Just in time to rescue winter weary skin, the second wave of K-beauty has rolled into Canada. South Korean skin-care products originally came with elaborate regimens, but you don’t have to make a serious commitment this time around.
“The first wave was novelty-driven: 10-step routines, sheet masks, shocking textures and playful packaging,” says Kenna Whitnell, a cosmetic chemist and global brand strategist based in Toronto who helps Asian brands enter the Western market. “The second wave is results-driven. Brands are simplifying routines and improving claims,” she says.
A baby step can have a big impact. “For many people, adding in even one K-beauty product like a hydrating essence or calming serum can dramatically improve how their skin looks and behaves over time,” she says.
“Korean beauty is rooted in prevention over correction, and routines focus heavily on hydration and layering to maintain a healthy skin barrier,” says Wendy Rorong, a Toronto-based makeup artist. Rorong became a convert five years ago. “With consistent use, I started seeing real improvements in my skin, which made me fall deeper in love with K-beauty.”
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In these new formulations, the focus is on how all the ingredients work together, with a slimmed down, customized routine of three to four steps.
“Instead of pushing a single powerful active, Korean formulas are designed like a team with each ingredient supporting the others to keep skin calm, healthy and balanced,” Whitnell explains.
Popular ingredients include: Asiatica (also called cica, this medicinal herb is known for calming and strengthening the skin barrier); snail mucin (the gel-like secretion contains collagen, elastin and glycolic acid and is collected cruelty-free); fermented ingredients (such as probiotic bifida ferment) that enhance skin resilience; and antioxidant-rich ginseng and rice extracts that have brightening and moisturizing benefits.
This year, PDRN is in the spotlight. “It continues to be a buzzed-about ingredient for its role in helping skin look smoother and more radiant,” says Marisa Caruso, vice-president of merchandising at Sephora Canada. Shorthand for polydeoxyribonucleotide, PDRN is a compound of small DNA fragments derived from salmon gonads (typically a byproduct from the food industry) or plants (such as rose or ginseng) that can stimulate collagen and elastin, reduce inflammation and improve hydration.
A double-blind study published last year in the Journal of Cosmetics, Dermatological Sciences and Applications found an eye cream containing PDRN significantly improved elasticity, firmness and density compared with a placebo.
“Spicules are also emerging, offering a very gentle exfoliating effect that can enhance how well products absorb,” says Caruso. They are used to mimic a microneedling facial treatment that exfoliates, and they help deliver active ingredients deeper. Studies about their effectiveness remain slim but show promise.
One study on acne, published in 2024 in Drug Delivery and Translational Research, found the topical application of spicules to dramatically enhance the skin penetration of a marine-derived peptide compared with using the ingredient alone.
If a fishy or prickly serum sounds alarming, put fears aside. “The formulas are comforting from the first application, without the burning or tingling that can come from certain active ingredients,” says Caruso. Think sensorial textures from gel-creams to treatments with a soft, bouncy quality. “There is real expertise in liquid formats like toners and essences that prep and condition the skin beautifully,” she says. “The goal is better absorption with less irritation,” adds Whitnell.
The price of entry is also attractive. “K-beauty remains innovative and affordable, which is huge today,” says Rorong. “People want results without spending a fortune, and it delivers.”
Six buys to try
Give your skin-care routine a K-beauty boost for under $50.
Aestura Atobarrier365 Hydro Essence
Applied before face cream, this milky hydrating essence features lipids and a list of hefty hydrating ingredients (such as glycerin, squalane and urea), boosting moisture levels and strengthening the skin barrier without fragrance or a sticky feel.
Buying options
$45, buy at Sephora
COSRX 5 PDRN B5 Vital Soothing Toner
Packed with five types of PDRN from salmon, green caviar, centella asiatica, rice and lactobacillus, this toner helps to restore, strengthen and balance dry or sensitive skin while vitamin B5 soothes inflammation.
Buying options
$21, buy at Stylevana
$38 from Yesstyle
VT Cosmetics Reedle Shot 100
Suitable for all skin types and touted as “microneedling in a bottle,” this lightweight nightly treatment is made with cica spicules and blended with hyaluronic acid (a hydrator) to exfoliate, refine and soften rough skin before using serum or moisturizer.
Buying options
$42, buy at Holt Renfrew
$36 from Amazon
Hanyul Artemisia Soothing Cleansing Oil
Infused with artemisia leaf extract (a soothing traditional botanical grown in Ganghwa, South Korea) and salicylic acid, this watery oil cleanser removes waterproof makeup, dirt and sebum without overdrying oily, combination or normal skin.
Buying options
$38, buy at Sephora
$52 from Amazon
Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream
Designed to deliver a dewy finish while intensely hydrating and plumping, this mix of rice bran and ginseng root waters, safflower seed oil and niacinamide creates an ultragentle moisturizer that is ideal for sensitive skin.
Buying options
$30, buy at Walmart
$23 from Stylevana
Medicube PDRN Pink Collagen Capsule Cream
Balanced with salmon-derived PDRN, encapsulated collagen, niacinamide and hyaluronic acid in a lightweight gel base, this cream can be used daily after serum to help to address discolouration and dark spots, hydrate, calm irritation and deliver an all-over glow.
Buying options
$43, buy at Holt Renfrew
$32 from Amazon
