A few months ago, I bought a scary amount of Korean skincare: 13 items, to be precise. I promised to report back with my findings, and here I am. Before I get to the winners, though, let me explain why I’ve only included three things.

First of all, there were several sheet masks on the original list and I’ve found out that I do not like sheet masks. I think they are inconvenient to apply and paralyse you for the duration of the process: why not just slap the stuff on your face? So the masks may work perfectly well, I just cannot stand them.

The other reason is that I’ve left out the products that were merely decent or even pretty good. Mizon Returning Starfish cream for example was a nice moisturizer, but nothing to write home/blog about. Also, if I didn’t see an effect fast, I did not continue testing – there are so many products, but so little time. So I might have changed my mind about some of the products in the long run, but… I have to point out, however, that Cremorlab cleansing wipes didn’t work for me at all: I’m not a huge wipe fan to begin with and these just moved my make-up around. A bit.

That said, I found three products that I regularly use, which is not a bad result at all.
1. Mizon Hyaluron Acid 100%. This was probably my favourite of the lot and I have a dedicated post to prove it. It’s a hyaluronic acid based serum that targets dehydration and sure enough: it gives lots of hydration, fast. If you have issues with lack of water in your skin (and most of us do), a product like this is a great stand-by. Despite my new crush, Hylamide SubQ serum, I still use the Mizon often – especially when my skin feels a bit irritable.

2. Cremorlab Smooth Pudding. This one is supposed to have anti-ageing properties, but that’s not why I use it. It’s a lovely, soft cream that I turn to when I have used a harsher or not very moisturizing serum, mostly for daytime. I love the texture of the cream and how it feels rich, but not heavy. I think for once, they’ve nailed it with the name: it really is soothing and smooth and comforting as a pudding. As my skin is not sensitive and I’m not paranoid, I don’t have issues with parabens, mineral oil or fragrance. But on the days I want to be extra careful, it’s good to have an option that doesn’t include any of the above. Also, I like the packaging.

3. Laneige Water Sleeping Pack. This one was in fact not part of the original line-up, but a gift from a lovely friend. As it’s Korean and I like it, it seemed reasonable to include it here. Like the Mizon serum, this one hydrates and does it well. The texture is gel-like and light and feels refreshing and watery on skin. I use it on top of my night serum now and again, no sheets involved. If you can get it for a good price (as in Target in the US, although it looks slightly different there), it’s definitely worth purchasing. A good alternative is Bio-Essence Aqua Droplet Mask, but as it’s from Singapore, it has of course no business in this post.

Based on what I’ve tested, Korean brands are good at hydration (not a surprise, really). Sometimes, the products cost too much in this part of the world, so if you can get them straight from Korea, stock up. For brightening and otherwise more impactful stuff, I suspect I need to move up in the price scale to get the results I want. This is not a criticism of Korean brands – unfortunately, the same is true everywhere.