After visiting Dr. Hwang’s Seoul office for Rejuran injections, I was curious to see how the popular ampoule compares. Spoiler alert: It obviously can’t do what 700 injections can. Still, I remain a fan of this ampoule for its gentle formula and glow-boosting, plumping properties.
Best Peptide Serum: Glow Recipe Prickly Pear Peptide Mucin
Original video from Sarah Y. Wu testing Glow Recipe Prickly Pear Peptide Mucin
Snail mucin is a key ingredient in Korean skin care, but this is the first time I’ve tried a prickly pear mucin serum. Inspired by K-beauty snail mucin serums, this vegan version is packed with prickly pear to support your skin barrier, ectoin to calm, and peptides (a popular ingredient used to help improve skin elasticity and firmness). Despite its stretchy, gooey appearance out of the bottle, it absorbs fast and doesn’t feel sticky on skin.
After testing all the popular snail mucin serums on the market, I was curious to see how this plant-based version would compare. It actually feels so similar, I had to double check the ingredients list. The texture has the gooey, weirdly satisfying feel I’m familiar with but is also easy to work with and pat in. Once it absorbs, it leaves my face feeling bouncy and hydrated. I’ve always loved peptides as a skin-plumping ingredient, and now my new favorite way to cocktail them is with a dose of prickly pear mucin.
Best Vitamin C Serum: Goodal Green Tangerine Vitamin-C Dark Spot Serum
Original video from Sarah Y. Wu testing Goodal Green Tangerine Vitamin-C Dark Spot Serum
If your vitamin C serums feel sticky or smell like hot dog water, swap them out for this K-beauty favorite, a consistent top seller at Olive Young and 2025 award runner-up. I picked up my first bottle of this TikTok-viral vitamin C last fall in Seoul and emptied it in a month after using it day and night. Most vitamin C serums rely on stabilized ascorbic acid, but this version derives the ingredient from green tangerine. ““Green tangerine extract is rich in natural vitamin C derivatives so it can brighten dull skin and help fade dark spots,” says Dr. Hwang. It’s paired with hydrating, soothing ingredients to help keep your complexion balanced. “Niacinamide improves skin tone and supports the skin barrier, while Centella Asiatica extract calms irritation,” he says.
My favorite thing about this formula is that the lightweight gel texture feels just right for my combination skin, delivering hydration without making my skin feel weighed down or oily. Plus, it has a visible effect on my post-breakout dark spots. After a month of regular use, it faded the marks around my chin and brightened my overall complexion without causing the slightest bit of irritation.
Best Retinol Serum: Some by Mi Retinol Intense Reactivating Serum
Original video from Sarah Y. Wu testing Some by Mi Retinol Intense Reactivating Serum
Once a relatively rare ingredient in K-beauty, Korean retinols are now on the rise. This beginner-friendly option combines retinol, retinal, and bakuchiol to help smooth texture and boost collagen production. (Bakuchiol is a plant-based ingredient known for delivering retinol-like effects without the risk of irritation, making it ideal for sensitive skin.) The formula also contains calming and barrier-supporting ingredients like Centella asiatica and ceramides to keep it mild.
Cho is a fan of the “multifunctional blend” of ingredients. “The addition of peptides and panthenol made it feel like a treatment and a barrier-repair serum in one,” she says. “It’s great for combination, acne-prone, and oily skin types.”
Best Moisturizer for Dry Skin: Aestura Atobarrier 365 Cream
Original video from Sarah Y. Wu testing Aestura Atobarrier 365 Cream
Every dermatologist I’ve met in Seoul is obsessed with this iconic white-and-blue tube, which consistently takes home Olive Young Awards (and won first place for best cream again in 2025). “Aestura is trusted because it mirrors dermatology-grade barrier repair,” says Dr. Hwang. “This cream is frequently recommended after lasers and during seasonal barrier breakdown.” Its gentle, intensely hydrating formula is packed with ceramides and fatty acids to make moisture last, no matter how dehydrated your skin feels.