The Most Popular Skincare Trend in Korea Right Now (2024)

As a lover of Korean skincare, I pride myself on having intimate knowledge of all things K-beauty (I tried the viral CosRX Snail Mucin way before it blew up on TikTok, for example.) So when I went to Seoul for a business trip a few weeks ago, I didn’t think I’d see any skincare trends or products that I wasn’t already familiar with. Unbeknownst to me, there was something that I wasn’t totally in on just yet: toner pads. As soon as I stepped into OliveYoung (basically like South Korea’s version of Ulta), I couldn’t help but notice the walls and walls of toner pads—and tons of dewy-faced shoppers throwing them into their shopping carts. Obviously, I had to see what all the hype was all about, so a tested a ton of Korean toner pads. And now? I have thoughts to share with you. Keep reading for everything you need to know about the toner pad revolution plus my favorites I’ve been using since my return stateside.

What are toner pads?

When we think of toner pads in the U.S., we picture a convenient lil tub of pre-soaked cotton pads to exfoliate the hell outta our faces (usually with the word “peel” written somewhere on the packaging to indicate that it, in fact, will destroy your skin barrier). But in South Korea, toner pads more like small, targeted sheet masks that people use in different areas of their face. Supposedly, people will wear toner pads on the street—just like we do here with pimple patches.

Toner pads are just cotton rounds or squares that are pre-soaked in a toner solution that you can quickly grab from a tub and swipe all over your face (or dab on as a spot treatment or as a mask—read on for more uses). They come in about a bajillion varieties depending on your skin type and goals—like if you want to exfoliate and smooth uneven skin texture, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, plump and hydrate, clear acne and clogged pores—the list goes on.

How to use toner pads:

In the western world, toner pads have always been a thing but mostly only as a convenient method to apply your toner. K-beauty toner pads are unique in that they work a few different ways, including:

1. As a toner: The most obvious way to use a toner pad, grab a sheet out of the jar and swipe it across your skin, just as you would a toner you dripped onto a cotton pad. This is great for traveling when you don’t want to bring a big ol’ bottle of liquid or when you’re feeling a lil lazy.
2. As a spot treatment: Whenever you have a spot of irritation, a pimple, a specific fine line you wanna target—whatever you’re wanting to treat—stick the toner pad against it as a quick spot treatment for 5 to 10 minutes. These sheets are usually thin enough that they’ll stay on your face while you putter about.
3. As a sheet mask: Instead of putting on a full-face sheet mask, you can adhere a few toner pads across your face (see in this TikTok). It is a bit more comfortable to wear for long periods of time and sticks on much better than a standard sheet mask, IMO. You can also mix and match different toner pads if you have varying skin concerns across your face.

Now, let’s get into my favorite toner pads I’ve tested:

My forehead is prone to itsy bitsy bumps (my opp, fr), so I asked the sales associate at Olive Young in Seoul which toner pad was the most popular for skin texture. They immediately pointed to this one, which was almost completely sold out, btw. It helps clear pores with salicylic acid while gently sloughing away dead skin with PHA. I just stuck it to my forehead for about five minutes, then swiped the excess over the rest of my skin. I can attest that it definitely makes my skin look and feel more even and fresh.

Madecassoside is a newish ingredient in the States that’s widely used in Asia for its anti-inflammatory benefits. And it also happens to be the MVP of these toner pads that are legit fantastic for sensitive skin. I plop them as a spot treatment on angry, inflamed pimples, and they bring down the swelling and redness after about 15 minutes.

I have some acne scars on my cheeks from previous hormonal acne flare-ups, but I don’t necessarily need to cover my entire face in brightening ingredients. Enter: These toner pads which make it v easy to spot treat anywhere I want to help fade hyperpigmentation, thanks to the tranexamic acid and AHA in the formula. They’re great as a daily all-over toner, but I especially love them as a makeshift mask (which I usually will pair with others on this list in other areas of my face to create my own cocktail of sorts).

I’m currently in a love affair with the Biodance masks that blew up on TikTok (they make my skin so mf glowy by morning), and these toner pads are basically the quick version of that. They’re made of a similar silicone material as the sheet mask, unlike any other toner pad I’ve tested, which feels so good when I put it all over my face to boost radiance and soothe irritation. When I wake up feeling a lil puffy and blah, I just stick two or three of these onto my cheeks and forehead to help calm and revitalize my face.

These were the first ever K-beauty toner pads I tested, and they lived up to the hype of giving me glass skin. I stick these soothing, ultra-moisturizing pads over my face for 10 to 15 minutes a few days a week while I’m getting ready in the morning, and it seriously boosts my skin’s glow. Bean extract is supremely hydrating, so it’s been great to spot treat dry patches from healing acne.

This all-in-one pad is soothing, exfoliating, and hydrating, so if you really don’t know which one to try, opt for this. PHA is the lightest exfoliating acid, so it gently buffs away dry and dead skin, making it fab for anyone with sensitive skin who also wants to clear acne, reduce hyperpigmentation, and/or smooth texture. The pad itself is also double-sided: One smooth side that lays flat if you decide to stick it on as a spot treatment or mask and one textured side that helps physically exfoliate as well.

Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan with six years of experience researching, writing, and editing skincare stories that range from reviewing the best toners to the best Ordinary products. She’s an authority in all skincare categories but an expert when it comes to toner pads after testing a bajillion formulas and bothering sales associates in Seoul for the biggest trends in Korean skincare.