If you struggle with sensitive skin, these products from trusted Korean skincare brands are here to save the day with gentle yet effective results.
When it comes to skincare, there’s no one size fits all solution; each person’s skin is different and may experience varied reactions to the same products. That’s what makes the journey of finding the right brands a bit of a doozy; for the most part, it’s a process of trial and error, simply finding out what products work best and what don’t. Some people find this element of exploration fun, but others (myself included) might prefer to find their next holy grail faster, especially when they’re struggling with sensitive skin and don’t want to experiment. To make your search a little easier, we’ve compiled a list of brands and specific products that generally work well for sensitive skin, ready to add straight to your cart. We’ve narrowed it down to Korean skincare; after all, what better place to look than one of the world’s leading skincare industries?
And yes, you can find all these products in beauty and health stores across Manila (like SM Beauty and select Watson’s branches), or through their official e-commerce platforms.
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SKIN1004
The Must-Try Combo: Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Water Fit Sun Serum + Madagascar Centella Light Cleansing Oil
SKIN1004 has consistently ranked among the best-selling skincare brands in South Korea: a pretty reliable litmus test for how trusted it is in its home market. The brand’s philosophy, built around the idea of delivering “untouched nature,” already hints at why it’s a go-to for those with sensitive skin. As the brand puts it: “We study and refine nature—not to change its essence, but to deliver its purest ingredients in their most effective way.” In other words, its products are designed to be gentle and dependable, with an emphasis on natural ingredients that nourish the skin and work with its natural rhythms rather than against them.
If you’re searching for a lightweight sunscreen that applies easy, feels as refreshing as a moisturizer (thanks to a combo of Panthenol and extracts of rice, oat, and soybean), and leaves little to no white cast when you put it on, we highly recommend the Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Water Fit Sun Serum. The SPF50 sunscreen doesn’t feel heavy or greasy in any way throughout the day, so whether you’re applying it for the first time or re-applying it, you won’t be bogged down. Centella (from the Centella asiatica plant) is the key in many of SKIN1004’s products, known for its calming effects on skin.
Meanwhile, if you’re looking for a cleansing oil that’s non-comedogenic (meaning it won’t clog pores, or increase the risk of developing whiteheads and blackheads), then turn to the brand’s Madagascar Centella Light Cleansing Oil. As its name states, it’s an ultra lightweight oil cleanser that goes on easily, yet thoroughly exfoliates with the power of Centella and six plant-derived oils that work to dissolve sebum and makeup.
Both of the aforementioned products are best-sellers for a reason, so you can’t go wrong with using them as an unstoppable pairing in your skincare routine.
Round Lab
The Must-Try Combo: Mugwort Calming Cream + Dokdo Toner
Round Lab is yet another Korean skincare brand that values all things natural, letting the power of plant-based ingredients take center stage in all their products (this will be a common theme throughout this list). For those struggling with skin inflammation or redness thanks to irritation or acne, we recommend trying the brand’s Mugwort Calming Cream. A jiggly, gel-like consistency makes it easy to apply, while the formula is cool and hydrating, the kind that feels like pure relief on a warm summer day when you slather it onto your face. Bonus: it’s good under makeup, lending a natural, dewy glow to your daily look.
Before you put on moisturizer though, try it with Round Lab’s best-selling and award-winning Dokdo Toner. It’s a holy grail product for many people, and it’s not hard to see why. It offers intense hydration on top of its ability to gently yet effectively exfoliate dead skin cells. Ingredients like deep sea water from the East Sea of Korea’s Dokdo territory (with minerals like magnesium, calcium, and zinc) help maintain skin moisture balance, while Red Algae (Chondrus Crispus) extract is rich in protein, antioxidants, and vitamins.
Dr. G
The Must-Try Combo: R.E.D. Blemish Clear Soothing Cream + pH Cleansing Gel Foam
It’s hard not to trust a brand that begins with the abbreviation for “doctor,” and in the case of Dr. G, it lives up to the name. A number of its products are consistent best-sellers, with loyal customers including Korean men in mandatory military service. That’s when you know a brand is doing something right: when people who spend long hours under the sun choose to make room for it in their skincare routines.
On that note, a definite must-have in the brand’s lineup is its R.E.D. Blemish Clear Soothing Cream, which garnered the nickname “soldier’s cream” for the reasons previously stated. With a 10-Cica Complex (derived from our favorite Centella asiatica), fragrance-free, non-comedogenic, and lightweight formula, it’s designed for those with acne-prone or sensitive skin, working to combat redness and repair the skin barrier.
If you’re looking for a gentle yet cleansing soap to pair with your moisturizer, the brand’s award-winning pH Cleaning Gel Foam won’t fail even the most sensitive skin types. Its formula is pH balanced, perfectly matching the natural acidity of skin (a pH level of 4.5 to 6.5), which is incredibly important for the upkeep of your moisture barrier—and a happy moisture barrier means plump, glowy skin. Other ingredients like good bacteria (leuconostoc) help remove impurities as well. Take it from me, it’s a great choice after a long day of wearing makeup (but be sure to double cleanse with a good oil product).
Dr. Jart +
The Must-Try Combo: Cicapair Intensive Soothing Repair Cream + Cicapair Color Corrector SPF 30
Yet another brand that starts with “Dr.,” Dr. Jart+ is a lifesaver for folks who get rashes or red blemishes quite often. Its Cicapair line (as I said, Centella asiatica is truly the ingredient to look for if you have sensitive skin) is a must-try, and two particular products stand out. Start with the Cicapair Intensive Soothing Repair Cream, which worked wonders for me during particularly bad skin days (I’m talking acne breakouts and sunburns). Its creamy texture feels great on skin, while its Cica Complex soothes as Allantoin repairs the skin barrier while increasing its resilience. If your sensitive skin is more on the oily or combination side, you can try the cream’s lighter counterpart, the Cicapair Intensive Soothing Repair Gel Cream.
Now onto one of the brand’s most popular products: the Cicapair Soothing Color Correcting Treatment SPF. It’s got all the calming properties of Centella asiatica extracts, with SPF for sun protection to boot. But that’s not its only benefit: the green hue might look Shrek-esque at first glance, but it actually works as a color corrector and concealer too, balancing out or neutralizing red skin from acne or irritation. Wear it under makeup or simply use it to achieve a fresh, no make-up look.
Beauty of Joseon
The Must-Try Combo: Relief Sun (Rice + Probiotics, SPF50+PA++++) + Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser
Last, but definitely not least, is Beauty of Joseon. Inspired by hanbang, Korea’s traditional medicine practice, the brand incorporates time-honored herbs and other natural components into lab-back, clinically effective ingredients for formulas that are gentle and good for the skin. It also takes historical teachings from the Gyuhap Chongseo—a Joseon-era encyclopedia written by female scholar Yi Bingheogak—during this development process to stay true to hanbang traditions.
The result is a line of products that soothe, hydrate, and protect sensitive skin with ease. Take the brand’s best-selling Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics (SPF50+PA++++) sunscreen, which went viral for its velvety yet lightweight formula that’s non-sticky, non-greasy, very moisturizing (thanks to its rice extracts), calming (with help from probiotics), and designed to protect the skin from harmful rays without that annoying white cast. The Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser is also another great daily face wash that’s pH balanced and infused with mung bean extracts for a deep, refreshing cleanse.
