to wear with SPF during the summer.
Some By Mi - AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Cream
While K-beauty doesn’t always have the best formulas for acne-prone skin, this is a great option. This moisturizer is basically an extra gentle, K-beauty version of The Ordinary’s AHA/BHA peel. This has AHA and BHAs, but it also has polyhydroxy acids. This cream doesn’t cause peeling, and this is a great option for sensitive skin or for someone who is trying to accustom their skin to chemical exfoliation.
This has a slightly green tint, and it has centella at 70%. So, this cream is very soothing for breakout-prone skin, and the green tint can help neutralize redness. Cassandra loves this so much. Because K-beauty is so hydrating and gentle, they don’t normally have a ton of actives. But, this is one of the best K-beauty products that Cassandra has ever gotten for her acne-prone skin.
However, remember that none of these products matter unless you’re wearing sunscreen, and luckily Stylevana sells three of Cassandra’s most favorite K-beauty and chemical sunscreens affordably.
Isntree Hyaluronic Watery: Sun Gel
This has niacinamide, fig, 8 different forms of hyaluronic acid, and it’s an SPF 50. The hyaluronic acid binds to other hydrating ingredients and pulls moisture into the skin. This is one of the most lightweight, dewy sunscreens Cassandra has ever used. It doesn’t break out her oily, acne-prone skin, and it doesn’t make her skin look overly greasy. This protects Cassandra’s face, and upon using it properly, her skin has never gotten a sunburn. This sunscreen takes under 30 seconds to absorb, and under makeup, it sits on the skin like a primer.
Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotic SPF 50
This is so similar to the Watery Sun Gel. It’s a little thicker than the isntree one, but it’s perfect for reapplication throughout the and going under makeup. It smooths out pores while providing hydration and nourishment.
Beauty of Joseon Matte Sun Stick: Mugwort + Camelia SPF 50
Skin1004 - Centella Hylu-Cica Water Fit Sun Cream
The Cica Water Fit cream is very lightweight and airy with water and oil-based ingredients. This is not a matte or dewy sunscreen. It just gives your skin a nice hydrated look.
Haruharu WONDER Black Rice Moisture Airyfit Daily Sunscreen
This is a lightweight mineral sunscreen packed with antioxidants.
Mixsoon Centella Sun Cream SPF 50
Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Airy Sun Stick SPF 50
This is a basic sunscreen but a good sunscreen. It rubs in very quickly, and sun sticks are wonderful for making timely reapplications throughout the day.
