The Best 2 Korean Moisturizers for Dry Skin
If you're looking for the best korean moisturizer for dry skin that's sensitive skin friendly and fragrance-free, this is it. This one is super affordable too! Keep reading for this korean skincare recommendation :)! (If you're looking for something to calm redness as well I have an additional suggestion below)
Spoiler alert: this has made it to my all-time favorites list!
Quick facts:
Formulation: Cruelty-free, mineral oil-free, fragrance-free, free of color additives, synthetic perfume, parabens, harsh alcohols, common allergens, silicones or sulfates
Texture: The texture of this intensive cream is actually not as thick as you'd imagine. It has a pleasant viscosity to it that is very emollient and spreadable but forms a hydrating barrier on your skin. If you're using it for daytime, you'll have to wait a few minutes for it to sink in more before makeup application.
Price: Around $14 USD
Where to purchase: I always buy my korean beauty products from StyleVana. They have the best pricing. Link to the Soon Jung 2X Barrier Intensive Cream here.
Etude House also sells this moisturizer on their official Amazon store.
Note for Packaging: After opening the flip cap, you need to twist the opening, then squeeze out the cream. This keeps things very sanitary! More info about that below.
Main pros: It is a gentle but very moisturizing cream that has a great texture and is GREAT for sensitive dry skin. It makes for a great last step to seal in serums/treatments. I've had no irritation using this and usually pair it overtop my BHA toner. Everything from the formulation to the twist cap packaging is so well thought out! It's my new HG.
Cons: It doesn't sink into the skin right away and leaves the skin slightly tacky still so I prefer to use this for nighttime. I think this is best paired with a hydrating serum (like this SKIN1004 Centella one) underneath so you can hydrate + seal everything in.
More about the Etude House Soon Jung 2x Barrier Intensive Cream
The Etude House Soon Jung 2x Barrier Intensive Cream is a sensitive-skin friendly, day or night cream that is perfect for those looking for a basic go-to moisturizer. It has a pleasant viscosity that is very emollient and spreadable, forming a hydrating barrier on your skin. Despite its intensive formulation, the cream is not as thick as you'd imagine. However, if you're using it for the daytime, you might need to wait a few minutes for it to sink in before makeup application.
The best part of this cream is its formulation. It is cruelty-free, mineral oil-free, free of color additives, synthetic perfume, parabens, harsh alcohols, common allergens, silicones, or sulfates. The only potential irritant is Cetearyl Alcohol, a commonly used fatty alcohol ingredient in moisturizers, which may irritate very sensitive skin types. That's why it is suggested to patch test or simply avoid it if you might be allergic.
Overall, it's a no frills, intensive kbeauty staple that's affordable and effective!!
*I use this as a basic, regular moisturizer after I put on my toner and serums to seal everything in. While it's formulated for dry sensitive skin, it's great also for my combo skin!
Ingredients
Water, Propanediol, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Panthenol, Madecassoside, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, 1, 2-Hexanediol, Potassium Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Butylene Glycol, Disodium Edta etudehouse.com
The Etude House SoonJung 2x Barrier Intensive Cream uses 93% naturally derived ingredients and as few ingredients as possible to balance, hydrate, and soothe skin. It has been tested to be non-comedogenic (doesn't clog pores), and hypoallergenic.
The key ingredients for this product are:
- Panthenol: A skin-benefiting ingredient closely related to Vitamin B5, delivers deep hydration.
- Madecassoside: Derived from Centella Asiatica, repairs skin damage.
- Sunflower Seed Oil and Shea Butter: These ingredients combine to nourish skin and moisturize.
Note for opening the cap:
To dispense, open cap and twist the top mechanism until the mid-piece kind of pops up. Then squeeze to dispense. Twist back then close cap when you're done. This keeps the product fresher for longer!
Why you'll love this kbeauty moisturizer
- It is the perfect no frills gentle but effective moisturizer to seal in your serums or actives, perfect to pair with acid treatments because this is so gentle and basic
- It's heavy duty as a moisturizer but still is very emollient and sits well under makeup (give it a few minutes to absorb into the skin first though)
- 10/10 for sanitary packaging too. No more digging fingers into jars.
- For other all-time favorites (kbeauty and western brands), see my recommendations post here.
Another great option for dry sensitive skin
If you have dry skin and you also have redness or irritated sensitive skin, you might want to try the Dear Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Cream as well. Its star ingredients are Guaiazulene, a natural component extracted from chamomile oil, which carries powerful skin calming abilities, and Centella Asiatica, which helps hydrate and relieve redness. When I was picking at my skin a while back (I know, I know), this was the cream that helped calm everything down. Full review on it here.
For some reason, the package on the Dear Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Cream mentions you can't use this all the time though, so for that reason I've mostly just used it when I really needed it, and then the Soon Jung one for all other days.
I've order most of my asian beauty goods from StyleVana in the past because they usually have the best pricing but recently I've been hearing that their customer support has been really unresponsive, so beware of that. But you can also find the Soon Jung moisturizer on Etude House's Amazon storefront. Or the Dear Klairs moisturizer is available on Amazon as well.
For other all-time kbeauty or western beauty favorites, see my recommendations post here.
And that's all for now!
Let me know if you end up trying it below! :)
Cheers,
Tia
*This post contains affiliate links but opinions are my own and Ive purchased everything myself :)