We all know and love Korean beauty and skincare for the innovative technology, gentle ingredients and formulas, and the joy of creating a multi-step self-care routine that it encourages—it also doesn’t hurt that the products tend to lean affordable. With so many categories and products available from ampoules to toners, it might be difficult to decide what you need in your routine and what you can do without. According to Charlotte Cho, founder of Korean skincare brand Then I Met You, an essence is a step that shouldn’t be skipped. “I’ve always said that essences are the heart of K-beauty because this is the step that truly transforms skin,” Cho says.
Long story short, an essence is a skincare product with a consistency that can range from watery to gel-like. They’re more jam-packed with ingredients and can fulfill an array of skincare needs: hydration, protection, brightening, and overall skin health, for example. They are, overall, considered an important step in Korean skincare.
Whether you’re just now dipping your toes into the world of Korean skincare, the world of essences, or both, I surveyed some trusted K-beauty experts with this question: what are the best Korean beauty essences on the market? Ahead, their answers await—and I may have chimed in with my personal favorite, too.
The Best Korean Beauty Essences 
HaruHaru Wonder
When surveying my K-beauty experts, this essence came up over and over (and over) again. Vanessa Lee, founder of beauty concept bar The The Things We Do, medical aesthetic provider and, as her Instagram reads, “certified face reader,” loves HaruHaru Wonder’s Black Rice Probiotics Barrier Essence for its hydrating effects and barrier support—essentially it behaves exactly like an essence should and nothing like a toner. “The fermented black rice supports the microbiome which makes the skin glow, beta-glucan and hyaluronic acid hydrate while reinforcing the barrier, and nothing in the formula overstimulates sensitive skin,” Lee says. “This formula works with your skin biology and is like a liquid cushion hug. The best part is you start seeing results after the first few uses!”
Founder of Korean skincare brand Then I Met You Charlotte Cho loves this essence for similar reasons. “Milky toners are everywhere right now, but K-beauty has been doing this for years,” she says. “I love this essence because it has that creamy, milky texture people are obsessed with, while still delivering real skin benefits. It’s what I reach for when my skin needs extra nourishment and hydration.”
Freelance beauty, style, and culture writer Rosa Jisoo Pyo highlights the sustainable aspect of the product. “This essence is rich and is fermented ingredients, probiotics, fatty acids, cholesterol, and ceramides,” Pyo says. “Best of all, the brand up cycles leftover black rice used to create traditional Korean rice wine called makgeolli. The end result is a milky texture that my skin drinks up like water (or makgeolli).”
Olive Young
YesStyle
I had to take this opportunity to chime in as Korean beauty lover and consumer. This Dr. Ceuracle essence, a dream in a bottle for my dry and somewhat reactive skin, harnesses the power and skincare benefits of kombucha tea extract. Other dry skin friendly ingredients include plant botanicals and nourishing seed oil.
YesStyle
Good Light
David Yi, co-founder of gender-inclusive K-beauty brand Good Light and beauty platform Very Good Light recommends the Moon Glow Milky Toning Lotion, which he describes as an “oh-so light essence-lotion hybrid” from his brand. “It’s basically a hydration moonshot for your skin. It layers beautifully between toner and serum, infusing moisture while smoothing texture for that enviable lit-from-within glow,” Yi says. “Unlike water-thin essences, its milky texture gives an extra dose of nourishment without heaviness—ideal for dry to combination skin and anyone chasing that signature K-Beauty dewy finish.”
Amazon
Sephora
Dr. David Kim, board certified dermatologist and founder of SoHo Dermatology in New York City recommends the Aestura Hydro Essence for those with acne-prone skin. “It’s a super lightweight essence w/ Aestura’s proprietary Triple Lipid Complex (Ceramides, fatty acids, and cholesterol) to hydrate the skin,” Kim Says. “It’s great for people who don’t want to use thick rich moisturizer. Use the essence and a gel moisturizer to deliver hydration without clogging the pores.”
Sephora
Soko Glam
Then I Met You founder Charlotte Cho takes special pride in her brand’s essence, as she should. “When I created The Giving Essence, I wanted it to deliver that immediate glow while also strengthening skin over time,” Cho says. “It’s made with 78% fermented ingredients and 5% niacinamide, so you get brighter, smoother-looking skin plus barrier support in one step. It’s potent but incredibly easy to layer, and it’s the kind of essence that makes the rest of your routine work better.”
Soko Glam
Soko Glam
Charlotte Cho accredits Neogen’s Real Ferment Micro Essence as one of the products that helped define K-beauty for her early on. “It’s a true OG that shows why fermented ingredients are so foundational in Korean skincare,” she says. “It delivers hydration in a way that feels weightless but deeply nourishing, helping skin look healthier and more balanced over time. This essence quietly does the work and makes a noticeable difference the longer you use it.
Soko Glam
Yesstyle
Beauty, style, and culture writer Rosa Jisoo Pyo accredits this essence for calming an allergic reaction and rash during her time of need. “It truly helped calm my angry skin down,” she says. “I applied multiple thin layers of this product which is on the watery side. Alongside with stopping all active ingredients (acids, vitamin c, and retinal), slathering my beloved Aestura Atobarrier 365 cream, and daily antihistamines, I was hive free within a week!”
Yesstyle
Mixsoon
According to Korean-American plastic surgeon Dr. Elise Min, Mixsoon’s Bean Essence, which is powered by gentle bean-ferment extracts, is non-irritating on acne-prone skin. “As a Korean-American plastic surgeon, I tend to gravitate toward skincare that quietly supports skin health rather than overstimulating it,” Dr. Min says. “t’s non-irritating even on my acne-prone skin and helps revitalize my overall tone and texture! Maybe it’s no coincidence I also love Korean food because it seems like fermented ingredients just work.”
Mixsoon
