Get (and Maintain) Glass Skin With the Best Korean Exfoliants

Unlike some well-known Korean skin-care products (especially sunscreens), the best Korean exfoliators often slide under the radar. They’re incorporated in cleansers, toners, and even essences. K-beauty’s exfoliating components are typically gentle, combined with hydrating agents to ensure skin comfort while providing brightening, smoothing, and resurfacing effects. This approach aligns well with the Korean philosophy of promoting ongoing care rather than overwhelming the skin with multiple active ingredients.

Vogue’s Top Picks for Korean Exfoliants

“In Korea, exfoliation is perceived as a gentle, consistent component of healthy skincare,” shares Charlotte Cho, an esthetician and Soko Glam’s founder. “The emphasis is on preserving the skin barrier while continuously revealing smoother, brighter skin over time.” Similar to Korean retinols, using sufficiently mild exfoliants suitable for daily use can optimize your glow while reducing sensitivity. Here’s what experts have on their list.

Content Outline

• What Are the Exfoliating Benefits?
• How Do Koreans Exfoliate?
• Is Daily Exfoliation Recommended?
• Our Testing Methodology
• Meet the Experts

Best Chemical Exfoliant: Innisfree Green Tea Enzyme 7% PHA Gentle Exfoliating Toner

• What We Adore About It: Among gentle exfoliants, it’s challenging to surpass Innisfree’s Green Tea Derived Enzyme Toner, utilizing polyhydroxy acid (PHA) instead of typical alpha and beta hydroxy acids for a slower exfoliation process. Combined with green tea and hyaluronic acid, it hydrates, exfoliates, and calms the skin, according to Dr. Y. Claire Chang, M.D., a certified dermatologist at UnionDerm in New York, NY, recommending it for all skin types, including dry and sensitive. As such, it ranks among the top-face exfoliants, Korean or otherwise.
• Editor’s Remarks: “I consistently find this Innisfree toner turns my skin into a soft and smooth texture following just one application. The pairing of PHA and enzymes with hyaluronic acid and green tea is a brilliant move to keep the formula balanced.” —Kiana Murden, senior beauty shopping writer
• Featured Ingredients: Polyhydroxy acid, green tea, hyaluronic acid
• Type: Chemical
• Volume: 150 ml

Top Physical Exfoliant: Beauty of Joseon Apricot Blossom Peeling Gel

• What We Love About It: In Korea, physical exfoliation isn’t widely practiced, but when it is, it typically takes the form of a peeling gel. This formula employs a gommage technique, which causes clumps of dead skin cells and debris to form when massaged into the skin. Beauty of Joseon’s version employs cotton-derived cellulose to gently eliminate detritus, including nearly 20% plum blossom water, naturally rich in polyphenols, to brighten and hydrate the skin.
• Featured Ingredients: Prunus mume flower water, cellulose, rice extract
• Type: Physical
• Volume: 100 ml

Best Peel Pads: Medicube Zero Pore Pads

• What We Love About Them: The Medicube Zero Pore Pads have a lot going for them: Dr. Chang appreciates that the exfoliating pads are user-friendly and gentle on the skin, thanks to a blend of “low-dose AHA and BHA, refining pores and improving texture.” The alpha hydroxy acids stem from both lactic acid (the gentlest AHA available) and fruit extracts, while white willow bark serves as a natural BHA source. Additionally, they feature dual-sided pads for extra physical exfoliation or hydration from the smooth side.
• Featured Ingredients: Lactic acid, white willow bark extract, cypress tree leaf extract
• Type: Chemical and physical
• Volume: 70 or 100 pads

Best for Acne-Prone Skin: Cosrx AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner

• What We Love About It: For those with congested skin, the CosRx AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner effectively clears pores without excessively stripping the skin. Featuring a mix of 0.1% glycolic acid (a low concentration) and betaine salicylate (a derivative of salicylic acid), it helps “remove dead skin cells, unclog pores, and reduce blemishes,” says Dr. Chang. Continued use can result in glowing and radiant skin, and even those with sensitive skin typically tolerate this formulation well due to added soothing allantoin and panthenol.
• Featured Ingredients: Glycolic acid, beta hydroxy acid, willow bark water, apple fruit water, allantoin, panthenol
• Type: Chemical
• Volume: 150 ml

Best for Oily Skin: Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30Days Miracle Toner

• What We Love About It: This aptly titled Miracle Toner packs a punch of potency and is loaded with acids. It combines alpha, beta, and polyhydroxy acids to exfoliate and remove dead skin cells, “while niacinamide elevates skin cell turnover, brightening the complexion and reducing hyperpigmentation,” says Dr. Chang, who endorses it. The addition of niacinamide and tea tree extract aids in controlling sebum production, resulting in a clean, balanced appearance without severe dryness.
• Featured Ingredients: Salicylic acid, niacinamide, tea tree extract
• Type: Chemical
• Volume: 150 ml

Best for Sensitive Skin: Anua Heartleaf 77% Toner Pads

• What We Love About It: Anua’s Heartleaf 77 Toner Pads are notably gentle exfoliants, thanks to the primary component heartleaf water, a calming herbal element that rejuvenates and hydrates the skin. They offer gentle exfoliation through the inclusion of polyhydroxy acid while maintaining pore clarity for an impossibly radiant appearance. For those seeking a bit more exfoliation, one side of the pad is embossed for physical exfoliation.
• Featured Ingredients: Heartleaf extract 77%, evening primrose extract, centella asiatica extract
• Type: Chemical and physical
• Volume: 70 pads

Top for Dry Skin: Mixsoon Bean Essence

• What We Adore About It: Essences are primarily celebrated for immediate hydration, but Mixsoon’s formula uniquely combines its namesake bean essence—soybean ferment extract—for its natural resurfacing qualities. Every ingredient, from barley to pomegranate and pear, has been fermented to produce smaller molecules facilitating better skin penetration.
• Editor’s Remarks: “For essence lovers, Mixsoon’s product is a staple. I appreciate how its initially sticky texture transforms into a hydrating finish. It effectively targets enlarged pores overnight thanks to the unique blend of ferments,” Kiana Murden, senior beauty shopping writer states.
• Featured Ingredients: Soybean ferment, barley ferment, pomegranate ferment, pear juice ferment
• Type: Chemical
• Volume: 50 ml

Best for Mature Skin: Amorepacific Treatment Enzyme Peel Cleansing Powder

• What We Love About It: Renowned celebrity esthetician and Peach & Lily founder Alicia Yoon deems this powder as a “timeless classic” that merits a spot in your evening Korean skincare regimen. Simply dispense, mix it with water, and observe it foam up lightly while exfoliating through nutrients derived from green tea (even gentler than acids). With hyaluronic acid and cotton extract, skin feels clean without that uncomfortable tightness.
• Featured Ingredients: Green tea-derived enzymes, hyaluronic acid, cotton extract
• Type: Chemical and physical
• Volume: 1.9 fl. oz.

Best for Dullness: Neogen Bio-Peel Gauze Peeling Green Tea