Our review methodology, and the claims we refuse to make.
Corea Skincare is a small independent team based between Korea and the US. We publish under the Corea Skincare name rather than a single personal byline, because guides here are researched, tested, and edited by more than one person.
Articles are written in the first person because that is how skincare is actually experienced — on one face, over one summer, with one set of problems. When you read “I tested this for six weeks,” that is a real account from someone on our team, not a composite and not a marketing device.
Products in our hands-on reviews are purchased at retail — Olive Young, Amazon, Korean pharmacies, or direct from the brand. We do not accept free product in exchange for coverage, and we take no payment for placement or ranking position.
A first impression is not a review. Products we recommend have been in an actual routine for multiple weeks before we write about them, because irritation, congestion, and pilling rarely show up in the first few days.
A moisturizer that feels perfect alone but pills under sunscreen is a bad moisturizer. We test how products behave in sequence with the things people actually wear on top of them.
Some of our guides cover categories broader than any one person can test. Where a product is included on the basis of formulation, ingredient research, or reputation rather than our own use, we say so in the text instead of implying first-hand experience.
When we reference research, we link to it so you can read it yourself. If we cannot point to a source, we describe how an ingredient works in plain language rather than dressing it up with a statistic or a journal name.
We earn a commission on some links, which is what funds the site. Rankings are written before links are added, and products we do not recommend stay unrecommended whether or not they have an affiliate program.
We get things wrong sometimes. Formulations get reformulated, products get discontinued, and research moves on. If you spot something inaccurate, tell us at hello@coreaskincare.com and we will correct the article and note what changed.
For details on how we earn from product links, see our affiliate disclosure.