COSRX
4.3
A 4% betaine salicylate liquid that slips into pores to clear blackheads — where a single-acid BHA earns its place, and who it's too strong for.
Beyond the routine
Targeted treatments
Spot patches, exfoliants and other as-needed extras that sit outside the daily routine.
Beauty of Joseon
Revive Eye Serum: Ginseng + Retinal
4.6
Retinaldehyde — the most effective over-the-counter retinoid — in a gentle, fragrance-free serum at a remarkable price. About as good as a first retinoid gets.
Best of Targeted treatments
Best Korean retinol and retinal for beginners
Three Korean retinoids to start on — a gentle retinal, a 0.1% retinol cream for reactive skin, and a stronger retinal for once your skin has settled.
Best of Targeted treatments
Best Korean spot treatments for breakouts
Three Korean spot treatments for a breakout — a tea-tree cream for most skin, a calming pick for sore, angry spots, and an azelaic serum for the marks left behind.
Best of Targeted treatments
Three Korean pimple patches we recommend — a do-it-all hydrocolloid, a microneedle patch with added ingredients, and a value pick — plus when a patch won't help at all.
GuideSkin goals
What Korean skincare can do for blackheads and clogged pores
Korean routines handle blackheads with gentle steps: an oil cleanse each night, a mild wash, then a low-strength acid a few nights a week. Here's what a blackhead is, and why scrubbing and squeezing don't help.
GuideIngredients
Korean retinol vs retinal: the difference, and which to choose
Korean brands sell more retinal — retinaldehyde — than almost anyone, often at beginner doses in calm, fragrance-free bases. This guide covers how retinol and retinal differ, which is stronger, and which to start with.