10 Best Korean Pharmacy Skincare Picks from Pharmacists
I know that Korean pharmacy skincare is at the top of your must-buy shopping list when you visit Korea! Have you felt completely overwhelmed because there are simply too many options to choose from? If you pick from this list, you will never go wrong. Today, I am going to share the 10 best Korean pharmacy items recommended by local Korean pharmacists!
Why Are People Crazy About Korean Pharmacy Skincare?
- Safe Formulations: The ingredients are safe.
- Trustworthy Efficacy Backed by Pharma Companies: Since they are made by pharmaceutical companies, their effectiveness is highly trustworthy.
- Unbeatable Value for Money: Great value for money (cost-effective).
10 Best Korean Pharmacy Skincare Products
1. D-Panthenol Ointment (D-판테놀 연고)
Price: 10,000 won (€6.40, $7.30)
This is my current favorite Korean pharmacy skincare item that I use every day. Pharmacists say that if your skin breaks out often, you should use panthenol-based products like this to strengthen your skin barrier.
Is your skin on the drier side? Panthenol provides solid care for inner dryness and skin immunity. If you have sensitive skin, this contains zero steroids, so it is safe even for sensitive skin types. It is gentle enough to be used on a baby’s diaper rash skin. Although it is called an ointment, the texture is closer to a cream and absorbs well without feeling sticky.
👱🏼♀️ Blonde Kimchi says
I personally always use this Korean pharmacy skincare cream as a base before makeup during the dry autumn and winter seasons in Korea.
Richer application might feel slightly heavy for very oily skin in high humidity.
2. Noscarna Gel
Price: 20,000 won (€12.80, $14.70)
I shoot cooking contents so I often get mild burns on my hands. At those times, I apply Noscarna Gel out of worry that it might leave a scar. The heparin component in Noscarna Gel is used to treat red acne scars or light burn scars. With a complex component of allantoin, heparinoid, and panthenol, it is said that it can help create an environment for skin regeneration. This is one of the best Korean pharmacy items for me. Essential!
👱🏼♀️ Blonde Kimchi says
Dab a small layer over your healing acne spots before going to sleep to help calm lingering post-inflammatory redness!
A point to keep in mind is that you shouldn’t apply it right after getting burned, but rather start using it when the burned skin has almost healed. It is best to avoid direct sunlight on the scarred area as much as possible.
3. Madecassol Gel
Price: 7,000 won (€4.50, $5.10)
This is Madecassol Gel, which once caused a nationwide sell-out craze in best Korean pharmacy items. Madecassol is one of the famous ointment products in Korea, and this is a skincare gel product made by utilizing those skin regeneration ingredients. Unlike the gel. Madecassol Gel contains 100% Centella Asiatica ingredient, allowing you to see skin regeneration and rapid calming effects.
👱🏼♀️ Blonde Kimchi says
Madecassol ointment contains antibiotics, so be sure to double-check before using so you don’t get confused!
4. Acnon Cream
Price: 12,000 won (€7.70, $8.80)
Are you worried about facial acne? The product that pharmacists recommend at those times is this Acnon Cream. The clindamycin ingredient in this cream has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory actions, so it is said that it can quickly calm red purulent acne and help relieve blemishes. Especially when used on areas filled with pus, it can suppress bacterial proliferation and relieve inflammation inside the skin.
👱🏼♀️ Blonde Kimchi says
Apply a small dab directly onto throbbing pimples right before bed to help ease swelling overnight!
5. Azelia Cream
Price: 10,000 won (€6.40, $7.30)
Do you have trouble concerns? One of the representative products in the best Korean pharmacy items that Korean pharmacists recommend to such people is Azelia Cream. Containing 15% azelaic acid, it can help care for sebum and redness, and it is used on skin that needs antibacterial action. At first, it is recommended to use a small amount thinly on localized areas.
👱🏼♀️ Blonde Kimchi says
May cause a slight tingling feeling initially; start by spot-testing a tiny amount.
6. SevitaB Gel
Price: 12,000 won (€7.70, $8.80)
Are you worried because your face is too oily? This is a Korean pharmacy skincare ointment in a gel formulation that is effective for oily, trouble-prone skin. Containing 4% niacinamide (Vitamin B3), it is a product that can help relieve excessive sebum secretion and inflammatory acne. Apply it to localized areas before the basic skincare step.
👱🏼♀️ Blonde Kimchi says
Can pill under heavier liquid foundation if you do not allow it a couple of minutes to set.
7. Madeca Pharmacia Facial Repair Cream
Price: 35,000 won (€22.50, $25.70)
Madeca Cream is a pharmacy skincare product that my mom likes. Unlike the Madeca Creams sold at Olive Young or Daiso, this is a high-functionality regenerative moisturizing cream released by Dongkook Pharmaceutical exclusively for pharmacies, so it can only be purchased at pharmacies. Because it contains TECA ingredient, the core component of Madecassol, it was a product where deep moisture was felt when used, and it is said that it can help improve the skin barrier.
👱🏼♀️ Blonde Kimchi says
The formulation is on the thicker side, making it a product I love especially during the autumn and winter seasons.
The rich cream texture is best suited for dry skin and may feel too heavy in tropical summer weather.
8. Bepanthen Ointment (비판텐 연고)
Price: 12,000 won (€7.70, $8.80)
Actually, this is not a Korean skincare product, but I included it because it is a best-selling Korean pharmacy skincare product that Koreans frequently buy at pharmacies. Bepanthen is a steady seller of Germany’s Bayer for over 70 years, and since it has no additives, it is mainly used for infants and toddlers. The main ingredient is dexpanthenol, which is said to help with skin regeneration and moisturizing.
👱🏼♀️ Blonde Kimchi says
The texture is much thicker than Dong-A Pharmaceutical’s D-Panthenol Ointment, so it is recommended to use in dry winter (Korean winter is very dry).
Alternatively, it can be used like an eye cream on small areas such as around the eyes or smile lines.
9. Melatoning Cream (멜라토닝 크림)
Price: 22,000 won (€14.10, $16.10)
This Korean pharmacy skincare cream is Dong-A Pharmaceutical’s Melatoning Cream contains hydroquinone ingredient, which inhibits excessive melanin pigment generation, so it is said that it can help relieve pigmentation such as blemishes and freckles. You can apply it by dabbing lightly on the affected area 1-2 times a day (morning and before sleeping).
👱🏼♀️ Blonde Kimchi says
Hydroquinone requires diligent sun care! Always follow up with plenty of broad-spectrum SPF during daytime use.
If the applied area is exposed to sunlight, pigmentation can actually worsen, so you must thoroughly apply sunscreen during the day.
10. Rejuvenex Cream (리쥬비넥스 크림)
Price: 40,000 won (€25.70, $29.30)
This is one of the best Korean pharmacy items that caused a massive sell-out sensation in Korea, and pharmacists even said, “If you see it, buy it.” If you have visited a Korean dermatology clinic, you might have seen something called Rejuran Healer. Rejuvenex is made by the company that creates Rejuran, and this cream also contains PDRN 0.8mg/g, which is found in Rejuran Healer. It is said to help with skin regeneration and moisturizing functions.
👱🏼♀️ Blonde Kimchi says
Although it is a cream, it absorbs well, is non-greasy, and has a smooth, velvet-like texture.
