Beauty of Joseon has taken over the skincare world in the last few years. It’s an amazing Korean skincare brand that promotes healthy skin. But does it work for melanin-rich skin? Let’s find out! In this blog post, we’ll do an unsponsored, in-depth brand review of Beauty of Joseon.
- Beauty of Joseon Background
- Ginseng Essence Water
- Green Plum Refreshing Toner : AHA + BHA
- Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser
- Relief Sun : Rice + Probiotics (SPF50+ PA++++)
- Ginseng Cleansing Oil
- Radiance Cleansing Balm
- Dynasty Cream
- Matte Sun Stick: Mugwort+Camelia (SPF 50+ PA++++)
- Revive Serum: Ginseng + Snail Mucin
- Final Thoughts
Beauty of Joseon Background
Beauty of Joseon is a cult favorite Korean skincare brand. It all started with a book called the “Regulation Book” or a medical record that inspired the brand. It was going to be a brand that enriches women’s lives to be more convenient from skincare tips to overall advice. Beauty of Joseon decided to make products based on the idea of Hanbang or traditional herbal ingredients that have been used since the Joseon dynasty, hence the brand name!
The brand is cruelty-free, and the post is unsponsored. All reviews are my own.
Ginseng Essence Water
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
The Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Essence Water is a beautiful, lightweight, hydrating toner. Made mostly on ginseng water, it boosts hydration and helps to even out the skin tone. The niacinamide helps with sebum control, meaning it’s the perfect summer toner for oily skin.
It does not make my oily skin feel greasier by midday, and instead subtly brightens while giving my skin the hydration it needs. I love the color and earthy smell of the toner. I highly recommend this toner to anyone, especially oily skin in the summer months!
Green Plum Refreshing Toner : AHA + BHA
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Beauty of Joseon makes lovely toners as you can already tell. The Green Plum Refreshing toner has replaced my Peach Slices toner, which says a lot. It is an amazing, gentle, exfoliating toner that gives the chemical exfoliation that I need.
It keeps the acne at bay and helps even out texture. The lower percentages of acids make sure I don’t over-exfoliate or cause hyperpigmentation. It is super lightweight and doesn’t feel like anything on the skin. I use this every 2-3 days and find my skin feels great the next day. No sensitivity or anything.
If you’ve tried the Paula’s Choice BHA Toner and think it smells like a nail polish remover or leaves a residue on the skin, then you’ll love this one or the one from Peach Slices!
Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser
⭐⭐/5
The Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser is one of the few Beauty of Joseon products I don’t love. While it has a foamy gel texture and hasn’t caused any acne, I just don’t feel like it cleans the skin well.
For a foamy gel cleanser, I prefer the satisfaction of cleaner-feeling skin. While I have no doubt this cleans well, I don’t think it does enough for oily skin.
If you have normal-to-dry skin, you might like this because it does not strip the skin. However, there are other cleansers I prefer that leave a cleaner, more hydrating finish.
I’ll use it to finish it, but this Beauty of Joseon product will sadly not be a repurchase.
Relief Sun : Rice + Probiotics (SPF50+ PA++++)
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
This is the cult classic that put Beauty of Joseon on the map. There are hundreds of reviews out there, but the Beauty of Joseon sunscreen is great. It is one that I always keep in my sunscreen rotation.
It leaves no white cast on brown skin but does take a bit to soak into the skin. In the end, it leaves a hydrated, but not greasy, satin finish. It’s a great sunscreen overall, but not necessarily my favorite. However, if you are new to sunscreens or haven’t found one you liked, then this is a great one to start with. It has a more watery texture upon application.
The Beauty of Joseon sunscreen is a cult favorite for good reason.
Ginseng Cleansing Oil
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
The Ginseng Cleansing Oil, like its essence counterpart, is a Beauty of Joseon favorite. It’s an amazing, lightweight texture that melts makeup without burning the eyes. The oil emulsifies well and leaves no residue. It melts waterproof makeup like a gem as well.
This is a great cleansing oil to keep in your skincare cabinet, and even try out if you are new to double cleansing. The color and smell mimic the essence, and the bottle will last you forever. A little goes a long way. The makeup melts quickly and does not require much massaging to melt away.
Radiance Cleansing Balm
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
This cleansing balm is my favorite Beauty of Joseon product to take on trips. The balm means it’s easy to travel with on airplanes, and the balm is the first part of double cleansing. It takes away waterproof makeup without any issues.
A little goes a long way, and it does not take much to melt the balm into an oil. It melts makeup quickly and rinses off with no residue. I love this cleansing balm and is the best one I have tried so far. I highly recommend it. You get a ton of products as well, so this will go a long way. This doesn’t burn my eyes either!
Dynasty Cream
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
The Dynasty Cream is a great Beauty of Joseon moisturizer. It’s a great lightweight, hydrating texture that is relatively inexpensive. The cream is watery and has great skin-brightening ingredients. The rice water, ginseng water, and niacinamide help with hydration and oily control.
For oily skin, it helps with dehydration. I think this is a great daily moisturizer, especially for the summer months, but nothing special.
Matte Sun Stick: Mugwort+Camelia (SPF 50+ PA++++)
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
This matte sun stick is an amazing Beauty of Joseon product if you have melanin-rich, oily skin. This helps with the reapplication of sunscreen and makes it easy. But, the mattifying ingredients work well to take away any shininess.
This is a beautiful sunstick for sunscreen reapplication. It does need to warm up on the skin to glide on the skin. However, I love the compact packaging, and it goes everywhere with me.
In the winter, it is almost too mattifying, and can cause some flakiness or exaggerate dry patches, but in the summer it works great. I took this to Portugal and my mom, sister, and I used it multiple times a day.
It doesn’t feel like anything on the skin once applied and massaged in, and the sunstick leaves no whitestick.
Revive Serum: Ginseng + Snail Mucin
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Beauty of Joseon nailed it with this Revive Serum. Anytime I’ve gone too hard with my exfoliating toner or retinol, this helps to repair my skin so quickly.
The serum provides amazing relief and hydration. I’m honestly not the biggest fan of the packaging because it feels a little cheaper compared to all of their other products. However, the product itself makes it worth it.
it’s a goopy, hydrating serum that is not sticky. I love using it on flakey, dry, or compromised skin and love traveling with it as well. It completely repairs my skin within two to three days.
Final Thoughts
Beauty of Joseon is an amazing Korean skincare brand that I hope to always have in my collection. Most of the products work well for oily skin, and all of them work well for brown skin tones. I highly recommend the brand overall, and although I wish they were more sustainable or a clean brand, Beauty of Joseon is still a hit.
With love,
Aditi <3
Aditi Rani – Figuring Out Life in Your Twenties
*Disclaimer: This is not professional advice. Some links are affiliate. By clicking and/or purchasing, I may receive a commission. It does not alter the price or change your buyer experience.