Korean skincare inspired by the beauty rituals of the Joseon dynasty
Beauty of Joseon was founded in 2016 in South Korea, building its identity around the meeting point between traditional Korean skincare and modern cosmetic formulations, inspired partly by Gyuhap Chongseo, a Korean encyclopedia from the Joseon period on the lifestyle and beauty rituals of the time. Central to the brand is hanbang, traditional Korean herbal medicine where natural ingredients such as ginseng, rice, green tea, mung bean and propolis support the skin's balance. These hanbang ingredients are combined with modern actives such as niacinamide, alpha arbutin and AHA/BHA acids, a combination that has become the brand's signature within K-beauty.
Beauty of Joseon has gained its strongest international recognition through its sunscreens, where the Relief Sun range has become one of the most talked-about Korean sunscreens across skincare media and social platforms. The range also spans cleansing, toner, essence, serum, eye care, face cream and pore care, making it possible to combine several products within the same routine.
Beauty of Joseon's bestsellers: sunscreen, serum and hydration
Among the most talked-about products are several favorites for anyone who wants to combine hydration with active ingredients:
- Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics SPF50+ PA++++ is the brand's best-known sunscreen, combining high UV protection with rice extract and probiotics for a light, dewy finish with no white cast. A daily go-to for protection and skincare in one step.
- Relief Sun Aqua-Fresh is a lighter variant with the same SPF50+ PA++++ protection but an aqua-fresh texture that absorbs quickly with no white cast. Suits anyone wanting a fresher feel under makeup or in a warmer climate.
- Glow Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide combines propolis with niacinamide for skin that needs radiance and a more even sebum balance, without a heavy texture.
- Revive Serum: Ginseng + Snail Mucin combines ginseng root water with snail mucin, niacinamide, centella asiatica and hyaluronic acid, made for skin that feels dry or tired and helping it feel softer and more revitalized.
- Dynasty Cream is one of the brand's original, most iconic products, combining rice water, ginseng root water, squalane and niacinamide for long-lasting moisture and a soft, radiant finish.
- Matte Sun Stick: Mugwort + Camellia offers the same SPF50+ PA++++ protection in stick format, with mugwort and camellia for a matte finish, practical for reapplication on oily skin.
Step by step: build a Korean skincare routine with Beauty of Joseon
Beauty of Joseon offers products for several steps in a routine, from cleansing to sunscreen, making it possible to build a complete routine within the brand or combine it with other brands.
A simple routine could look like this:
- First step: cleanse with an oil-based cleanser such as Ginseng Cleansing Oil or Radiance Cleansing Balm to dissolve makeup, sunscreen and sebum. In the evening, follow with a foaming cleanser such as Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser.
- Toner or essence: adds moisture and preps the skin, for example with Glow Replenishing Rice Milk for extra radiance or Green Plum Refreshing Toner: Aha + Bha for texture and clogged pores.
- Serum: choose according to the skin's needs. Glow Serum suits radiance and sebum, Revive Serum suits dry, tired skin, and Glow Deep Serum: Rice + Arbutin focuses on uneven tone.
- Eye care: complement as needed with Ginseng Retinal Revive Eye Serum, developed specifically for the eye area with ginseng and retinal.
- Cream: finish with a hydrating cream such as Dynasty Cream to help skin hold on to moisture.
- Sunscreen: finish the morning routine with SPF, such as Relief Sun, Relief Sun Aqua-Fresh or Matte Sun Stick depending on the texture and finish you prefer.
Apply products in thin layers and let each step absorb before the next. To try several serums without investing in full-size bottles, there is the Hanbang Discovery Miniature Serum Set, with four of the brand's most popular serums in mini format.
Which Beauty of Joseon product is right for your skin type?
The right product depends on what you want to work on. If skin feels dehydrated, Dynasty Cream or Revive Serum are a good way in, while Glow Serum paired with Glow Replenishing Rice Milk suits anyone chasing radiance.
If clogged pores and uneven texture are the issue, Green Plum Refreshing Toner: Aha + Bha is a light exfoliating step for everyday use, and Red Bean Refreshing Pore Mask a cooling mask a couple of times a week.
Traditional ingredients in modern Korean skincare
Ginseng plays a particularly prominent role in Korean tradition and has historically been used to support the skin's vitality. Rice is another recurring ingredient, appearing in the brand's skincare and several popular sunscreens, often paired with probiotics or B5.
At the same time, Beauty of Joseon is a modern brand: the traditionally inspired ingredients are combined with niacinamide, peptides, AHA/BHA acids and modern UV filters, a mix that has made it particularly distinctive within K-beauty.
Ethics and animal testing: how transparent is Beauty of Joseon?
Beauty of Joseon states that neither the brand nor its suppliers test finished products or ingredients on animals. The brand is not certified by any independent cruelty-free organization such as Leaping Bunny or PETA, meaning the claims rest on its own statements rather than independent verification.
The range is not entirely vegan either. Several popular products, including Glow Serum with propolis and Revive Serum with snail mucin, contain animal-derived ingredients. If you want vegan skincare, check the ingredient list before buying.
Taken together, Beauty of Joseon builds its identity on a clear historical foundation while, in practice, developing skincare to today's standards, with products that work both on their own and as part of one connected routine.
