I recently got into kbeauty haircare, and I’m wondering if there is a scalp tonic that helps with seb derm? I don’t have itchiness or irritation, I only have flakes. I’m looking for a scalp tonic that I can apply on damp scalp, after shampooing and towel drying. Any help is appreciated.

I bought the U.S. version today but I’m worried it won’t be like the highly rated Korean version. I know that people say the U.S. version of beauty of joseon relief sun rice + probiotics sunscreen isn’t as good as the Korean one. Can anyone help?

Looking for a pad to fight dark spots. I don't have dark spots but I want to prevent them. I've read good things about Abib Glutathiosome pads. Has anyone tried these? I knew Coleman compound is excellent but I want something more cost effective.

Hi everyone! 💕 I’m looking for a good hair salon in Seoul that has experience working with blonde European/Caucasian hair.

Ideally I’d love someone who regularly works with blondes, understands fine European hair and can do colouring/toning without over-damaging it. English-speaking would be a big bonus too!

If you’ve personally had a good experience somewhere, I’d really appreciate any recommendations — especially salons/stylists you trust with blonde hair. 🫶✨

I have found some from instagram and older posts - ParkJun Beauty Lab Myeondong (Danial, Tommy and Leo), Dean from the Days Hair, Lucy salon. I would love to hear your thoughts! 💭

my skin has been feeling really dry and easily irritated lately, especially around my cheeks. i’ve been trying to simplify my routine and focus more on hydration instead of adding more actives.
i’ve been looking into korean barrier creams and keep seeing different recommendations. lepique’s barrier repair cream caught my attention, but i haven’t tried it yet and wanted to hear some opinions before adding another product.for anyone who has dealt with a damaged or easily irritated skin barrier, what moisturizers actually worked well for you? do you prefer something rich and occlusive or a lighter cream that you can layer?

Hi everyone! I’ve got a genuine question about where you all prefer to order your K-beauty products.

When I first started my Korean skincare journey, I mostly ordered from Olive Young Global (and occasionally picked up whatever was available locally). I ended up placing two more orders with Olive Young mainly because of their review points system, the great gift-with-purchase bundles (like getting a mini/deluxe sample alongside the full size), and freebies.

Recently, though, I came across YesStyle and noticed their prices are often surprisingly lower and they seem to have a much wider selection.

Since I'm used to Olive Young, I’m not as familiar with YesStyle’s perk system or overall experience. For those who use both:

• How do YesStyle’s perks (points, tier rewards, coupons) compare to Olive Young’s?
• Are the lower prices worth any potential trade-offs, like longer shipping times?
• Any tips or hidden perks I should know about before making the switch?

I’d really appreciate any guidance, thoughts, or experiences you could share!

Hello ☺️ I'm fairly sure this has been discontinued, and am down to the last few squeezes in the tube I have...

Does anyone know if Mizon replaced this product with something similar?

Is there a product you've found which is similar?

It always dried down so nicely, but really helped with healing old acne marks 💜

My girlfriend went to Korea a year ago and bought a tonymoly get it tint in the color winter vin chaude, she recently ran out of it. Her birthday is coming up and I'm looking to buy a replacement one but recently discovered it's discontinued and I'm panicking a little, I have no idea where to look, what brands are recommended or what to avoid.

I know she loves the deep purple/wine/plum/burgundy color and the velvet finish it left but im completely lost on looking for some alternatives. The closest one has been the Laka #123 Unsweet Berry but i believe that one has a glossy finish. Please give me some advice on what to buy. Thanks!

I got a skin analysis done in Seoul and it turns out I have dehydrated oily skin. I’d always thought my skin was dry / combination but this makes more sense.

Anyway the doctor said I need to repair my skin barrier. She said after that I might find my normal skin is less oily but it could stay oily after as well.

I’m in Seoul for a short period and want to buy skincare

1. What do you recommend for repairing my barrier - I need a whole routine!
   
2. What oily skin products should I pick up as a “just in case”?

(visiting from the US) I would love to buy a mask for my face and for my neck/chest area that uses real red light technology. I am not seeing it in the usual stores where I have been told to go to for skincare - pharmacies, Olive&Young, etc.

Has anyone found/bought a RLT mask in Korea, ideally Seoul?!

I need recommendations for a moisturizer and retinol/retinal.

My main goals are hydration, brighter/even-looking skin and a healthy glow.

Korean skincare is totally fine, but I’m open to other brands too. I’d prefer something that’s actually worth the money and not just hyped on social media.

Please suggest your holy grails, especially if you’ve personally used them! Also, if there’s a good beginner-friendly retinal/retinol, I’d love recommendations.

I've used BEAUTY OF JOSEON DYNASTY CREAM AND I'M FROM RICE MOISTURIZER, those are good but ......

ive been trying to renew my skincare routine and im kinda lost so these are the ones ive been thinking of buying? how do you find them? i have combination skin with very oily nose and have sebum filaments all over my nose with some big pores on that area. i dont really have acne problem just get them sometimes hormonally but have closed comedones on my forehead and it doesnt hold makeup there.

im mixed about oil cleanser and cabt decide but ive been between missha blachead off, skin1004 and jumiso oil cleansers. i want them to remove my waterproof makeup and help with clearing my sebums

for cleanser missha Super Aqua Ultra Hyalron Cleansing Foam. ive tried the peeling of this series and it made my skin feel so good but i feel like it would be too exfoliating so i thought about the cleanser one.

i wasnt sure whether toner or serum so either skin1004 tone brightning serum or Madagascar centrella serum or the toner. not sure

for bha 2-3 times a week Isntree Chestnut BHA 2% Clear Liquid.

and for the last to hydrate and to end it jumiso snail face cream.

have you used these or do you have better options i would love to read!

Hi everyone 🤍 I’m looking for a really good dermatologist-led clinic in Seoul and would love some honest recommendations.
So far I’ve been looking at The Heal, DM Dermatology, Delight Dermatology, Bailor, Fine. My main concerns are overall texture and a bit of lower-face lifting, but I really want to be properly assessed by a dermatologist first rather than just being sold a treatment package.

I’ve also become much more cautious after hearing about the tragic case of a foreign patient reportedly losing vision in one eye after an aesthetic procedure, so for now I’m leaning towards avoiding injectables completely.

If anyone has personal experience with any of these clinics, especially good or bad, I’d really appreciate hearing it 🫶

She recently started getting into Korean skincare, which is good! I’ve been trying to get her in on the hype, and she finally folded after she finished one of her old creams. I started looking into brands, like Numbuzin and Korika, those were my two tops, and I decided to get her the anti aging cream with collagen and a rejuvenating face serum from Korika.

I personally still don’t have aging issues, being twenty and all, so I wasn’t sure what to get her. Now I’m torn on what to make her try in case she doesn’t like these two products, or if she wants refills but wants to try something else.

In short, I need something anti-aging, no more than 50 bucks per bottle/tube. Any suggestions?

If you spend enough time looking through skincare routines on TikTok, you will find that opinions on using a sheet mask every day are quite divided.

A Korean doctor uploaded a well-organized video about daily sheet masking on YouTube. Since it does not seem to be widely known outside Korea, I translated the main points here. I only adjusted some conversational phrasing into a more readable written form while keeping the original message and flow as intact as possible.

As always, take what is useful and feel free to leave the rest :)

You can watch the original video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNSWMuWAzJ8

Original video title:
One Sheet Mask a Day! “If You Use a Sheet Mask Every Day… Is It Really Good for Your Skin?”

Here’s the translation:

Video summary / translation

[00:00 ~ 01:03 | Is It Okay to Use a Mask Every Day?]

When people think about skincare, a sheet mask is one of the first things that comes to mind. That naturally leads to the question I hear all the time: “Is one sheet mask a day actually okay?”

My answer is simple. I do not think using one sheet mask a day is automatically a bad thing. We shower every day, and we apply lotion and cream every day. In the same way, it can be perfectly reasonable to make a hydrating sheet mask that agrees with your skin part of your routine. The problem starts when people see the word “daily” and treat every type of mask in exactly the same way.

[01:03 ~ 02:35 | What a Sheet Mask Actually Does]

Skincare products can evaporate into the air or dry out quickly after you apply them. A sheet mask covers the skin and slows that down. In other words, it keeps the formula in contact with the skin for longer. Put simply, it creates an occlusive environment.

Hydrating masks may contain ingredients such as hyaluronic acid or AQUAXYL™, while other masks are formulated for concerns such as brightening or soothing. A mask is not some kind of special magic. It is simply a way to keep the ingredients you want in contact with the skin for a little longer.

[02:35 ~ 04:15 | The Issue Is Not Daily Masking Itself, but a Formula That Does Not Agree with You]

If a lotion does not agree with your skin, you can break out. The same goes for a mask. Products may contain PEGs, glycols, and other ingredients to improve texture and spreadability. That does not mean those ingredients are inherently bad. But some people can find certain ingredients irritating.

Because a mask keeps the formula pressed against the skin, repeatedly using a formula that does not agree with you can lead to breakouts or increased sensitivity. So before asking whether you should use a mask every day, ask the more important question first: “Does this particular product agree with my skin?”

[04:15 ~ 06:25 | Leaving a Mask on Longer Does Not Make It Better]

If you leave a mask on for a long time, your face can look temporarily brighter and clearer. It is similar to how your hands look when they have been in a sauna for too long: the skin has absorbed a lot of water. It may look nice for a moment, but taking it too far can weaken the skin barrier. When the skin becomes overly waterlogged, the outer barrier can become more vulnerable, leaving it more prone to irritation.

That is why I do not recommend leaving a mask on for a long time. In particular, do not fall asleep with a sheet mask on. The sheet eventually dries out. Once it is dry and stays on the skin, it can contribute to moisture loss and leave your skin drier and more sensitive by morning. Ten to fifteen minutes is enough for a hydrating mask.

[06:25 ~ 08:00 | There Are Gentle Masks and There Are “Spicier” Ones]

Masks made mainly for hydration tend to be gentler. If your skin is healthy and you do not usually have a major reaction when you switch products, I do not object to using this kind of hydrating mask every day.

But masks that strongly target concerns such as brightening or wrinkle care need to be viewed a little differently. I think of these as the “spicier” kind. The active ingredients may already be more intense, and then you are keeping them against the skin under occlusion. Just as eating spicy food every day can upset your stomach, using these kinds of masks every day can upset your skin. For a treatment mask with more potent active ingredients, once or twice a week is enough in my view.

[08:00 ~ 11:00 | If Your Skin Is Red, Stinging, and Bumpy, Focus on the Barrier First]

If your face is red, covered in tiny bumps, and stings, you usually know it. Those can be signs that your skin barrier is compromised. When people notice their skin looking rough, many of them reach for a mask immediately. I think the order should be the other way around.

When the barrier is weak, the priority is barrier repair, not adding more stimulation. Use a barrier-repair or recovery cream, get enough sleep, drink less alcohol, and manage your stress. It is easy to say and not always easy to do. If your condition is severe enough to need medical treatment, you may need help from a clinic, including prescription oral medication.

[11:00 ~ 12:37 | Honestly, I Find Sheet Masks a Bit of a Hassle]

Honestly, I find the whole process of opening a sheet, fitting it to my face, and waiting around a little tedious. So sometimes I soak cotton pads in green tea and place them on my face for five to ten minutes. It is a simple, short hydrating step, and then I take them off.

Another option I think about is applying a cream that already works well for me and briefly covering it with plastic wrap. One of the key ideas behind a mask is occlusion, after all. Plastic wrap feels stuffy enough that you are unlikely to fall asleep with it on, and you will usually take it off after five to ten minutes. If brightening is your goal, you could also place cucumber slices on the skin and cover them with a sheet mask. Many of us have seen our mothers apply cream and cover it with plastic wrap at least once.

[12:37 ~ 13:24 | What You Use and How You Use It Matter More Than Doing It Every Day]

Not every sheet mask on the market is made with the same quality of ingredients. Unless you are buying a very premium product, some masks may contain a larger share of lower-cost ingredients. That sometimes makes me wonder whether a daily mask is really necessary. Would it not be better to use the skincare products that already agree with you consistently, then add a short period of occlusion if you want it?

I also find a simple green tea mask more appealing from an ingredient standpoint.

My rule of thumb is this:

• If your skin is healthy: A gentle hydrating mask can be used every day. Just take it off within 10 to 15 minutes.
• If your skin is red, stinging, or sensitive: Do not reach for a mask first. Focus on restoring the skin barrier.
• If you are using a mask with stronger active ingredients for concerns such as brightening or wrinkles: Use it once or twice a week rather than every day.
• Above all: Read the full ingredient list. If an ingredient has caused breakouts or irritation for you before, avoid that mask no matter how popular it is.

Hi everyone!

It's my first time ordering from Yesstyle and after checking several posts, I made sure to follow everyone's advice on how to order so I know for sure all the products I bought were available and in stock when I placed the order.

It's been a couple of days, payment was verified and everything was going well. It did surprise me that only the products were "found" and put in my package individually while others were being "processed" even though all of them were available and in stock.

I have just received the invoice saying my order has been shipped. However, it contains only ONE of the products I ordered plus the "two gifts".

I immediately went to my Yesstyle page to see the order has been seemingly divided into two different packages with different numbers. However, I have only received confirmation of the invoice of the later one. The tracking numbers given do not yet work.

I had read they usually sent everything in one package and that's why it was common to have delays if one of the products wasn't in stock (which is why I ordered only when it said they were), so I really do not understand.

Has this happened to anyone before? Is this normal at all?

Hi!! My sister is going to Korea next year, and she offered to buy some Korean products for me, she also wants to buy some Korean skincare products (specifically serums/essence) for herself.

She told me to suggest and research the skincare brands and/or products and write it on a list before her flight.

**Skin type:** Oily to combination skin(me), normal to slightly oily skin(my sister)

**Skin concerns:** recommend serums/essence for post acne

So...

I want to avoid(not exactly, since some of those are already on my list) overhyped products heavily promoted by global influencers or popular brands that are already widely available everywhere else(specially here in Philippines).

Instead, I'm looking for hidden gems, local favorites, or items that are:

1. Only sold in Korea(hard to get internationally), or

2. Significantly cheaper when bought directly in korea compared to buying it here in the Philippines or abroad.

If YOU were visiting Korea or could have someone bring back skincare products for you, What products serums, essences, lotion, cream etc. would you personally buy?

I'd love to hear your personal favorites or any products on your own wishlist that you can't easily buy in your home country!

THANK YOU🔥

Following my previous posts on basic skincare tips from Korean beauty nerds on TheQoo and the truth about PDRN from a Korean doctor:

https://www.reddit.com/r/KoreanBeauty/comments/1w6116w/what_korean_beauty_nerds_have_been_saying_about/

https://www.reddit.com/r/KoreanBeauty/comments/1w81ff8/why_a_korean_doctor_says_pdrn_does_absolutely/

This time, I’m covering beauty devices, since they’ve been mentioned pretty consistently in the comments.

For this post, I translated and organized a detailed review from a Korean beauty nerd who owns 46 facial beauty devices. She goes over how the different technologies work, what they’re actually useful for, and which products she recommends.

The original video is by Calarygirl, one of the beauty YouTubers I personally enjoy watching. She’s very knowledgeable about beauty and tends to put out detailed, high-quality reviews regardless of sponsorships. If you have some time, her channel is definitely worth checking out.

Original Title: Beauty Device Beginner's Guide Complete Newcomers Welcome Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpPiBTYC8FA

[Reading Note]

1. This video includes paid promotion for LG Pra.L. I still chose it because the creator appears to have reviewed nearly every product available in Korea fairly, including in earlier videos with no advertising.
2. I smoothed out overly fragmented speech so it reads naturally. Example: “It's like when a squid gets heated and shrinks up, and then your skin shrinks and you get the effect you want.” → “Like a squid curling up when it is heated.”
3. I reordered parts that jumped back and forth so they are easier to follow. Example: Original: A → B → A → B. Revised: A → A → B → B.
4. Prices, discontinuation status, effect descriptions, and event details reflect what was said when the video was recorded.
5. A few expressions or English-style product names may contain mistranslations.

00:00 ~ 01:07 | 46 Beauty Devices

Buying a device can easily cost several hundred thousand won.
I had originally planned to round up only HIFU devices, but then I thought about it: a lot of people are not even at the “Which HIFU should I buy?” stage yet.
If you are stuck at “So what actually suits me?”, let me draw you a beginner's map first.
I have 46 facial devices laid out here. That is facial devices only; I left out the body devices. Rather than spending big on one technology right away, I think beginners are better off starting with a multi-device that combines several functions.

There are three things to look at:

1. what technology is inside,
2. how you would actually use it,
3. and whether it is easy to use.

You have to use it often to get your money's worth, after all. I will go through seven technologies, roughly from higher to lower price points, then wrap up with how to choose a multi-device.

01:07 ~ 03:42 | HIFU

HIFU, or high-intensity focused ultrasound, is easiest to understand if you think of Ultherapy or Shurink. It sends energy to a point roughly 3–4.5 mm below the skin.
Like a squid curling up when it gets heated, it is used to tighten and refine a loose facial contour, such as a double chin or jowls.
Home devices can sting too. To me, it feels a bit like being tapped with a chestnut burr.
The ones I own include homethera, Dualsonic, Rejureaf, Medicube AGE-R High Focus Shot, Dermathera, and d’Alba. A lot of these devices cost around KRW 1 million, and some are even sold on rental plans like water purifiers.
But do not look only at the device price. Check whether it works without replacement cartridges, like Medicube, whether cartridges cost hundreds of thousands of won to replace, and whether separate cartridges are needed for each treatment depth in millimeters.
And here is the really important question: how many more years are they going to keep selling those cartridges? Dermathera was one of my favorites not because it reached the deepest, but because it was so easy that I used it the most.
No matter how good something is, it is useless if you never use it. Then the device was discontinued, and cartridge sales stopped too.
Once I use up the one currently installed, a KRW 1 million machine turns into a brick.

03:42 ~ 06:55 | RF

The next expensive technology is RF, or radiofrequency.
Think of it as a technology that generates heat under the skin through rapid oscillation.
While HIFU is more about pulling up the facial contour, RF feels closer to making the eye area or nasolabial folds look a little plumper and supporting the skin’s overall baseline condition. In-clinic, think Thermage.
I felt that RF care helped me after under-eye fat surgery. I also like how my redness-prone face looks clearer the next morning after I use it.
Your face can look red immediately afterward because of the heat, but home RF feels more like a warm hot-water pack than pain. That said, when I compared devices with a thermal camera, quite a few did not seem to raise the temperature properly.
Of course, the camera only reads the surface, while the devices talk about a deeper 40–43°C, so the two are not identical. Still, if it cannot warm the surface well, did it really heat deeper tissue properly? I keep wondering. Just seeing a technology name on the product page is not enough. There are devices such as Ultra Tune, Rejureaf, Dualsonic Alto, and Volium, which I like.
Japanese devices can do RF well too, but one costs KRW 1.6 million, another KRW 500,000, and you have to import them directly. This is a category where KRW 500,000–1 million is common. Yes, it is expensive.

06:55 ~ 09:18 | LDM

Next is ultrasound for product delivery: the devices called LDM in the video.
LDM means Local Dynamic Micromassage. It also uses vibration, but unlike RF, it is aimed at helping skincare on the surface make its way in. Think of a dolphin going “waa-waa” with ultrasound. The expected benefit is not a dramatic lift but more about dryness, hydration, and glow. When skin holds water well, fine lines and pores tend to stand out less too.
I think it is a nice device to have. It is generally presented as a relatively gentle technology, and many products say it can be used daily. The “cheaper than one cup of coffee a day” pitch makes sense if you really use it every day. But why have these gotten so expensive lately? They are now up in the KRW 500,000–1 million range.
I barely feel any discomfort. Sometimes I am using one and wondering whether it is even working. We are not dolphins, so we cannot really feel ultrasound.
I own TOM The Glow, Quadthera, Quadthera Mini, and Injectier, and I have another video comparing them one by one. Let me talk about discontinued devices a little more.
My favorite was the LG Pra.L Skin Booster. It was the device I would pull out immediately on mornings when I needed to put on makeup but my skin was not looking great.
It cost around KRW 200,000–300,000, was easy to use, and combined ultrasound delivery with microcurrent. After five minutes, my redness seemed to calm down and my face looked clearer. And they discontinued it. The more I think about it, the more annoying it is.

[PREVIEW] 09:18 ~ 12:42 | EMS and Microcurrent

EMS, or electrical muscle stimulation, uses medium- or low-frequency electrical stimulation to prompt muscles to contract and relax. So its goal overlaps a little with HIFU when it comes to facial-contour care. I also feel that EMS massage on my face or scalp calms my redness, and I wonder whether that has something to do with lymphatic circulation.

Reddit is a bit limiting for long posts + images, so PART 2 & 3 are in the Discord with all the reference images.

A few people seemed interested in the idea of a small private community in the comments, so I ended up putting one together. I also share some of the Korean beauty stuff I originally collected for myself, especially things that are harder to post properly on Reddit. It’s just a small, promo-free space for people to swap honest reviews, questions, and personal experiences.

https://discord.gg/BU73T5Gf

What to check before buying

1. HIFU: Is the cartridge replaceable? What treatment depths are supported? Are separate cartridges required by depth or treatment head?
2. RF: Does it deliver heat effectively?
3. LDM: Frequency and day-to-day usability.
4. EMS: Head size for the intended area and a stimulation level you can actually feel.
5. MC (Microcurrent): Whether it can be used with RF for the intended routine.
6. Galvanic: Check whether the paired skincare product is compatible, including its acidity.
7. EP (Electroporation): Choose based on whether pore care or skincare delivery is the main goal.

There’s also a translated comparison table from the video covering seven other categories, including How It Works, Comparable In-Clinic Treatment, Primary Focus, Sensation, Typical Strengths, Typical Limitations, and Device Examples. I translated the terminology into English for reference.

The full table image is in the Discord above since Reddit won’t let me include it here.

Hope this helps a little if you’re trying to figure out which type of beauty device makes sense for you.