Ranking the Year’s Most Viral Korean Skincare Products

Biodance, VT, Dr. Althea, Skin1004, Anua, and more—these were 8 of 2024’s most talked about K-beauty products ranked from my least favorite to potential new holy grails.

Raise your hand if you’ve ever fallen down a K-beauty social media rabbit hole late at night, wondering if that viral serum with snail mucin or bean essence or literal tiny needles could finally be the secret to perfect skin. I’ll go first. 🙋🏽‍♀️

Korean skincare, in particular, has a way of pulling you in. The sleek packaging, the promises of dewy, glass-like skin, and influencers swearing by the transformative powers of a single product—it’s hard not to get caught up in the excitement. But here’s the thing: not every trendy product is worth the hype. Trust me, I’ve lost count of the number of times I bought into a “life-changing” product that, spoiler alert, didn’t change my life. Since then, I’ve become a little more cautious (okay, skeptical) about what I add to my cart. Today, I’m all about finding products that actually work and skipping the ones that just sound a little too good to be true.

That said, I still get curious. So, on a few rare occasions, I put my skepticism aside (just a little) and dive in to find out the truth about the most hyped, most talked about, blogged about, and posted about skincare. Do these products live up to the buzz, or are they just riding the wave of clever marketing? Let’s take a closer look at 8 Korean skincare products that were all over my social media feeds last year, and see if they’re worth your time, money, and precious shelf space.

8 Viral Korean Skincare Products: Ranked From My Personal Worst to Best

Before we go into the ratings, I want to add a little information about my skin type, so you know where a lot of my issues with these products is coming from. I have oily/combination skin that’s prone to breakouts and getting clogged. I also live in a hot, humid, tropical climate which means I stay away from richer products with heavy formulas. If you loved some of the products I didn’t, it probably means we have very different skin types and needs. Not every product is going to work for everyone, so please don’t get upset if I hate any of your faves. Now, with that disclaimer out of the way, let’s dive into my rankings—from worst to best.

Biodance Bio Collagen Real Deep Mask

Some (or a lot) of you may be shocked to see the Biodance Collagen Mask ranked so low, but it’s products like this that make me extremely skeptical of anything I see on social media. First off, I have a major gripe with the idea of wearing a sheet mask overnight. I’m not sure how people are doing it without sleeping like a body in a coffin, but I certainly couldn’t. After a failed attempt at doing so, I decided just to keep the mask on for about 3-4 hours before I went to bed. This is a pretty big time investment, and the results were not quite worth it.

Is it extremely satisfying to slowly watch this mask turn translucent, and eventually peel it off like second skin? Absolutely, the glue peeling child in me was obsessed.

Does it give your skin a dewy, radiant finish? Sure, but that glow was just temporary for me. By the next day, the effects had all but disappeared, leaving my skin looking no different than before.

Will the mask’s super rich, collagen-heavy formula end up clogging your pores and leaving you with a cluster of small bumps on your forehead? Unfortunately, in my case, that was a big, resounding, yes. And look, I’ll admit, that my skin is congestion prone, so this might still be a good option for those with dry skin. But it’s benefits and the time needed to get them just don’t seem worth the effort to me.

My Rating: 2/10 (at least for oily, clog-prone girlies like me)

Final Verdict: For a glass-skin glow that doesn’t come at the cost of clogged pores, a daily serum or essence will give you far better, long term results. Save your money—and your skin. For a more detailed analysis, you can checkout my honest review of this product here.

Anua Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum

As a woman of colour, who’s struggled with an uneven skin tone, I’m an absolute sucker for brightening serums (especially ones in gorgeous pomegranate pink gel form). Alas, that’s probably why I chose to ignore so many red flags about the Anua Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum.

Red Flag Number 1: The high percentage of Niacinamide in this product. Yes, I know Niacinamide is well tolerated by most people, but that’s at the optimal percentage of 4-5%, 10% is needlessly high, and hasn’t been shown to provide a ton of extra benefits. Not to mention that other products in my routine also contain small percentages of niacinamide. In short—a recipe for ingredient overload.

Red Flag Number 2: The number of pore-clogging oils in this product. Look, some people, with drier skin than mine, can probably tolerate a large number of oils in their products. I can’t. Especially not the heavy fruit and seed oils that this product is formulated with. I knew I was taking a risk trying it out, but decided to give it a shot because the oils were all at the bottom of the ingredients list, so I was hoping a little wouldn’t hurt. Big mistake.

You can probably guess how my skin reacted to this product. It was irritated, it broke out, it just hated it (with the small exception that it did leave a nice glow right after using it). While the texture wasn’t as oily or tacky as I had expected, that didn’t stop it from clogging my pores and leaving those dreaded whiteheads behind after just a couple of uses.

My Rating: 2.5/10

Final Verdict: If you have skin that’s dry but also not sensitive to high ingredient percentages, this could be a brightening serum that works for you. But even then, I think there are better options out there (Haruharu does a similar one with a much lower percentage of Niacinamide).

PRO TIP: If you buy a product that doesn’t quite work for your face, try using it on your body to avoid wasting it. I wasn’t able to use this Anua serum for more than a few days on my face, but ended up using up the whole bottle on areas of my body that needed a little brightening!

Numbuzin No.5 Vitamin-Niacinamide Concentrated Toner Pads

Toner pads were having a moment in 2024. From Medicube to Anua and Skin1004—all our K-beauty faves were getting into the toner pad game, but none seemed to appear in my social feeds as much as the Numbuzin No. 5 toner pads.

If I’m being honest, I don’t really get the hype around toner pads as a category. They feel like a step backward in sustainability. Didn’t we all collectively agree that we don’t need cotton rounds to apply our toners? So why do we need these little pre-soaked swabs instead?

Anyway, seeing as this product was getting rave reviews, and the ingredients list did look pretty decent, I decided to pick up a jar for myself. After a few weeks of consistent use, I can only say they’re... fine, I guess.

The pads do feel nice on the skin, delivering a light dose of hydration, but beyond that, I didn’t notice much more than I do when I’m using my standard brightening serum. What’s more annoying is that the Numbuzin No. 5 range does have a toner and a serum with very similar ingredients, so if it’s the ingredients list you’re after, I’m not sure what you’re getting from the pads that you wouldn’t get from those 2.

My Rating: 4/10

Final Verdict: While this has a decent ingredients list, I would argue the Numbuzin No. 5 Vitamin Concentrated Serum has an even better list of ingredients, and is a far more environmentally friendly solution. Skip the pads and reach for the serum instead.

TIRTIR Milk Skin Toner (Light)

As a diehard fan of the I’m From Rice Toner, I was curious to see if the Tirtir Milk Skin Toner could live up to my sky high expectations of a milky toner. The first thing I realised when I tried to buy it is that there are actually 2 versions of the Milk Skin Toner–original and light. The original has a rich, creamy texture, ideal for dry or normal skin seeking deep hydration and a dewy glow. The light version is thinner and fast-absorbing, designed for combination to oily skin or humid weather. No points for guessing which one I chose.

The second thing I realised about this toner is that it’s a lot more watery, and a lot less milky than I would have imagined (maybe this is because I got the Light version, but still). The thinner, more fluid texture definitely makes for more comfortable application on my combination/oily skin, but still, it didn’t quite hit the mark for me. It’s hydrating but lacked the noticeable brightening and smoothing effects I’ve come to rely on with the I’m From Rice Toner.

Another slight pet peeve is the absurdly long ingredients list. There is so much jam packed into this one watery formula, I don’t know whether to be impressed or intimidated. I’m usually wary of long ingredients lists because there’s always 1 or 2 pesky little things that end up irritating my skin—and from I’ve read online, a lot of people seemed to have that experience with this product.

My Rating: 6/10

Final Verdict: While the Tirtir Milk Skin Toner feels hydrating on the skin, it isn’t really a game-changer for milky toners. Maybe all the online hype I’m seeing is about the original formula, but for the Light version, I can’t rank it any higher than this.

SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Ampoule

I’ll admit it—I came to this product with a lot of pre-conceived notions. First off, the term “ampoule” means nothing to me. Is it serum? Is it an essence? Toner? Turns out, it’s just a marketing gimmick to sell us even more products. Strike 1. Then there’s the fact that this product is almost entirely just centella asiatica. Don’t get me wrong, I love a minimalist product, but centella’s a popular ingredient and if you’re using any other K-beauty product, you’ve probably already got some centella in your routine. Strike 2.

As for the product itself, I liked that the texture is lightweight, super watery, and gets absorbed instantly into the skin without leaving any tacky residue. After using it in my normal routine for a week, however, I didn’t really feel like it was doing anything much. It did feel very calming on my face if I’d damaged my skin or been out in the sun too long, and it’s a pretty non-irritating formula, so I imagine it would be a great choice for sensitive skin. However, if you’re looking for a product that delivers dramatic results or targets specific issues like acne or hyperpigmentation, this ampoule feels a little too basic.

My Rating: 6.5/10

Final Verdict: Reach for this minimalist, non-irritating formula if you’ve got sensitive or damaged skin that’s freaking out when you apply your skincare. For normal skin, there are far better options out there.

Mixsoon Bean Essence

Now, we start getting into products I actually liked (finally, am I right?).

Call me crazy, but I’ve never quite understood the snail mucin hype. I don’t know if it’s the slimy consistency, or because every snail mucin product I’ve bought has just sat on the surface of my face without showing any indication of being absorbed. That’s why I was skeptical when I first tried the Mixsoon Bean Essence, given its similar viscous texture. But to my surprise, I kind of…liked it!

The essence is powered by fermented soybean extract, which promises hydration, soothing, and skin barrier support. What sets it apart is how clean and simple the formulation feels—there are no unnecessary fillers, just effective ingredients doing their job. Despite its slippery consistency, it absorbs quickly into the skin, leaving it feeling plump and hydrated without any stickiness.

Now, I have to say at this point, I only use it to hydrate and even out my skin. I’ve seen some people online use this as an exfoliator to physically rub off dead skin or other gunk that’s built up in their pores. I have never used it that way, and I seriously doubt that is how it’s intended to be used. But, if it does work as an exfoliator for you, then hey, who am I to judge.

My Rating: 8.5/10

Final Verdict: While I’ve avoided snail mucin-based products for their texture, the Mixsoon Bean Essence changed my perspective on products with a similar consistency. If you’re looking for a minimalist, effective hydrator, this one might surprise you too!

Dr. Althea 345 Relief Cream

As someone with oily, acne-prone skin, I tend to shy away from heavy barrier repair creams which are more likely to break me out than repair anything. Lightweight gels are my safe zone—they hydrate without leaving my face looking like an oil slick. But then, along comes the Dr. Althea 345 Relief Cream, to prove me completely wrong.

Well, maybe not completely wrong. Because, although it may not look like it at first glance, this cream has a surprisingly lightweight texture (I would almost describe it as gel moisturizer plus) that absorbs easily into the skin, while leaving it feeling nourished. It hydrated my skin, without leaving that dreaded sticky or heavy feeling, and I loved how soothing it felt afterwards. It’s a simple formula, but that’s kind of what I love about it. It’s even coming very close to potentially replacing my holy grail Purito Oat-In Calming Gel Cream. especially in drier weather, or on days when my skin feels irritated, over-exfoliated or exposed to the elements.

My Rating: 9/10

Final Verdict: The Dr. Althea 345 Relief Cream completely surprised me. It’s hydrating, soothing, and doesn’t clog my pores—a rare trifecta for oily, acne-prone skin. While it hasn’t replaced my all-time fave gel moisturizer yet, it’s definitely earned its spot as a go-to moisturizer when my skin needs a little extra love.

VT Reedle Shot 100

Every so often, a skincare product comes along that restores your faith in the collective wisdom of the Internet. I give you, the VT Reedle Shot—IMO the year’s only viral product, for which the hype is completely warranted.

What makes the VT Reedle Shot so unique is its innovative Cica Reedle™ technology that imitates microneedling to deliver active ingredients deep into your skin. I know, it sounds…intimidating, and listen, I’m skeptical about anything that claims to be microneedling in a bottle, but this won me over. There’s definitely a little prickly, tingling sensation when you rub it in, but nothing my skin couldn’t handle. After using it for a few weeks, I noticed a significant improvement in my skin’s texture. Those stubborn little clusters of bumps actually smoothed out, and my complexion looked brighter and more even overall.

(Do note, I’ve only used the mildest 100 strength so far. Plus, I use it only on alternate nights, and never pair it with other sensitizing ingredients like retinoids or exfoliating acids. I urge fellow reedle noobs to start with similar caution.)

My Rating: 10/10

Final Verdict: Clearly my winner for this year’s most worth-it viral product, the VT Reedle Shot is a great product for those struggling with textured, uneven looking skin.

The Skinimalist’s Take: Just Because It’s Viral, Doesn’t Mean It’s For You

So that’s it, my not so definitive ranking of the year’s most viral products. None of these products were horrendous, but many didn’t quite live up to hype—for me, at least. And that’s my biggest takeaway. Everyone’s skin is different, and so is what our skin needs. Just because something works for someone else (or even a lot of someone elses), doesn’t mean it’ll work for your skin. Knowing your skin, and listening to it when it tells you what it needs, is the key to healthy, glowing skin

About The Skinimalist

Hi, I’m Mal, a 30-something recovering skincare addict, and this is my blog. A space where I attempt to de-influence you from chasing trends and buying more skincare products you may not need.

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