Is it an exaggeration to call South Korea the capital of skin care? Beauty editors, skin care enthusiasts and anyone with a glass skin complexion don't seem to think so—because who doesn't love supple, dewy skin? Always in on the hottest Korean beauty products is Soko Glam, the ultimate destination for K-beauty shopping. Over 13 years ago, Soko Glam’s skin-care experts began testing hundreds of products, culminating in the Best of K-Beauty Awards, an event highlighting the very best, most-loved and top-performing K-beauty products every year. Who are this year's winners? Keep reading to see eight products that got top honors and why, plus another four award-winners of years past we're still loving. Even better? They're all 20 percent off. Soko Glam's 2025 Best of K-Beauty Awards officially begins today and runs through October 6.
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Best Toner
With AHA, BHA and PHA in the form of citric acid, salicylic acid and lactobionic acid, respectively, Some By Mi’s Miracle Toner smooths skin texture and shrinks the look of pores without stripping skin or causing irritation, thanks to hyaluronic acid and niacinamide.
BUY NOW - $18
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Best Chemical SPF
Thank You Farmer exploded in popularity in 2024, according to Spate, likely because Korean SPFs set the bar for moisturizing sun protection. This lightweight, hydrating sun cream uses vitamins B5, K3, E and B3, plus panthenol and niacinamide to soothe and protect the skin barrier.
BUY NOW - $
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Best Essence
According to the brand, mugwort extract has powerful anti-inflammatory properties and is rich in antioxidants. In essence form, it absorbs directly onto skin (after cleansing) to help stimulate collagen and plump up your complexion.
BUY NOW - $32
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Best Barrier Repair
This deeply hydrating moisturizer contains 10 percent panthenol, bamboo extract, squalane and niacinamide to boost your glow and strengthen skin.
BUY NOW - $18
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Best Oil Cleanser
Charlotte Cho, the co-founder of Soko Glam, is also the brains behind Then I Met You, one of our favorite skin-care brands. The hero product is easily the Cleansing Balm, an oil-based cleanser that melts away makeup, sunscreen and oil with a formula of antioxidant-rich seaberry oil, healing vitamin E and nourishing olive and grapeseed oils.
BUY NOW - $31
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Best Water Cleanser
For oily and acne-prone skin types, Neogen's green tea-rich cleanser rids the face of blemish-causing sweat and dirt while calming inflamed skin.
BUY NOW - $18
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Best Mineral SPF
Knours Koolsol is a must-have mineral SPF. It has a hydrating, serum-like formula chock full of cica (centella asiatica), snow mushroom, aloe, panthenol and niacinamide that nourishes skin and leaves a glowy finish.
BUY NOW - $20
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Best Mask
We've written at length about Biodance's mega-viral Bio Collagen Real Deep Mask because it really works. Using ultra-low molecular weight collagen and low molecular weight hyaluronic acid, it replenishes moisture, firms skin and boosts elasticity. Apply it and remove when the mask turns translucent.
BUY NOW - $15
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With 77.2 percent of Extreme Biome (a combination of bifida ferment lysate and 10 other probiotics), MISSHA's ampoule is ace for correcting common symptoms of aging like uneven texture and decreased skin elasticity. According to the brand, "ingredients are fermented with Missha's EXTREME FERMENT Method, a unique three-step fermentation method that stably delivers an extreme boost of active ingredients to the skin."
BUY NOW - $43
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If pure retinol products tend to cause your skin more problems than benefits, try Naturium's Retinol Complex Cream. It uses a blend of encapsulated retinol, bakuchiol (a natural retinol alternative), hydrating squalane and lipids to give you the benefits of retinol (less wrinkles, dark spots and acne, to name a few) without irritation.
BUY NOW - $16
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Speaking of dark spots, AXIS-Y's Dark Spot Correcting Glow Serum precisely targets them with five percent niacinamide and adds squalane for long-lasting hydration.
BUY NOW - $18
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If you're unaware, allow us to introduce you to Good Light's Lip Milk. It's creamy, absorbs fast, is super-hydrating and leaves lips smooth as silk all day long.
BUY NOW - $14
