The 8 Best Korean Serums For Achieving Clear, Luminous Skin

Even if you’re relatively new to skincare, you’ve probably heard of K-beauty — short for Korean beauty — which has been making waves for quite some time now. According to Jenny Jin, a beauty writer and editor based in Seoul, South Korea, there’s a good reason people are drawn to the best Korean serums. “Though there are plenty of great options in the US and UK, I think Korean serums offer more bang for your buck overall — especially when you consider the quality of ingredients, sensorial textures and thoughtful packaging,” she says.

Indeed, Korean serums have earned their reputation for performance, powered by hardworking ingredients that often go viral once American brands catch on to their efficacy (niacinamide, anyone?). Designed to fit seamlessly into the famed 10-step skincare routine, these serums layer effortlessly with the rest of your regimen. “Formulation and stabilisation are key factors in Korean skincare, resulting in products that don’t pill when layered,” says Eunice Park, a dual board-certified facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon and founder of AIREM Aesthetic Spa in New York.

The 8 best Korean face serums

Best overall: Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum

Sulwhasoo

First Care Activating Serum

• Why we love it: This was one of the very first Korean serums we integrated into our routine, and it remains a staple of our line-up. “Sulwhasoo’s serum is a classic that both my nearly 70-year-old mum and I enjoy using,” shares Jin. Designed to be used directly after cleansing, the blend of herbal ingredients (including ginseng, skullcap and madecassoside, a compound found in cica) works to support your skin barrier, reduce inflammation, and promote a more youthful-looking complexion. “I think of it as a little vitamin boost in my skincare routine,” Jin adds. This serum just makes our skin look better, full stop — there’s a clear radiance and vitality when we use the formula, and we see the difference when we don’t.
• Key ingredients: Baikal skullcap extract, ginseng extract, madecassoside

Best hydrating: Laneige Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Serum

Laneige

Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Serum

• Why we love it: While Laneige’s legendary sleeping masks tend to get all of the acclaim, we’re fans of this sleeper-hit serum, which delivers a serious dose of hydration with humectants beta-glucan and hyaluronic acid, plus nourishment from emollient squalane. Though it has a fairly rich texture, it’s not remotely greasy or heavy, so it’s suitable for all skin types. We’d also be remiss if we didn’t mention the futuristic packaging — the top twists to reveal the pump, keeping the dispenser hygienic and streamlined.
• Key ingredients: Squalane, hyaluronic acid, beta-glucan

Best for dark spots: Beauty of Joseon Glow Deep Serum

• Why we love it: This formula’s two signature ingredients are rice bran water and alpha-arbutin, in concentrations of 68 and 2 per cent, respectively. Rice bran water has long been used as a moisturising toner in Korean culture due to its high levels of amino acids and minerals; alpha-arbutin is a tyrosinase inhibitor, meaning it helps prevent the formation of dark spots and discolouration. This power couple is supported by niacinamide, jojoba and other ingredients to leave your skin with a noticeable glow.
• Key ingredients: Rice bran water, alpha-arbutin, niacinamide

Best with retinol: Primera Youth Radiance Vitatinol Serum

Primera Youth Radiance Vitatinol Serum

• Why we love it: Retinol and vitamin C are two of the most effective anti-ageing ingredients at our disposal, but they also happen to be incredibly unstable. This innovative product solves that with clever packaging that mixes the two actives before your first use, so they stay powerful and fresh until you’ve used up the whole bottle. In as quickly as one week, this product works to help smooth texture and brighten tone — and, unlike most retinol serums, leaves your skin moisturised and luminous rather than flaky and dry. This is especially impressive due to the high potency of the ingredients — 95 per cent pure retinol and 60 per cent vitamin C.
• Key ingredients: Retinol, vitamin C, panthenol

Best for acne: Numbuzin Pantothenic B5 Active Soothing Serum

numbuzin Pantothenic B5 Active Soothing Serum

• Why we love it: If Numbuzin isn’t yet on your radar, this is the time to try it — it’s hugely popular in Korea, and we’re confident it’s about to take off here too. This formula, in particular, is a hero of the brand’s line-up. “It’s especially good for those with easily irritated, acne-prone skin, as it features a cocktail of clarifying and soothing ingredients like pantothenic acid, niacinamide and hyaluronic acid,” says Jin of the oil-regulating, skin-calming formula. Its gel-like texture is also remarkably lightweight, evaporating almost instantaneously upon application.
• Key ingredients: Pantothenic acid, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid

Best with snail mucin: CosRx Snail 96% Power Essence

Cosrx

Snail Mucin 96% Power Essence

• Why we love it: Don’t be afraid or sceptical of snail mucin — the hype is real and deserved, especially when it comes to this formula. The water-light gel lists snail mucin first on the ingredient list, a sign it’s in the product at a high concentration. It addresses uneven texture and tone, while low-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid and allantoin work to plump up skin and lock in hydration for a plush, luminous complexion. This layers beautifully with other serums; we like applying it directly to damp skin for even more hydration.
• Key ingredients: Snail secretion filtrate, sodium hyaluronate, allantoin

Best for redness: Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Intensive Soothing Repair Serum

Dr. Jart+

Cicapair Intensive Soothing Repair Serum

• Why we love it: As beauty editors, we try many products, so finishing and replenishing one is a clear sign of a winner. We’ve burned through several bottles of this soothing serum, which features centella asiatica extract and multiple related compounds to help quell skin irritation and inflammation. With regular use, it calmed the perpetual redness around our nose to the point that we could confidently skip concealer.
• Key ingredients: Centella asiatica extract, asiaticoside, madecassic acid

Best for beginners: Innisfree Green Tea Seed Hyaluronic Serum

Innisfree

Green Tea Seed Hyaluronic Serum

• Why we love it: According to Jin, this brand is a great jumping-off point for those new to K-beauty. In addition to being part of the Amorepacific family of brands (including numerous aforementioned favourites, like Sulwhasoo and Laneige), Innisfree was an early pioneer of using naturally derived ingredients and prioritising sustainable packaging. “The Green Tea Seed Hyaluronic Serum is one of their OG bestsellers, and it’s been reformulated in recent years to include encapsulated hyaluronic acid, so it’s even more hydrating than earlier versions,” she adds. According to a clinical study, this serum provides up to 72 hours of hydration.
• Key ingredients: Green tea, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, panthenol

FAQs

What to look for in a Korean face serum

As with shopping for any product, you’ll want to look for a Korean serum with ingredients that will address your unique skin concerns. Both Jin and Dr Park point to hyaluronic acid and ceramides as common ingredients in Korean serums; you’ve likely come across these if you have dry skin. “Hyaluronic acid can hold up to a thousand times its weight in water, making it excellent for keeping skin plump and hydrated,” explains Dr Park. “By plumping up the outer layers of skin, hyaluronic acid can temporarily reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. That hydration creates a smoother texture and a youthful glow.” Ceramides are lipids naturally found in the skin barrier that help retain moisture, so combining these two ingredients is a must to keep skin comfortable and nourished, especially during the drier, colder months.

Niacinamide is also very popular, says Jin. “It’s a great ingredient for improving the overall texture and tone of skin, [as is] brightening vitamin C.” According to Dr Park, vitamin C helps defend skin from damaging free radicals, promotes collagen production, helps fade dark spots and discolouration, and has anti-inflammatory properties. How much vitamin C is in the formula matters, she says: “At 15%, vitamin C is potent enough to deliver visible results but is often still tolerable for most skin types, especially if formulated as L-ascorbic acid, the purest and most effective form.”

In addition to soothing plant extract cica (centella asiatica) and its related compounds, Jin is also seeing a buzzy ingredient in Korean serums that is starting to trend worldwide: PDRN or polydeoxyribonucleotide, the active ingredient used in the notorious salmon sperm facial. “It’s touted as this catchall superhero ingredient that helps with everything from reducing inflammation to improving hydration and pigmentation,” says Jin. “Getting PDRN injections is a popular skincare treatment that many glowy-skin civilians swear by in Korea, so it makes sense that the ingredient is being bottled up for topical use by brands like Medicube and CNP. I’m predicting that this is just the beginning and we’ll likely see more PDRN products crop up in 2025.”

What is the most popular Korean face serum?

According to Jin, the real question is, “What is the most popular Korean face serum right now?” “The Korean beauty market is known for its constant innovation, so you tend to see a very fast turnover with trending products here,” she explains. Dr Park shares that she’s seeing a surge in “clinical beauty” right now — basically, “serums that evoke a sense of going to a medical spa,” she says, pointing to VT Cosmetics Cica Reedle Shot 100 as an example. “The Reedle Shot is a hydrating serum that boosts collagen, and the levels of hydration allow the consumer to customise the product to their needs,” Dr Park explains.

Other trendy formulas right now include Mediheal Madecassoside Blemish Repair Serum (popular among those with acne-prone skin) and Torriden Dive In Low-Molecular Hyaluronic Acid Serum, notes Jin, adding that the latter works for almost everyone. “Who doesn’t need more moisture this time of year?” she says. “My skin has been especially dry lately with the change in seasons, so I’ve been layering the Torriden serum underneath my moisturiser. It definitely makes a difference in how my make-up goes on.”

Which Korean serum is best for glass skin?

To achieve clear, smooth, gleaming skin, you can’t solely rely on a serum, our experts say. “Achieving glass skin involves a skin-care routine focused on deep cleansing, hydration and layering lightweight, nourishing products to create a radiant, dewy, and poreless look,” says Dr Park. Jin recommends double cleansing to remove every last trace of SPF and make-up every night, regularly exfoliating (gently, to avoid irritation and redness), and constantly incorporating hydration into your routine via multiple formulas. “Some Korean serums that can help in this quest include Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum, Torriden Dive In Low-Molecular Hyaluronic Acid Serum, Beauty of Joseon Glow Deep Serum,” Jin adds. They are listed above.

Meet the experts

• Jenny Jin is a beauty writer and editor based in Seoul, South Korea.
• Eunice Park is a dual-board-certified facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon and the founder of Airem in New York.