These K-Beauty Moisturizers Gave Me Glass Skin (2025)

This hardworking cream is filled with moisturizing goodness without ever feeling too thick or goopy on my skin. Packed with skin-loving ingredients (think: shea butter, panthenol, and sunflower seed oil to moisturize) and free from potential irritants, the formula works to strengthen the skin barrier, making it an ideal pick for virtually any skin type. My skin drinks the stuff right up. But the best part might just be the genius twist-and-lock mechanism that keeps the tube clean and the formula free from bacteria—making it travel-safe for even the bumpiest of road trips.

• Key ingredients: Panthenol, madecassoside, sunflower seed oil, shea butter
• Size: 2.02 oz
  
• Best for: All skin types
  

Glowing customer review: “The best, most inexpensive unscented night cream I've ever used. For the dryer nights I use a thicker layer and my skin sucks it up like a kid with candy. The next morning my face feels rejuvenated and fresh. I had to buy extras since my husband uses this now and loves it!”

If you’re all about keeping things as simple as possible, two separate moisturizers for day and night are out of the question. Instead, try this cream from Peach & Lily, which drenches skin with deep hydration and soothing ingredients, but feel heavy. It provides all the TLC you want from a nighttime moisturizer—thanks to collagen-boosting peptides, soothing niacinamide, and antioxidant-rich matcha—with all the immediacy you look for in the morning, since it sinks right into your skin. I even notice it helps reduce some redness, which is great before going in with skin tint or concealer.

• Key ingredients: Matcha, peptide complex, niacinamide, cape lilac
• Size: 1.69 oz
  
• Best for: Normal, combination, oily, acne-prone, sensitive
  

Glowing customer review: “Instantly reduces redness in my skin and makes my skin so soft and supple! The texture is amazing and it is LITERALLY the best moisturizer for under makeup. No pilling or separating of anything! I couldn't live without this!”

Looking for high-grade results at not-so-high prices? Peach Slices has you covered with this glow-inducing moisturizer. The formula centers around K-beauty superstar snail mucin, which is known as somewhat of a cure-all for lackluster skin—hydrating, brightening, calming, and plumping in one fell swoop. It’s the Goldilocks of texture (not too thick, not too thin) and sinks into your skin within minutes. At under 20 bucks, it’s basically a no-brainer.

This pick is pretty rich, so it's prob not going to be a fave for those with oily skin. Instead, try the Peach Slices oil-free version, which has a gel texture that dries down to a matte finish to help keep shine at bay.

• Key ingredients: Snail mucin, squalane, hyaluronic acid
  
• Size: 2.8 oz
  
• Best for: Normal, combination, dry, mature, acne-prone
  

Glowing customer review: “I have combination skin with deep cystic acne and very dark post-inflammatory marks— this moisturizer has lightened them, softened my skin, improved my overall skin texture, reduced my redness, AND I've been having fewer breakouts. I really love this stuff. The price can't be beat, it feels great on the skin (not too oily, no residue, sits well under primers and foundations), the packaging is TSA friendly and it's truly improved my skin.”

This ultra-luxe cream moisturizes and firms my skin using two proprietary complexes filled with a laundry list of botanical ingredients, such as goji berry, black soybean, arrowroot, and pueraria lobata root extract. Together, they offer some antioxidant protection—plus seriously hydrate my skin, and over time can help improve skin elasticity and lessen the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles for a supple, bouncy complexion. It has a rich, whipped consistency that instantly locks in moisture but feels comfortable and velvet-y smooth on my face. Plus, if you’re into fragrance in your skincare, it has a beautiful calming herbal scent.

• Key ingredients: Honey, goji berry, black soybean, arrowroot, jujube, pueraria lobata root extract
• Size: 2.5 oz
  
• Best for: Normal, dry, combination, mature
  

Glowing customer review: “My skin is very dry, and I have tried many well-known brands in this price range, but this is my favorite! To hydrate my face, I'd apply oil on top of my moisturizers but haven't needed to while using this cream. I like that it doesn't feel heavy on my face and I wake up to soft, moisturized, dewy skin. I have a strong nose, so I generally prefer fragrance free but didn't mind this scent. The best way to describe it is that it's light, pleasant, and ‘pretty.’ I will probably repeat purchase this moisturizer.”

You didn’t think I’d talk about K-beauty and only mention snail mucin once, did you? After all, the hardworking ingredient really is like a one-stop-shop for nourished, calm, and hydrated skin—and enriched with 92 percent snail mucin, this moisturizer seriously delivers, targeting roughness, irritation, and dehydration in a gel formula that’s perfect for oilier skin types. It also helps revitalize sensitized skin after flare-ups like rosacea and breakouts.

• Key ingredients: Snail mucin, hyaluronic acid
• Size: 3.52 oz
• Best for: Normal, oily, combination, acne-prone, sensitive

Glowing customer review: “This product is fantastic. Lightweight but moisturizes well, has minimal to no smell, and extended use has made my skin more firm and bouncy. Works great as an AM moisturizer and PM moisturizer, and can be layered with an occlusive on top for even more hydration. Did not irritate my very acne-prone skin, and absorbs quickly enough to be used under makeup and sunscreen.”

Let's be real: Lots of moisturizers are loaded with botanicals and fragrances that can be irritating for sensitive skin. Luckily, irritant-free formulas are kind of like K-beauty’s bread and butter, and this CosRX pick is no different. Like a glass of water for your skin, this hyaluronic acid-based moisturizer helps draw moisture into my skin, then locks it all in, all without the use of fragrances and essential oils. Plus, the gel formula feels cooling on my skin, which provides immediate relief to any inflammation I might have. I slather it on my skin, and it's immediately supple and plump, and my irritation is actually soothed too. What more could a sensitive skin girlie ask for?

• Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, hippophae rhamnoides water, panthenol, niacinamide
• Size: 3.53 oz
• Best for: Normal, dry, combination, mature, sensitive

Glowing customer review: “I've been struggling with eczema my whole life. I've used so many different moisturizers, so much money wasted, but this product has really helped me. I’m on my second jar. If you have eczema, give it a try. I highly recommend this for everyone, especially my folks with very sensitive skin.”

Allow me to introduce you to the closest thing to a cozy blanket for your face. Illiyoon's ultra-comforting moisturizer encapsulates high concentrations of ceramides alongside fatty acids and cholesterol to boost your skin barrier and deliver potent hydration without provoking irritation. The thick texture is immediately moisturizing upon application and, according to the brand, continues to boost moisture levels in the skin for 100 hours (!). Meanwhile, it reduces sensitivity and diminishes irritation and discomfort thanks to its soothing formula and cushiony feel.

• Key ingredients: Black bean capsule ceramides, soja extract
• Size: 2.3 oz
• Best for: Normal, sensitive, dry

Glowing customer review: “I will be using this product for a long time. I have been searching for years for a moisturizer that really makes my skin feel hydrated and soft but not oily and I have finally found the product. 10/10 for the price point, quality, effectiveness, and gentleness. Don’t look anywhere else. This is the product.”

It’s rare that reviewers with dry and oily skin agree on a moisturizer—oily skin types usually prefer something lightweight with more of a gel consistency, while drier skin types tend to go for something rich and cushion-y—but Sulwhasoo’s signature cream manages to make everyone happy, with rave reviews on both sides of the spectrum. The silky-soft formula centers around Korean skincare ingredient darling, ginseng, which helps address visible signs of aging, redness and puffiness, hyperpigmentation, and even damage from environmental aggressors. No wonder everyone’s such a fan.

• Key ingredients: Ginseng peptide, squalane, enzyme-treated ginseng saponins
• Size: 1 oz
• Best for: Normal, dry, oily, combination, mature, acne-prone

Glowing customer review: “I really like this renewing cream. It is very good for combination skin like mine. I like that the texture is light so it doesn't feel heavy on the skin. I must also say that it hydrates a lot and I love that it leaves my skin so soft and smooth. I am using it day and night.”

Oily, acne-prone skin is notoriously finicky—and particularly picky when it comes to moisturizers. After all, more moisture isn’t always what you’re looking for. That’s why Peach Slices’s acne moisturizer focuses on lightweight hydration and gentle exfoliation with acne-fighting MVP salicylic acid to reduce shine while supporting the skin barrier. The oil-free formula is key here, keeping the product from weighing down your skin or clogging pores.

"This is my go-to moisturizer in the morning before sunscreen on my extremely acne-prone skin," says beauty editor Beth Gillette. "The lightweight consistency absorbs as I massage it into my skin, so it doesn't add any excess shine."

• Key ingredients: Salicylic acid, niacinamide, cica, cucumber
• Size: 2.8 oz
• Best for: Oily, acne-prone

Glowing customer review: “I've been using this moisturizer for four weeks. I have very oily, acne-prone skin. It provides the perfect amount of moisture for me for the morning and I noticed a reduction in the oil production of my skin throughout the day. I've also had an improvement of my acne and a reduction in the number of breakouts. I'm always wary of trying new products on my face because my skin is sensitive and I've had bad reactions in the past. But I’ve had no irritation at all with this.”

This unique cream is specially formulated to fight signs of aging before it happens rather than after with a blend of peptides and collagen—both of which are basically the gold-standard when it comes to anti-aging, as they increase elasticity and plump up skin to reduce lines. But what I really love is the lightweight yogurt-like consistency (yup!), because it quickly nourishes and firms as it absorbs into my skin. Meanwhile, a host of probiotics work to repair compromised skin barriers, building up resilience for a healthier complexion.

• Key ingredients: Ceramides, hyaluronic acid, peptides
• Size: 1.76 oz
• Best for: All skin types

Glowing customer review: “My overall experience with this moisturizer has been excellent. I am in my early 40s with sensitive, acne-prone skin. I typically stay away from moisturizers because I have found that they cause me to break out more not less. This moisturizer does the opposite. It actually heals my skin. I noticed a reduced in redness too. I love this stuff!”

Think of Aestura as the CeraVe of Korea—that is, a dermatologist-loved, sensitive skin-approved brand with simple yet effective formulations. And the AtoBarrier365 cream checks all those boxes. A trio of proprietary ceramides, cholesterol, and fatty acids mimics lipids found in your skin, improving its ability to lock in moisture and repair the barrier. And, with encapsulated ceramides, the formula works both immediately and over time to deliver hydration deep within the skin and maintain a lasting presence on the barrier.

• Key ingredients: Ceramides, cholesterol, fatty acids
• Size: 2.7 oz
• Best for: Normal, dry, sensitive

Glowing customer review: “I really love this moisturizer. I have purchased 3 more times since my initial [purchase]. It’s a really nice hydrating but non greasy moisturizer for day/night. There are small white ceramide beads that dissolve when you apply to skin. It’s nice for layering at night if you like and doesn’t pill with makeup in the day. There is no scent and this is a great undiscovered moisturizer.”

There’s nothing worse than itchy, red, hot skin. But this honey-based cream from CosRX is basically the antidote to inflammation. A trio of skin soothers (honey, royal jelly, and propolis) work together to repair and hydrate damaged, sensitive skin. The gentle formula is great for calming post-breakout skin or minimizing the side effects from retinol and AHAs. Perhaps most impressive, it manages to do all this while maintaining a lightweight, gel-cream texture that’s cooling to the touch.

• Key ingredients: Propolis extract, honey extract, royal jelly
• Size: 2.9 oz
• Best for: All skin types

Glowing customer review: “I wish I could rate this higher because it's one of the rare products that deserve it. I have acne prone, combo skin that's very sensitive/reactive and diagnosed with rosacea, and this is probably one of the rare moisturizers that actually works and doesn't break me out or leave me greasy 30 minutes later. It melts and spreads so well. As an esthetician, I've tried so many moisturizers to work with my skin and the ones that didn't break me out left my skin feeling not so moisturized/tight and red."

This moisturizer does a little bit of everything, all in a lightweight, non-sticky gel-cream formula. And when I say everything, I mean it—it calms inflammation and acne, helps prevent signs of aging, hydrates and soothes the skin, and supports the moisture barrier, thanks to a combo of soothing cica and calendula, moisturizing jojoba oil, and hydrating hyaluronic acid. It has a gentle cooling sensation upon application and really coats my skin with hydration, but doesn't feel like I have anything on my face. Plus, it’s particularly great for acne-prone skin, according to Gillette.

• Key ingredients: Houttuynia cordata (heartleaf), calendula, centella asiatica, jojoba oil
• Size: 2.82 oz
• Best for: All skin types

Glowing customer review: “I purchased the Heartleaf moisturizer when I was looking for a separate cream to use at night to rehydrate my skin after a long day, and I am not disappointed. It has a very light, sort of floral aroma that isn't overpowering; and fades quickly after application. My skin feels super soft, hydrated, and cool after I use it! Highly recommended, and will be purchasing again!”

That crunchy, sugar-coated fruit kabob you’ve been seeing all over your feeds? That’s tanghulu, and its glassy coating is the inspiration behind Olivia Umma’s Glass Skin line. The Pudding Calming Cream simultaneously soothes and hydrates with centella asiatica and aloe vera, as well as hyaluronic acid and ceramide which work to attract and retain water into the skin. The result is glossy skin worthy of a selfie (or 10).

• Key ingredients: Fig extract, rhodomytrus tomentosa fruit extract, ceramide, aloe vera, centella asiatica extract
• Size: 1.76 oz
• Best for: All skin types

Klairs’s bb blue moisturizer soothes sensitive and reactive skin, thanks to a slew of plant-based ingredients that can help calm inflammation and redness. Use it to relieve redness and sun damage post-beach day, alleviate eczema or rosacea flare-ups, diminish inflamed acne, or help heal the skin post-laser treatments—the use cases are endless and the results are consistent. Think of it as your go-to elixir for any and all skincare woes; it simply calms and soothes like nothing else. Even with its exceptional healing properties, reviewers swear it never pills.

• Key ingredients: Guaiazulene, centella asiatica, shea butter, jojoba seed oil
• Size: 2 oz
• Best for: All skin types

Glowing customer review: “I love this cream! I have extremely dry skin that has overall redness. I've always used various types of moisturizers that are thick and slather them on to help my skin problems. But I end up rarely writing reviews because they are all just average. But ever since I started using this before bed, I've woken up with such calmer and less red skin and this is the only thing I've changed in my routine.”

Korean moisturizers aren't necessarily "different" from American formulations (they both offer up hydration, as all moisturizers do). But, according to countless reviews, they usually are a bit more cosmetically elegant, since Korea is a global mecca for skincare innovation. Simply put, because Korean formulas are so good already, formulators have more leeway to play around with different textures and feels—and that’s especially true when it comes to their moisturizers.

“Korean moisturizers over-deliver on delightful experiences,” explains Alicia Yoon, aesthetician and founder and CEO of Peach and Lily. “You can find so many interesting textures, and there’s something for everyone," she adds, explaining that effective formulas are just the tip of the iceberg in Korea, where they really put a focus on "sensorial payoff."

With that said, barrier repair tends to be a core tenet in Korean skincare products, along with a focus on prevention and strengthening the skin, says dermatologist Ranella Hirsch, MD. As a result, their moisturizers tend to be hardworking multitaskers that are chock full of skin-loving ingredients that work to gently improve and support the skin.

Since a moisturizer’s main job is to hydrate, Yoon suggests starting by looking for proven humectants like glycerin, hyaluronic acid, polyglutamic acid, and urea. There are also a few hydrating ingredients that are more commonly found in Korean moisturizers, like snail mucin, fermented ingredients, centella asiatica, ginseng, and rice water, Dr. Hirsch says. There’s also tea tree oil and propolis, which she says have something of a reputation for helping breakouts and acne-prone skin.

Of course, watch out for anything your skin is sensitive to, like fragrances or any ingredients you’ve noticed your skin reacts to poorly. Yoon also suggests looking for active ingredients that offer a specific benefit you might be targeting, like visibly firming or brightening or calming—and see if the brand has done any clinical studies to see what kind of results to expect.

Assess your skin's sensitivity.

If you're usually sensitive to botanicals and fragrance, take a look at the ingredients list before picking up a Korean moisturizer. These formulas often use a mix of herbal ingredients, which can be great for some, but irritating for others. We noted the ingredients above and how reviewers' with sensitive skin rate the product (yw!).

Consider the formula type.

The cherry on top of Korean moisturizers is that elevated sensorial experience, so once you’ve considered ingredients, it’s time to think about the best texture for your skin type and concerns. For oily and acne-prone skin, a water-based, gel moisturizer is likely a good place to start. Meanwhile, if you tend to be more dry, you’ll want to look for a thicker formula packed with lipids. Skin type aside, think about what you like most in a moisturizer—is it something that feels cushion-y and soft? Does it dry down quickly? Or do you like to still be able to feel it when you wake up in the morning? Answering those types of questions will help you identify your perfect K-beauty moisturizer.

• Ranella Hirsch, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist based in Boston, MA. She's well-versed in skincare ingredients and formulations, and is also the founder of Atolla, a custom skincare service.
• Alicia Yoon is an aesthetician and the founder of Peach and Lily, a Korean skincare brand with sensitive-skin friendly formulas that deliver.