

Hwahae, the most popular Korean beauty platform with over 10 million downloads (source), announced the winners of their renowned beauty awards for 2022.
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HwaHae is currently the most popular beauty app in Korea, with a record of over 10 million downloads as of 2021 (source). The name HwaHae (‘화해’), comes from an abbreviated form of the Korean phrase ‘화장품을 해석하다’ (‘To analyse cosmetics’). HwaHae was created in 2013 by CEO Lee Woong and two friends with one mission: provide users with accurate information on their favourite cosmetics to help them make more informed choices.
Today users can use the platform to find products that are suitable for their skin type, check their ingredient lists, and read honest and unbiased reviews from other users. HwaHae uses information from the Association of Korean Dermatologists (AKD) to categorise beauty products by ingredients and their suitability for different skin types and displays the hazard level for each ingredient, using the rating system created by the EWG (Environmental Working Group, a US activist group).
The app became an immediate hit and it’s recently been reported that over 80% of Korean women in their 20s and 30s are HwaHae users (source).
Every year Hwahae hosts the Hwahae Beauty Awards to celebrate the most popular beauty products of the year. The event takes place twice a year (in June and November), and they’re based solely on reviews and ratings left by users of the platform.
On 28 November 2022, HwaHae announced the winners of the 2022 HwaHae Beauty Awards. Winners are determined based only on the reviews and ratings left by HwaHae users throughout the year. As a platform built around fairness and transparency, HwaHae followed a meticulous selection process to filter out untrustworthy reviews and spam comments to ensure the authenticity of the data collected. In particular, for the 2022 edition of the awards, HwaHae analysed over 10 million reviews left by users from November 2021 to October 2022.
Both users and beauty companies place great value on the outcome of the HwaHae Beauty Awards, as they offer an accurate and authentic reflection of the opinions of Korean beauty consumers.
(Check out my coverage of the previous editions of the Hwahae Beauty Awards)
First place:
d’Alba – White Truffle First Spray Serum
Second place:
Chicho – Boosting Mist Serum
(SHOP)
Third place:
i-Recipe – Aqua-Phytoplex™ Cream in Toner Mist
(SHOP)
First place:
Suiskin – Avobab Clean Soap
Second place:
Lapcos – Chaga Rest Facial Cleansing Bar
(SHOP)
Third place:
Seedbee – Aminow Dew Soap
(SHOP)
First place:
I’m From – Beet Purifying Mask
Second place:
Sloune – Skin SPA In Shower Mask
(SHOP)
Third place:
Papa Recipe – Tea Tree Control Green Mud Mask
(SHOP)
First place:
Hatherine – Spot Care Patch Kit [#Red Spot]
(SHOP)
Second place:
Dr.Oracle – TerpinaC Spot Patch
(SHOP)
Third place:
Troubless – Micro-Point Trouble Patch
First place:
Daybe – Sun Mist+ Calm UV Block Sun Mist SPF50+/PA++++
(SHOP)
Second place:
Shingmulnara – Oxygen Water Ice Sun Spray SPF50+/PA++++
(SHOP)
First place:
Madforcos – Silky Coconut Oil Foot Mask
(SHOP)
Second place:
ONTHE BODY – Cotton Foot Shampoo [#Fresh Lemon Mint]
(SHOP)
Third place:
Derma:B – Urea 9.8 Foot Cream
First place:
NARD – Low Ph Mild Feminine Wash
(SHOP)
Second place:
Skin U – Lacto Foaming Feminine Wash
(SHOP)
Third place:
Dr. Orga – Herb Feminine Secret Cleanser
First place:
Bareuda – Heating Patch [#Purple]
(SHOP)
Second place:
Aromatica – Life Sensual Drops
(SHOP)
Third place:
Bareuda – Heating Patch [#Red]
(SHOP)
First place:
Pyunkang Yul – Ato Nourishing Baby Oil
Second place:
Bébé de Blanc – Pure Jojoba Oil
(SHOP)
Third place:
Biolane – Sweet Almond Oil Spray
(SHOP)
First place:
Atopalm – Tok Tok Facial Sun Pact SPF43/PA+++
Second place:
Cocoheali – Sunny Pang Pact SPF50+/PA++++
(SHOP)
Third place:
Babience – Baby Sun Cushion SPF50+/PA+++
(SHOP)
First place:
Atopalm – Kids Fresh 2 In 1 Shampoo
Second place:
Botanical Therapy – Leaf-Barrier Pure Baby Shampoo
(SHOP)
Third place:
Modoobareun – Kids Shampoo
(SHOP)
First place:
Multtaro – New Born Original Wet Wipes
(SHOP)
Second place:
Huggies – Naturemade Bamboo Wet Wipes
(SHOP)
Third place:
Hanulsoo – Wet Wipes [#Pure]
(SHOP)
First place:
Nivea Men – Sensitive Shaving Gel
Second place:
Wisely – Shaving Gel
(SHOP)
Third place:
Sidmool Homme – All In Shaving Gel
(SHOP)
First place:
SK II – Men’s Facial Treatment Essence
Second place:
MdoC – Sebum Strike Serum
(SHOP)
Third place:
Dr. Jart+ – For Men Skin Essence
(SHOP)
First place:
Round Lab For Men – Birch Juice Moisturizing Cream
Second place:
Bro&Tips – Winter Defence 48 hr Moisturizing Cream
(SHOP)
Third place:
Sidmool Homme – All In Moisture Cream
(SHOP)
First place:
Be Ready – UV Defense Sun Base Fresh For Heroes Sunscreen
(SHOP)
Second place:
Ulos – Sun Block SPF50+/PA+++
(SHOP)
First place:
Be Ready – Level Up Foundation For Heroes SPF50+/PA++++ [#Jeffrey]
(SHOP)
Second place:
Gatsby – T Zone Pore Cover Cream
(SHOP)
Third place:
Gatsby – AI Derm Tone Up Lotion SPF50+/PA++++
(SHOP)
First place:
Grafen – Triple Handsome Lip Balm
Second place:
Be Ready – Wake Up Vitalizing Lip Balm For Heroes
(SHOP)
First place:
Dashu – Premium Mega Hold Super Spray
Second place:
Gatsby – Moving Rubber Spiky Edge Hair Wax
(SHOP)
Third place:
Grafen – Sea Water Hair Spray
(SHOP)
Source: Hwahae App, Hwahae Blog
Translation: © 2022 Odile Monod
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