If you have spent any time in the K-beauty section of your pharmacy or scrolled any TikTok reels, you’ve probably seen Beauty of Joseon. The Korean skin care brand mixes traditional ingredients like ginseng, rice, and green plum with modern ones like niacinamide and retinal, in packaging pretty enough to leave out on the counter as a display piece. We rounded up the Beauty of Joseon products worth knowing, from the first cleanse to the last layer of cream.
Winter is also a good time to rethink your routine: cold air outside and dry heat inside can leave skin feeling tight. While you are getting cozy for the season (our electric blanket test can help there), here is what makes this brand stand out and the six products we would start with.
What makes Beauty of Joseon different
Beauty of Joseon builds its products around Hanbang, traditional Korean medicine based on natural ingredients, and pairs those herbs with lab-backed actives. The brand says its formulas take their cue from the Gyuhap Chongseo, a Joseon-era encyclopedia written by the female scholar Yi Bingheogak. It is also cruelty-free and develops its products without animal testing.
The brand first broke through with its Relief Sun sunscreen, then expanded into a full skin care lineup. These are the traditional ingredients you will see again and again:
- Ginseng: a centuries-old herbal remedy the brand uses for long-lasting hydration.
- Rice: used to nourish skin, smooth its texture, and boost glow.
- Green plum: used in traditional Korean medicine and, in skin care, to soften and sweep away dead skin cells.
The best Beauty of Joseon products, step by step
Korean skin care is known for its many steps, but you don’t need ten. These six products follow the usual order, from the first cleanse to the last layer of cream, going from the thinnest texture to the thickest. All six come from the brand’s official Amazon store, and some of our team members use them in their own routines.
Step 1: Ginseng Cleansing Oil
Check price at AmazonStart the evening with the Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Cleansing Oil. It is the first step of a double cleanse: massage it onto dry skin, and it melts away makeup and sunscreen, including waterproof formulas.
The brand says ginseng helps it reach into pores to lift away impurities, and that the oil suits all skin types.
Step 2: Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser
Check price at AmazonFollow with the Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser, a gel cleanser you can use morning and night. It has 24% plum water plus plum and mung bean extracts.
Plum’s natural citric acid and AHA gently exfoliate dead skin cells, while the formula helps keep skin’s oil and moisture in balance, so your face feels clean without feeling stripped.
Step 3: Ginseng Essence Water
Check price at AmazonNext comes the first layer of moisture. The Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Essence Water works as a toner and essence in one, so it saves a step.
It is made with 80% ginseng water, plus 2% niacinamide for the skin barrier and tone and 0.5% BHA for gentle exfoliation. The listing says it suits both oily and dry skin, and it comes in a 150 ml bottle.
Step 4: Glow Deep Serum
Check price at AmazonFor glow, the Beauty of Joseon Glow Deep Serum pairs rice bran water with alpha arbutin. It is made to brighten dullness and the look of uneven skin tone and dark spots.
The texture is light and silky, so it layers well under the rest of your routine and leaves a dewy finish that does not feel sticky or heavy.
Step 5: Revive Eye Serum
Check price at AmazonThe Beauty of Joseon Revive Eye Serum is one of the brand’s best known products. It uses retinal liposomes and ginseng to help firm the look of the skin around the eyes and soften the look of fine lines.
Pat a little under each eye. The 30 ml serum absorbs fast with no stickiness, and the brand says it suits all skin types.
It is a favorite on our team, too. Some of us use it and find it great for reducing puffiness and the look of fine lines.
Step 6: Dynasty Cream
Check price at AmazonSeal it all in with the Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream. It has 2% niacinamide and 2% squalane to keep skin’s oil and moisture in balance, and its listing names dry skin as a good match.
The texture is dense and firm, a signature of the brand’s creams, and it leaves a dewy, radiant finish. The brand says it can go around the eyes too. In the morning, finish with sunscreen.
A few tips before you start
Add new products one at a time and patch test first, so you can tell what your skin likes. Small habits are easier to keep, the same idea behind our easy ways to stay active when you are busy.
What we could not test
- We haven’t formally tested these products. Some members of our team use them, the Revive Eye Serum most of all, but we have not put them through a test.
Sources and further reading
- About Us, Beauty of Joseon, Hanbang, Gyuhap Chongseo, cruelty free, Relief Sun, key ingredients
- Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Cleansing Oil, Amazon, makeup removal, double cleansing, skin types
- Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser, Amazon, gel texture, plum water, mung bean, AHA
- Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Essence Water 150ml, Amazon, ginseng water, niacinamide, BHA, size
- Beauty of Joseon Glow Deep Serum Rice Alpha-Arbutin, Amazon, rice bran water, alpha arbutin, finish
- Beauty of Joseon Revive Eye Serum 30ml, Amazon, retinal liposomes, ginseng, texture, size
- Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream, Amazon, niacinamide, squalane, texture, eye area
Changelog
- Written.
Questions
Is Beauty of Joseon a Korean brand?
Yes. It is a Korean skin care brand built around Hanbang, traditional Korean herbal medicine, paired with modern ingredients like niacinamide and retinal.
Is Beauty of Joseon cruelty free?
The brand says it is cruelty free and develops all of its products without animal testing.
Which Beauty of Joseon products should I start with?
A cleanser, the Ginseng Essence Water and the Dynasty Cream make an easy three step start. Add a serum once your skin is used to them.
What order do I apply them in?
Go from thinnest to thickest: cleanser, essence water, serum, eye serum, then cream. Finish with sunscreen in the morning.