The Best Korean Serum – 2024 Reviews & Top Picks

I remember one tingling type of excitement since being still a child. That overwhelming, pure emotion each time I get my hands on makeup.

It took me years before I learn that skincare is much more than juicy lips, flawless foundation, and perfect eyelashes.

But before we continue, let’s take a sneak peek at our top five of the best Korean serums. These are the leading heroes of the story.

After all, somebody has to face the trial and errors--yet does it have to be you?

A Quick Overview: Our Top Picks of the Best Korean Serums

The Seoul Ceuticals Korean Skin Care - 20% Vitamin C Hyaluronic Acid Serum + CE Ferulic Acid tops our list. We like this one for its natural compounds and botanical extracts. It can also provide an array of benefits for different skin issues.

Next, we have the Serment [Featured On Dr. oz] Korean Cosmetics Peptides and Stem Cell Serum. It is an excellent example of high-tech Korean skincare with the help of nature. That is a treatment which can assist the formation of healthy tissues, which is crucial for any skin type.

Our third top pick is the Lansley Natural Vitamin C Serum. It becomes one of our favorite due to the organic sources in its formulation. We also love its vigorous action on both old and new scars and discoloration.

The Elizavecca Hell Pore Control Hyaluronic acid Serum spots our fourth position. Pig collagen is one of the secret ingredients in Korean skincare. That type of collagen is non-greasy and absorbs fast to bounce the skin back to its youthful state.

And for the closing, we have the Skinfood Gold Caviar Collagen Serum. We enjoy the fancy feeling of applying the small golden flakes on the face. Moreover, that serum is very nourishing and highly moisturizing to leave the skin feeling silky smooth.

Friends with Benefits

My best friend is Asian, born in Europe and raised in America. Then she went to Korea because of the sudden death of her grandfather.

And she came back two years later with the same soul but different face.

No, the state of her skin has nothing to do with miracles. It is a consequence of a religious, open-minded and strict skin care regimen.

We only think we know what strict means. Koreans see the world from a different perspective. Like --profoundly-- different.

Real Stories of Koreans’ Deep Connection With the Skin

One of my favorite stories involves an 11-year-old boy, who laughed at my friend for her poor skin care culture.

Koreans start to teach their children the importance of looking after the skin, at a very early age. And yes, males know no less than women on the significance of flawless skin.

After all, the appearance is like a walking visit card. It shows so much about us before we speak even a word.

How Serums Make a Difference

Serums were long known and used by the Koreans, though they didn’t call these that way.

It wasn’t before the mid-nineties when the first cosmetics under the title serums appear on the market.

These were a huge boom. It was a breakthrough. So far, people had to get a prescription or go to the doctor for concentrated forms of skin treatment.

But now these were available, and everybody was catching the serum fever by storm. Serums work, and so the word spread speedily from one happy user to another.

Secret Techniques to Make the Most of a Serum

Serums work much faster compared to other cosmetics. However, their most crucial and long-term benefits reveal after continuous use. Will a diet work for you in 3 months?

It might show some improvement, though inconsistency will lead to a limited yo-yo effect.

For best results, we need to prepare the skin by cleansing it thoroughly. Next, the skin has to be dry, and there has to be not even a trace of damp.

Otherwise, some precious compounds of serums cannot penetrate. That’s just logic since water and oils repel each other.

Then, we need to tap gently to help the healthy elements seep easier through the upper levels.

Another essential tip is to allow the serum enough time to dry completely. Mixing it too quickly with the rest of the cosmetics can create a conflict between the ingredients.

And finally--do we need a moisturizer? The answer is a big, fat Yes. Serums do help to improve the overall water balance of the skin.

But their primary purpose is not moisturization. The whole texture of serums is designed towards concentration of active ingredients.

We stumble across some little-known facts about moisturizers while conveying our survey.

The Harvard Medical School carries research we want to share with you. We encourage you to check these out.

Our team of beauty addicts was assigned to test out and evaluate a bunch of products to find the top five best Korean serums.

No need to tell you I was as happy as if it is Christmas time and Santa has just taken two of my cookies (and left three presents in return).

We chose this one to head the list because it is the most multi-purpose of all.

We also love its base which is Deionized water. When we take away ions from water, it becomes about 1000 times more soluble compared to ordinary tap water. That increases the overall penetration of the serum.

And is there any skin type that doesn’t require additional antioxidants?

Vitamin C, together with Gotu Kola, Dandelion and Geranium Extracts can help to brighten, speed up healing of blemishes, and rejuvenate the skin.

Witch Hazel is another natural alternative that assists in clearing the face and suppressing acne formation.

Meanwhile, the plant-based Hyaluronic acid helps to retain moisture to make the skin supple and plump.

In case of dry skin, that particular serum might lead to flakiness if you put too much. And if you have sensitive skin, it might also be beneficial to limit its use up to once a day.

Thus, it is obligatory to follow it up with a suitable moisturizer.

Next on our list is a product, that combines unique cut-edge technology approach for its formulation.

It’s no wonder why Dr. Oz shows his respect and recommends this particular serum. Plant Stem Cells are not new to the world of cosmetics.

But Koreans are the ones that know how to use these to make the most out of the treatment.

Ordinary skin cells are part of the basal layer of the epidermis. These remain dormant until a disease or tissue injury activate them to respond.

Stem cells can receive signals from the body, and then they turn into a kind of repair mode.

These can create carbohydrates, proteins, and lipid to restore the natural protective barrier of the skin. And that is where the root of many skin problems lays.

Most importantly, the amino acids in the formulation serve to activate and upregulate the stem cells.

While testing the product, we enjoy the pleasant and natural scent, which is barely-there. We also notice it can help to fight puffiness in the under-eye zone.

There is some slight tight feeling after application, but it does fade away quite quickly.

The third product for our compilation is the Lansley Natural Vitamin C Serum. We like this one the most when it comes to oily, normal, sensitive, or acne-prone skin.

However, it can also benefit mature, dry, and combination skin but not as a primary treatment. It might suit better as an additional beauty tool for those skin types.

Ascorbyl Glucoside is a water-soluble derivative of vitamin C. That makes it much more stable in water but slightly affects its potency.

However, it is the golden type of Vitamin C to use in cosmetics because it helps to create a delightful and durable texture.

It has a higher chance to survive without deteriorating and losing or decreasing its beneficial properties.

We like this serum for its ability to clarify the skin and make the surface much more even and smooth.

Nonetheless, it can aid in reducing existing acne scars, as well as suppressing the formation of new ones.

The next best Korean serum for our roundup is the Elizavecca Hell Pore Control Hyaluronic acid Serum.

We like this one the most for dry, combination, sensitive, and normal skin. We also have to admit we fell in love with the cute packaging.

The sweet little witch piggy is stirring concoctions for blurring the pores. And indeed, pore control is of essence not only for those struggling with enlarged pores.

We have to take care of those tiny gaps continually. These become an entry and an exit for many elements that penetrate the skin.

Poor maintenance of the pores leads to clogging, blemishes, uneven skin tone and bumps. Meanwhile, Niacinamide can further help to create a more uniform color of the skin.

It can strengthen the surface of the skin and assist the effect of Hyaluronic acid to shrink and minimize the pores.

However, it seems to leave a bit of a film behind. It might be best to use it overnight, or makeup might not hold well for every skin type, and especially if you sweat.

We close this roundup with our fifth pick of the best Korean serums, which is the Skinfood Gold Caviar Collagen Serum.

We chose this one with the mind for mature and dry skin types. But we don’t think that particular product is the best to suit acne-prone skin.

Indeed, it is the most moisturizing and softening one, compared to all the rest on this list. It does help to plump out the skin and make it look youthful.

Caviar contains amino acids that link together in a specific way to create proteins.

These proteins are essential for improving skin’s elasticity and firmness. There is a juicy story, surrounding Melania Trump and caviar, as she was planning to work on her exclusive line of caviar products.

That was part of a project with one of the biggest holding companies for branded skincare products.

But instead of following the Kardashians’ clan success with the same brand, Melania’s site disappeared soon after its promotion.

Anyway, apart from the fail, we have to admit the very idea behind a complete caviar skincare line does show some understanding of luxurious topical treatment.

We also feel pampering and special when dispensing the small golden pieces of the serum on the skin.

The Bottom Line

Many of us forget that lipsticks are yummy and make the best.crayons.ever. But there is one thing that remains a forever-value.

And that is the feeling of confidence with our skin and waking up from bed with a smile.

That culture is an intricate part of how Koreans maintain youthfulness, and so we came up with the best Korean serums.

Our top choice is the Seoul Ceuticals Korean Skin Care - 20% Vitamin C Hyaluronic Acid Serum + CE Ferulic Acid.

We fell in love with this one, though it is hard to speak only of our best choice.

Any of these serums can help to prove one thing--that we understand, respect, and know how to take care of ourselves.

After all, it is a pity to be a part of the 21st century and not take advantage of the best ways to treat our lifetime companion--the skin.