From glass skin to snail mucin serums and overnight collagen masks, we as a beauty community owe a lot of thanks to the K-beauty world. K-beauty has introduced us to innovative ingredients and skin-enhancing products that revolutionized our view of skin care. But, like anything in the beauty industry, it can be hard to get started in K-beauty due to the sheer number of brands. If you want to dive head first into the world of Korean beauty, we tapped the experts at Spate to give us the rundown of the hottest K-beauty brands to shop, according to data.
The Most Popular K-Beauty Brands and What to Try From Each
Glow Recipe
Topping the list of the most popular K-beauty brands is Glow Recipe, which averaged 412.2K monthly searches on Google. Known for its radiance-inducing products, Glow Recipe is a fan-favorite for creating that dewy, glass-skin look. According to Spate, consumers searched the most for the Glow Recipe Watermelon Dew Drops ($35), the Glow Recipe Advent Calendar ($138) and the Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Moisturizer ($40).
COSRX
No surprise to anyone on beauty TikTok, coming in second place for the most popular K-beauty brand by search volume is COSRX. The brand averages 239.4K monthly searches on Google, according to Spate. Amongst its most-searched products are the Snail Mucin Essence ($25), Vitamin E Vitalizing Sunscreen SPF 50+ ($23), Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser ($12) and the Acne Pimple Master ($6).
Hero Cosmetics
Beloved by celebrities like Alix Earle, Hero Cosmetics comes in as third, averaging 94.4K average monthly searches. Earle helped bring the brand into the spotlight by becoming its first-ever celebrity brand ambassador. This partnership sky-rocketed interest in the iconic Mighty Patch ($13). Other popular search queries for the brand include the Rescue Balm ($13) and the Mighty Patch Nose ($17).
Beauty of Joseon
If you’re on the beauty side of the internet, you’ve undoubtedly heard of Beauty of Joseon. It’s no surprise that the brand averages 90.2K monthly searches on Google, according to Spate. The brand first gained popularity for its Relief Sun SPF ($15), one of its most searched-for products. Other high-volume searches include its Glow Serum ($17), Ginseng Essence Water ($18) and Ginseng Moist Sun Serum ($21).
Medicube
Next on Spate’s list of the most popular K-beauty brands is Medicube—another brand backed by celebrities like Hailey Bieber. Medicube first made waves for its lineup of skin tools and devices created to help with product absorption and skin tightening and toning, namely through its Booster-H ($132). Other sought-after products by search volume include the brand’s Collagen Niacinamide Jelly Cream ($15) and Collagen Radiance Mask ($5).
Peach & Lily
Your one-stop destination for all things glass skin, Peach & Lily averages 53.8K monthly searches on Google, according to Spate. The searches are thanks in large part to its line of products known to help create that shiny, glowing, glass-like skin effect. The brand’s most popular products by search volume include the Ginger Melt Oil Cleanser ($35), Glass Skin Water Gel Moisturizer ($43) and the Peach Slices Acne Spot Dots ($5).
