Guides
Dry skin? What to look for on a Korean label건조·보습
In winter, Korean shops fill the shelves with moisturisers that say 보습 and 수분. Here is what those words mean, the one functional claim Korea reviews for the skin barrier, and the ingredients on the 전성분 list that hold water or support the barrier.
Words on the box
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 보습 | moisturising |
| 수분 | hydration (water) |
| 진정 | soothing, calming |
| 속건조 | inner dryness — skin feels tight or dehydrated underneath |
| 수부지 | oily but dehydrated skin (slang: short for 수분 부족형 지성) |
| 수분크림 | moisturising (gel) cream |
| 피부장벽 | skin barrier |
The reviewed claim: 피부장벽
One of Korea’s 11 types of functional cosmetic is for the skin barrier: “restores the barrier to help relieve itching and similar problems”. A box with this claim says 기능성화장품 and must also print “질병의 예방 및 치료를 위한 의약품이 아님” — “not a medicine for preventing or treating disease”.
Plain moisturising is not on the list of 11, so 보습 on its own is an ordinary cosmetic claim. All 11 types are on Korean functional cosmetics.
Ingredients that hold water
Humectants and water-holding polymers — the core of Korean toners, essences and gel creams.
- 하이알루로닉애씨드 — Hyaluronic Acid
A natural polysaccharide made of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine and glucuronic acid. - 소듐하이알루로네이트 — Sodium Hyaluronate
The sodium salt of hyaluronic acid. - 글리세린 — Glycerin
A simple humectant that draws water into the outer layer of skin. - 베타인 — Betaine
A small zwitterionic molecule first found in sugar beet. - 폴리글루타믹애씨드 — Polyglutamic Acid
A polymer of glutamic acid that holds water. - 베타-글루칸 — Beta-Glucan
A glucose polysaccharide found in oats, yeast and mushrooms. - 스쿠알란 — Squalane
A saturated, stable oil made by hydrogenating squalene from shark liver oil or other natural oils, such as olive. - 자작나무수액 — Betula Platyphylla Japonica Juice
The sap of the Japanese white birch (Betula platyphylla japonica).
Ingredients for the skin barrier
- 세라마이드엔피 — Ceramide NP
A synthetic ceramide: phytosphingosine joined to a fatty acid. - 엑토인 — Ectoin
A small molecule that bacteria living in salty, harsh places make to protect themselves.
Soothing ingredients (cica)
Often in the same barrier and “soothing” (진정) creams.
- 병풀추출물 — Centella Asiatica Extract
An extract of the whole centella plant (Centella asiatica), called 병풀 in Korean and gotu kola in English. - 마데카소사이드 — Madecassoside
A compound found in centella. - 아시아티코사이드 — Asiaticoside
Another compound found in centella. - 약모밀추출물 — Houttuynia Cordata Extract
An extract of Houttuynia cordata, a plant known in English as heartleaf or fish mint. - 티트리잎오일 — Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil
Oil distilled from the leaves of the tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia). - 알란토인 — Allantoin
A small molecule found in some plants, such as comfrey, and also made synthetically. - 판테놀 — Panthenol
Provitamin B5. - 비사보롤 — Bisabolol
A fragrant terpene alcohol best known as a component of chamomile. - 구아이아줄렌 — Guaiazulene
A blue compound from the azulene family. - 스페인감초뿌리추출물 — Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract
An extract of licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra).
Reading the ingredient list
Korean ingredient lists (전성분) start with the largest amounts, but anything at 1% or less may be listed in any order — so a star ingredient can sit near the end. Paste the list into the label decoder to see every name in English.
Shopping for one?
Search Korean moisturisers on Amazon (US): search results Affiliate link
The link is an affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. On a Korean box, 보습 means moisturising. Check the 전성분 list for the ingredients above.
Questions
Is 보습 a functional claim in Korea?
No. Plain moisturising is not one of Korea’s 11 functional-cosmetic types, so a cream that only says 보습 is an ordinary cosmetic. The reviewed claim closest to dry skin is 피부장벽: restoring the skin barrier to help relieve itching and similar problems.
What does 속건조 mean?
“Inner dryness — skin feels tight or dehydrated underneath” — a word shops use to describe how skin feels. It is not one of the reviewed functional claims.
How is ceramide written on a Korean ingredient list?
Ceramide NP is 세라마이드엔피 in the standard Korean ingredient names. The front of the box may just say 세라마이드.
Hyaluronic acid or sodium hyaluronate?
Both hold water. Sodium hyaluronate is the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid, and it is the form most Korean toners and serums actually contain.
Sources
- Enforcement Rule of the Cosmetics Act (화장품법 시행규칙), Articles 2 and 19 — in force 2 April 2026
- Korea Cosmetic Association — the Cosmetics Act labelling rules, including Annex 4 of the Enforcement Rule
- Korea Cosmetic Association — ingredient dictionary (대한화장품협회 성분사전)
Checked 28 October 2026. Rules change — the official texts above are the final word.