Whether you want to give Korean beauty [1] products a try for the first time or are already an expert in ampoules [2] and essences, you're definitely not alone. These brands (and 10-step beauty routines) originating in South Korea continue to grow in popularity, and now K-beauty [3] can be found around every corner, including right at Sephora.
It's all about creating a good regimen that helps prevent skin issues [4] you don't want to see before you see them — like fine lines [5] — versus starting to panic if those things have already popped up. Most of these brands focus on naturally derived ingredients, from the plant-based beauty of Primera and Innisfree to the fruit-powered products coming from Glow Recipe. The products we chose here have earned the very best reviews from other Sephora shoppers, so it's a great place to start or discover something new.
Find the top-rated K-beauty skincare sold at Sephora [6] ahead . . . even if you're not quite ready to slather salmon sperm or snail mucin [7] all over your face (yet).
Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Ultra-Fine Mist
Spritz on the Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Ultra-Fine Mist [8] ($28) whenever you or your makeup need a little pick-me-up. The hydrating spray offers up soothing watermelon, and its hibiscus extract contains AHAs to gently smooth the texture of your skin, too.
If your mouth is watering at the thought of watermelon, there's also a new, limited-edition kit with a mini version of this spray alongside the brand's popular watermelon sleeping mask. This Glow Recipe Love Letter Set [9] ($39) is like a love note to your skin, inspired by Netflix's To All the Boys I've Loved Before [10].
Saturday Skin Rub-a-Dub Refining Peel Gel
Saturday Skin Rub-A-Dub Refining Peel Gel [11] ($28) is a gentle peel that takes away dull, dry skin with exfoliating fruit enzymes, like papaya and pineapple, and adds in smoothing peptides and soothing aloe, too. And listen, we know it's the same exact size bottle included in the Saturday Skin Saturday Squeak [12] ($29) set, but isn't that cute little rubber ducky worth the extra dollar?
Laneige Cream Skin Toner and Moisturiser
Laneige Cream Skin Toner and Moisturiser [13] ($33) is creamy like a lotion but lightweight like a toner — and has more than 1,000 reviews from other Sephora shoppers. Using this lightweight liquid rich in white tea leaves means you get double the benefits of softening prep (as it tones) and then maximum hydration (as it moisturises) with just the one product.
Primera Miracle Seed Essence
Essences like the Primera Miracle Seed Essence [14] ($58) help prep skin so serums and creams are absorbed better after toning. This one in particular is not only popular with Sephora shoppers — 98 percent of those who reviewed this product would recommend it to others — but it also features lotus seeds to protect skin against environmental stressors as it hydrates and improves tone and texture.
Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum
The Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum [15] ($84) preps and balances skin (much like an essence) with a blend of five Korean herbs that offer antioxidant-rich moisture to leave the face more receptive to the products that follow.
There's also a newer option — the First Care Activating Serum Limited Edition [16] ($140) — that's twice the size with a regular value of $168.
Innisfree Best Seller Discovery Set
The popular Innisfree Best Seller Discovery Set [17] ($18) makes a perfect intro to the Korean skincare brand as it includes three travel-sized top-rated products: the deep-cleansing Super Volcanic Clusters Pore Clearing Clay Mask [18] ($15) with actual hardened lava, the Green Tea Seed Intensive Hydrating Serum [19] ($27) with nourishing Jeju green tea for added moisture, and the Orchid Youth-Enriched Cream [20] ($29) with an antioxidant-rich flower extract to firm skin — which can also be purchased individually.
Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask
The 8,000+ reviews and 320,000 loves for this Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask [21] ($20) pretty much speak for themselves. But in case you need a little more convincing about this much-loved mask, its vitamin C-rich berry blend is locked into to special moisture-wrapped technology that ensure lips stay soft and smooth overnight (or all day long, depending on when you apply).
Belif Moisturising Eye Bomb
The Belif Moisturising Eye Bomb [22] ($48) drops a ton of lasting hydration in the undereye area along with comfrey leaf to soothe the skin there. This top-rated eye cream uses tiger grass to boost elasticity, leaving skin smooth and supple while also not being too heavy to interfere with any makeup that may follow.
Belif The True Cream Moisturising Bomb
The botanicals in the Belif The True Cream Moisturising Bomb [23] ($38-$62) aren't that different than those in the eye bomb, but this whipped lotion goes all over the face as a cream — or as an emergency mask (to be tissued off). It's earned nearly 2,000 five-star reviews and has been shown to provide up to 26 hours of lasting hydration so skin stays deeply nourished for a long time.
Amorepacific Treatment Enzyme Peel Cleansing Powder
This Amorepacific Treatment Enzyme Peel Cleansing Powder [24] ($22-$60) turns into a foam when water is added, and then enzymes from green tea and papaya help remove dead skin cells, makeup, and dirt so only a radiant complexion is left.
The popular powder (with more than 1,100 five-star reviews) works well when alternated with the Treatment Enzyme Peeling Masque [25] ($70) a couple times a week. This gel-to-cream mask features glycolic acid for deeper exfoliation (along with papapa enzymes), but also includes 60 percent green tea water so skin isn't irritated during that process.
Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Cream
The popular Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Cream [26] ($48-$69) features a proprietary blend of hydrating ceramides to strengthen skin's barrier and offer lasting moisture, too. The thick cream helps protect against roughness and discomfort with beetroot and hyaluronic acid, whether you're faced with extreme temperatures or skin that's dry or itchy for another reason.
Amorepacific Vintage Single Extract Essence
There are only six total ingredients in this Amorepacific Vintage Single Extract Essence [27] ($94-$175), including the highest concentration of green tea found in any of the brand's products. The antioxidants in this fermented green tea work to neutralise external stressors and pollution and help improve skin's clarity, texture, and overall firmness.
Saturday Skin Waterfall Glacier Water Cream
The Saturday Skin Waterfall Glacier Water Cream [28] ($39) highlights mineral-rich water from Alaska that fights free radicals and other threats to young, supple skin. There's also a variety of amino acids, peptides, and plant extracts to improve texture and tone, while the cream provides a flood of lasting hydration.
Sulwhasoo Gentle Cleansing Foam
This Sulwhasoo Gentle Cleansing Foam [29] ($38) manages to take off dirt and makeup — and get deep into your pores — without leaving your face feeling stripped. The top-rated gel-to-foam wash uses a blend of botanical ingredients like chestnut shell extract to soothe skin as it cleanses.
Primera Wild Seed Firming Serum
This Primera Wild Seed Firming Serum [30] ($74) features amino-acid-rich soybeans to fight the early signs of ageing and to keep skin supple and bright. The tightening serum (which earns top marks from other Sephora shoppers) also features black bean extract to support skin's natural moisture barrier so it stays hydrated, even in Winter.
Glow Recipe Avocado Melt Retinol Eye Sleeping Mask
The top-rated Glow Recipe Avocado Melt Retinol Eye Sleeping Mask [31] ($42) uses encapsulated retinol that sits on the surface of skin longer than other retinoids, meaning smaller amounts can be released at a time. The mask also helps depuff and brighten the undereye area, adding avocado to hydrate and coffeeberry to neutralise free radicals.
Innisfree Fermented Soybean Firming Energy Essence
Innisfree Fermented Soybean Firming Energy Essence [32] ($39) features both fermented soybean extract (to firm skin) and amino-acid-rich fermented soybean oil (to smooth and strengthen the skin barrier). Skin is dewy and toned after the essence is applied directly onto the face, or soak cotton pads to make an impromptu sheet mask for more targeted hydration.
Dr. Jart+ Dermask Water Jet Vital Hydra Solution
The cellulose Dr. Jart+ Dermask Water Jet Vital Hydra Solution [33] ($6) is soaked with hyaluronic acid and algae extract for a hydration boost, and aquaxyl and xylitol to enhance that moisture retention for hours to come. This sheet mask also helps boost skin's collagen production so your complexion stays supple and dewy.