Often shadowed by essences, Korean serums have now finally occupied center stage. And that’s incredible because this means you get to buy the best Korean serums for oily skin without having to loosen your purse strings completely.
Dealing with oily skin is not a pleasant or effortless task. Constantly having to apply powder foundation to the face to conceal the shine can get very annoying after a point. And in any case, that’s not the solution; it’s only a temporary fix.
Oily skin is often accompanied by large pores and breakouts. The only silver lining is that oily skin tends to develop fewer wrinkles and age better. But that doesn’t matter when you can just as easily buy an oily skin-specific Korean skincare product that controls the oil and offers excellent anti-aging skin benefits too.
So here are the top 13 best selling Korean skin care products in the form of serums for oily skin!
1. Innisfree The Green Tea Seed Serum
The opening K-beauty product is the Green Tea Seed Serum by Innisfree. This green tea-infused wonder penetrates the deeper layers of your skin to retain moisture for long hours. The green tea consists of juju extracts, which are rich in minerals by the way. And the seed oil holds all that moisture in the skin.
Let me also not forget to mention that this Korean serum is packed with antioxidants and is free of harsh substances that tend to damage the skin.
Apart from hydrating your oily skin, the serum offers a lightweight texture perfect for quick absorption. The cooling effect brought into the limelight, thanks to the inclusion of organic green tea, is ideal for warmer climates. But, more importantly, the refreshing green tea hydrates the skin deeply. While the seed oil creates a very strong barrier of moisture.
The scent of this Innisfree formulation is herbal, and not artificial. It dissipates very quickly, so you don’t have to worry about sensitivities. The good part is that you can apply the light serum under your makeup and not expect your skin to feel heavy, greasy, or oily. The Korean stuff is incredibly soothing if you ask me.
2. Mizon Original Skin Energy Hyaluronic Acid Facial Care
All you need are 2 to 4 drops of Mizon Original Skin Energy Serum for activating moisture balance and deep skin hydration. Even this formula, like the previous one, is equipped with hyaluronic acid. But the bonus here is that the serum improves your skin elasticity as well.
Skin renewal and wrinkle care are also two unique benefits offered by the Mizon formula. There aren’t any artificial fragrances or colors and parabens used during manufacturing. What this means is that even if you have sensitive skin, you can go ahead and apply those 2-4 drops on a daily basis.
The content of hyaluronic acid delivers moisture deep into your skin immediately. It’s an ampoule slightly thicker in comparison to plain water. Even though slightly thicker, the stuff gets absorbed into the skin pretty quickly.
And after every application, expect no odor to trouble your olfactory senses or stickiness to trouble your oily skin. You get 100% non-clogging, non-irritating hydration.
3. SeoulCeuticals Korean Skin Care Vitamin C Hyaluronic Acid Serum
Active ingredients like Vitamin C and hyaluronic acid are impressively potent when it comes to tackling the most common skin problems. Be it for oily skin, dry skin, or sensitive skin. Most Korean skincare products are equipped with either or both of these ingredients. So what sets this formula apart from the rest is that it produces favorable results within only 3 weeks of daily use.
The Vitamin C Hyaluronic Acid Serum by SeoulCeuticals works as an anti-wrinkle, anti-aging K-beauty product as well. The special formulation has the power to even reduce the visibility of your fine lines and wrinkles.
Hyaluronic acid provides hydration and then maintains it all day long. As for Vitamin C, it helps in fading sunspots. This natural ingredient also provides a more youthful, brighter complexion.
Overall, you can expect the serum to prevent breakouts, clear up acne, shrink pores, and fade acne scars. All of these issues usually are a result of oily skin, which is why the Korean formula is best suited for oily, acne-prone skin. That and the fact that it improves the condition and health of your skin in less than 3 weeks only!
4. Skin Food Peach Sake Pore Serum
There’s no lack of uncertainty about the effectiveness of this serum on oily skin. If you deal with excessive oil/sebum production and enlarged pores all the time, then I’m sure you’re very likely to appreciate the Korean brand Skin Food.
The formula is special in the sense that it contains sake extracts for tightening your pores. Then there are peach extracts packed with Vitamin A along with silica powder. Together, they minimize the size of enlarged pores, thus taking care of the excessive sebum and your oily skin.
Components of chamomile, licorice root, soybean, and Centella Asiatica are also included. So it’s not unreasonable to expect lively, healthy-looking skin.
All you need is a tiny amount of this serum for patting it gently over your face. The plus point here is that the formula gets absorbed very quickly. Minus any greasy or sticky feeling post-application!
5. Dear Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin C Serum
The “Freshly Juiced” part sounds very healthy, doesn’t it? But is the serum a healthy choice for oily skin? Of course, it is, given the primary ingredient used is Vitamin C. All other ingredients too, including Vitamin C, are naturally effective, non-irritating, and safe.
The formula under the spotlight here is designed to rejuvenate and energize your skin simply by making the most of the supernatural powers of Vitamin C. It makes enlarged pores feel very small and also helps with brightening dull skin.
The most sensitive skin also benefits from just a few drops of this Vitamin C-enriched serum daily. To tell you for a fact, the formula is multi-functional. It prevents breakouts, fades brown spots, and clears up acne scars as well. Along with minimizing the size of your pores of course!
It’s a non-comedogenic skincare product, therefore it doesn’t clog pores. No wonder it works so well on oily skin and sensitive skin. Look forward to an improvement in your skin pigmentation too, if that’s another common skin concern bothering you.
In my opinion, it’s the perfect solution for providing your skin with tons of nutrition and moisture. And that’s what Vitamin C is so popular for, isn’t it?
6. THEFACESHOP Anti Aging Serum Facial Moisturizer
Now, how about you make room for a brightening serum packed with only the most skin-benefiting ingredients! These include hyaluronic acid, panthenol, niacinamide, and HR hexylresorcinol. The last two are for brightening. Panthenol contains soothing properties. And hyaluronic acid, as you already know, strengthens your skin’s moisture levels.
This anti-aging serum ranks as the best Korean moisturizer for oily acne prone skin too. It’s got white lupin seed complex after all. The white seed is a naturally brightening element.
Another brightening ingredient added to the formula is white daisy flower extract. What this does is reduce dullness. So with daily use, your skin is bound to look clear and bright, even if your skin type is oily.
There’s no other K-beauty serum out there capable of producing such a powerful skin whitening effect. That, just by the way, is much more effective in comparison to Vitamin C. So now you know why you should consider a brand like THEFACESHOP.
7. COSRX Propolis Light Ampule
It’s comforting when Korean skincare brands like COSRX create customized solutions. They prioritize the skin type or skin concern and then produce the formula. In that case, here’s something that’s the most suitable for oily skin. The COSRX Propolis Light Ampule is a very strong competitor in the K-beauty industry.
The formula contains propolis extracts, which provide nothing but nourishing and antibacterial skin benefits. The ingredient also improves the elasticity of your skin, meaning anti-aging properties are present as well.
You just need a few drops daily for activating plump, glowy skin. It’s a lightweight Korean ampule that gets absorbed very quickly. Since it’s perfect for oily skin, expect no sticky or greasy feeling after application.
What’s the most impressive is that this black bee propolis extract is a naturally moisturizing ingredient. So no artificial or chemical substances are employed to make your oily skin feel well-managed, hydrated, and nourished. And this matters if you prefer to keep such harmful elements away from your sensitive skin.
8. TruSkin Naturals Vitamin C Serum
You’ll find no Korean serum on this list, or otherwise, that’s packed with as many advanced antioxidants as this one right here. The TruSkin Naturals Vitamin C Serum is infused with indispensable nutrients required for collagen production. Plus, it’s got Vitamin E, Vitamin C, and hyaluronic acid.
All the ingredients I just mentioned supply the advanced formula with the ability to target common skin concerns like wrinkles, fine lines, sun spots, and dark spots. They help in firming and brightening your skin as well, no doubt.
Botanicals like witch hazel, jojoba oil, and aloe vera are also included. So it’s a plant-based Korean formulation in the form of a smooth, lightweight serum you can use in the day and at night.
Since all the right ingredients are used, the wrong ones are unquestionably eliminated. So no synthetic fragrances, colors, and stabilizers. This is good stuff if you’re looking for an all-natural and even cruelty-free skincare product to tackle oily skin.
9. Cos De Baha Peptide Complex Serum
It’s one thing to look for the best of the best K-beauty formula to provide all types of skin benefits and another thing altogether to actually find one. The Peptide Complex Serum by Cos De Baha is proud of its hyaluronic acid and niacinamide ingredients. The former hydrates while the latter brightens.
But it’s the peptide complex that makes the most impact here. It’s got natural healing properties. These peptides do a wonderful job when it comes to boosting collagen to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
There's Argireline added to the formula to prevent the formation of fine lines. And to relax your facial muscles. The serum is nutrient-rich, there’s absolutely no doubt about that. It has the power to make your skin feel hydrated and vibrant from the inside out.
Everything about the product is organic and natural, not artificial in any sense. You don’t even have to worry about absorption, since you have oily skin and all, because the base of hyaluronic acid infuses the serum with a fast absorption capacity.
10. Be The Skin Botanical Pore Serum
You’ll be quite surprised to know what goes in here. This Botanical Pore Serum contains Alaskan and Selastin glacier water. And what does that do? It minimizes the size of your pores and hydrates your skin like no other ingredient can.
Controlling oil production is the most important quality of the current Korean formula. It works to the best of its abilities to re-texturize and soothe your skin. Even though the special glacier water-infused serum is designed for oily skin, you can use it on a sensitive, combination, and dry skin surface as well.
The watery formulation dries pretty quickly, thus creating the perfect base for your daily moisturizer. The scent of the serum is clean, and pleasantly faint so it doesn’t overpower your senses.
It’s a perfectly balanced product for fast penetration, and for shrinking pores that often get aggravated due to oily skin.
11. Paula’s Choice Resist Super Antioxidant Serum
The Korean skincare industry is truly gifted with brands like Paula’s Choice. Every product manufactured by this K-beauty brand is cruelty-free, fragrance-free, and non-irritating. And the Resist Super Antioxidant Serum is no different.
It’s got vitamin-derived and plant-derived antioxidants for synergistically reducing the visibility of wrinkles. Antioxidants also help with balancing out your uneven skin tone. They enhance firmness and rejuvenate the surface of your skin.
Vitamin C is also added, which brings more value to the table. Peptides and Vitamin C, along with potent antioxidants, restore hydration. And this is very important considering how sun-damaged and aging-prone our skin is. No matter how oily or dry!
You can use this serum twice a day; once in the morning and once at night. To be honest, not many Korean serums for oily skin offer these kinds of antioxidants to protect your skin from the sun and signs of aging.
12. It’s Skin Power 10 Formula VB Effector Facial Serum
The “VB” obviously stands for Vitamin B. And what Vitamin B-enriched serums do is improve skin conditions like acne, hyperpigmentation, rosacea, dermatitis, eczema, sun damage, aging, etc. So this is a heavy-duty Korean serum, but only in terms of effectiveness. Meaning the formula is plenty lightweight for quick absorption.
It’s an oil-free product to control the excess production of sebum. The finish it leaves on your skin is refreshing and light after every application. Needless to say, it’s an ideal choice for oily skin and the summer months of the year.
The ingredients packed in here have the ability to tackle large pores often accompanied by oily skin. So you have enough proof to believe that the Power 10 Formula VB Effector Facial Serum is the most suitable for oily skin types.
The brand, It’s Skin ranks among the very few Korean skincare/beauty companies that combine cosmetics and medicine. So it goes without saying that you’re going to be using a safe, healthy formula that is bound to make your skin look and feel beautiful.
How Does Oily Skin Benefit from Korean Serums?
The greater part of women with oily skin doesn’t find it logical to use a serum. Most of them think that serum and even moisturizer formulas have a thick texture that adds a greasy look to the skin. Now I’m not concerned with moisturizers here, but I am going to clear the air regarding serums.
More often than not, serums, especially Korean serums designed for oily skin, contain lightweight and concentrated ingredients. And these active ingredients have the ability to penetrate your skin both quickly and effectively.
There are ingredients in these special serum formulations that accelerate the skin healing process, increase exfoliation, and reduce pigmentation and inflammation. They also contribute to preventing breakouts due to your oily skin.
Needless to say, oily skin-specific Korean products decrease the amount of sebum production to control oil. And while doing so, they also minimize the chances of acne often accompanied by oily skin.
How Are Serums Different From Moisturizers?
Allow me to be more specific here. In this section, I have explained how a serum for oily skin is not the same as a moisturizer.
Serums have a lightweight texture, which means they get absorbed into your skin easily. As for moisturizers, not all of them are as highly concentrated for quicker penetration as serums.
Serum formulas, by nature, focus mainly on boosting the hydration level of your skin. While providing hydration is just one of the qualities of only a few moisturizers for oily skin.
Serums not only get absorbed into the skin faster but they penetrate deeper as well. You simply cannot expect a moisturizer to reach that far.
In fact, for your skincare routine in the summer, dermatologists recommend using a serum in the day and a moisturizer at night. Now you know why.
How to Choose the Best Korean Serums for Oily Skin
No matter what type of Korean skincare product you’re choosing, the base rules remain the same.
The first rule is that you should always moisturize. And NO, a serum is not a moisturizer. Skipping the moisturizer, even when you have oily skin, is not a good idea. And that’s because the oil that you so badly want to get rid of does not “moisturize” your skin. Get my point?
What a moisturizer actually does is smooth out the surface of your skin. As long as you’re using the best Korean moisturizer for oily skin, the formula is not going to add more oil or trigger breakouts.
The second rule is making sure your serum contains gentle ingredients. And not harsh ones that are known to increase oil production and cause skin irritation. In that case, let’s talk about some of the most common ingredients Korean serums are packed with.
Not every Korean serum contains the same ingredients. But, generally speaking, most of the good ones are equipped with one or more of the following ingredients. These include Vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, salicylic acid, glycolic acid, niacinamide, tea tree oil, and retinol.
They’re all-natural ingredients, and in some cases even organic, that don’t aggravate oily, dry, or even sensitive skin. Meaning no harsh chemicals are included.
Speaking of no harsh chemicals, also keep in mind ingredients you should be avoiding. Any form or quantity of alcohol tends to make the skin excessively dry and dehydrated. Likewise, stay away from artificial fragrances, parabens, sulfates, etc.
And one last thing; look for a non-comedogenic serum. When the formula is non-comedogenic, you can rest assured knowing that it doesn’t clog the pores. Blocked pores trigger breakouts and acne, which only add fuel to the fire. The fire here is the excess production of sebum/oil.
Commonly Asked Questions about Treating and Caring for Oily Skin
Is collagen good for oily skin?
The benefits of collagen nudge you in the direction of using this natural protein for dealing with wrinkles, acne scars, saggy skin, dry skin, and also eczema. Collagen, undoubtedly, improves the condition, appearance, and overall health of the skin. Apart from promoting injury recovery, gut health, and reducing joint pain.
Naturally occurring collagen consists of amino acids, the non-essential kind. Our body contains a lot of collagen, which plays a huge role in the deeper levels of the skin. Collagen provides your skin with all the stability and structure it needs to keep from falling apart. No wonder the protein is capable of maintaining a firm, youthful texture.
Now you should know that I’m talking about hydrolyzed collagen supplements here. As for collagen creams or moisturizers/serums that boost collagen, these too are very effective when it comes to restoring the protein in your skin cells. But it goes without saying that they don’t work as effectively as collagen supplements.
Is Vitamin C serum good for oily skin?
It’s quite common to come across Korean skincare for oily acne prone skin enriched with Vitamin C. After all, this particular natural ingredient delivers a healthy glow by reducing common skin problems like acne scars, wrinkles, fine lines, sun damage, and dark spots.
The thing about Vitamin C is that serums equipped with it are acidic by nature. Meaning they have the power to get rid of dead skin cells, thus leaving your skin feeling smoother and looking brighter. Vitamin C serums speed up the process of cell regeneration, which involves boosting elastin and collagen production. In short, anti-aging benefits too.
And here’s great news for those with oily skin. Since your skin type often triggers breakouts, you might be glad to know that Vitamin C reduces this kind of scarring and hyperpigmentation.
The ingredient acts as an effective brightening agent. So you can use it in topical form for fading spots without expecting an alteration in the normal, healthy pigmentation of your skin.
Over to You Now!
The thing about the best Korean serums for oily skin is that they’re great additions to your daily skincare routine. But the serum has to be an effective K-beauty product capable of delivering desired results.
However, the fact that you’re looking for oily skin-specific formulas means you’re placing the right foot forward. So it’s time to go all-in by selecting the best serum for oily skin I’ve reviewed in the article. All the formulas that are shortlisted manage oily skin, no doubt. And they do so simply by providing hydration and, at the same time, preventing the greasy look.
