Essential Vegan Ingredients in Korean Skincare
vegan
clean. ethical. effective.
Korean skincare has mastered the art of harnessing nature’s most potent plant-based ingredients—and vegan beauty lovers are reaping the rewards.
From soothing herbal extracts to antioxidant-rich superfoods, these vegan-friendly actives deliver impressive results without compromising your ethics.
Here are the top three ingredients making waves in Korean vegan skincare, and why they deserve a place in your routine.
Top Ingredients for vegan skincare
Cruelty-free botanicals with big skin benefits.
Centella Asiatica
Cica is the ultimate skin soother, known for accelerating skin healing, strengthening the barrier, and reducing irritation. In vegan Korean formulas, it’s often combined with other botanicals to deliver a powerful calming effect without any animal-derived ingredients.
Our top pick: ma:nyo Our Vegan Heartleaf Cica Cleansing Foam 120ml
COSRX Pure Fit Cica Toner 150ml
Innisfree Retinol Cica Repair Ampoule
SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Ampoule 55ml
Etude Soon Jung 10-Panthensoside Cica Balm
Laneige Cica Sleeping Mask 60ml
Rice Extract
A time-tested brightening and hydrating ingredient, rice extract helps soften skin, even tone, and boost radiance. In Korean skincare, it’s often combined with fermented botanicals to enhance absorption and deliver a smooth, luminous finish.
Tea Tree
A clarifying botanical that helps fight breakouts, calm redness, and balance oil production. In Korean skincare, it’s often blended with centella or aloe for gentle, soothing care.
haruharu wonder Black Rice Moisture Deep Cleansing Oil 150ml
The Face Shop Rice Water Bright Rich Facial Cleansing Oil 150ml
The Face Shop Rice Water Bright Rice Bran Facial Foaming Cleanser 150ml
Beauty of Joseon Glow Deep Serum Rice + Alpha-Arbutin 30ml
Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotic SPF50+ PA++++ 50ml
haruharu wonder Black Rice Bakuchiol Eye Cream 20ml
Crafting the Perfect Vegan Routine
Building a skincare routine with vegan products is easier than you think. By focusing on plant-based and cruelty-free formulas, you can care for your skin effectively while aligning with your ethical values. Here’s a simple 5-step routine using only vegan-friendly products — from gentle cleansers to nourishing creams — plus tips on what to look for and what to avoid in each step.
STEP 1
Cleanser
A gentle, sulfate-free vegan cleanser removes dirt, sunscreen, and impurities without stripping your skin. Oil cleansers with plant-derived oils can also be a great first step for deeper cleansing.
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Plant-based surfactants, green tea, rice water, heartleaf.
Avoid: Beeswax, lanolin, animal-derived glycerin.
STEP 2
Toner
A vegan toner preps your skin, balances pH, and boosts hydration so the next steps absorb better.
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Aloe vera, centella asiatica, chamomile, hyaluronic acid (plant-derived).
Avoid: Animal collagen, propolis, snail mucin.
Serum
STEP 3
Target specific concerns with vegan serums — whether that’s brightening, calming, or anti-aging.
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Niacinamide, licorice root, vitamin C from plant sources, bakuchiol.
Avoid: Royal jelly, placenta extract, animal elastin.
Moisturizer
STEP 4
Lock in hydration with a vegan moisturizer that strengthens your skin barrier and leaves it smooth.
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Shea butter, squalane (olive-derived), oat extract, jojoba oil.
Avoid: Beeswax, lanolin, animal-derived stearic acid.
STEP 5
Sunscreen
Protect your skin with a vegan sunscreen that shields against UV damage without harming marine life.
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Zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, green tea, aloe vera.
Avoid: Carmine, animal-based glycerin, non-vegan beeswax blends.
Want to Go Vegan With Your Skincare?
Skip the guesswork and discover our top vegan-friendly Korean skincare picks — each product is carefully chosen to be plant-based, cruelty-free, and effective for a variety of skin needs. From gentle cleansers to hydrating creams, these recommendations make it easy to build a routine that’s kind to your skin, animals, and the planet.
Effortlessly remove makeup and impurities with BOM Good Bye Make Up Cleansing Oil, a gentle, hydrating formula that leaves skin clean, balanced, and refreshed.
BOM Good Bye Make Up Cleansing Oil – Hydrating, Pore-Clearing Care
BOM Goodbye Makeup Cleansing Oil simplifies your routine with a gentle, all-in-one formula that deeply cleanses and targets pores, effectively removing makeup, impurities, and excess sebum in a single step. Upon contact with water, it emulsifies into a milky texture, dissolving dirt without residue. Enriched with 12 plant-derived oils, including soybean, avocado, macadamia, and grapeseed, it hydrates while gently exfoliating, making it ideal for sensitive skin. Anti-sebum extracts like evening primrose root and pine leaf help balance oil and moisture, prevent dryness, and minimize irritation. This vegan, cruelty-free cleansing oil offers a refreshing, non-greasy finish, leaving your skin clean, balanced, and cared for with no need for extra steps.
Skin Treatment Goal: Hydrating, Pore Control, Redness, Vegan
Best For: Normal, Dry, Sensitive Skin
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Achieve clearer, smoother skin with the COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser 150ml, a mild yet effective foam cleanser that targets breakouts while keeping your skin balanced and refreshed.
COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser – Clarifying & Balancing Foam Wash
This mild yet effective cleansing foam is designed to unclog pores and deeply cleanse the skin without causing irritation. Formulated with natural form of BHA, it helps remove impurities, excess oil, and dead skin cells, without leaving it feeling tight or stripped. This daily cleanser also works to combat breakouts and blemishes, leaving the skin clear, smooth, and refreshed.
Skin Treatment Goal: Pore control, Anti-acne
Best For: All skin types especially oily and combination skin
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Replenish and awaken your skin with Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Essence Water, a deeply hydrating and revitalizing essence that restores balance, radiance, and youthful vitality.
Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Essence Water 150ml – Revitalizing & Moisture-Boosting Anti-Aging Care
Beauty of Joseon's Ginseng Essence Water nourishes and hydrates the skin deeply. This essence not only supplies your skin with ample moisture and nutrients but also revitalizes skin, controls sebum, and leaves skin plumped-up and wrinkle-free. This essence also calms down the skin surface and helps make the skin tone even by improving the skin texture to be smooth and radiant.
Skin Treatment Goal: Hydrating, Anti-aging
Best For: All Skin Types
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Recharge your skin with a surge of moisture using COSRX’s Hydrium Triple Hyaluronic Water Wave Sheet Mask—a refreshing treatment that drenches your skin in long-lasting hydration and leaves it soft, smooth, and glowing.
COSRX Hydrium Triple Hyaluronic Water Wave Sheet Mask – Deep Moisture Infusion for Supple, Dewy Skin
This sheet mask is formulated with triple hyaluronic acid to restore deep, intense hydration to your skin. This sheet mask is a quick and relaxing skincare ritual you’ll look forward to at the end of the day.
Skin Treatment Goal: Hydration
Best For: All skin types, especially dry or dehydrated
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Elevate your skincare with Mixsoon Bean Essence — a fermented, multi-benefit essence that hydrates, refines, and revitalizes the skin.
Nourishing Mixsoon Essence for Smooth, Radiant, and Balanced Skin
The Mixsoon Bean Essence is a revolutionary skincare product that harnesses the power of nature’s fermentation alongside a unique blend of natural extracts. Its thicker texture provides a multi-dimensional experience, focusing on moisturizing, exfoliating, and enhancing skin texture. Key ingredients include Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, which promotes skin renewal and boosts natural radiance. Additionally, the essence features fermented soybean extract for hydration and sebum control, fermented pomegranate extract for smoother skin, vitamin-rich barley seed ferment filtrate for revitalization, and pear juice ferment filtrate for antioxidant benefits. This harmonious blend of science and nature elevates your skincare routine, revealing a healthier, more beautiful complexion.
Skin Treatment Goal: Acne, Anti-aging, Hydration, Pore Control, Vegan
Best For: Normal, Dry, Combination Skin
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Brighten your complexion and fade imperfections with Numbuzin No. 5 Goodbye Blemish Serum — a gentle yet effective formula that targets blemishes, dark spots, and dullness for a radiant, even-toned look.
Numbuzin No. 5 Serum for Clear, Bright, and Healthy Skin
Fade blemishes and dark spots, and illuminate dull skin with this blemish care serum. Enriched with vitamin c, niacinamide, ascorbic acid, and panthenol, this serum tackles blemishes, acne scars, hyperpigmentations, and visible signs of aging. Its mild formula minimizes irritation and leaves a non-greasy finish.
Skin Treatment Goal: Acne, Hydrating, Anti-aging, Brightening
Best For: All skin types
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Reveal smoother, firmer, and more radiant skin with the COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream 20ml, a gentle yet powerful anti-aging treatment formulated to visibly reduce fine lines and improve skin elasticity. Infused with 0.1% pure retinol, it works to renew skin texture, refine pores, and restore a youthful glow over time.
COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream – Wrinkle-Reducing & Elasticity-Boosting Treatment
This beginner-friendly retinol cream helps target early signs of aging by supporting collagen production and cell turnover. Its nourishing yet lightweight formula absorbs smoothly, leaving the skin feeling soft, firm, and rejuvenated—without irritation. Perfect for incorporating into your nightly routine for long-term youthful resilience.
Skin Treatment Goal: Anti-aging
Best For: All skin types
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Experience the d'Alba Double Serum All In One Multi Balm 10g, a compact skincare essential designed to deliver hydration, elasticity, and radiance anytime, anywhere. This convenient stick format makes on-the-go touch-ups effortless while keeping your skin nourished and glowing throughout the day.
d'Alba Double Serum All In One - Hydrating & Brightening Balm
A travel-sized, double-chambered multi-balm stick that melts into skin, delivering hydration, elasticity, and brightness on the go. The outer balm contains moisturizing vegan collagen, ceramide NP, and shea butter, while the inner serum core focuses on brightening with vitamin C, glutathione, and a white flower complex. Certified vegan and fragrance-rich, it glides smoothly and leaves a subtle glow without stickiness.
Skin Treatment Goal: Hydration, Anti‑aging, Brightening, Vegan
Best For: All skin types
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