What is the best Korean moisturizer for dry skin?

That’s an excellent question, and the answer depends on why your skin is dry. For example, do you have naturally dry skin?

Or does it depend on the weather? Could it be acne medication causing dryness? Or is your cleanser dehydrating the skin?

As you can see, there are several points to consider when choosing a Korean moisturizer. We’re here to keep you from getting overwhelmed by all the choices.

Let’s begin with a quick overview of what causes dry skin and what heals it.

How to fix dry skin

If your skin is dry, it’s because it doesn’t hold onto enough moisture. There are many reasons why that happens (1).

The skin could be damaged by harsh soaps, exfoliators, anti-acne treatment, dry air, hot water, too-frequent washing, or a lack of a proper moisturizer.

The experts recommend using tepid water instead of hot and taking shorter showers. It’s also smart to smear on lotion as soon as possible after washing.

Switch to a fragrance-free and alcohol-free cleanser with moisturizing ingredients. Then, ensure that the moisturizer has effective ingredients.

Which ingredients are good for dry skin?

When shopping for a moisturizer, look for these ingredients to repair dry skin:

  • Humectants like ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and glycerin that draw in water
  • Emollients like plant oils and silicone that seal in moisture
  • Antioxidants like green tea and vitamins C and E to promote repair

Also, check the texture of the moisturizer. Generally, if it’s thick and creamy, it’s better for dry skin.

How to use Korean moisturizer for dry skin

Apply the moisturizer to damp skin, but only use enough to cover the area without leaving excess. It needs to absorb.

Instead of rubbing, try tapping the cream. This gentle method prevents irritation.

Then, be patient and wait for it to soak in before applying any products on top.

If you cleanse and moisturize morning and night, it gives the skin a dose of moisture twice a day. Consider adding essence and a hydrating sheet mask to your routine.

Finally, give your new moisturizer at least a week to make a noticeable difference. Hopefully, you’ll see an improvement right away.

Best Korean Moisturizer for Dry Skin in 2023

ETUDE HOUSE SoonJung 2x Barrier Intensive Cream

Did you know that your skin is naturally acidic? That’s why alkaline bar soap dries it out – it messes with the pH balance.

This moisturizer has a low pH formula, making it slightly acidic. It respects the skin by helping maintain its protective barrier. Therefore, it guards against moisture loss and inflammation.

What’s more, it’s fragrance-free and has no animal ingredients, mineral oil, artificial colors, silicone, parabens, or formaldehyde releasers. It’s also tested to be hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic.

Instead, it has panthenol and Madecassoside to calm and heal distressed skin.

| belif the True Cream Moisturizing Bomb |

Which Korean cream is best for dry skin? We’re fans of this one as it’s proven to hydrate for up to twenty-six hours.

It recreates the classic dewy radiance as seen on your favorite Korean pop idol.

The cream has a cushiony texture that soothes the skin and absorbs quickly. In fact, it’s possible to refresh your face midway through the day with it by patting it on top of makeup.

It’s infused with healing herbs like comfrey and calendula, but it also includes intelligent scientific solutions for dryness.

Reviewers say it makes their skin feel soft to the touch without making it oily. Moreover, it’s free of artificial colors, parabens, and phthalates.

On the downside, it has a fragrance, but the scent comes from natural ingredients. Also, it has a mild dose of exfoliants like urea and willow bark extract, a natural source of salicylic acid. These may be irritating for some users with susceptible skin.

[Klairs] Rich Moist Soothing Cream

Here’s the best Korean moisturizer for dry, sensitive skin. If skincare products typically sting or turn your face red, this one won’t.

Users love it because it softens the skin and feels comfortable without leaving a residue. It has a calming formula that absorbs rapidly yet offers plenty of hydration.

It includes miracle workers like ceramides, jojoba, and shea butter. Moreover, it’s cruelty-free and vegan. It has no parabens, artificial fragrances, or synthetic dyes.

Dr. Jart Ceramidin Cream

As you might guess, this cream is rich in ceramides. They are naturally part of the skin, but people with dehydrated faces are usually lacking in this essential ingredient.

Therefore, this cream boosts ceramide levels to instantly plump and smooth it. The extra ceramides help the skin retain moisture and resist infection.

Also, the moisturizer can help ward off eczema and calm irritation. It’s dermatologist-tested and free of phthalates and parabens.

MEDIHEAL N.M.F Intensive Hydrating Cream

What is the best Korean moisturizer? Sokoglam recommends this one.

The initials in the name stand for Natural Moisturizing Factor. It’s an emollient cream that rehydrates with seawater, hyaluronic acid, sugars, and fatty acids. The latter three draw in moisture like nobody’s business.

The cream also has the most common healing ingredient found in pretty much every moisturizer: vitamin E. But it bolsters it with mushroom extract for extra anti-inflammatory power.

Be warned, there’s a little bit of exfoliation going on, too. The formula has sugar maple to get rid of dead skin.

Happily, it’s balanced at pH 6.9, and it’s free of mineral oil, parabens, alcohol, essential oils, and artificial colors.

ETUDE HOUSE Moistfull Collagen Cream

You’ve heard the expression, “glass skin”. This moisturizer promises to maintain that dewy radiance for twelve hours.

But overall, it’s much more powerful than that. Clinical trials show it helps the skin retain hydration for a hundred hours total.

Part of the magic comes from super collagen water, also known as hydrolyzed collagen.

SKINFOOD Royal Honey 100-Hour Moisture Cream

Here’s another long-lasting face cream tested to improve hydration for up to a hundred hours. It’s not surprising as the formula is 97% full of moisturizing ingredients.

Now, let’s be clear. Just because it improves moisture levels for a hundred hours doesn’t mean you can go that long between applications. It’s better if you apply it daily to maintain a consistent level of hydration.

Furthermore, the smell cream is free of salicylic acid, artificial fragrances, silicone, mineral oil, and methylisothiazolinone (a preservative).

Seoul Ceuticals Korean Skin Care Snail Repair Cream

Were you wondering when we’d get to snail mucus? This cream features 97.5% snail mucin extract, an extraordinarily high concentration.

Pair that with green tea, organic aloe, jojoba, and vitamin E, and you’ve got an outstanding moisturizer that doesn’t clog pores. It boosts elasticity while fading wrinkles and discoloration.

Fortunately, the mucin is harvested ethically in a cruelty-free environment.

COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All-in-One Repair Cream

Does it matter that this face cream has only 92% snail mucin? Not really, because it’s perfect for dry, irritated skin. If you have rosacea, give it a try.

It’s also suitable for acne-prone skin and the awkward combination skin that develops during perimenopause.

It has a gel texture that feels soothing and lightweight. Plus, it has a short ingredients list that’s free of perfumes, parabens, phthalates, and typical allergens.

Nature Republic Super Aqua Max Moisture Watery Cream

Which is the best Korean moisturizer for dry, acne-prone skin? This one is high on the list because it’s more like a gel than a cream, made to be non-comedogenic.

It’s infused with pure, deep seawater from the depths of the ocean near Hawaii. The seawater is rich in minerals essential for healthy skin. If that wasn’t soothing enough, there’s also licorice to reduce redness.

The formula also has water-soluble collagen to rebuild the skin’s structure. Lastly, there’s Portulaca to strengthen it.

Illiyoon Ceramide Ato Cure Balm Intensive Moisturizer

If you have eczema or psoriasis, pause here. This may be the holy grail of moisturizers for you.

If it’s too moisturizing (yes, that’s a thing), try it as a night cream.

Are you aware that not all alcohol is drying to the skin? Fatty alcohols like the ones in this moisturizer help the skin stay hydrated instead.

The balm also has squalane, a potent humectant that draws in water. But interestingly, this thick, rich cream doesn’t list ordinary water as one of the main ingredients.

That’s why it’s a good idea to apply it to damp skin and let it seal in the hydration. Then, shea butter, ginseng, and other natural nutrients restore health and suppleness.

EverGlam Ceramide Moisturizing Cream

We’re back to ceramides, but that’s because they are perfect for rehydrating dry skin. Furthermore, they turn a lightweight moisturizer into a cream that punches above its weight.

Reviewers say that just a little of this face cream goes a long way. It wears well under makeup but also serves as a nighttime moisturizer. It rescues dehydrated skin without feeling greasy or sticky.

Repeated use gradually lessens fine lines and brightens skin tone.

[Laneige] Water Sleeping Mask

You’ll look forward to bedtime with this night cream. It’s a cooling gel scented with sandalwood, rose, and orange flower. The scent is all-natural from the delicious ingredients inside.

But the main attraction is hydro-ionized mineral water. It’s like a spa treatment for your face all night long.

Expect to wake up with visibly brighter and smoother skin.

[CARENEL] Korean Cosmetics Lip Sleeping Mask

If your lip balm isn’t cutting it, maybe you need a moisturizer like this one. It repairs chapped skin overnight.

The lip-quenching formula blends vitamin C and berries. The fruit acids gently exfoliate the dead skin while you sleep.

Jin Jung Sung Soothing Face Moisturizer Essence

Sometimes, it’s not enough to use a better moisturizer. You might need to include one of the best Korean serums for dry skin in your routine.

Apply it after cleansing and before moisturizing.

This one features twenty natural ingredients like hyaluronic acid, meadowfoam seed oil, botanical squalane, ceramides, and shea butter. The synergistic effect ensures younger-looking skin.

Furthermore, this unscented serum is appropriate for all skin types. It has no artificial fragrance, silicone, sulfates, parabens, phenoxyethanol, or PEGs.

[KOREAN FACE MASK] SKIN WATER

It could be your home’s water that’s drying out your skin. Rehydrate your face with pure Icelandic water instead.

These Korean sheet masks are an easy way to boost hydration during your face care routine. They come a dozen to a box. Use them every day or as often as you like. They are vegan and cruelty-free, made without harsh chemicals in a sanitary environment.

Illi Total Aging Care Body Lotion

Up to this point, we focused on faces with dry skin. Let’s not forget about the rest of the body. Check out this anti-aging body lotion.

It’s made by Amore Pacific, one of the best Korean skincare brands. This best-selling lotion focuses on delivering moisture, but it also restores elasticity and relieves dullness.

Users say it’s quick-absorbing and leaves the skin plump and super soft.

Derma B CeraMD Repair Cream for Dry and Rough Skin

We hate having dry hands in the winter and cracked feet in the summer. The best solution we found is this Korean repair cream.

Unlike certain American brands, which shall not be named, it doesn’t rely on mineral oil or petroleum to get the job done.

To the contrary, it contains a patented ingredient called Adfence PTMA. It relieves itching and flaking from the outset. It also has a mix of panthenol and ceramide to restore the skin’s barrier.

The non-greasy formula absorbs quicker than the competition and soothes irritated skin in moments.

Conclusion

Pretty much everyone on the planet will have to deal with dry skin at some point. For many people, it’s only temporary. For others, it’s a lifelong battle.

Whatever your situation, there’s bound to be a solution. Switch to a mild cleanser and up your hydration with a better moisturizer. Korean face creams offer maximum benefits with healthy ingredients.

We’d love to know how your new moisturizer is working out for you. Feel free to tell us about it in the comments below.

Source:

1. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/9-ways-to-banish-dry-skin updated September 21, 2020, accessed March 12, 2021