Merken

Eleven brands, and one leaves whenever one arrives. Each has a Journal post explaining what we kept, what we left out, what the evidence actually supports, and who should skip it entirely.

In the catalogue

• Anua — heartleaf, for skin that reacts
• Aestura — barrier care, the clinical end of body
• Beauty of Joseon — sunscreen and gentle tone work · read why
• Biodance — one mask, for occasions
• COSRX — the plain, reliable end of the shelf
• Derma:B — large-format body lotion, sensibly priced
• Pyunkang Yul — short ingredient lists
• Round Lab — fragrance-free, deliberately unambitious
• SKIN1004 — centella, single-ingredient routines
• Some By Mi — body texture and congestion
• Torriden — hydration, and nothing else · read why

How a brand gets in

We do not stock a brand. We stock products. A brand being good is not a reason to carry eight of its things — every product passes the same questions on its own, and most brands end up represented by one or two.

The full standard is published: how we choose.