high end korean skincare brands

10 High End Korean Skincare Brands 2023 | K-Beauty Brands You Have To Know About

Discover the high end Korean skincare brands and some of their best-selling skincare products. Also check out the most expensive Korean skincare brand and if they are the best!

Most high end Korean skincare brands combine the best of modern technology with age-old Korean beauty secrets.

And this is why K-beauty is such a hit. Korean skincare products also often use the most effective yet unorthodox natural ingredients like ginseng, snail mucin, bee venom, tiger grass, among others in their creams, serums, and ampoules. 

Everyone’s heard of the popular K-beauty routine by now. But if you’re wondering what makes Korean skincare so admired all over the world, here’s a little secret.

They have a skin-first approach, where there is more emphasis on hydrating, healing, and protecting skin to get that much-Instagrammed “glass skin”.

Related: Best Innisfree Products

High End Korean Skincare BrandsKnown ForBest Product
InnisfreeIngredients from Jeju IslandInnisfree The Green Tea Seed Serum
SulwhasooTraditional Korean IngredientsSulwhasoo Essential Balancing Emulsion
Neogen DermalogyWide Skincare Range Neogen Dermalogy Bio-Peel Gauze Peeling Pads
Dr Jart+Ceramidin-based FormulaDr Jart+ Dermask Ceramidin Sheet Masks
CosrxAffordable SkincareCOSRX AC Collection Acne Patch
LaneigeDeep HydrationLaneige Water Sleeping Mask
Dear KlairsSensitive Skin CareDear Klairs Supple Preparation Unscented Toner
BentonAnti Aging ProductsBENTON Aloe Propolis Soothing Gel
Saturday SkinPeptide-based FormulaSaturday Skin Wide Awake Brightening Eye Cream
CommonLabsVitamin-based FormulaCOMMONLABS Vitamin B5 Moisture Ampoule

But with so many fakes and dupes in the market, and every random cream claiming to be a part of the elite K-beauty circle, we thought it was time to do a round up of the best of the best.

So here are some of the top high end Korean skincare brands in the world!

High End Korean Skincare Brands 2022

Innisfree

If we were to pick the most popular Korean skincare brand, it would definitely be Innisfree. This K-beauty company is well known all over the world right now. This brand is especially known for their serums and emulsions. 

The Green Tea line which comprises two variants, Green Tea Seed for dry skin and Green Tea Balancing line for combination and oily skin is one of the best selling skincare products in Korean beauty. 

Started in 2000, this Korean skincare brand has achieved phenomenal success in a very short time. They are known for their natural formula that takes care of every skin issue, from dryness to acne to aging.

All herbal ingredients are specially sourced from Korea’s Jeju island, which is one of the new seven wonders of the world. 

Innisfree The Green Tea Seed Serum

Sulwhasoo

Sulwhasoo is a part of the larger parent company AmorePacific, which could be called the Estee Lauder of Korea.

This company is known for its luxurious skincare items that are both natural and powerful.

Like most high end skincare products, Sulwhasoo is also on the expensive side. But some of the products are totally worth it.  

Most of these herbal ingredients like red ginseng, peony flowers,  castor oil, and others are cultivated on the AmorePacific farm for quality.

Sulwhasoo is a crowd favorite as it has mastered the art of combining technology with traditional Korean beauty secrets. 

The toners, emulsions, serums, and essences are among the most popular products from this brand. 

Sulwhasoo Essential Balancing Emulsion

Neogen Dermalogy

Founded in the year 2000 in Korea, Neogen Dermalogy has now over 1000 stores worldwide. What we liked most about this brand is their commitment to tailoring a skincare product to suit your individual needs. 

Their skincare line is divided based on different skin concerns like acne, aging, sensitive skin, dryness, oiliness, and skin brightening.

You will find a wide range of products from this brand. They have cleansers, toners, emulsions, eye creams, moisturizers, and even sun blocks. 

But that’s not all there is. Neogen also has a makeup line! So it’s not just one of the high end Korean skincare brands, it’s a very popular makeup brand too. The lip tints and cushion pacts are especially famous.  

Neogen Dermalogy Bio-Peel Gauze Peeling Pads

Dr Jart+

The name of this company might not sound very Korean. But its origin, formulas, and products are one hundred percent Korean. This K-beauty company was started in 2004 by a Korean dermatologist named Dr. Jung Sung-Jae. And the rest, as they say, is history! 

Dr Jart+ is famous for its use of ceramides and Centella Asiatica extracts. These two ingredients frequently make an appearance in Dr Jart+ products, especially in their very popular Cicarepair collection for sensitive skin. 

If you have sensitive skin or dry skin then this brand has some amazing products for you. From the Tiger Grass Color Correcting Cream for inflamed skin to the Ceramidin moisturizer, they’ve got you covered when it comes to skin issues.

Dr Jart+ Dermask Ceramidin Sheet Masks

Cosrx

You don’t have to be a super fan of Korean beauty to know the name ‘Cosrx’. This K-beauty brand is now famous worldwide! What is so amazing about Cosrx, especially when compared to other high end Korean skincare brands is the pricing. 

It looks like a luxury product. It feels like a luxury product. These products work super effectively like high end products are supposed too. But they never burn a hole in your pocket.

Cosrx has some of the more affordable skincare items in the market. 

This brand covers a wide range of skin issues. But honestly? It’s their acne and oily skin line that steal the show.

From hydroxy acid toners (rich in AHA and BHA) to pimple patches that almost miraculously fade your acne away, there are so many items to choose from. 

COSRX AC Collection Acne Patch

Laneige 

Another high end Korean skincare brand with a not-so Korean name is Laneige. The name literally means “snow” in French. And we think it’s quite fitting considering most of Laneige’s products are designed to give you soft, dewy skin.

If you want younger-looking, hydrated skin that seems to glow from within, Laneige is the brand whose door you need to knock on.

They use hydro-ionised mineral water to create something called Water Complex – a patented formula that is a major ingredient in all their recipes.  

The best example of this can be found in the Laneige Water Mask which adds moisture to your skin cells without leaving it even a tiny bit greasy. 

Laneige Water Sleeping Mask

Dear Klairs

Like Cosrx is famous for its acne line and Laneige for its moisturizing products, Dear Klairs is an amazing Korean skincare brand for sensitive skin.

Almost all their products are super gentle on the skin and do not contain anything that might irritate the skin further. 

So you will find that most of their products are free of sulfates, parabens, mineral oils, artificial colorants, strong fragrances and the like.

And the best part is that this brand doesn’t just take care of your skin. 

It’s one hundred percent cruelty free. So it’s a great choice for the environment as well. The history behind the name of the brand is also quite interesting.

Originally just called Klairs, it was rebranded as “Dear Klairs” as a nod to a letter written by women with skincare issues. 

Dear Klairs Supple Preparation Unscented Toner

Benton

One thing most high end Korean skincare brands promise to do is to help with aging. Korean anti-aging ingredients and formulas have taken the wrinkle cream world by storm.

So it’s no wonder that Benton is especially famous for its anti-aging products. 

Here’s a fun fact. The name Benton was inspired by the Scott F Fitzgerald story,  “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”. A story where the protagonist ages backwards and looks younger as he grows older. A fitting name, we say.

Benton uses ingredients like bee propolis, snail mucin extracts, and other lesser-known herbs that help reverse signs of aging. But despite the unorthodox ingredients list, these products are all ECOCERT-endorsed.

 

BENTON Aloe Propolis Soothing Gel

Saturday Skin

Saturday Skin is one of those Korean brands with the cutesy packaging. Their products are literally hard to miss, as they come in such bright colors and stylish containers. But that’s not all what this high end Korean skincare brand is all about.

The main ingredients used in Saturday Skin products are peptides, probiotics, and a unique, patented formula called the Cha-7 es Complex. These help fight several skin problems from aging to dryness, and pigmentation. 

Saturday Skin Wide Awake Brightening Eye Cream

CommonLabs

When it comes to luxury or high-end Korean skincare, no list is complete without CommonLabs. Like most K-beauty brands, they combine the most potent skin care technology with natural ingredients.

Their products include ampoules, serums, face masks, cleansers and more.

These products are known for their powerful formulas that show results in just a few days of use.

CommonLabs products are great for acne, fine lines and wrinkles, pigmentation, and other such skin conditions. 

COMMONLABS Vitamin B5 Moisture Ampoule 

high end korean skincare products

FAQs about High End Korean Skincare Brands

Is Fresh a Korean brand?

No, Fresh is not a Korean brand. It is actually an American skincare brand started by Alina Roytberg in Boston as a small apothecary

Are Korean Skincare brands really better?

Well, Korean skincare certainly is different. It might work on some people’s skin and might not show results on others. So you can’t really classify Korean skincare products under the umbrella term “better”.

However, Korean skincare brands do have some special ingredients in them such as Jeju green tea, snail mucin, bee propolis, Korean red ginseng, ceramide, etc. that makes them stand out from other skincare products.

Also Korean technology is very advanced and judging by how Korean girls are so pretty it is safe to assume their skincare is doing something others are not.

What are the most affordable Korean skin care brands?

We’ve listed out the high end Korean skincare brands above. But these are luxurious products. If you’re looking for more affordable skincare brands you can check out:
Skinfood
– Missha
– Mizon
– Etude House
– Iope
These are some of the best-selling Korean skincare brands that won’t burn a hole in your pocket.

Is laneige a luxury brand?

No. Laneige might be considered a more high end Korean skincare brand. But it’s by no means a luxury brand. They have a lot of affordable products as well like their Laneige Glowy Lip Balm that won’t burn a hole in your pocket like other luxury brand would.

Conclusion

Korean skincare brands are now popular worldwide.

Some users even prefer them over western beauty products due to their natural ingredients and gentle formula.

These high end Korean skincare brands are not just a fad, they deliver effective results and help with several skin issues.

Some of these brands even have makeup and hair care lines for the whole Korean beauty experience. 

Also Read

Similar Posts