What Is K-Beauty? Upgrade Your Skin With These Under $50 Products
This page may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon affiliate, we may earn a small commission for any purchases made through these links. Click here for the disclosure statement.
K-Beauty is an international beauty trend seen throughout all forms of social media, discussions with friends, and probably from your favorite influencer. Either way, what makes it so special?
What is K-Beauty?
Well, that depends on who you ask! Some may say that K-beauty is not a real thing; rather, it is a marketing tool used to describe Korean skincare that Korean women have used for centuries. Others may say K-beauty is a skin care bible and the most effective way to achieve flawless skin.
Glass, porcelain, and doll-like skin are all terms used to describe the results of this beauty technique, a multi-step skin regimen that intends to keep the skin healthy, smooth, protected, and youthful. Most say that this can be a 10-step process, but that varies. We have found some of the best K-beauty products for each of the most common ten steps, and they are all under $50!
Step 1: A balm or an oil cleanser
Though some say cleanse with just water, most suggest an oil cleanse for best results. Starting with an oil-based cleanser provides the vital foundation for this multi-step K-beauty process, by ridding your skin of makeup, sebum, soot, and sunscreen without harming your skin in the process.
Image: Soko Glam
Pore Cleansing Oil [PHA]
HANSKIN
All skin types can appreciate the blackhead and breakout prevention this Soko Glam 2019 award-winning cleanser provides. Its combination of PHAs and other ingredients (like tea tree oil) gently exfoliate and smooth the skin while clearing it of impurities.
Image: Amazon
Natural Coconut Cleansing Oil
AROMATICA
Just one or two pumps of this vegan cleanser could leave you “obsessed,” making it one of the best Korean skincare products on this list. It is praised for its true hypoallergenic qualities that thoroughly and easily remove make-up and other debris without irritation.
Image: Amazon
Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm Original
BANILO CO
Best-selling, cult classic, and fan-favorite are all phrases used to describe this Korean cleansing balm. Why do so many people love this? It effortlessly cleanses the skin like no other. Whether it's the presence of botanicals or the absence of harsh chemicals, one small scoop will clear your skin of all impurities, enhance your complexion, and do so without upsetting even the most sensitive skin.
Step 2: A foaming cleanser
Porcelain skin starts with an ultra-clean surface. Double-cleansing with a foaming water-based cleanser will ensure all sweat, dirt, and other debris is gone, creating an essential step to a healthy skin routine.
Image: Amazon
Rice Water Bright Foam Cleanser
THE FACE SHOP
Rice water is a wonderful addition to any beauty routine—K-beauty or not—whether for hair or skin, and the nearly 12,000 positive reviews on Amazon for this cleanser prove why. The natural brightening prowess of the rice water helps create a hydrating, foaming cleanser that softens the skin and boosts skin pigmentation.
Image: Sephora
Pore Clearing Facial Foam with Volcanic Clusters
INNISFREE
Best suited for oily skin types, this Korean skincare product removes debris and unwanted sebum, leaving your pores squeaky clean and your skin feeling refreshed. The smell, lux texture, and gentle smoothness of the foam make this cleanser a relaxing experience that leaves your mind feeling just as refreshed as your skin.
Step 3: An exfoliant
This optional step can be done anywhere from twice a month to up to three times a week. Facial exfoliation rejuvenates your skin by rubbing away dead skin cells and leaving you with a baby smooth finish.
Image: Amazon
AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner
SOME BY MI
This Korean beauty exfoliant is a global best-seller for good reason. The thoughtful combination of skin-improving acids, merged with ingredients like tea tree extract and niacinamide, powerfully work to unload dead skin cells and surplus sebum, while simultaneously reducing dark spots, preventing breakouts, and enhancing your skin’s natural glow.
Image: Amazon
Sweet Therapy Scrub Mask
HUXLEY
You deserve an exfoliant that was made with tender love and care, which are the main properties of this nourishing skin softener. Each bottle is made with hours of hand labor to eventually create the main ingredient: prickly pear seed oil. This labor of love provides an antioxidant effect from the prickly pear seed oil and removes dirt and debris with the help of sucrose. Luffa traps in moisture and the addition of walnut shell powder gets rid of dead skin cells.
Step 4: A toner
Korean toners are not just another step in cleansing like western toners. K-beauty toners are known as “refreshers,” the beginning step towards treatment. They do this by hydrating, softening, and restoring the pH balance of your skin.
Image: Ulta
AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner
COSRX
A beauty item cannot be considered “one of the best” if it does not have repeat customers. Thankfully, this fan favorite has been heralded by faithful admirers as “the best Korean toner on the market.” This toner is loved for its immediate rejuvenating impact that soon transforms dullness into radiance.
Image: Amazon
Organic Flowers Toner
WHAMISA
Primarily made with organic ingredients, this best-seller reduces inflammation, while plumping the skin at the same time. Fine lines can start fading away in just a few weeks of use with this skin tightening and complexion enhancing toner.
Step 5: An essence
Korean women often view the use of an essence as one of the biggest secrets to achieving glass-like skin. An essence is a skin rejuvenation tool that brightens and smooths the skin by enhancing its cell turnover rate. Arguably, this is one of the best Korean skincare products to not skip in your updated beauty routine!
Image: Amazon
Time Revolution First Treatment Essence Intensive Moist
MISSHA
Life-changing for dry skin, this essence—made primarily of fermented yeast—is the solution for all skin types with damage, uneven complexion, or dullness. It brightens, clarifies, refines, and plumps all at an affordable price. Bonus, you won’t need cotton pads to use it!
Image: Soko Glam
The Giving Essence
THEN I MET YOU
Another highly fermented essence, this vegan rejuvenation tool is full of antioxidants and other ingredients like ellagic acid, which creates a cosmetic that protects against UV rays and reduces blackheads, excess sebum, pores, and even premature aging. Right at $50 from Soko Glam, this essence is worth the investment.
Step 6: An ampoule (or serum or emulsion)
More concentrated than an essence, ampoules are a beauty secret many Korean women swear by. These beauty enhancers resolve precise skin concerns like sunspots, fine lines, and acne.
Image: Peace & Lily
Propolis Sparkle Ampoule
TOSOWOONG
This soothing, K-beauty moisturizer is rich in natural ingredients. Propolis makes up 80% of the solution, which boasts anti-inflammatory properties. The eucalyptus oil exfoliates while the citrus oils of lemon, lime, and bergamot tighten and brighten. This blend of ingredients resolves skin concerns like visible pores, hyperpigmentation, dark spots, acne, and dullness, while promoting healthy skin for any skin type.
Image: Amazon
Madagascar Centella Ampoule
SKIN1004
100% natural, this ampoule was crafted with sensitive and acne-prone skin in mind. The only ingredient in this lightweight moisturizer is centella asiatica extract, a natural beautifier with many benefits like evening skin tone, removing excess sebum, and extreme hydration.
Step 7: A sheet mask
One of the most popular and best Korean skincare products to use routinely. Although occasionally used to replace an essence, sheet masks are recommended after applying an essence and an ampoule. They intensify the benefits of previously applied products by increasing your skin's chances of absorbing the nutrients and can be used anywhere from twice a week to daily.
Image: Soko Glam
Tea Tree Essential Blemish Control Sheet Mask
MEDIHEAL
If we are talking about the best Korean skincare products, we have to mention MEDIHEAL, Korea’s number one (and BTS-approved) brand for face masks. The company's sheet masks are varied, but it's their tea tree oil solutions that stand out. This particular best-seller from Soko Glam is both a remedy and prevention tool for acne. The willow bark exfoliates, the rosemary purifies, the tea tree fights breakouts, and the chamomile and asiatic pennywort reduces redness and calms the skin.
Image: Sephora
Derm Mask Water Jet Soothing Hydra Solution
DR. JART+
The ideal remedy for dry or dull skin, this sheet mask is a powerful hydration tool for all skin types. Its key ingredients of aquaxyl (rejuvenates and protects), xylitol (hydrates and seals), aloe vera leaf extract (moisturizes and calms irritation), and phytoncide (soothes) ensure a reinvigorating experience.
Step 8: An eye cream
The area around the eyes is the thinnest on our face and should be cared for delicately. Eye creams hydrate and protect your under-eye skin, while also treating concerns like dark circles and puffiness.
Image: Amazon
Snail Repair Eye Cream
MIZON
What is the must-have beauty product of the year? Snail mucin! (And this eye cream is full of it.)
Snail mucin is a multipurpose beauty tool that increases collagen production and cell regeneration, calms irritation, and helps restore the skin’s natural barrier. These qualities—in addition to the benefits of elastin, antioxidants, proteins, and glycol—make this fast-absorbing cream perfect for reducing fine lines around the eyes.
Image: Nordstrom
Wide Awake Brightening Eye Cream
SATURDAY SKIN
Numbers aren’t always everything, but there’s a reason this eye cream constantly sells out everywhere. Safe for all skin types, this clean formula was developed with revitalizing date seed extract, hydrating hyaluronic acid, peptides, and avocado protein extract. These ingredients blend to form an ultra-moisturizing, firming, brightening, and skin smoothing experience for your eyes.
Step 9: A moisturizer
Layering your skin with additional moisture will keep your skin nourished longer and more intensely. Here, it is suggested to use an emulsion to deeply penetrate the skin with hydration.
Image: Amazon
Aqua-luronic Emulsion
AHC
Dehydration stands no chance against this emulsion’s triple hyaluronic acid, ceramide, and French seawater merger that produces a potent hydration tool. This lightweight moisturizer may be ideal for dry skin but is certainly loved by all since it always sells out fast!
Image: Amazon
Soon Jung 10-Free Moist Emulsion
ETUDE
Wonderful for sensitive skin, this lightweight moisturizer is free of irritating ingredients, such as fragrance, parabens, silicones, dyes, and mineral oil. It is a mostly natural and hypoallergenic solution that works to reduce inflammation, acne, and itching on all skin types.
Step 10: Sleep Mask or Sunscreen (SPF)
This Korean skincare product is the final step, depending on the time of day. If you’re heading for bed, an overnight mask or thick night cream may add more hydration, as well as firmness. If the day is just beginning, a strong SPF will protect your skin from UV rays that may cause skin concerns, like premature wrinkles and sunspots.
Image: Sephora
Water Sleeping Mask with Squalane
LANEIGE
As refreshing as a cool summer breeze, as hydrating as a glass of water, and as light as a feather are all metaphors used to describe this highly adored cult classic. The opulent smell and feel of this mask pale in comparison to the brightening, toning, softening, and even plumping impact it will have on your skin.
Image: Amazon
Soft Finish Sun Milk SPF 50+ PA+++
MISSHA
The best sunscreen is the one crafted with several layers of protection, water resistance, and complexion-enhancing ingredients. That could be why this perfect sunscreen is an international best-seller. You won’t have to fear UV rays or dull and irritated skin after a sweaty day or even dip in the pool. The Thanaka extract and glycerin create a protective barrier, helichrysum flower water reduces irritation and redness, and the Myrciaria dubia fruit extract brightens all while you’re protected from both UVA and UVB rays.