Korean face cream

Korean face cream is the last step of the routine: it seals in what the toner and serum have brought, and it decides how comfortable the skin feels for the day. Korean formulas stand out for textures that range from watery gel to rich cream, often with no mineral oil, and with soothing ingredients — centella, azulene, snail mucin, PDRN — dosed for daily use.

Which Korean cream for which skin

• Dry or tight skin — Barrier Cream 147 by Dr. Althea, a rich cream with ceramide and azulene, PDRN Hyaluronic Acid 100+ by Anua, rich and plumping, or 1025 Dokdo Cream by Round Lab, with ceramides and a balm-like feel.
• Combination to oily skin, redness, marks after a blemish — Relief Cream 345 by Dr. Althea, the best-seller on this page: a gel-cream with no added fragrance that sinks in within seconds. Deep Sea Pure Water Cream by Purito, a gel texture with deep sea water, and Hyaluronic Ceramide Jelly Cream by Medicube also hydrate with no greasy film.
• Sensitive skin, weakened barrier — The Ceramide Skin Barrier Moisturizer by COSRX, with ceramides, and Madeca Cream Season 6 by Centellian24, with centella madecassoside.
• Dehydration lines — Expert Madeca Cream Active Renew PDRN by Centellian24.
• Glow and skin texture — Advanced Snail 92 by COSRX, with snail mucin, TXA Niacinamide Capsule Cream by Medicube, with niacinamide and tranexamic acid, and Deep Vita C Capsule Cream from the same brand.

Dr. Althea 345 or 147?

This is the most frequently asked question. The 345 is a light gel-cream with no added fragrance, for combination to oily, reactive or blemish-prone skin: it disappears within seconds and works under make-up. The 147 is a dense, enveloping cream for dry to very dry skin, the kind that feels tight after cleansing; it contains rose geranium essential oil. Many users wear both: the 345 in the morning, the 147 in the evening or in winter. The detailed comparison is on the blog.

How to apply it

A hazelnut-sized amount for the face, on skin still slightly damp after the toner or serum, smoothing from the centre outwards without rubbing. In the morning, the cream goes under your sun protection. In the evening, you can use a little more, or layer a light cream and a rich cream in winter. A 50 ml cream lasts six to eight weeks at two applications a day.

To build the rest of the routine: intense hydration, soothing and sensitive skin, and the whole of Korean skincare.