11 best viral K-beauty summer skincare worth buying in UAE, for 2024

If you’re looking for sustainable summer skincare essentials, it’s well worth considering K-beauty products. From hydrating sheet masks to silky sunscreens, Korean brands are leading the charge in eco-friendly and cruelty-free products that are both gentle on your skin and the planet.

But should you even be changing your skincare routine in the summer? The answer is a resounding yes. We spoke with Dr Raja, a general practitioner with a special interest in dermatology, from Derma Aesthetics London. He said: “During the summer months, you should focus more on hydration and sun protection. Use a lighter moisturiser, which helps to avoid clogging pores, and apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least SPF30 daily. Adding antioxidants such as vitamin C can help protect your skin, and avoid heavy products and strong acids or retinoids during the day to prevent sensitivity to the sun.”

We curated a list of the best K-beauty summer skincare essentials, based on our expert’s advice, and global trends. Add these items to your dresser, and give parched skin some love as early as tomorrow, with an Amazon Prime membership.

1. Best Oil Cleanser: Hanskin Pore Cleansing Oil 

In Korean skincare routines, double cleansing is a fundamental step to clean, clear skin. This makes sense, since sweat, excess oil, make-up and sunscreen can lead to clogged pores and acne. Hanskin’s Pore Cleansing Oil is well suited for people who struggle with blackheads and breakouts. Formulated with polyhydroxy acids (PHAs), the cleanser lightly exfoliates the skin, while tea tree leaf oil helps fight breakouts and jojoba oil adds hydration. Packed with Nature’s best ingredients, like olive oil and aloe vera leaf juice, the cleanser helps calm irritated skin and slough off dead skin cells.

2. Best Cleanser: Cosrx Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser 

As part of your double cleanse, follow up your oil-based cleanser with a water-based one to remove any remaining residue. Cosrx’s Good Morning Gel Cleanser is a classic. It has a pH level of 5.0-6.0, and contains tea tree oil and natural beta hydroxy acids (BHAs) that shrink the sizes of pores and refines the texture of the skin. Reviewers with sensitive skin say the formulation is so mild, their skin never reacts to it.

3. Best Exfoliator: Krave Beauty Kale-Lalu-yAHA 

Summer months can wreak havoc on the skin, so if you need to give it an extra boost, opt for Krave Beauty’s viral Kale-Lalu-yAHA – a gentle exfoliator that harnesses the power of alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) to get rid of dead skin cells and reduce discolouration. This hydrating formula combines hyaluronic acid with antioxidants from rich, leafy greens, like kale, spinach and parsley. Packed with vitamins A, B, C, E and K, the exfoliator energises dull skin and leaves it looking and feeling healthier and more radiant.

4. Best Toner: Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow BHA + PHA Pore-Tight Facial Toner 

Inspired by the Korean aqua peel facial that swept social media a few years ago, Glow Recipe’s facial toner both hydrates and refines pores in a single step. It’s packed with ingredients that hydrate and calm the skin, while delivering essential vitamins and amino acids. The toner is formulated with 16 per cent glycerin, a humectant that floods the skin with moisture and leaves it intensely hydrated. There’s also a gentle blend of naturally derived BHAs (two per cent) to decongest pores, and PHAs (three percent) to smooth and even out the skin. Overall, thousands of reviewers love its non-greasy application, and light watermelon scent, saying it makes their skin feel refreshed and revitalised.

5. Best Moisturiser: Aestura Atobarrier365 Cream

If your moisturiser can boost your skin’s hydration, it’s a winning combination for summer months. This iconic white-and-blue Aestura tube is well known on TikTok’s #BeautyTok and other beauty forums, for its incredibly hydrating formula. Packed with ceramides, it offers a calming, soothing effect, especially for people with dry skin. The brand’s proprietary ingredients mimic the composition and proportion of skin lipids, so it immediately locks in moisture and fills in the gaps in the skin’s barrier. The result is a lightweight, non-greasy formula that grants over 100 hours of lasting hydration. Reviewers with sensitive skin say the moisturiser has a cooling effect, and gives their skin a healthy glow.

6. Best Gel Moisturiser: Innisfree Dewy Glow Jelly Cream 

If your skin is irritated by creamy moisturisers, opt for Innisfree’s Dewy Glow Jelly Cream instead. This popular K-beauty moisturiser is powered by cherry blossom leaf extracts from Jeju Island, which have been found to boost the skin’s radiance and calm irritated skin. The cherry blossom leaves go through a long, meticulous process: they’re harvested and dried, then aged for three weeks in lava seawater at an optimal temperature, before they’re dried again. After removing sea salts, the leaves are finally squeezed to release a potent extract that helps boost the skin’s radiance and create a glowing complexion. Betaine derived from sugar beets also create a breathable protective layer, to lock in hydration, and keep your skin feeling moisturised and supple all day long.

7. Best Repair Cream: Mizon All-in-One Snail Repair Cream

Since one of the most recognised K-beauty ingredients is snail mucin, we had to add a product that celebrated it, to this list. Snail mucin has been found to help soothe inflammation, strengthen the skin barrier and offer balance to irritated, breakout-prone skin. Mizon’s repair cream contains 40,000PPM of snail mucin, so it’s packed with protective, nourishing ingredients. While copper peptides in the snail mucin aids wound healing and helps repair wrinkles, the snail mucin filtrates bring vitality to tired skin. Other plant-derived ingredients, like centella asiatica, balance sebum and soothe the skin, while adding hydration. Reviewers say that although rich and creamy, the texture of this moisturiser is lightweight and fast absorbing. Many say it’s best used at night.

8. Best Sunscreen: Round Lab Birch Juice Moisturising Sunscreen (SPF 50, PA++++)

Don’t go a day without sunscreen, especially in the summer. Dr Raja said: “Sunscreen is the most important summer skincare essential. It protects your skin from harmful UV rays that cause sunburn, premature ageing, and skin cancer. You should use a broad-spectrum sunscreen and reapply every two hours, especially if you have been swimming or sweating.” Round Lab’s powerful sun protection is waterproof, sweat-resistant and can withstand friction, so it’s perfect for daily use or high-intensity sports. The formula offers a sun protection factor of (SPF) 50, and is formulated with hyaluronic acid to boost hydration, as well as niacinamide, which helps in brightening the skin and reducing inflammation. Botanicals in this product, like allantoin and birch tree sap, are natural moisturisers, and amino acids and lactic acid strengthen and support the skin barrier. Reviewers say it’s fast absorbing and leaves no white cast.

9. Best Face Mask: Lapcos Aqua Mask

The cult favourite Lapcos Aqua Mask is like a refreshing splash of water that rejuvenates your skin. Formulated with deep sea water and spirulina extract, the cupra-rayon sheets help strengthen your moisture barrier and shied the skin against environmental aggressors. They pull moisture deep into the skin for long-term hydration, leaving it feeling softer, more supple and radiant. Since the sheets are made with natural, non-woven fabric, it minimises irritation, so it’s ideal, even for sensitive skin.

10. Best for Brightening: Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Tone Brightening Capsule Ampoule 

A lightweight ampoule that calms, brightens and evens out the skin tone, Skin1004’s formula is ideal for people looking for spot correction and radiant skin. It comprises four per cent niacinamide, a superstar ingredient that’s known for fading dark spots and for its brightening effect, as well as two per cent tranexamic acid, which helps reduce melanin production and improve discolouration. Madewhite micro-beads, a patented natural ingredient that quickly absorbs into the skin, leave your face feeling fresh, with a natural glow. Reviewers say the ampoule has a light, essence-like texture; its oil and water emulsion technology delivers deep, long-lasting hydration. Many who find vitamin C serums to be a bit too intense, find Skin1004’s ampoule to be a mild, effective solution for dark spot correction.

11. Best Lip Balm: Laneige Lip Glowy Balm 

If you love Laneige’s viral lip sleeping mask, you’ll love their lip balm too. Packed with murumuru and shea butters, this berry-tinted lip balm adds a touch of colour to dry lips for everyday wear. According to buyers, it feels thicker than the lip mask, without being too heavy or sticky. The product leaves a glossy sheen, so reviewers have used the balm over lipsticks. Do note that it has fragrance and flavouring. It’s a must-have for your purse, for chapped lips this summer.

Our recommendations are independently chosen by Gulf News editors. If you decide to shop through links on our website, we may earn an affiliate commission, as we are part of Amazon Services LLC Associates Program.