How to Read Korean Skincare Labels (A Visual Guide)

Product names, ingredient lists, expiration dates, and certifications — decoded for Western consumers.

You’ve ordered your first K-beauty product. It arrives. The packaging is beautiful. And you can’t read a single word on it. The ingredient list is in Korean. The expiration date format is unfamiliar. The product name says ‘skin’ but it’s clearly a liquid. Welcome to the Korean skincare label puzzle. This guide decodes everything.

Product type names that don’t translate

Korean and Japanese beauty categories don’t match Western ones. Here’s the cheat sheet: ‘Skin’ (스킨) = toner. ‘Lotion’ (로션) = lightweight moisturizer or toner (in J-beauty). ‘Emulsion’ (유액) = light moisturizer, lighter than cream. ‘Essence’ (에센스) = concentrated hydrating treatment, between toner and serum. ‘Ampoule’ (앨풀) = highly concentrated serum, typically more potent than an essence. ‘Cream’ (크림) = the one thing that means the same.

Reading Korean ingredient lists

Korean products sold internationally must include ingredient lists in both Korean and English (or a separate English insert). The ingredients follow INCI standards, same as Western products — listed in descending order of concentration. The difference: Korean lists often include the Korean name followed by the INCI name in parentheses. Look for the English INCI names if you’re checking for specific ingredients.

Expiration dates: 제조 vs 사용기한

제조일자 (제조) = manufacturing date. 사용기한 (사용) = expiration date. Korean products typically show BOTH. Format: YYYY.MM.DD or YYYYMMDD. So ‘제조 2025.01.15’ means manufactured January 15, 2025. ‘사용기한 2027.01.15’ means use by January 15, 2027. The PAO (period after opening) symbol — an open jar icon with a number — tells you how many months the product is good after you first open it.

Certifications to look for

• •EWG Verified — meets Environmental Working Group’s strict ingredient safety standards. Many K-beauty brands (Purito, Klairs) pursue this certification.
• •Vegan certification (비건) — increasingly common in K-beauty. Look for the Korean Vegan Certification mark or international Vegan Society logo.
• •KFDA approved — the Korean FDA (now MFDS) regulates all cosmetics. Products with ‘functional cosmetic’ (기능성 화장품) designation have proven efficacy for claims like whitening or anti-wrinkle.
• •Cruelty-free — Korea banned required animal testing for cosmetics in 2019. Most modern K-beauty brands are cruelty-free, but check individual brand policies for exports to countries that still require it.

SPF and PA ratings

Korean and Japanese sunscreens use the PA system alongside SPF. SPF measures UVB protection (burning). PA measures UVA protection (aging). PA+ to PA++++ — more plus signs means better UVA protection. PA++++ is the highest rating and is standard for most Korean and Japanese sunscreens. Western sunscreens often only list SPF and ‘broad spectrum’ without specifying the UVA protection level, which is less precise.

Bookmark this page

This guide exists because no other site has compiled this information in one place. Bookmark it. Come back when your next K-beauty order arrives and the packaging is all in Korean. And if you spot something we missed, let us know.