The Best Korean Skin Care for Oily Skin to Restore Balance

03.12.2025, 17:42 allure.com

When it comes to finding the best Korean skin care for oily skin, the real secret isn’t simply mattifying—it’s restoring balance. One of the biggest misconceptions about oily skin is that it needs harsh, drying products to stay under control. In reality, stripping your skin only pushes it to produce more oil. Korean skin care has long taken the opposite approach, relying on gentle, pH-balanced cleansers, hydrating toners, and calming ingredients like green tea, Centella asiatica (cica), and fermented extracts to nourish the skin barrier. “By replenishing moisture, the skin doesn’t feel the need to overcompensate with excess oil, and it keeps the skin barrier healthy,” says Charlotte Cho, co-founder of Soko Glam based in New York City.

If you’re constantly battling shine, clogged pores, or makeup that slides off the moment you walk out the door, the goal is to find more support for your skin. Ahead, we’ve rounded up the K-beauty products that keep oily skin smooth, balanced, and breathable all day long.

Then I Met You

Amazon

Sephora

Why it's worth it: Then I Met You isn’t one of those brands that drops a new product every five minutes—they only launch something when it’s truly worth your shelf space. Case in point: Bong² Bounce Cream, which snagged a 2025 Allure Best of Beauty Award. Its name comes from hallabong, a vitamin C-packed Korean citrus that also nods to the brand’s hanbang heritage (the Korean practice of using herbs and botanicals to bring skin back into balance, which is especially key for oily types who often overcompensate for dryness). To get the full scoop, we went straight to the formulator herself: “This moisturizer has a soft, gel-cream texture that instantly melts into the skin, hydrating deeply without heaviness, making it perfect for oily or combination skin,” says Cho. Add in squalane, ceramides, and dual-weight hyaluronic acid, and you get that bouncy, bright, all-day moisture without a sticky shine.

Allure commerce editor Sarah Han applying the Then I Met You Bong² Bounce Cream

Han after applying the Then I Met You Bong² Bounce Cream

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Mediheal

Amazon

Ulta Beauty

Allure senior commerce editor Sarah Felbin applying the Mediheal Madecassoside Blemish Pad

Why it's worth it: While you won’t find traditional acids like salicylic here, these pads take the classic K-beauty route: gentler, soothing, and barrier-first. Centella asiatica (a.k.a. cica) is one of the star ingredients, and this formula goes all in with multiple forms—including root, leaf, and highly concentrated madecassoside—to calm inflammation and strengthen stressed, breakout-prone skin. From there, niacinamide steps in to help even out tone, and glycerin adds just enough hydration to keep skin happy without pushing oily skin into shiny territory. Allantoin and licorice root bring extra redness relief, while fermented extracts and hydrogenated lecithin keep your barrier strong. There’s also a subtle blend of herbal oils (juniper, mugwort, patchouli, and rosemary) that adds a gentle clarifying boost.

Felbin before applying the Mediheal Madecassoside Blemish Pad

Felbin after applying the Mediheal Madecassoside Blemish Pad

Tester feedback from senior commerce editor Sarah Felbin

“I have very sensitive, oily skin that can break out if I look at it wrong. Add to that the dozens of new beauty products I'm testing each week, and I'm almost always dealing with some stubborn blackheads, whiteheads, or both. When I first notice signs of a breakout, I always make sure to grab these pads. The pad's material is very thin and soft (not scratchy like some other pads I've tried, which can irritate my skin even more). There's a lot of product in each box of pads, so they're always fully saturated, even weeks after I've bought them. And I love that each box comes with a pair of clear plastic tweezers hidden underneath the lid, so I can quickly and easily grab a pad without having to stick my fingers inside. The pads apply a thin layer of a clear, watery product that dries quickly and layers easily under the rest of my skin care and makeup. And after a few uses, my skin looks calmer and clearer. These have been a medicine cabinet must-have for me since I first tried them. Madecassoside is the real deal!” —Sarah Fellbin, senior commerce editor

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Knours

Amazon

Ulta Beauty

Allure contributing commerce writer Christa Joanna Lee applying the Knours 2-in-1 Oil-to-Foam Non-Stripping Facial Cleanser

Why it's worth it: If you’ve got oily skin, you know the struggle: Taking off your makeup can leave your face feeling squeaky clean, but not in a good way. Enter Knours’ 2-in-1 Oil-to-Foam Cleanser, which starts as a silky oil you massage onto dry skin. “This cleansing oil effortlessly dissolves makeup and excess sebum while feeling luxuriously smooth,” says Cho. Then you add water, and it turns into a soft, comfy foam, so you get the full double-cleanse effect without juggling two products. With gentle surfactants and nourishing olive and jojoba oils, it leaves skin clean, balanced, and never tight.

Lee before applying the Knours 2-in-1 Oil-to-Foam Non-Stripping Facial Cleanser

Lee after applying the Knours 2-in-1 Oil-to-Foam Non-Stripping Facial Cleanser

Tester feedback from contributing commerce writer Christa Joanna Lee

“I don’t usually classify my skin as oily, but on days when I’ve been wearing a ton of makeup or leave the gym feeling shiny and slick, I need something that really clears the excess oil off my T-zone in particular. This cleanser feels incredibly gentle as it removes even my waterproof makeup, and the foam feels like it whisks everything away without irritating my sensitive skin.” —Christa Joanna Lee, contributing commerce writer

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Haruharu Wonder

Yesstyle

Stylevana

Allure contributing commerce editor Deanna Pai applying the Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Moisture Airyfit Daily Sunscreen SPF 50 PA++++

Why it's worth it: K-beauty has sky-high standards for sunscreen—lightweight textures, zero white cast, and never a hint of greasiness are basically non-negotiable—and Haruharu Wonder’s Black Rice Moisture Airyfit Daily Sunscreen understands the assignment. This silky, fast-absorbing, and oil-free SPF wears like a moisturizer but feels weightless on oily or combination skin, blending in instantly without adding shine. Antioxidant-rich black rice infused oil nourishes and brightens without heaviness, while niacinamide brightens dark spots and hyperpigmentation. Adenosine softens fine lines, ceramides reinforce your barrier, and propanediol adds hydration without overwhelming pores. With PA++++ (the highest rating in K-beauty for UVA protection), you’re covered against long-term sun damage.

Tester feedback from contributing commerce editor Deanna Pai

"I didn't even know I needed a sunscreen like this until I tried it. It just...disappears into my oily skin. It doesn't leave it dewy, but also not particularly matte. The velvety texture just sinks in and becomes undetectable—which is pretty much all I want from my sunscreen." —Deanna Pai, contributing commerce editor

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I'm From

Ulta Beauty

Yesstyle

Stylevana

Why it's worth it: The rice in I’m From Rice Toner isn’t just your typical kind; it comes from Yeoju, a region in Korea known for its unusually fertile soil, clean water sources, and ideal temperature swings for rice cultivation. All of this leads to grains that are dense, nutrient-rich, and naturally packed with antioxidants, and you can feel that quality in this formula. “It has a milky, slightly cushiony texture that glides over skin and instantly softens. It also brightens and hydrates without heaviness, which is ideal for oil control and skin that can’t handle thick, occlusive layers,” says Cho. The experience is soothing and glow-boosting—offering oily skin a gentle reset.

Han applying the I’m From Rice Toner

Han after applying the I’m From Rice Toner

Tester feedback from Han

"A hydrating toner or essence is a non-negotiable step of my daytime and nighttime routines. I'm From Rice Toner instantly plumps my skin, giving it a brighter, refreshed look and prepping it for the serums, moisturizers, and sunscreens to follow. It’s also more lightweight than other milky toners I’ve tried, so I’ll often layer up twice or thrice for an extra boost, especially during the colder months. Now that we're in the office four days a week, I can't be bothered to wear makeup every day—but at least my skin looks nice and glowy." —Han, commerce editor

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Innisfree

Amazon

Sephora

Pai applying the Innisfree Super Volcanic AHA Pore Clearing Clay Mask

Why it's worth it: The star ingredient of this mask is volcanic ash sourced from Jeju Island—a mineral-rich, volcanic environment in Korea where hardened lava “clusters” naturally form. “These volcanic clusters are especially good at drawing out excess oil and impurities deep from pores,” says Dr. Kim. The bentonite and kaolin clay base helps refine pores and reduce blackheads, while lactic acid gives the formula a mild exfoliating boost to “smooth texture and ‘tighten’ the appearance of pores,” she says. While clay masks often get a bad rap for drying out skin, the added glycerin helps counteract that by balancing moisture levels.

Pai before applying the Innisfree Super Volcanic AHA Pore Clearing Clay Mask

Pai after applying the Innisfree Super Volcanic AHA Pore Clearing Clay Mask

Tester feedback from Pai

"I'm not a hydration girlie. Instead, I look for masks that can suck the gunk out of my pores with abandon, and this mask does exactly that. What makes it great isn't just the combo of bentonite and kaolin clays, but the addition of volcanic ash and lactic acid for dual exfoliation. I liked that I got a little scrubbing action as I was rinsing it off—and my skin looked way more even and radiant after just one use." —Deanna Pai, contributing commerce editor

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Belif

Ulta Beauty

Sephora

Why it's worth it: We might be hitting you over the head with this b