Source : Freepik

If you're looking for where to buy Korean skincare, we've got you covered. K-beauty is currently leading the global beauty market thanks to its excellent products and skincare routines that give you a glowing skin, as well as its synergy with Korean dramas and K-Pop.

The news that “road shops” ranked first as the most preferred shopping destination for foreign tourists, with 50.9% of the votes, according to the “Outbound Tourism Survey for Q2-Q4 2024” released by the Korea Tourism Organization's Data Lab on March 8, shows that beauty shops have naturally become a must-see for foreign tourists as interest in K-beauty grows.

1. Introducing Where to buy Korean skincare

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The K-beauty craze has brought with it a plethora of products and brands, but consumers are increasingly worried about authenticity. With the rise of online shopping malls, the distribution of illegal products such as parallel imports and fake products is on the rise, threatening your skin health. So where can you buy K-beauty products with confidence? In this article, we'll compare three of the best places where to buy Korean skincare and discuss the pros and cons of each of them.

[➡️ 2024 BEST Korean Beauty Products for Dry, Oily, and Combination Skin]

1) Olive Young

Source : CJ Olive Young

CJ Olive Young is a leading Korean health and beauty store that has established itself as a mecca for K-beauty. The brand started as Korea's first drugstore in 1999, and 25 years later, it has grown into a global lifestyle platform beyond Korea. It breaks the common belief that 'health is purchased at a pharmacy, beauty at a cosmetics store, and household products at a supermarket'; and it also provides a convenient shopping environment where you can find a variety of products such as cosmetics, health supplements, and household products in one place. It is the largest health and beauty store in Korea and is characterized by its wide range of products from various brands.

- Membership benefits: ‘Olive Members' membership offers a variety of benefits depending on the tier. The higher the tier, the bigger the discount, and especially on Olive Day, you'll receive additional discount coupons to help you save even more.

- Dream of the Day: This is a service that allows you to order online and pick up your order at a store near you the same day.

2) Nature Republic

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Nature Republic is one of Korea's leading natural cosmetics brand, it operates offline stores in major tourist destinations such as Seongsu-dong, Myeong-dong, Bukchon, Itaewon, and Hongdae, and as the first-generation beauty store in Korea, it has accumulated a lot of knowledge in the skin care industry throughout the years and boasts a 'natural' brand concept. It offers high-quality natural cosmetics at affordable prices. We have a wide range of products at different price points, making it accessible to everyone.

- Natural ingredients: The brand uses pure ingredients from nature to reduce skin irritation and promote healthy beauty, and many of its products contain precious ingredients from nature such as aloe, green tea, and ginseng.

- Green Initiatives: Nature Republic has a number of efforts to protect the environment. They use recyclable packaging, oppose animal testing, and more to build an eco-friendly brand image.

3) Innisfree

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If you want to take a break from your busy life, head to the Innisfree store. The store is designed to capture the freshness of Jeju Island with its green tea fields, providing a relaxing space for customers. There are various experience spaces in the store where you can test the products yourself, and you can conveniently shop through their online mall as well as in-store. If you find a product you like on the mobile app, you can also visit a nearby store to see and purchase it.

- Gifts from Nature: We utilize a variety of natural ingredients from Jeju Island to create products with skin-friendly ingredients. Green tea, rape blossom, volcanic pine, and other ingredients are used to revitalize the skin with the energy of Jeju's nature.

- Self Store: The Self Store on the 2nd basement floor of Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in Seoul is an unstaffed store where you can conveniently test and purchase products without the help of their staff.

2. K-Beauty Road Shop Comparisons

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Each of the three brands that are major purchasing destinations has its own unique features and strengths. Olive Young is a multi-brand shop that gathers various brands in one place, while Nature Republic and Innisfree are building a differentiated brand image with the concept of naturalism to reach out to consumers. Let's compare the advantages and disadvantages of the three.

1) Features

The table above outlines the main characteristics of each shop, but in reality, there are many more factors that can be considered and compared. As you can see, each shop has its own strengths and fulfills different needs of consumers.

2) Customer Service Differences

Drugstores have a large number of users, rich reviews, and a wide range of products to choose from. When you visit a drug store, the staff may not be able to give you one-on-one attention, but they'll be happy to help you find what you need or answer any questions you may have.

On the other hand, a single-brand shop may have a smaller selection of products than an online store. However, the advantage is that the product lines are organized according to the brand's characteristics, so it's easy to find what you're looking for, and the staff is knowledgeable about the brand and can provide professional advice.

[➡️ You can even get skincare on the go!]

If you want to get a Korean-style skincare treatment, go with Haebom! Don't worry if you don't speak Korean, Haebom provides accompaniment and professional interpreter services for foreign customers visiting Korea, and helps you enjoy your beauty experience in Korea comfortably.

[➡️ Find K-Beauty services at Haebom]