Korean skincare can be affordable and yet have amazing effects that match high-end skincare costing hundreds of dollars. But how do they actually compare with your favorite western beauty? We will go as far as to check the ingredients and benefits for skin to see if Korean skincare are actually worth your attention.

Youthful skin without botox - retinol

The secret to youthful and elastic skin with no need of doing botox - retinol. We’re sure you’ve heard of the two popular aging fighters, Cosrx and The Ordinary. While The Ordinary Retinol 0.5% In Squalane comes in a serum form, Cosrx presents the retinol in an oil form as the The Retinol 0.5 Oil. Both of the products highlight Squalane as the main ingredient, which is an oily liquid known as an amazing moisturizer to make the skin smooth and glowy. Although both products contain natural plant oils, in Cosrx’ Retinol we can clearly tell that it’s a Korean product by Soybean Oil appearing in the ingredient list. This one has been used by so many Korean brands in their skincare showing its effectiveness through calming inflammation, nourishing and repairing skin barrier. Instead of adding a few oils that aim different issues, this one aims all of them at once and acts as a natural, non-irritating perfume in the product.

Glowy skin essential - serum

What’s the secret to viral glass skin? If you’re not a K-beauty newbie, we bet you can name a few already. Definitely one of the top choices would be Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum. How good is it in comparison with the $110 Dior’s Capture Youth Glow Booster? Both products are great for skin brightening with Vitamin C (Dior) and Niacinamide (BOJ). However, BOJ’ Glow Serum proves to be perfect for sensitive, gentle skin with Tamanu Oil as a soothing ingredient, antibacterial and anti-acne ingredients which makes it the perfect choice for both easily-irritated and acne-prone types of skin. Dior definitely is packed with brightening and moisturizing ingredients but also has a non-natural fragrance on its’ list and appears to be a better choice for a mature skin that doesn’t deal with spots or irritations.

Anti-aging fighter - eye Cream

While both Advanced Snail Peptide Cream Cosrx and Clinique All About Eyes eye cream have their own fans, there is one crucial point that makes us click on that “add to the cart” button - 5 Peptides. What do they actually mean? To prevent wrinkles and make the skin youthful, peptides support the production of proteins such as collagen which makes it not only healthier from the outside but also the inside. With the viral ingredient - snail mucin, Cosrx takes care of wrinkles, dehydrated skin and dark spots all at once. While Clinique is packed with moisturizing and brightening ingredients, there is no doubt that Cosrx provides long term anti-aging benefits.

From the base - face cream

With no doubt, Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream is topping the shelfs of American drugstores. Of course, it’s a great cream for some strong moisture, that also effectively soothes irritations. How does StyleKorean’s favorite Mixsoon Bean Cream compare to it? While both are amazing moisturizers, Mixsoon provides also help for dark spots, redness, successfully brightening the skin. Also, as opposed to the American rival, it’s cruelty free. 

Surely you have your favorite western products that you cannot live without but hopefully this post encourages you to try something new and see the benefits of using Korean skincare. Let us know if there are any Korean products that encouraged you to switch from western beauty and why you liked them so much!