Editor Tip: It’s gentle enough to use on babies, according to the brand.
Key Ingredients: Ceramides, fatty acids, cholesterol | Who It’s For: Anyone with reactive or sensitive skin
Best for Sensitive Skin: Iope Stem III Cream
Why It’s Worth It: What sets the Ipoe Stem III Cream apart is its proprietary Allanto-liposome, a combination of allantoin, allium cepa, and peptide that works to soothe, firm, and replenish the skin in a single application. Not only is it powerful, but it’s also incredibly gentle: Testing has confirmed it to be hypoallergenic and unlikely to cause skin or eye irritation.
Editor Tip: The formula is “9-free,” meaning it’s made without animal ingredients, mineral oil, fragrance, parabens, and other concerning ingredients.
Key Ingredients: Allanto-Complex, niacinamide, glycerin | Who It’s For: People with sensitivities
Best for All Skin Types: Round Lab Birch Moisturizing Cream
Why It’s Worth It: TikTok has been abuzz with glowing reviews for Round Lab’s Birch Moisturizing Sunscreen SPF 50+ because it has a deeply hydrating milkiness that feels far from the chalky, uncomfortable sunscreens of the past. The best-selling Korean sunscreen also comes in fluffy gel moisturizer form, the Birch Moisturizing Cream; it’s equally enjoyable to apply, drenching skin in non-irritating, antioxidant-rich birch tree sap, hyaluronic acid, and jojoba esters that offer revitalizing moisture for all skin types.
Editor Tip: Birch sap is packed with skin-beneficial ingredients, such as amino acids, lactic acid, and hyaluronic acid, all of which bolster the skin barrier.
Key Ingredients: Birch tree sap, panthenol, jojoba esters | Who It’s For: Everyone
Best for Redness: Beyond Angel Aqua Moisture Cream
Why It’s Worth It: Allure Korea editors hand-selected the Beyond Angel Aqua Moisture Cream as the winner of the moisturizing gel cream category for how quickly it quells redness and floods skin with moisture via bamboo juice and hyaluronic acid, respectively. They even recommend layering the water-based, oil-free formula over another moisturizer as an overnight hydrating mask.
Editor Tip: It cools skin on the spot, dropping skin’s surface temperature to alleviate the heat associated with inflammation.
Key Ingredients: Grapevine sap, hyaluronic acid, green tea extract | Who It’s For: People prone to redness and inflammation
Best for Acne-Prone Skin: Cosrx Advanced Snail 92 All In One Cream
Why It’s Worth It: The Cosrx Advanced Snail 92 All In One Cream helped popularize snail mucin when it launched almost a decade ago. Snail mucin (often labeled as snail secretion filtrate) helps this moisturizer calm inflammation and elevate hydration levels with naturally occurring hyaluronic acid, which is helpful when dealing with painful blemishes and parched skin alike — making it a particularly great choice for acne-prone skin or combination skin.
