Olive Young Awards 2025: Recommendations and Must-buys

K-beauty can be a rabbit hole sometimes – the deeper you venture, the more disorienting the plethora of products and brands you find. But certain items shine at the top of the pile through repeat purchases, local popularity in South Korea, and budget-friendly pricing. To save your money from going down the drain, be sure to check out Olive Young's bestselling list!

Being the largest and most popular health and beauty store in South Korea, Olive Young's yearly list of award winners is a reliable signpost of fan favourites. Based on a combination of actual sales data, customer reviews, and repurchase rates, the list spans categories from skincare, makeup, hair products, to personal care and more. It's not just a curation of products popular in Korea, but a showcase of global trendsetters and market leaders!

Whether you're just getting started with Korean skincare, curious about classics worth getting into, or adventurous with rising stars in the market, this article will walk you through a comprehensive selection of products well worth the hype.

Olive Young Awards 2025: Best Toner

Olive Young Awards: Best Toner - 1st Place｜ROUND LAB 1025 Dokdo Toner

When it comes to moisturising toners, ROUND LAB is with no doubt a household name. The brand's Dokdo Toner features deep sea water drawn from Ulleungdo in Korea, which contains 72 pure and highly concentrated natural minerals. In addition to providing deep, lasting moisture, it also controls excess sebum production and rebalances your skin's water-oil levels to a healthy state.

With a clean and minimalist formula safe for all skin types and great value for its large volume, you can't go wrong with Korea's national toner. Wet a cotton pad with a generous amount and leave it on your face like mini mask sheets for budget-friendly, guilt-free pampering!

Olive Young Awards: Best Toner - 2nd Place｜Anua Heartleaf 77% Soothing Toner

Containing 77% heartleaf extract, not only does this heartleaf toner instantly soothe skin, but it's also packed with moisturising factors. It's perfect for transitional periods of unstable temperature or when your skin isn't feeling its best. The gentle and mildly acidic formula helps condition your skin's water-oil balance and can also be used as a toner pack to leave skin dewy and hydrated. Ongoing usage reduces redness and restores skin to a more stabilised state shielded from breakouts.

Olive Young Awards 2025: Best Serum

Olive Young Awards: Best Serum - 1st Place｜Torriden Dive In Low Molecular Hyaluronic Acid Serum

Korea's No.1 moisturising serum has not only earned top spots on Olive Young rankings but stayed there. With a gentle, non-irritating formula, it sends 5 types of hyaluronic acids deep into your skin for quick hydration and soothing care – an absolute blessing for dehydrated sensitive skin. Lightweight and quick to absorb, the texture is a delight to use even on oily skin.

Olive Young Awards: Best Serum - 2nd Place｜Goodal Green Tangerine Vita C Dark Spot Care Serum

This Olive Young top-ranking brightening essence is the secret weapon of Korean girls against acne scars and blemishes. Formulated with fresh green tangerines, which are potent in antioxidants and have 10x more vitamin C than lemons, not only does this serum reduce blemishes, but it also brightens, evens skin tone and improves skin moisture retention. The comfortable gel-like texture is refreshing, non-sticky and perfect for summer use.

Olive Young Awards: Best Serum - 3rd Place｜Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Capsule 100 Serum

At the heart of this nourishing and plumping serum is the trending ingredient PDRN. The salmon-derived component promotes collagen production and improves skin elasticity, while a whopping 11 layers of hyaluronic acid and hydrolysed collagen help to hydrate and rejuvenate. Hydrating in a nourishing yet thin and weightless texture, it sinks into skin instantly and alleviates dryness from the very first drop, sending moisture to every layer of your skin.

Olive Young Awards 2025: Best Cream

Olive Young Awards: Best Cream - 1st Place｜Aestura Atobarrier 365 Cream

Made with damaged and sensitive skin in mind, this golden repair formula combines ceramides and fatty acids to deeply moisturise, soothe, and stabilise skin, while strengthening its moisture barrier. The fresh yet hydrating texture spreads smoothly and absorbs effortlessly. Free from 7 irritating ingredients, the comforting formula is ideal for itching and dryness during seasonal changes, prolonged mask wearing, and fragile skin after aesthetics procedures.

Olive Young Awards: Best Cream - 2nd Place｜Dr.G Red Blemish Clear Soothing Cream

This soothing moisturiser has long topped Olive Young's rankings. A potent fusion of 10 centella asiatica complexes, it offers deep repair for all kinds of compromised skin, whether after sun exposure, medical aesthetics treatments, or regular itching, redness, and stinging. It hydrates with ultra-fine moisture particles smaller than pores to leave skin tender and radiant.

Olive Young Awards: Best Cream - 3rd Place｜S.Nature Aqua Squalane Moisturizing Cream

Well-loved by dry skin types, this nourishing formula moisturises with high concentrations of plant-based squalane and shea butter. It visibly improves signs of dryness, such as cracking and flaking skin. In spite of its rich cream texture, the moisturiser absorbs wonderfully, and with a reassuringly mild formula free from fragrances, artificial colouring, and alcohol. Another trick is to use it as a pre-makeup lotion primer for smoother, beautifully adhesive foundation!

Olive Young Awards 2025: Best Face Mask

Olive Young Awards: Best Mask - 1st Place｜Torriden Dive In Low Molecular Hyaluronic Acid Mask

There isn't a day when the viral Torriden mask isn't on Olive Young's bestsellers section. Bursting with hydration, this holy grail for dry skin nourishes with a 5-layer hyaluronic acid formula. It delivers moisture into every layer of your skin from top to bottom with a 100% vegan sheet mask material that is soft on your skin and good for the environment. Quickly restoring glow and plumpness, it's an instant drink for dry, dehydrated skin.

Olive Young Awards: Best Mask - 2nd Place | BIODANCE Bio Collagen Real Deep Mask

Biodance's viral collagen mask is medical aesthetics in sheet form, filling shopping carts and leaving Olive Young store shelves empty. Each sheet is infused with an entire bottle's worth of serum for an instant elasticity boost and fine lines reduced. Containing ultra-low molecular collagen and the Pitera 'miracle ingredient' Galactomyces, this trendsetter deeply nourishes and pumps hydration and elasticity deep into skin. Its magic works in about 3 hours, though you can always keep it on overnight for the luxury of waking up to soft, glowing skin and foundation that goes on perfectly.

Olive Young Awards: Best Mask - 3rd Place | Mediheal Madecassoside Essential Mask

A Olive Young long-time bestseller, Mediheal's madecassoside mask is perfect for all seasons. It quickly soothes and calms with a formula of 98% pure asiaticoside. A blemish-repairing and soothing two-in-one, it also strengthens your natural barrier to stabilise, repair, and hydrate troubled skin. With the soft mask texture wrapping around the curves of your face, this mask is just the comforting care your skin needs during flare-ups, or for daily care.

Olive Young Awards 2025: Best Skincare Pads

Olive Young Awards: Best Pads - 2nd Place｜Skinfood Carrot Carotene Calming Water Pad

Made with Jeju Island's finest raw carrots, these thick waffle pads are soaked with Carrot Extract and moisturising ingredients. A single pad is sufficient for daily hydration and soothing care. The vegan formula has completed skin allergy tests and is free from toxic ingredients, promising safe and worry-free care for sensitive skin. If that isn't reassuring enough, these toner pads also boast an impressive track record of 18 beauty awards and a 4.8-star rating from Olive Young customers.

Olive Young Awards: Best Pads - 3rd Place｜Abib Heartleaf Spot Pad Calming Touch

Abib's budget-friendly toner pads have always been a global favourite for everyday breakout care. Each lightweight cotton pad gently exfoliates while soothing and hydrating, offering comprehensive care with just one piece. Especially ideal for treating flare-ups, it helps repair compromised skin and relieves redness, swelling, and inflammation when left on irritated areas as a toner mask. Highly compatible with oily and acne-prone skin, the refreshing yet gentle texture leaves no thick or greasy feel.

Olive Young Awards: Best Pads - Olive Young's Pick｜Medicube Zero Pore Pad 2.0

Meet Medicube's award-winning bestsellers, endorsed by the national Korean MC and TV host Yoo Jae-suk! Each three-in-one pore pad can exfoliate, tighten pores, and regulate oil-water balance in one go. Patented pore minimising ingredients work alongside gentle yet effective acids, whisking away dead skin buildup and dirt in pores to leave skin clear, fine, and smooth. If you're troubled by stretched pores and oily skin, this will be a valuable addition to your daily skincare routine.

Olive Young Awards 2025: Best Sun Care

Olive Young Awards: Best Sun Care - 1st Place｜ROUND LAB Birch Juice Moisturizing Sunscreen

Rich in amino acids, minerals, antioxidants, and vitamins, nutrient-rich birch sap boasts anti-inflammatory and purifying benefits. This all-in-one physical sunscreen nourishes, soothes, and prevents sun-induced TEWL with lasting UV protection and an airy, easily removable formula, making it a good choice for busy bees.

Olive Young Awards: Best Sun Care - 2nd Place｜Goodal Houttuynia Cordata Calming Moisture Sun Cream SPF50+ PA++++

Enriched with soothing Heartleaf (Houttuynia Cordata) extract from Jeju Island in South Korea, this K-beauty favourite shields against UVA and UVB damage while relieving redness and irritation, ideal for both sun care and post-sun care. The airy, lotion-like texture sinks into skin lightly with intense hydrating power and no white cast. If you have sensitive skin and are looking for a good solid daily sunscreen that doesn't irritate, reach for the green Goodal tube.

Olive Young Awards 2025: Best Makeup

Olive Young Awards: Best Cheek Makeup Product - 1st Place｜fwee Lip&Cheek Blurry Pudding Pot

These palm-sized pudding pots have charmed countless fans across the globe with its cute packaging and vibrant, extensive shades. The innovative bouncy texture goes nicely on both your cheeks and lips, spreads smoothly, and smudges naturally without clumping. Layer as you like to adjust vibrancy, or mix and match different colours to create your own unique blurry matte look!

Olive Young Awards 2025: Best Lip Care

Olive Young Awards: Best Lip Care Product - 1st Place｜Torriden Solid In Ceramide Lip Essence

Torriden isn't only known for their hydrating masks! Often sold out at Olive Young stores, this lip essence is first aid for dry, flaky lips. Rich in ceramides and natural plant oils, it moisturises with no stickiness and melts upon contact with skin to deliver lip-hugging moisture that lasts. What's more, this lip essence also serves as a lip primer during makeup, or as a nighttime lip mask.

Olive Young Awards 2025: Best Hair & Body Care

Olive Young Awards: Best Shampoo - 1st Place｜LABO-H Scalp Strengthening Shampoo Hair Loss Care

An Olive Young top-ranking scalp strengthening shampoo for 3 consecutive years, washing away sebum buildup and dirt with a dense and delicate foam. LABO-H's hair loss shampoo leaves you feeling refreshed, comfortable, and itch-free, as if your scalp could breathe. Probiotics and nutrients fortify the weak scalp barrier and help relieve hair loss for the optimal scalp environment to grow stronger, healthier hair.

Olive Young Awards: Best Body Moisturiser - 1st Place | ILLIYOON Ceramide Ato Lotion

Meet the Korean national body lotion that has sold 6.2 million bottles! Formulated for East Asian sensitive skin, this body lotion features a Soi-Ceramide™ Formula, a pioneering unique ceramide complex that maximises the moisturising capacity of ceramides and strengthens your skin barrier for stronger moisture-retaining abilities. Coming in a lightweight, refreshing texture, this lotion is Dermatest certified and free from fragrances, pigments, and preservatives – safe for the whole family, from pregnant women to children.

Olive Young Awards: Best Body Moisturiser - 2nd Place | Bioderma Atoderm Ultra-Nourishing Moisturising Cream

A body lotion specially developed for dry sensitive skin. Rich in vitamin B3 (niacinamide), the soothing formula quickly penetrates the skin to relieve itching, rebuild your skin barrier, and retain moisture. Safe even on babies, the lightweight creamy texture repairs instantly by stimulating the skin's self-healing powers. Skin is restored to a plump, healthy state.