korean beauty awards
HwaHae Beauty Awards 2026
(mid-year)
HwaHae, the most popular Korean beauty platform with over 13 million downloads, announced the winners of their renowned beauty awards for the first half of 2026.
HwaHae Beauty Awards 2026
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 May and November), and winners are determined based solely on reviews and ratings left by users of the platform.
On 21 May 2026, HwaHae announced the winners of the 2026 Mid-Year HwaHae Beauty Awards HwaHae Beauty Awards. 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 most recent edition of the awards, HwaHae analysed 265,764 user reviews submitted between 1 November 2025 and 30 April 2026.
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.
See also: What is HwaHae?
HwaHae Beauty Awards 2026 (mid-year) Winners
BEST Skin-soothing Skincare products
Best Toner:
BringGreen – Tea Tree Cica Soothing Toner
Best Emulsion:
Round Lab – Pine Calming Cica Lotion
Best Essence / Ampoule / Serum:
Asce Plus – Calming Ampoule Pro
Best Face Oil:
essenHERB – Tea Tree 100 Oil
Best Cream:
Bioderma – Cicabio Pommade
Best Gel:
Green Finger – Panthedin MD Soothing Gel
Best Toner Pads:
Abib – Heartleaf Essence Pad Clear Touch
BEST pore-minimising Skincare products
Best Toner:
Lon.G – Pink Apple Pure Toner
Best Essence / Ampoule / Serum:
Innisfree – Retinol Cica Repair Ampoule
Best Essence / Ampoule / Serum:
Wellage – Real Hyaluronic Blue 100 Ampoule
Best Toner Pads:
Raumbi – Pore Balance Hydrating Pad
BEST hydrating Skincare products
Best Toner:
Lon.G – Pink Apple Pure Toner
Best Emulsion:
YBK – Ceramide Relief Hydration Emulsion
Best Cream:
12EST – Goodnight Cica Exosome Recovery Ampoule Cream
Best Gel:
S.Nature – Aqua Oasis Gel Moisturizing Gel Cream
Best Toner Pads:
Abib – Sedum Hyaluron Pad Hydrating Touch
BEST moisturising Skincare products
Best Toner:
Inyoe – Gleamy Milk Toner with 10% 6-Ceramide Complex + Rice Milk
Best Emulsion:
Ruuve – 5X Ceramide Lotion
Best Essence / Ampoule / Serum:
Essenciel – Quick-dry Hydra Forte Ampoule
Best Face Oil:
S.Nature – Jojoba Oil
Best Cream:
Lavien – EctoDerm Active Barrier Cream
Best Eye Care Product:
Cosnori – Avocado Eye Cream
Best Gel:
Irecipe – Aqua-Phytoplex™ Cream in Gel
Best Toner Pads:
Cover&Cover – Apple Mint Hyaluronic Acid PDRN 3-Minute Pad Pack
Best Balm / Multi-Balm:
Atopalm – Relaxing Night Balm
BEST skin-brightening Skincare products
Best Essence / Ampoule / Serum:
Medicube – PDRN Pink Peptide Ampoule
Best Face Oil:
Gyeol Haus – Skin Barrier Jojoba Oil
Best Cream:
ICD – Radiansome™ 100 Microfluidizer Cream
Best Eye Care Product:
Mary&May – Tranexamic Acid + Glutathione Eye Cream
Best Toner Pads:
YBK – Pink Glow Beam Jelly Pads
BEST anti-aging Skincare products
Best Toner:
Medicube – PDRN Pink Peptide Ampoule
Best Emulsion:
Arencia – Red Smoothie Lotion 5
Best Essence / Ampoule / Serum:
Laboreve – PeachMicrobiome 84 EGF Serum
Best Cream:
Re-juvenil – Repair PDRNTX+ 1500 Cream
Best Eye Care Product:
AXIS-Y – Vegan Collagen Eye Serum
BEST exfoliating Skincare products
Best Toner:
COSRX – AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner
Best Essence / Ampoule / Serum:
Mixsoon – Bean Essence
Best Toner Pads:
Torriden – Balanceful Cica Toner Pad
BEST Skincare products for blemish-prone skin
Best Toner:
Aestura – Theracne 365 Hydro Active Toner
Best Essence / Ampoule / Serum:
Numbuzin – No.1 Pantothenic B5 Active Soothing Serum
Best Face Oil:
Blanc Nature – Magic Tea Tree Oil
Best Cream:
Beplain – Cicaterol Spot Treatment
best Oil-Based Skincare products
Best Mist:
Anua – PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Capsule Mist
best water-Based Skincare products
Best Mist:
Re-juvenil – ABPHA Champagne Mist Ampoule
best gel-Based Skincare products
Best Mist:
Mommy Care – Sea Grape Jelly Mist
best cream-Based Skincare products
Best Mist:
Neovea – Layering Cream Mist
BEST Skin-soothing cleansers
Best Foaming Cleanser:
Cureason – Cool & Deep Facial Cleanser
Best Cleansing Water:
Anua – Heartleaf Low pH Deep Cleansing Water
Best Cleansing Water:
MD’S PICK – Tecateca Calming Jelly Foam Cleanser
BEST pore-minimising cleansers
Best Foaming Cleanser:
Arencia – Fresh Green Rice Mochi Cleanser
Best Cleansing Water:
beplain – Mung Bean Cleansing Water
Best Cleansing Gel:
Torriden – Balanceful Cleansing Gel
Best Cleansing Oil:
Manyo – Pure Soybean Cleansing Oil
Best Cleansing Lotion / Cream:
Make P:rem – PDRN Pore Clay Cleansing Milk
Best Scrub / Peeling:
Ilso – Super Melting Sebum Softener
Best Exfoliating Toner Pads:
YBK – Houttuynia Cordata One Step Pore Pads
Best Powder Cleanser:
Noily – Blackhead Slime Enzyme Cleanser
Best Cleansing Balm:
Banila Co – Clean It Zero Original Cleansing Balm
BEST hydrating cleansers
Best Foaming Cleanser:
Mediheal – Madecassoside Derma Cream Pack Cleanser
Best Cleansing Water:
COSRX – Low pH Niacinamide Micellar Cleansing Water
Best Cleansing Gel:
Cerolabs – Zero Bubble Pure Gel Cleanser
Best Cleansing Lotion / Cream:
Torriden – DIVE-IN Low Molecular Weight Hyaluronic Acid Cleansing Milk
BEST moisturising cleansers
Best Foaming Cleanser:
Freemay – Haetssal Daily Foam Cleanser
Best Cleansing Water:
Thelavicos – Hyaluronic Acid Low pH Cleansing Water
Best Cleansing Gel:
Blendmore – Daydew Skin Boosting Gel to Foam
Best Cleansing Lotion / Cream:
Make p:rem – Safe Me. Relief Moisture Cleansing Milk
BEST skin-brightening cleansers
Best Exfoliating Toner Pads:
Isntree – Onion Newpair Clear Pad
BEST anti-aging cleansers
Best Cleansing Gel:
Round Lab – Camellia Deep Collagen Jelly Mask Cleanser
BEST exfoliating cleansers
Best Foaming Cleanser:
Hanyul – Yuja Cleansing Tone Up Pack Foam
Best Scrub / Peeling:
Dr.G – Brightening Peeling Gel
Best Scrub / Peeling:
Stridex – Sensitive Skin Pads
Best Cleansing Balm:
Orjena – LHA All Melting Cleansing Balm
BEST cleansers for blemish-prone skin
Best Foaming Cleanser:
Medi Section No. – M Trouble Care Foam Cleanser
Best Cleansing Gel:
MediPeel – Green Cica Collagen Clear 2.0
Best Exfoliating Toner Pads:
Stridex – Max Plus Pads
BEST Skin-soothing face masks
![Banobagi - Vita Genic Jelly Mask [#Cica]](https://themonodist.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Banobagi-Vita-Genic-Jelly-Mask-Cica-300x300.jpg)
Best Sheet Mask:
Banobagi – Vita Genic Jelly Mask [#Cica]
Best Targeted Mask:
Skinfood – Peach Cotton Zinc PCA Pad
Best Peel-Off Mask:
Mariaposate – Aurora Green Modeling Pack
Best Sleeping Mask:
Biodance – Refreshing Sea Kelp Real Deep Mask
Best Targeted Mask Pads:
Truth Of Beauty – Cica-Mucin Cooling Pad
BEST pore-minimising face masks
Best Sheet Mask:
Luoncell – High Lift Gel Mask
Best Targeted Mask:
Mommy Care – Sea Grape Pore-Refining Skin Pack
Best Wash-Off Mask:
Arencia – Green Tea LHA Deep Pore Rice Cake Cleanser
Best Peel-Off Mask:
bhab – Slowchaga Peptide Glow Wrapping Mask
Best Targeted Mask Pads:
Mediheal – PDRN Lifting Pad
BEST hydrating face masks
![Banobagi - Vita Genic Jelly Mask [#Hydrating]](https://themonodist.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Banobagi-Vita-Genic-Jelly-Mask-Hydrating-300x300.jpg)
Best Sheet Mask:
Banobagi – Vita Genic Jelly Mask [#Hydrating]
Best Wash-Off Mask:
Mommy Care – Sea Grape Pore-Refining Skin Pack
BEST moisturising face masks
Best Sheet Mask:
Renoble – Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizing Ampule Mask
Best Wash-Off Mask:
Arencia – Fresh Royal Rosehip Rice Mochi Cleanser
Best Peel-Off Mask:
Noon’s Up – Stellar Bloom PDRN Collagen Wrapping Mask
Best Sleeping Mask:
Belif – Super Knights Multi Vitamin Mask
BEST skin-brightening face masks
![OBED - Bio Cellulose Face Mask [#Brightening]](https://themonodist.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/OBED-Bio-Cellulose-Face-Mask-Brightening-300x300.jpg)
Best Sheet Mask:
Renoble – Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizing Ampule Mask
Best Targeted Mask:
Puropiel – Microfit Active Brightening Patch
Best Targeted Mask Pads:
Medicube – PDRN Pink Collagen Toning Gel Toner Pad
BEST anti-aging face masks
Best Sheet Mask:
TOWBTOWB – Perfect Collagen Mask
Best Targeted Mask:
Puropiel – Microfit Active Wrinkle Patch
Best Peel-Off Mask:
eZ. Formula® – Real Collagen Working Pack
BEST exfoliating face masks
Best Wash-Off Mask:
Peaché – Rose Leaf Clay Pack Cleanser
Best Targeted Mask Pads:
Dewytree – Pick And Quick Makeup Boosting Double Pad
BEST face masks for blemish-prone skin
Best Sheet Mask:
EIOM – Trouble Patch Mask
Best Skin Patches:
Fation – NOSCA9 Spot Patch
Best Skin-Soothing Sun Cream / Lotion:
Atopalm – Easy-Wash Sun Screen SPF50+/PA++++
Best Moisturising Sun Cream / Lotion:
Bioderma – Photoderm XDefense-Ultra Fluid SPF50+/PA++++
Best Tone-Up Sun Cream / Lotion:
Tidy Lab – Purple Tone Up Sun Cream SPF50+/PA++++
Best Tone-up Sunscreen Cushion / Compact:
Shingmulnara – White Rice Bright Tone Up Sun Cushion SPF50+/PA++++
![Four Summer - Oceanproof Mild Sunscreen SPF50+ PA++++ [#02 Sun Blushed]](https://themonodist.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Four-Summer-Oceanproof-Mild-Sunscreen-SPF50-PA-02-Sun-Blushed-300x300.jpg)
Best Water Resistant Sun Cream / Lotion:
Four Summer – Oceanproof Mild Sunscreen SPF50+ PA++++ [#02 Sun Blushed]
Best Water Resistant Sunscreen Stick:
NEER°G – Air Touch Sun Stick SPF50+/PA++++
Best Sebum-Controlling Sun Cream / Lotion:
Tidy Lab – Poreless Sun Essence SPF50+/PA++++
Best Sebum-Controlling Sunscreen Stick:
Arencia – Cloud Sun Stick SPF50+/PA++++
BEST Skin-soothing body products
Best Body Lotion:
S.Nature – Aqua Cica Booster Body Lotion
Best Body Cream / Gel:
Avène – Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream
BEST moisturising body products
Best Body Wash:
Zeroid – Foaming Cleanser
Best Body Lotion:
Illiyoon – Ceramide Ato Lotion
Best Body Cream / Gel:
Atopalm – Panthenol Cream
Best Body Oil / Essence:
Bad Skin – Collagen Bomb Hydrating Ampoule
BEST exfoliating body products
Best Body Wash:
Hei Glow – Pink Energy Peachcalm Barrier Body Wash
BEST body products for blemish-prone skin
Best Body Wash:
Mastina – White Mastic Blemish Body Wash
BEST skin-cooling body products
Best Body Cream / Gel:
BringGreen – Aloe 99% Soothing Gel
Best Shampoo For Scalp Health:
Labo-H -Scalp Strengthening Shampoo
Best Shampoo For Damaged Hair:
Hair+ – Protein Bond Shampoo
Best Treatment / Mask For Damaged Hair:
Deepeer – Premium Perfume Severely Damaged Protein Hair Pack Treatment
Best Anti-Hair-Loss Shampoo:
Deepeer – Premium Perfume Repair Shampoo
Best Anti-Hair-Loss Treatment / Mask:
Arhee – Spicule Scalp Ampoule
Best Shampoo For Coloured Hair:
Nooff – Gellyco Therapy Color
Best matte make-up products
Best Make-Up Primer:
Hince – Pore-Shot Blur Primer
Best Cushion Foundation:
Espoir – Be Velvet Cover Cushion SPF42/PA++ [#22 Petal]
Best Powder / Compact Foundation:
Bonamedusa – Orange Skin Delete Finish Powder
![Earlyance - Watercolor Lip Tattoo [#Blush Red]](https://themonodist.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Earlyance-Watercolor-Lip-Tattoo-Blush-Red-300x300.jpg)
Best Lip Tint:
Earlyance – Watercolor Lip Tattoo [#Blush Red]
Best satin make-up products
Best Make-Up Primer:
Bonamedusa – Water Orange Skin Delete
Best BB / CC Cream:
Cell Fusion C – Skin Blemish Balm Intensive [#Natural Light]
Best Cushion Foundation:
Finv – Crystal Glow Cushion SPF50+/PA++++ [#21 Light Beige]
Best Lip Tint:
Banila Co – Prime Primer Setting Fixer
Best glossy make-up products
![Peripera - Ink Mood Glowy Tint [#05 Cherry So What]](https://themonodist.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Peripera-Ink-Mood-Glowy-05-Cherry-So-What-300x300.jpg)
Best Lip Tint:
Peripera – Ink Mood Glowy Tint [#05 Cherry So What]
![Bbia – Over Glaze [#06 Peanut Syrup]](https://themonodist.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Bbia-–-Over-Glaze-06-Peanut-Syrup-300x300.jpg)
Best Lip Gloss:
Bbia – Over Glaze [#06 Peanut Syrup]
Best compact make-up products
![Peripera - Pure Blushed Sunshine Cheek [#31 Creamy Beige]](https://themonodist.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Peripera-Pure-Blushed-Sunshine-Cheek-31-Creamy-Beige-300x300.jpg)
Best Blush:
Peripera – Pure Blushed Sunshine Cheek [#31 Creamy Beige]
![Romand - Better Than Contour [#02 Gray Cool]](https://themonodist.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Romand-Better-Than-Contour-02-Gray-Cool-300x300.jpg)
Best Contouring Product:
Romand – Better Than Contour [#02 Gray Cool]
Best liquid make-up products
Best Foundation:
Finv – Objet Trouve Matte Foundation SPF50+/PA++++ [#21 Light Beige]
Best Concealer:
Bonamedusa – Fantasy Concealer [#Natural Salmon]
![Peripera - Speedy Skinny Brow Mascara [#06 Beige Ash]](https://themonodist.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Peripera-Speedy-Skinny-Brow-Mascara-06-Beige-Ash-300x300.jpg)
Best Eyebrow Product:
Peripera – Speedy Skinny Brow Mascara [#06 Beige Ash]
Best pencil make-up products
![Peripera - Speedy Skinny Brow [#08 Taupe Beige]](https://themonodist.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Peripera-Speedy-Skinny-Brow-08-Taupe-Beige-300x300.jpg)
Best Eyebrow Product:
Peripera – Speedy Skinny Brow [#08 Taupe Beige]
Best powder make-up products
![Clio - Pro Eye Palette Air [#08 Latte Senior]](https://themonodist.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Clio-Pro-Eye-Palette-Air-08-Latte-Senior-300x300.jpg)
Best Eyebrow Product:
Clio – Pro Eye Palette Air [#08 Latte Senior]
Best Beauty Device:
Aalok – Ultra Olla
Best Beauty Tool:
Tomiwolf – Deep Cleansing Scalp Brush
Looking for the previous editions of the HwaHae Beauty Awards?
Source: Hwahae App, Hwahae Blog
Translation: © 2026 Odile Monod. You may not reproduce the above translation for commercial purposes without the express written consent of the translator.
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