Reviews, best-ofs and comparisons

COSRX Snail 96 Essence vs Torriden Dive-In Serum: which do you pick?

Two Korean hydration steps with different main ingredients: a snail mucin essence with a short ingredient list, or a hyaluronic acid serum with no snail, plus centella and a ceramide.

Heartleaf 77 Soothing Toner

A fragrance-free heartleaf toner that calms redness and adds light hydration — a gentle daily step for sensitive skin.

Best Korean toners in Australia

Three Korean toners, each with a different use: one for everyday hydration, one to calm sensitive skin, and one that gently exfoliates. We explain which one to use and who each one suits.

Anua Heartleaf 77 vs Round Lab Dokdo: which toner suits your skin?

Two fragrance-free Korean toners for the step straight after cleansing: Round Lab's short hydrating formula and Anua's 77% heartleaf toner. We compare the two formulas and explain what neither toner does.

Birch Juice Moisturizing Cream

A light, fragrance-free birch-and-hyaluronic-acid gel-cream built to hydrate without heavy oils — the easy daily default for combination or oily skin.

Best Korean moisturisers in Australia

Three Korean moisturisers for three needs — a light all-rounder, a rich cream for dry skin, and a gentle ceramide gel for sensitive skin.

Glow Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide

Propolis and niacinamide in one serum: hydration, a calmer surface and a little less shine for tired, oily skin.

Best Korean face cleansers for dry skin in Australia

Three Korean cleansers for dry skin — a low-pH daily gel, a fragrance-free barrier cleanse, and an oil that lifts SPF without stripping.

Cleansing oil vs cleansing balm: Anua vs Clean It Zero

Two first-cleanse products that do the same job in different forms: a liquid oil and a firm sherbet balm. Which one suits your skin, and your sink.

Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum vs Glow Deep Serum: which do you pick?

Two Beauty of Joseon serums with almost the same name and different jobs: propolis and niacinamide for glow and calm, rice and alpha-arbutin for evening out tone.

Clean It Zero Original Cleansing Balm

A solid sherbet balm that melts on skin contact, lifts off sunscreen and makeup, then rinses off with water.

Dive-In Hyaluronic Acid Serum

Five forms of hyaluronic acid in a watery, fragrance-free layer — the hydration step a dry or sensitive routine can lean on.

Best Korean retinol and retinal for beginners in Australia

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 Korean moisturisers for oily skin in Australia

Light, water-based hydration for oily and combination skin — three Korean picks that hydrate without the shine.

Best Korean sleeping masks in Australia for overnight hydration

Three Korean sleeping masks for overnight hydration — one all-rounder, one for dry skin, and a gentle ceramide pick for sensitive skin.

Best Korean spot treatments for breakouts in Australia

Three Korean spot treatments for a breakout — a gentle everyday cream, an overnight drying pick, and an azelaic serum for the marks left behind.

BHA Blackhead Power Liquid

A 4% betaine salicylate liquid built to get into pores and help clear blackheads.

Best Korean serums for dry skin in Australia in 2026

Three Korean serums for skin that runs dry — a featherweight hyaluronic default, a richer birch-sap pick, and a misting serum you can reapply over makeup.

AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner

A low-dose AHA, BHA and PHA toner that gently exfoliates blemish-prone skin — where it helps, and why the peppermint oil gives us pause.

Best Korean face cleansers for oily skin in Australia

Three Korean cleansers for oily skin — a low-pH daily gel, an occasional salicylic wash, and an oil cleanse that dissolves the day's sebum and SPF.

1025 Dokdo Toner

A fragrance-free, alcohol-free toner that rehydrates skin and supports the skin barrier after cleansing.

Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser

A low-pH gel built to clean without stripping skin — an easy morning wash, and the water step after an oil cleanse.

Best Korean cleansers for sensitive skin in Australia

Three fragrance-free Korean cleansers for sensitive skin — a gentle daily foam, a hydrating one, and a rare fragrance-free oil — when most 'gentle' washes hide essential oils.

Revive Eye Serum: Ginseng + Retinal

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 Korean pimple patches in Australia

Three Korean pimple patches that earn their place — a do-it-all hydrocolloid, a microneedle patch for spots that haven't surfaced, and a value pick — plus when a patch won't help at all.

Ultimate Nourishing Rice Overnight Spa Mask

A rich, fragrance-free rice overnight mask with a touch of niacinamide — a cheap, gentle overnight hydration boost for dry skin.

Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil

Dissolves sunscreen and makeup, then emulsifies with water to rinse off — a gentle, good-value first cleanse for the double-cleanse step.

Glow Deep Serum: Rice + Alpha-Arbutin

Rice and gentle alpha-arbutin for a brighter, more even tone — the Korean serum most routines can start with.

Best affordable Korean serums in Australia

Three Korean serums that punch above their price — for glow, dark spots and value.

Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Essence

A snail-mucin essence made to add water to tight, dehydrated skin — a sensible first Korean skincare product.