TikTok is flooded with people swearing Korean skincare fixed their acne. 2 dermatologists weigh in on why it actually works

• Many have taken to TikTok to show their acne clearing up after using Korean skincare products. 
• The K-beauty industry, particularly skincare, has been thriving globally.
• 2 dermatologists explain how Korean skincare performs better through protecting the skin barrier.

In recent years, the Korean beauty industry has grown exponentially across the world. The skincare segment alone has a market volume of $7.6 billion in 2023, according to Statista.

K-beauty's skincare products are famous for not only rejuvenating the skin and solving troubled skin issues, but also its affordable pricing relative to Western skincare.

On TikTok, the hashtag #koreanskincare has over 2 billion views. In particular, people are showing before and after videos to show that Korean skincare products have helped clear up their troubled skin. 

TikTok creator @livingberryslife showed in a video how her skin was inflamed when using Western skincare, but clear and rid of red spots after switching to Korean skincare products.

Her video, which has almost 900,000 likes as of March 28, has many comments sharing a similar sentiment. "I believe you. Korean skincare products are THE best," reads a comment with more than 17,500 likes.

Another video captioned "Korean skincare is the literal GOAT" — meaning greatest of all time — by TikTok user @skinbysodhi shows how Korean skincare helped get rid of her acne. The video has almost 50,000 likes as of March 28.

Along many of such video anecdotes, various beauty creators have also been sharing lists of K-skincare products that work well for them all over social media. 

Some of the popular recommendations include the Cosrx advanced snail 96 mucin power essence and the Round Lab birch juice moisturizing sun cream, both of which are listed for less than $35 on the official website of Olive Young, South Korea's equivalent to Sephora.

Insider asked two dermatologists to weigh in on why Korean skincare works well for many. 

"Korean cosmeceuticals are very well formulated in that they target the skin micro environment," Singapore-based dermatologist Teo Wan Lin, a certified member of the Dermatological Society of Singapore with a Bachelor's degree in medicine and surgery from the National University of Singapore, told Insider.

Teo also works closely with the Korean cosmeceutical industry for her own skincare company and has authored a few books about skincare. 

Korean skincare focuses on the skin barrier through the layering of skincare — such as moisturizers, serums, lotions, and face mists, said Teo.

"While other dermatologists were going on about hyaluronic acid, the Koreans were at polyglutamic acid already, which is five times more hydrating," added Teo.

Hyaluronic acid is a substance naturally produced by the body and found in the fluids of our eyes and joints. The beauty industry has been using variations of the component in many skincare products for years for its lubricating effect, according to WebMD. 

On the other hand, polyglutamic acid hydrates skin from the inside while preventing water loss to the environment, Teo told Insider.

The beauty industry is constantly churning out new skincare products with different and improved ingredients, and the "overzealous application" of such products can often harm the skin barrier, London-based general practitioner Noman Mohamed told Insider.

Mohamed practices cosmetic dermatology and is a certified member of the Royal College of General Practitioners with a Bachelor's degree in medicine and surgery from Queen Mary University of London. He also shares educational content about cosmetic dermatology on TikTok and Instagram as @drnomzzy.

"And this is where Korean skincare comes to the rescue, with its intense focus on skin hydration and gentle approach," Mohamed added.

Similar to Teo, he also pointed to the focus on creating a conducive, hydrated micro environment for the skin's natural processes to occur as the special X factor of Korean skincare. 

"This not only benefits acne-prone patients by reducing pore clogging with cells, but also contributes to a brighter complexion as the dead skin cells on the surface cycle away," said Mohamed to Insider.

When asked to recommend a K-skincare product, Teo's must-have is a facial mist. The one she is currently using is a polyglutamic dominant solution with at least 19 different botanical active ingredients. 

Mohamed told Insider that he's currently loving the Cosrx snail 96 mucin power essence, which happens to be one of the viral recommendations on TikTok.

The product has helped him reduce irritation to the skin caused by another product he uses, and it also enhanced his skin hydration levels. "Despite long hours at work, I no longer seem to be plagued by this 'tired look' that I had grown accustomed to," he added. 

But for those with persistent skin problems, both dermatologists emphasized the importance of consulting a primary care doctor or dermatologist for a diagnosis as a first step. They noted that skin conditions that require medical attention can worsen without the right form of treatment needed.