The Strategist Guide to Shopping at Soko Glam

We’ve heard about more of Soko Glam’s cleansers than any other product type. Our longtime beauty columnist Rio Viera-Newton loves this cleansing balm from fragrance-, sulfate-, and paraben-free brand Beauty of Joseon, and relies on it to “easily remove any sweat, dirt, and debris.” Including it as one of the best beauty products under $30 to perk up dull skin, she explained that the fermented grains and chrysanthemum extract nourish without stripping (making this a great alternative to makeup wipes or micellar water).

[Editor’s note: While this product is typically available at Soko Glam, it’s currently sold out, so we’ve included another retailer that has it in stock.]

Vlogger Michelle Choi, the Cut’s Kathleen Hou, and Rio again all recommend this slightly less-expensive, cult-favorite balm as one of the best K-beauty cleansers. It does a “great job of melting down all the oil and dirt stuck in the pores and keeps them clean,” Choi says.

This balm is the first step of Rio’s evening beauty routine whenever she’s battling breakouts because of its anti-inflammatory grape-seed oil and vitamin E ingredients. It also quickly melts away any makeup and dirt that’s accumulated on your skin throughout the day.

For those who prefer a gel cleanser, dermatologists and facialists say this affordable cleanser from cult brand Cosrx should be part of any skin-care routine for oily skin, because it deep cleans without stripping. As facialist and acne certified specialist Sofie Pavitt explains, the cleanser “has BHA [beta hydroxy acid], an active ingredient that really cleans inside the pores” but is still gentle on the skin. Rio is also a fan, and says it “ensures nice, soft skin but also preps for whatever toner or essence you’re putting on next.”

Making an appearance in Rio’s first Google doc as the travel cleanser she buys “over and over again,” this cleansing stick is also one of her best gym bag beauty products. That’s all because it’s portable, TSA-approved, and easy to use: Simply roll up the stick, wet your face, lather it on, then wash it off.

When we asked bloggers and vloggers about the best K-beauty products, Dot Dot Skin founder Elisa Lee suggested the Troiareuke Oil Cut cleanser, because it’s “an oil-free all-in-one cleanser.” She adds, “I don’t need to double cleanse when using this; it removes all my waterproof makeup and dirt in one go, while leaving my skin hydrated.”

Viera-Newton recommends these cleansing pads as a travel-friendly option since they do double duty as a makeup remover and cleanser. Despite being oil-based, the pads didn’t cause any breakouts the week she used them and left her skin “smooth and supple.” She says they “smell fresh and coconutty but not in an artificial way like some tanning oils.”

Soko Glam also stocks a lot of great moisturizers. We previously named this steam cream (the ‘steam’ part refers to the production process) of the six best facial moisturizers for dry, acne-prone skin because of its all-star ingredients — snail mucin, bee venom, and niacinamide — that hydrate as well as reducing blemishes. It’s a “holy grail for me,” Rio says.

If you’re feeling stressed or irritated, there’s a good chance your skin is feeling the same way. Rio suggests this calming cream as one of the best products for extracting a blemish, since it’s made with guaiazulene and centella, two ingredients that help reduce irritation. (She also found it to be a reliable dupe for Tatcha’s popular but much more expensive Recovery Cream.)

Lastly, if you’re searching for a gel-like moisturizer, Cho recommends this gel cream. We previously wrote that it “contains three peptides that help improve texture and stimulate collagen production, and ceramides that protect the skin’s natural barrier.”

Soko Glam also stocks plenty of top-tier masks. Rio says this one (which also appeared in our guide to the best vegan K-beauty products) is similar to her “beloved Mediheal tea tree mask, but even more hydrating, and even better at taming inflamed pimples.”

We know Omega-3 fatty acids are good to eat, but they’re also great for our skin. The Enature Skin Pot Sleeping Pack is made with hemp seed oil (an omega-3 fatty acid) that helps builds up the skin’s protective barrier. Cho previously told us it’s suitable for all skin types, including acne-prone and sensitive skin.

Cho also told Rio about her love for this lip mask, calling it a “more neutral, clean-smelling lip product” than the ones she’s tried before. Made from almond, avocado and apricot oils to help lips stay smooth, Cho says that as soon as she skips this step, her lips become flaky.

Lastly, this mask saved Rio when she discovered it during a skin breakout while traveling in Japan. It’s also an essential for author R.O. Kwon, who calls it “magical,” saying it “calms down my skin when nothing else will help.”

While we have a section on Soko Glam’s Essences coming up, readers who love a 2-in-1 should know that this essence-toner combo is one of Rio’s “all-time favorites to use on bare skin as a kind of toner-slash-essence step right before I apply sunscreen.” She adds that it’s also “great for a quick, on-the-go spritz of hydration,” especially in the summer and fall. (For what it’s worth, Soko Glam co-owner Charlotte Cho told us it’s one of her favorites, too.)

Finally, this is the preferred cleansing water of Evan Shinn, one half of the Dewy Dudes. He loves how quick it is at “extracting any remaining impurities, whisking away excess oil and sebum while balancing my skin’s pH levels.” It’s also designed for sensitive skin, with active ingredients like fruit extracts and real calendula petals (the same ones you can see at the bottom of the bottle).

[Editor’s note: While this product is typically stocked by Soko Glam, it’s currently unavailable, so we’ve included another retailer that currently has it.]

Cho used to use the Missha essence above, but ultimately made the switch to this one because, for her mature skin, she needed something “thicker in consistency than the Missha treatment.” She found this Neogen essence to be even “more hydrating.” Made with birch juice and rice extracts, this essence is also a favorite of beauty guru Michelle Phan.

Last year, Rio’s Instagram followers filled her in on the very best beauty and skin-care dupes out there. Student Hayden Howard revealed that this essence was “actually as good as SK-II” (The cult brand whose famous essence costs $185 or more). “It’s equally as moisturizing, brightening, and replenishing on the skin,” they wrote. “Admittedly, this is expensive. But it’s a quarter of the price.”

Also featured in Rio’s skin-care Google doc, this ‘Time Stop’ collagen serum is highly concentrated with mushroom extract to combat fine lines and wrinkles.

You’ll probably recognize these pimple patches from a Strategist story (or two, or three). We’ve named them best products to combat active breakouts because each patch contains hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and oligopeptide-76 — all ingredients known to decrease acne. As an added bonus, the patches come with wipes pre-soaked in salicylic acid and tea tree leaf oil, so you can clean your skin before applying.

Free of irritating ingredients like parabens, artificial fragrances and mineral oil, this eye cream made Rio’s most recent Google doc. She says it’s “majorly firming, moisturizing, and plumping” because it’s made up of 80 percent collagen, which is known to reduce fine lines and wrinkles.

Known for its lemony citrus smell, this Rio-approved product also features in the Google doc. “It’s a light but effective exfoliant that smells great and gives great smoothing and brightening results,” she writes. Each container consists of 30 single-use pads, although we’ve read that the exfoliating pads are big enough to cut in half, getting you more for your money.

Before we go, Soko Glam only has one page of haircare products right now — but Cho says this is the pick of the bunch. “It’s super thin and light-weight, and makes my hair look super shiny and healthy.”