As a dry-skinned girl who uses almost exclusively Korean beauty products, this is my time to shine—and an opportunity for me to pick the brains of experts and take note of new products to add to my personal routine. K-beauty is known for prioritizing long-term skin health over temporary correction. We've all likely used a product that felt amazing on the skin upon application, and also for a stretch of time after, but with results that didn't last—a moisturizer that felt hydrating at the time, but did absolutely nothing to help the skin retain moisture. This is why I, personally, rely on Korean beauty.
With the air already feeling relatively dry and winter on the horizon, even if your skin isn't dry year-round, you very well might be feeling it now. When it comes to dry skin, keep an eye out for products formulated with PDRN, ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and rice extract. Consider rich face creams over lightweight moisturizers, serums, or ampoules that pack a bunch, and try incorporating a toner or essence into your routine if you don't already.
Ahead, the 17 best Korean beauty products for dry skin, according to experts.
The Best Under $20: BIODANCE Bio-Collagen Real Deep Mask for Hydrating & Plumping
The Editor's Pick: Illiyoon Ceramide Ato Concentrate Cream
Best Luxury Option: Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Rejuvenating Cream Rich
The Best Under $30: Celimax Dual Barrier Creamy Toner
Meet The Experts:
Dr. Aimee Paik is a board-certified dermatologist and the founder of K-beauty-inspired sunscreen and skincare brand VIZE.
Daniella Jung is the founder of Korean beauty brand Muskat Beauty, Inc.
Erica Choi is a licensed esthetician and the co-founder of Korean beauty brand Superegg Skincare.
Kim So-young is the founder of slow-aging Korean skincare brand Kurved.
Kelley Liu is the founder of Korean beauty e-commerce and retail brand Song of Skin.
Dr.Reju-All Advanced PDRN Rejuvenating Cream
PDRN is a hero ingredient in Korean beauty for its power to support the skin's natural repair process. This cream is not only formulated with PDRN, but also niacinamide, panthenol, collagen, and hyaluronic acid for hydration, soothing, and firming. "This product is a beautiful hydrating serum that feels amazing on my skin and delivers long-lasting hydration," Dr. Aimee Paik, board-certified dermatologist and co-founder of skincare brand VIZE, says. "I find it’s a great base to start layering my other skincare products. I find it to be super gentle for my sensitive skin, and I love that it’s fragrance-free."
VIZE Cloudwear Daily SPF 30
We love sunscreens that feel like skincare—and that have the formulas and results of a serum or moisturizer. "This product has a truly cloud-like weightlessness on the skin, rubs in so easily, and is super hydrating. It leaves a glass-like glow and primes my skin beautifully for makeup," Dr. Paik says. "It has that K-beauty non-sunscreen type feel, but uses US-approved filters for dependable UV protection. At the end of the day, my skin feels comfortable and hydrated, and my makeup still looks good!"
BIODANCE Bio-Collagen Real Deep Mask for Hydrating & Plumping
The reviews for these sheet masks sort of speak for themself. With consumers seeing more youthful skin and reporting that their skin has never been so bouncy, it's not surprising that this is a cult favorite. "I haven’t been too impressed by other sheet masks, and I find they can be irritating on my sensitive skin, but I was blown away by this one," Dr. Paik says. "It leaves my skin feeling hydrated without any irritation, and it gives that glass skin plumping look after removing it."
Dr. Paik isn't the only K-beauty expert with rave reviews of this Biodance mask. "The viral hydrogel mask that has taken the beauty world by storm!" Daniella Jung, founder and CEO of Muskat Beauty, says. "Packed with collagen and hydrating ingredients, this overnight mask leaves skin looking visibly plumper, smoother, and deeply hydrated by morning."
Meditherapy Hyaluronic Acid Skin Booster First Serum
This serum promises to absorb like a toner, but hydrate like a serum—and, according to experts, it delivers on this promise. "What makes this serum special is its incredibly lightweight, watery texture. It's designed to be layered up to three times, allowing skin to build up hydration without feeling heavy or sticky," Jung says. "A great choice for dry, dehydrated skin that needs moisture but doesn't love thick, rich formulas."
Purito Seoul Mighty Bamboo Panthenol Cream
Panthenol works as a humectant and skin-soothing agent, while Korean bamboo extract is rich in amino acids—this product includes both. "A comforting moisturizer featuring 10% panthenol and Korean bamboo extract, designed to support the skin's moisture barrier," Jung says. "It delivers lasting hydration without feeling overly heavy, making it particularly appealing for dry, sensitive skin that needs a little extra care."
COSRX The Blue Peptide Bakuchiol Plump Glow Serum
This serum is jam-packed with ingredients that serve multiple purposes, resulting in a product that successfully kills multiple birds with one stone. "COSRX has built its global reputation on ingredient-focused skincare, and this newer hero serum is a perfect example," Jung says. "Combining copper peptides, bakuchiol, and hydrating ingredients, it helps skin look plumper, firmer, and more radiant. A great pick for anyone who wants more than just hydration from their daily serum."
COSRX 7X Ceramide Skin Barrier Moisturizer
Everyone with dry skin knows the importance of a rich moisturizer—and that ceramides being in the formula make a major difference. "One of the most versatile moisturizers to add to any skincare routine. With ceramides and other barrier-supporting ingredients, the formula delivers comfortable hydration without feeling overly rich or greasy," Jung says. "Whether you're a man or woman, have sensitive skin, or struggle with dryness, this is the kind of easy, everyday moisturizer that works across different skin types and routines."
Mediheal Hyaluronate Essential Mask
From the brand that made daily mask use popular in Korean beauty, a sheet mask that delivers the ultimate dose of hydration. "Mediheal has been a household name since the early days of the K-Beauty wave and remains a beloved staple today. The brand helped popularize Korea's iconic 'one mask a day' skincare ritual, transforming sheet masking into an everyday beauty habit," Jung says. "Its Hyaluronate Essential Mask delivers a refreshing boost of hydration, making it an easy go-to for dry, thirsty skin."
Superegg Pure Transparency Treatment Essence
Oftentimes, dry skin should be treated as dehydrated. Rather than moisturizing products, your skin might need products that will quench its thirst. "Dry skin is often dehydrated too, so I always start with water-based hydration. This essence layers eight weights of hyaluronic acid to hydrate at every level of the skin, and snow mushroom holds onto that moisture," licensed esthetician and founder of K-beauty brand Superegg Erica Choi says. "Galactomyces, a beloved K-beauty ferment, smooths texture and brings back radiance to a dull, winter complexion. It’s built on our White Duplex® complex, a vegan take on the egg white my grandmother and mother used on their skin. I pat it in right after cleansing, and my moisturizer absorbs so much better on top."
Superegg Soft Strength Rich Resilience Cream
What if you could have a rich, hydrating cream formulated with a retinol alternative that won't dry out your skin? "This is the cream I reach for when my skin feels depleted and tight. It’s a rich, velvety cream that melts in and leaves a soft satin finish, never heavy," Choi says. "Ectoin, ceramides, and rosehip, meadowfoam, and rice bran oils rebuild the moisture barrier. Siliphos®, a phyto-retinol from milk thistle, firms and smooths fine lines without the irritation dry skin often gets from retinol. It’s fragrance-free and gentle enough for sensitive skin, so I use it morning and night all winter."
Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Rejuvenating Cream Rich
Ginseng is another K-beauty hero ingredient. It boosts collagen, fights wrinkles, brightens skin, and is packed with antioxidants. "A true icon of Korean beauty. Ginseng has been part of Korean skincare rituals for generations, and Sulwhasoo has spent decades studying it," Choi says. "The Rich version has a dense, luxurious texture that’s ideal for very dry or mature skin, and it leaves a beautiful, healthy glow. I love it on the coldest nights or after a long flight, when my skin needs deep nourishment."
Kurved Skin Aging Curve Hybrid Peptide Collagen Glass Mist
If you've a love/hate relationship with hydration mists and have noticed only temporary results from ones used in the past, we highly encourage you to give the category another try—starting with this offering from Kurved. "Most mists hydrate for a moment and then leave skin feeling tighter than before. This one is different because it's built on collagen water instead of plain water. It's a two-layer formula, cream and collagen water, so you simply shake it and spray," Kim So-young, founder of Korean skincare brand Kruved, says. "I think of it as a moisturizer in a bottle: it gives the plush, cushioned feeling of a rich cream, yet it's not oil-based, so you can mist it again and again without looking greasy or flattening your hair. I keep one in the car, at my desk, and always in my carry-on for long flights. And the glassy, lit-from-within glow it leaves behind? That's just the bonus."
Kurved Hybrid Peptide Cream
Follow up the Kurved hydration mist with a hydrating peptide-rich cream."This is the cream I recommend with complete confidence to anyone who struggles with dryness. Biotin (vitamin B7) and peptides work together to lay a protective veil over the skin, comforting without ever feeling heavy," So-young says. "It comes into its own as indoor heating kicks in and the air turns dry: apply it at night, and you wake up to skin that feels soft, smooth, and settled. On days when I spend ten or more hours in heavy professional makeup, this is the cream my skin asks for that night."
Illiyoon Ceramide Ato Concentrate Cream
The skin of newborn babies is so delicate and sensitive—so if a product works on them, you can feel confident it will work on your skin, too. "This one is personal. I recently became a mother, and this is the cream I use on my baby boy. Newborn skin is so delicate, and when dryness leaves it red and irritated, I've found nothing calms it faster," So-young says. "On the days when other creams didn't help, this is the one that brought him comfort, and it gave me some peace of mind as a new mom. If a cream is gentle enough for my son, I trust it completely for anyone with dry, sensitive skin.
Celimax Dual Barrier Creamy Toner
As a dry-skinned girl who was previously skeptical about toners, I can now attest that my skin wouldn't be the same without one in my routine—and Kelley Liu has a recommendation for our fellow dry-skinned girls. "I recommend this milky toner because healthy, glowing skin starts with a well-supported moisture barrier. With five types of ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and a peptide complex, it helps replenish moisture and leaves skin feeling soft and comfortable," she says. "I love its nourishing texture, especially for skin that feels dry or tight. Hydration doesn’t have to begin and end with a cream: I like to think of layering hydration as moistening a dry sponge. A hydrating toner adds an initial layer of moisture, while the cream that follows helps seal it in."
CelDot Diamond Glass Renewal Cream
The name of this product isn't misleading—it's actually formulated with real diamond powder for a light-reflecting glow. "As the founder of CelDot, this cream is especially personal to me. I wanted to bring together everyday hydration, smoother-looking texture, and that luminous, glass-like finish in one moisturizer," Liu says. "Formulated with EGF, collagen, and niacinamide, it helps replenish moisture while improving the appearance of uneven tone and texture. What I love most is the finish: skin looks dewy and radiant without feeling heavy or sticky. It’s a beautiful choice for dry skin that needs moisture and wants its glow back."
Rejuran Turnover Ampoule
Your skin can get so dry that it develops bumpy, breakout-like texture—I know from experience. Make sure to see this texture for what it is, and not treat it too harshly. "I chose this ampoule because dry skin can also look dull and feel rough, and I love a formula that addresses those concerns together. It combines Rejuran’s signature c-PDRN with hydrating ingredients, including hyaluronic acid, to help improve moisture levels and the appearance of texture and fine lines," Liu says. "For me, its appeal is that it goes beyond hydration alone, helping skin look smoother and more radiant. It’s a great additional hydration step before moisturizer."