Best K-beauty Skincare Products of 2025 – Dry and Sensitive & Acne-Prone Skin Edition

As we wrap up the year, I’m so excited to announce my personal picks for: Best K-beauty Skincare Products of 2025.

This year was very different for my skin. I tested far more K-beauty skincare products than I normally would, and my skin truly went through it all — irritation, breakouts, sensitivity, and a much longer recovery period than usual. But through all of that, only a handful of products consistently delivered results, even when my skin was at its worst.

In this post, I’ll share why each product work for me and how it performed on dry, sensitive and acne-prone skin.

Best Oil-Based Cleanser – House of Hur Purifying Cleansing Balm

The House of Hur Purifying Cleansing Balm stood out immediately because of its soft sorbet texture that instantly transforms into oil and melts effortlessly into the skin. It emulsifies beautifully and rinses off completely without leaving any residue — something I personally prefer in cleansing balms.

It removes sunscreen and light makeup easily, while also leaving my skin feeling smoother and softer after cleansing. Compared to other cleansing balms I’ve tried, I found myself reaching for this one far more often because of how my skin felt afterward. It offers a very gentle physical exfoliation without irritating even sensitive skin.

One detail I love is the grinding dispenser, which keeps the product more hygienic, travel-friendly, and easy to control. It prevents contamination and makes dispensing effortless. It’s abit more expensive compared to other cleansing balms without the grinding mechanism but the benefits outweighs the cost to me.

This balm works well for all skin types, including sensitive skin, and it’s a great option if you want a gentle but effective first cleanse.

Best Water-Based Cleanser – Round Lab 1025 Dokdo Cleanser

The Round Lab 1025 Dokdo Cleanser is a new discovery this year for me and it has steadily become my most dependable cleanser all year.

It creates a soft, micro-dense foam that feels incredibly comfortable on the skin — even during times when my face felt hot, red, or painful from breakouts and sun exposure. Despite cleansing thoroughly, it never leaves my skin tight or stripped. This cleanser can also remove light sunscreen and makeup effortlessly.

Every time I use it, my skin feels soft and hydrated which is why it remained my number one water-based cleanser throughout the year. A little bit of this cleanser goes a very long way, so it can easily last me a whole year.

Its affordability is really almost unmatched. It’s also fragrance-free and essential oil-free, making it ideal for sensitive skin.

Best Toner – I’m From Mugwort Essence

Even though it’s technically called an essence, I use the I’m From Mugwort Essence as my toner since it’s quite lightweight and watery that absorbs nicely into the skin leaving just a hint of calmness and hydration. And it’s the one product I trust my skin with the most.

Whenever my skin is irritated, inflamed, or breaking out, this is the first thing I reach for. It instantly calms redness, soothes irritation, and hydrates without any stinging or discomfort. It just leaves my skin with a very hydrating and cooling blanket on top.

I layer this toner generously for that instant calming and hydrating effects and go through it very quickly. In just the last three months alone, I emptied two bottles — and during my skin reset, this was the only toner I used.

With such a minimal ingredient list centered around mugwort extract, it’s one of the safest choices for sensitive and acne-prone skin, even when your skin is at its lowest.

Best Essence – Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Probiotics Barrier Essence

The Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Probiotics Barrier Essence completely exceeded my expectations.

It has a silky, rich texture that absorbs beautifully into the skin, leaving it soft, hydrated, and very glowy. The essence doesn’t completely disappear, but it leaves the skin with a very moisturizing blanket that hugs all the moisture into the skin. This essence works wonderfully for rebuilding and strengthening my skin barrier.

Because it’s on the thicker side, it’s best suited for normal to dry or very dry skin — especially during colder months. If your skin struggles with dehydration or barrier weakness, this essence can be a true lifesaver.

Best Serum – VT PDRN Essence 100

The VT PDRN Essence 100 is one of my most used products of the year — and honestly, one of my biggest and best skincare products all time for me.

Ginseng is an ingredient I absolutely love and my skin consistently responds well to which has given my skin so much support and benefits whenever I use it. That’s why I was initially drawn to this essence because of PDRN derived from wild ginseng. And it didn’t disappoint me in the slightest.

The texture is milky, rich, and cushiony that still absorbs nicely while leaving a healthy glow on my skin; that’s why I always use this essence in my serum step.

Over the past six months, I emptied nearly six bottles of the VT PDRN Essence 100 — which says everything about my love for it. This serum especially is great at calming redness and inflammation, smoothing dry patches, rejuvenate the skin and support skin barrier recovery during my most sensitive periods.

For oily or combination skin, it could even be used as a light moisturizer. But for dry skin girlies like mine, it’s a deeply comforting serum that shines in colder weather.

Best Thick Moisturizer – Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Rejuvenating Cream Rich

With a high concentration of ginseng actives (aka. Ginsenomics), peptides and retinol, the Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Rejuvenating Cream Rich is my luxury staple for a complete anti-aging routine.

With its velvety texture and signature ginseng scent, it adds a sense of relaxation to my nighttime routine. When used consistently, my skin looks noticeably brighter, plumper, and smoother. It can even calm mild breakouts on my face.

This cream has a thicker and buttery smooth texture that absorbs well into my skin leaving it with a protective layer on top to lock in moisture. That’s why it is perfect for dry and mature skin. It does contain fragrances so sensitive skin should patch test first.

Best Light Moisturizer – make p:rem Inteca Soothing Cream

The make p:rem Inteca Soothing Cream has become my secret protector throughout this year.

This moisturizer contains a patented formula called Inteca which is an advanced Cica Complex that has incredible healing and calming capabilities. That’s why I have been using this whenever my skin felt irritated, red, or overwhelmed.

Since it has a light weight texture, as a dry skin, I usually apply a light layer of this underneath my regular moisturizer. It always calms my skin instantly, especially on my neck, which tends to react more easily.

make p:rem Inteca Soothing Cream will be perfect for those with oily, acne-prone skin that are looking for an effective calming moisturizer.

Best Eye Cream – Chogongjin Geumsul Jin Eye Cream

The Chogongjin Geumsul Jin Eye Creammay look luxurious due to its packaging, but it’s surprisingly affordable and works incredibly well for my eyes.

With red ginseng and royal jelly, it has a very pleasant herbal scent and supports hydration, brightness, and anti-aging without irritation. The eye cream has a thicker but velvety soft texture that sinks in well while still leaving the eye area soft, hydrated, and luminous.

It has quickly become my favorite eye cream of the year — and one I wish I had talked about sooner.

Best Sunscreen – House of Hur Tropical Dew Sun Cream

The House of Hur Tropical Dew Sun Cream is exactly what I’ve been looking for so long for my dry and sensitive skin.

It has a soft pink tone that subtly evens out my complexion and delivers long-lasting hydration. It feels more like a thick and hydrating moisturizer than a sunscreen and never leaves a white cast or heavy residue.

Even with reapplication, it stays comfortable — which is why it’s been my go-to for this year especially since the weather turned colder.

Best Acne Treatments – Anua Azelaic Acid Serum

The Anua Azelaic Acid 10 Hyaluron Redness Soothing Serum helped treat my acne-prone skin more than anything else this year.

This serum has a very watery texture for an azelaic acid serum which is very rarely seen in today’s market. With 10% azelaic acid, it reduced redness, breakouts, and irritation without flaking or sensitizing my skin — even with more frequent use. If you’re acne-prone but sensitive to actives, this is one of the gentlest and most effective azelaic acid options available.

Best Spot Treatment – Lion Pair Acne Cream

The Lion Pair Acne Cream has been a staple in my acne routine for years.

It has a very lightweight gel cream texture that absorbs instantly into the skin without leaving any residue behind. Containing topical Ibuprofen, it shortens the lifespan of breakouts, effectively reduces inflammation, and often stops pimples from fully surfacing if applied early. I can never go without it — and honestly, I’d panic if I ran out so I always have backups.

If you are still looking for an effective yet gentle acne spot treatment, this is the best option that I can confidently recommend.

---

And that wraps up my Best K-Beauty Skincare Products of 2025.

Obviously, you don’t need every step or every skincare product in this list — I don’t even use all of them at the same time. Since skincare is very personal, the most important thing is listening to your skin and choosing what truly works for you.

Take care of your skin. Take care of yourself.
And I’ll see you in my next post. 💗