Data report · v1 · 2026
The State of K-beauty Ingredients
Which ingredients actually dominate Korean skincare — and how they differ from everywhere else? A live comparison counted from the labels we've decoded.
Last computed — every figure on this page is counted live from our decoded catalog, so it changes as coverage grows.
This is the first version of an ongoing report. It compares how often each ingredient appears in the Korean skincare we've decoded versus the non-Korean skincare we've decoded, using prevalence rates (share of decoded products) so the two catalogs are comparable even though their sizes differ. It grows more representative as we decode more labels.
decoded Korean products in this report
decoded non-Korean products, for comparison
curated actives seen across decoded products
of those actives carry an evidence-graded profile
Quotable stats
Each line is self-contained and cites the source (us) — lift any one of them.
56% of the 345 decoded Korean skincare products contain Hyaluronic Acid (salt form) — the most prevalent active ingredient in K-beauty (beautydew labs, 2026)
What Hyaluronic Acid (salt form) does →68% of all decoded skincare products list Glycerin — the most common ingredient across the catalog (beautydew labs, 2026)
+39pt Korean skew: Hyaluronic Acid (salt form) appears in 56% of decoded Korean products vs 17% of non-Korean — the widest K-beauty gap of any active (beautydew labs, 2026)
What Hyaluronic Acid (salt form) does →97% of the 36 curated active ingredients we found in decoded products carry a reviewed, evidence-graded profile (beautydew labs, 2026)
Browse researched actives →
Top 25 actives: Korean vs non-Korean
Curated active ingredients, ranked by how often they appear in decoded Korean products. Share = percent of that catalog's decoded products listing the ingredient.
| Active | Korean | Non-Korean | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hyaluronic Acid (salt form) | 56% | 17% | Moderate evidence |
| Pro-vitamin B5 | 54% | 21% | Moderate evidence |
| Vitamin B3 | 45% | 12% | Strong evidence |
| Allantoin | 42% | 10% | Moderate evidence |
| Hyaluronic Acid | 26% | 4% | Moderate evidence |
| Cica | 25% | 4% | Moderate evidence |
| Ceramide Np | 24% | 7% | Moderate evidence |
| Squalane | 11% | 7% | Limited evidence |
| BHA exfoliant | 6% | 7% | Strong evidence |
| Vitamin C | 6% | 3% | Strong evidence |
| Titanium Dioxide | 6% | 7% | Strong evidence |
| Caffeine | 6% | 2% | Limited evidence |
| Snail mucin | 6% | 0% | — |
| AHA exfoliant | 5% | 2% | Strong evidence |
| Alpha-Arbutin | 4% | 0% | Moderate evidence |
| Zinc Oxide | 4% | 2% | Strong evidence |
| Vitamin A | 3% | 2% | Strong evidence |
| Ascorbyl Glucoside | 3% | 2% | Moderate evidence |
| AHA exfoliant (gentle) | 2% | 9% | Strong evidence |
| Tranexamic Acid | 2% | 1% | Moderate evidence |
| Bakuchiol | 2% | 1% | Moderate evidence |
| Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate | 2% | 4% | Moderate evidence |
| Retinal | 1% | 0% | Strong evidence |
| Arbutin | 1% | 0% | Moderate evidence |
| Retinyl Palmitate | 1% | 1% | Moderate evidence |
Most-common ingredients overall
Every class (bases, humectants, actives), by share of all decoded products — the backbone the catalog is built on.
| Ingredient | Share of all decoded |
|---|---|
| Glycerin | 68% |
| Water | 48% |
| Fragrance | 42% |
| Ethylhexylglycerin | 31% |
| Vitamin E | 31% |
| Citric Acid | 30% |
| Butylene Glycol | 29% |
| Xanthan Gum | 28% |
| Pro-vitamin B5 | 27% |
| 1,2-Hexanediol | 26% |