101 GUIDE TO BEAUTY OF JOSEON
Taking inspiration from ancient Korean wisdom and blending it with modern innovation, it’s no wonder Beauty of Joseon has taken the world by storm. Dedicated to creating gentle and effective skin care solutions steeped in history, the brand takes its Korean heritage seriously to create formulas that are layerable, fragrance-free and work well on even the most sensitive skin.
To understand how it’s history plays a role in its product development and why the brand was launched, we spoke to founder Sumin Lee to learn everything about the brand— from what Hanbang is (more on that below) to what we can expect from this exciting launch and more.
In This Article
- Meet Beauty of Joseon
- What Is Hangbang And How Is It Incorporated In Beauty of Joseon
- How Does Beauty Of Joseon Use Traditional Ingredients
- Beauty Of Joseon’s Bestsellers
- What’s Next For Beauty Of Joseon
MEET BEAUTY OF JOSEON
Transforming Hanbang — a traditional Korean medicine based on natural ingredients — into an elegant, modern skin care line, Beauty of Joseon started from Sumin Lee’s desire to communicate the beauty and wisdom of Joseon Dynasty traditions in a fresh new way. “We draw inspiration from centuries-old historical teachings recorded in the Gyuhap Chongseo, a Joseon-era encyclopaedia written by female scholar Yi Bingheogak. During the Joseon Dynasty, women had limited access to resources created specifically for them. So, the Gyuhap Chongseo wasn’t just a book about beauty or lifestyle; it was a remarkable act by a woman who wanted to improve the lives of other women 200 years ago” explains Sumin “I resonated deeply with her intentions and saw not just historical recordings, but the heartfelt wisdom of an era. So, when I created Beauty of Joseon I wanted to continue building in that spirit of self-care and empowerment—not only for the women of today, but for our entire community.” Ultimately, Beauty of Joseon is crafted to elevate your daily life and unlock the potential of Korean beauty traditions through elegant, joyful skin care solutions. As a brand it understands that healthy skin care habits blended with traditional self-care rituals can enrich your daily life.
BUT FIRST, WHAT IS HANBANG AND HOW IS IT INCORPORATED IN BEAUTY OF JOSEON
Hanbang refers to traditional Korean medicine based on natural ingredients with therapeutic properties. It’s a historical practice that remains widely known and used in Korea. Even now, you’ll easily find both conventional hospitals and medical institutions dedicated specifically to Hanbang.
“Rather than focusing solely on treating symptoms, it emphasises on a holistic understanding of the body’s overall balance and wellbeing. Food is considered a key component in Hanbang and herbal remedies made from time-honoured ingredients—many of which date back to the Joseon Dynasty — are still commonly prescribed. For me, Hanbang isn’t just historical knowledge, it is living wisdom passed down through generations. When I was a child, my mother would save the water from rinsing rice so we could use it as a beautifying face wash. Whenever I had breakouts, she would mix rice powder with honey to make a soothing face mask. Hanbang is woven through many of my childhood memories and still part of my everyday life. At Beauty of Joseon, we reinterpret that wisdom through the lens of modern science, and it’s this philosophy that lies at the heart of our brand.”
HOW DOES BEAUTY OF JOSEON USE TRADITIONAL INGREDIENTS
Now we understanding what Hanbung is and why it’s important to Beauty of Joseon, let’s dive into how the brand incorporates these into its products. “One of my favourite examples is our Revive Eye Serum, which balances stabilised retinal liposomes with ginseng extract. Retinal is an even faster-acting form of retinol, so you get all the collagen-boosting benefits of this modern ingredient paired with saponin benefits and lasting moisture from the ginseng. Our community has been obsessed with this unique eye serum since launch, and it was only possible through this careful balancing act of traditional and modern ingredients.”
Everything Beauty of Joseon creates must meet the brand’s strict set of standards. In other words, each gentle-yet-effective formulas is created to deliver visible results while minimising the risk of irritation. It’s all about unlocking the full potential of a formula by seeing which ingredients work best together.
BEAUTY OF JOSEON’S BESTSELLERS
17.52€
17.52€
“We’re known for our TikTok-viral sunscreens, so our best sellers definitely include our SPF products like Relief Sun and Aqua-Fresh.” Sumin begins. “When we first launched Relief Sun, we worked tirelessly to develop a formula that fully reflected the efficacy and elegance of Korean sunscreens. Our team proved that it could change the way you thought about sunscreen, and the rest is history. Our Glow Replenishing Rice Milk is also popular because of its innovative dual-layer formula, which perfectly maintains your skin’s oil-moisture balance in a single toner.”
MORE BEAUTY OF JOSEON’S BESTSELLERS
23.73€
16.95€
18.65€
16.95€
WHAT’S NEXT FOR BEAUTY OF JOSEON
And what more can we expect from this viral sensation? “Our next goal is to meet our community with more of an offline presence, which will allow us to share an even deeper, more immersive side of our brand. So, stay tuned...”
We can’t wait to see what’s next!
Rina is Cult Beauty’s Midweight SEO Copywriter and has always had a passion for beauty and skin care (rich moisturisers are her obsession). What started as a love for The Body Shop and their famed Born Lippy lip balms (in ‘Watermelon’ of course!), she is now more interested in finding products with proven effectiveness instead of broken promises. A loud and proud VIEVE fan, Rina owns nearly every item of the range and recommends the brand to anyone who will listen... When she’s not intently reading ingredient lists, you can find her either immersed in multiple true crime podcasts or a fantasy romance novel, with an *extra* hot cappuccino in hand.
