Beauty of Joseon – a favourite of many – is a South Korean skincare brand inspired by the women of the Joseon Dynasty. The reason that I bought my first product from them (back in 2021), was because I was absolutely obsessed with the packaging. Silly, I know, but the formulations actually made me stay. Since then, I’ve tried five of their products and my wishlist is still growing. This brand is known for creating formulas with ‘hanbang’ ingredients – natural ingredients that have therapeutic properties. While all of the Beauty of Joseon products I have tried are amazing in their own right, I do have a preference and the list below is in order (most to least favourites).
For reference, my skin type: oily – my skin conditions: acne-prone & dehydrated.
Ginseng Essence Water
You’re probably tired of me talking about this one – it’s in this post and this one. Oh, and this one too. I should probably try a new toner. But I mean, if it’s not broke, why fix it, right? I actually used to think toners were an absolute waste of time. This essence toner changed my mind. It’s so hard to explain how nice this is – it’s kind of velvety and smooth and gentle. My favourite thing about this essence water is that you can layer it (to achieve that soft, supple, glowy skin), without it feeling like too much. My skin has been so much softer since using it, and even brighter too. Hands down the top choice on my Beauty of Joseon favourites list.
Red Bean Water Gel
This is a recent addition to my collection. I actually stumbled upon this gem on Stylevana’s website, having never heard of it before. The reviews were mixed, so I was a bit skeptical. But I’m an absolute sucker for gel moisturisers and this brand, so I thought it was worth a try. This moisturiser – specifically designed for oily skin – is a dream. It has a slightly thick but lightweight bouncy gel texture and it’s the cutest, softest of pink colours. 44% Haenam red bean extract is designed to provide hydration while assisting in the absorption of sebum. The best thing about this product is that it gives you a nice, soft glow without being greasy.
Ginseng Cleansing Oil
After using (and loving) the Bare Minerals’ Smoothness Hydrating Cleansing Oil, I had high expectations for Beauty of Joseon’s first step cleanser. I wasn’t disappointed. This cleansing oil is great at removing makeup, sunscreen, and other residue. It always leaves my skin feeling soft. The only issue that I have with this product is the smell. 50% of the formula is made up of soybean oil – industrialised oil is just not my favourite scent. But, if you can get past the smell, it’s a great effective cleanser and I’d definitely recommend it. It would also be great for those who prefer to use fragrance and essential oil-free products.
Green Plum Refreshing Toner
This exfoliating toner was the first product I tried from Beauty of Joseon. The packaging is absolutely adorable – it is a light green pump bottle (though I think the pump has since been removed). The smell of this toner is beautiful too. The formula contains 25% green plum water (to provide moisture and smooth the skin’s texture), 2% glycolic acid (AHA: chemical exfoliant), and 0.5% salicylic acid (BHA: chemical exfoliant). Because of the low concentrations of exfoliants, it is gentle enough for daily use in the morning and evening. This is a great product – the only reason it is down the list for me is because I like a slightly stronger exfoliant for my oily, acne-prone skin.
Dynasty Cream
Lastly, we have the dynasty cream. The only reason that this moisturiser is at the bottom of my list is because it is designed for dry / combination skin. I received a few samples of this cream in a recent haul and it’s such a nice, velvety consistency. It was a little bit too much for my oily skin, but for someone who has a dry or combination type, this would work wonders. It contains so many beneficial ingredients like rice bran water, ginseng water, squalene, and niacinamide.
Well, this wraps up my first favourites list from an incredible, innovative brand – Beauty of Joseon. I am so excited to try more from them. Serums are up next.
Yours,
Kait x
Cover photo by Monstera Production