Are Your Favorite K-Beauty Brands Actually Popular in Korea?
- 8mirrors | K-Skincare Guide
- Apr 9
- 4 min read
Updated: Apr 22
A Deep-Dive of your favorite K-Beauty Brands
K-beauty has taken the world by storm, with countless skincare enthusiasts embracing the gentle, effective routines and innovative products from Korea. But how many of the brands you love and admire from abroad are truly popular in Korea itself? Sometimes, global hype doesn’t match local preferences. Let's explore some well-known Korean skincare brands and check whether they hold the same status in Korea
1. COSRX – The Global Favorite with Strong Korean Roots
Do Koreans Use COSRX Products? Yes!
COSRX is often the first brand that comes to mind when talking about K-beauty abroad. Known for its simple, effective formulas targeting acne and sensitive skin, COSRX has gained a loyal local and international following.
Why Koreans like it: COSRX skincare products use gentle ingredients and avoid unnecessary additives, aligning with Korean skincare’s emphasis on skin barrier health.
Popular COSRX products in Korea: COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patch, COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser and COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid
Popular COSRX products globally: COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence and Advanced Snail 92 All-in-One Cream
2. ANUA – A Rising Star in Korea’s Skincare Scene
Do Koreans Use Anua Products? Yes!
ANUA is well-known in Korea and steadily gaining traction internationally for its botanical-based skincare. The brand highlights natural ingredients and soothing formulas, which resonate well with both Korean and global consumers who prefer gentle, calming products.
Why Koreans like it: ANUA’s focus on plant extracts and minimal irritation fits the Korean skincare philosophy of nurturing the skin.
Popular Anua products in Korea: Anua Heartleaf 77% Soothing Toner, Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil and PDRN + Hyaluron Acid Serum (New!)
Popular Anua products globally: Anua Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum and Anua Azelaic Acid 10 + Hyaluron Serum
3. Beauty of Joseon – Celebrating Korean Heritage
Do Koreans Use Beauty of Joseon Products? No.
Beauty of Joseon stands out by combining traditional Korean herbal ingredients with modern skincare science. This brand has a strong cultural appeal globally, where consumers appreciate products that connect to with Korean heritage.
Why global skincare fans like it: The brand uses ingredients like ginseng and hanbang herbs, which have been used in Korean skincare for centuries.
Popular products: BOJ Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics SPF, BOJ Dynasty Cream, BOJ Glow Serum (Propolis + Niacinamide)
4. SKIN1004 – Known for Centella Asiatica
Do Koreans Use Skin1004 Products? No.
SKIN1004 has carved out a niche with its focus on Centella Asiatica, a plant known for its healing and soothing properties. This ingredient is highly valued in Korean skincare for calming irritated skin.
Why global skincare fans like it: SKIN1004 offers affordable, effective products that suit sensitive skin, reactive skin, rosacea and acne-prone skin.
Popular products: Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Asiatica Ampoule and Skin1004 Centella Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sun Serum
5. Medicube – Targeting Acne and Sensitive Skin
Do Koreans Use Medicube Products? Yes
Medicube focuses on acne and skin barrier repair. It is popular in Korea for its clinical approach to skincare, combined with gentle formulations. In Korea, it's mostly popular for it's devices though, since the introduction of their Age-R Booster Pro skincare devices.
Why Koreans like it: Medicube products are dermatologist-tested and designed to treat problem skin without harsh chemicals. At-home care is also made easy with their Age-R Booster Pro device, which allows you to get clinic-like results from the comfort of your own home, no matter how busy your schedule is
Popular Medicube products in Korea: Medicube Age-R Booster Pro device and Medicube Zero Pore Pads
Popular Medicube products globally: Medicube Pink PDRN Capsule Cream, Medicube PDRN Vita-C Capsule Cream and Medicube Collagen Jelly Cream
6. Celimax – A Brand for Gentle Glow-Ups
Do Koreans Use Celimax Products? Yes!
Celimax has a loyal following as it targets consumers with sensitive or reactive skin. I'm sure you've seen that viral video where a woman with glowing skin gets asked about her routine and she whips out that little green ampoule. Yep, that's the Celimax Noni Ampoule!
Why Koreans like it: Celimax emphasizes skin barrier repair and uses minimal ingredients to reduce irritation.
Popular Celimax products in Korea: Celimax Noni Energy Ampoule, Celimax Retinal Booster Shot (personally adored by the 8mirrors team and CEO herself), and Celimax JiWooGae Heartleaf BHA Peeling Pad
Popular Celimax products globally: Celimax Retinal Booster Shot is definitely the most popular Celimax product internationally these days!
7. Numbuzin – A Trendy Brand with a Focus on Ingredients
Do Koreans Use Numbuzin Products? Yes!
Numbuzin is a newer Korean brand that appeals to younger consumers with trendy packaging and affordable prices. It focuses on hydration, brightening, and effective anti-aging! It's become one of the powerhouses of K-Beauty with its' effective formulations.
Why Koreans like it: The brand offers fun, easy-to-use products that fit into daily routines. The ingredients used are strong and effective enough to see noticeable results, yet gentle enough for regular use
Popular Numbuzin products in Korea: The Numbuzin No.3 Super Glowing range. The entire No.3 Super Glowing range. Very popular amongst locals for reduction of appearance of large pores! Recently, the Numbuzin No.9 NAD+ PDRN Eye Cream and Numbuzin No.5+ Glutathione Vitamin Concentrated Serum
Popular Numbuzin products globally: Numbuzin No.3 Super Glowing Toner and Numbuzin No.5+ Glutathione Vitamin Concentrated Serum
What This Means for Skincare Enthusiasts
Many of the K-beauty brands popular worldwide do have strong followings in Korea, but some are more niche or emerging locally. Korean consumers tend to favor brands that focus on skin health, gentle ingredients, and cultural authenticity. Brands like COSRX and Celimax have successfully bridged local and global markets, while others are loved from abroad as they're marketed to target global consumers.
If a Korean brand is not popular in Korea, does that mean their products are "bad"?
Absolutely not!
When choosing Korean skincare, it helps to look beyond global hype. Skincare is not about hype. Skincare is not about popularity. And most importantly, skincare is not one-size-fits-all. It's important to understand your skin in-depth and from there you can identify which products will suit your current skin condition and concerns.
At 8mirrors, we make this step a lot easier. With our Custom Routine Service, we analyse your skin in-depth to determine which products will be most effective to target your skin concerns and help you on your journey to glowing skin.
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