#TLDR
The Olive Young Awards 2025 are South Korea's most trusted beauty ranking — determined by 180+ million real consumer purchases, not paid rankings. This guide breaks down the winners by category and tells you exactly which ones you can get delivered in Hong Kong.
What Are the Olive Young Awards?
Olive Young is South Korea's largest health and beauty retail chain, with thousands of stores nationwide and one of the most active online beauty communities in Asia. Every year, it runs the Olive Young Awards, an annual recognition program that crowns the best-selling products across skincare, makeup, hair, body, and wellness.
What makes these awards stand apart from typical "best of" lists: the results come entirely from real purchase data. The 2025 winners were determined using over 180 million purchase records collected across Olive Young's stores and online platform — no expert panels, no sponsorships, no editorial bias.
That makes the Olive Young Awards one of the most reliable signals of what Korean consumers actually buy and love.
Why the Awards Matter
The Korean beauty market is massive, fast-moving, and hyper-competitive. Thousands of new products launch every year. For shoppers outside Korea, choosing between them is genuinely hard.
The Olive Young Awards solve that problem. If a product wins, it means Korean consumers voted with their wallets — repeatedly, and in huge numbers. Award winners consistently translate well to international audiences because the formulas are proven, the feedback is real, and the results are already documented across millions of skin types.
For Hong Kong shoppers specifically, the climate overlap matters too. Seoul and Hong Kong share humidity challenges, pollution exposure, and the need for layerable, breathable skincare. Korean formulas are built for these conditions.
2025 Skincare Winners
Anua — Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Dark Spot Correcting Serum (30ml + 30ml Refill)
Anua's dark spot serum has become one of K-beauty's most talked-about brightening treatments. The 10% niacinamide targets uneven tone while tranexamic acid (TXA) fades post-acne marks and hyperpigmentation without the irritation of stronger actives like kojic acid or hydroquinone. The refill bundle makes it especially practical for daily use.
Best for: Uneven skin tone, post-acne marks, dull skin.
Cenovis — Skin Moisturizing Hyaluronic Acid (50ml × 10)
Cenovis pivoted from supplements into skincare with this hyaluronic acid ampoule set, and it landed immediately among Olive Young's top sellers. Each ampoule delivers a concentrated dose of moisture in a single-use format — ideal for travel, post-flight skin recovery, or weekly intensive treatments. The 10-pack format keeps cost per use low.
Best for: Dehydrated skin, intense moisture boosts, travel routines.
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Rejuran — Healer Skin Protection Mask (10pcs)
Rejuran built its reputation on polynucleotide (PN) technology — a DNA-based ingredient that promotes skin healing and regeneration at the cellular level. The sheet mask format brings this clinic-grade technology into your home routine. Korean dermatologists and aestheticians widely recommend Rejuran for post-procedure recovery and general barrier repair.
Best for: Sensitive skin, barrier repair, post-treatment recovery.
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Marshique — Line Lifting Hydrogel Patch (3pcs)
Hydrogel patches have been a Korean skincare staple for years, but Marshique's lifting version stood out in 2025 for its firming ingredient complex. These patches target fine lines around the eyes, mouth, and forehead and are designed for visible results after a single use. Great for events or as a weekly treat.
Best for: Anti-aging, special occasion prep, targeted firming.
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Purito Seoul — Mighty Bamboo Panthenol Cream (100ml)
Panthenol (vitamin B5) is one of the most universally tolerated skincare actives, and Purito Seoul's bamboo-infused version became a go-to for anyone with reactive or compromised skin. It layers well under makeup and works in both morning and evening routines. Climate-appropriate for Hong Kong's humidity since it hydrates without heaviness.
Best for: Sensitive, reactive skin; humid climate routines.
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Primera — Vitatinol Bouncy Lift Serum (30g)
Primera is one of Korea's premium botanical skincare brands, and this lifting serum blends retinol with plant-derived brightening actives for a gentler anti-aging approach. The "bouncy" texture is a signature of Primera's formulation philosophy: lightweight but deeply nourishing.
Best for: Early anti-aging, brightening, retinol beginners.
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Atopalm — Kids Fresh 2-in-1 Shampoo & Body Wash
Atopalm's MLE (Multi-Lamellar Emulsion) technology mimics the structure of healthy skin, making it a favorite for eczema-prone and sensitive skin. The kids' 2-in-1 formula is gentle enough for daily use and free of harsh surfactants — many adults with sensitive skin use it too.
Best for: Sensitive, eczema-prone skin; children's routines.
SUNGBOON EDITOR — Alaska PDRN Ultra Moisturizing Barrier Cream (50ml + 10ml)
PDRN (Polydeoxyribonucleotide) technology, long used in Korean aesthetic clinics, found its way into mainstream skincare through SUNGBOON EDITOR. This barrier cream combines PDRN with Alaskan deep-sea water for intensive repair and moisture retention. The bonus 10ml travel size makes this a great value pick.
Best for: Dry, damaged skin barriers; post-procedure recovery.
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2025 Makeup Winners
OBgE — Natural Cover Lotion (50g)
OBgE's natural cover lotion became a word-of-mouth sensation in Korea for its skin-like finish and buildable coverage. Unlike heavy BB creams, it sits comfortably on the skin through humidity and doesn't oxidize — a significant win for Hong Kong's climate. It won the Olive Young Award for its crossover appeal as both a skincare and makeup product.
Best for: Minimal makeup looks, humid weather, skincare-first routines.
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2025 Hair & Body Winners
Seapuri — Dr. 33 Hair Ampoule (20ml)
Scalp care moved from niche to mainstream in 2025, and Seapuri's concentrated hair ampoule led that trend. It targets thinning, breakage, and scalp health with a treatment-grade formula designed to be applied directly to the scalp before washing. Korean hair care increasingly borrows from skincare philosophy, and this ampoule is a prime example.
Best for: Thinning hair, scalp health, strengthening treatments.
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ULOS — Skin Wash (500ml)
ULOS, a trusted Japanese-Korean collaboration brand, won for its body wash that doubles as a skin treatment. Formulated for extremely dry skin, it cleans without stripping and leaves skin noticeably smoother after a few uses. Popular with dermatologist-recommended routines in Korea.
Best for: Dry, sensitive skin; shower routines in air-conditioned environments.
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For:Beaut — Texture Shake Spray (100ml)
For:Beaut's shake spray became the Korean hair texturizer of 2025. It delivers grip and volume without the crunch of traditional dry shampoos or waxes. Shake before spraying for a lightweight beachy texture — perfect for Hong Kong's humid air where heavy styling products tend to go flat.
Best for: Fine hair, beachy textures, humid climates.
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2025 Wellness & Oral Care Winners
VitalBeautie — Super Retinol (1 Box, 30pcs)
VitalBeautie extended its award-winning supplement lineup with an ingestible retinol supplement, positioning it alongside topical retinol products for a dual inside-out approach. Popular among Korean women in their 30s and 40s as part of anti-aging wellness routines.
Best for: Inside-out anti-aging; supplement-first routines.
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Lacto-Fit — Probiotics Gold
Lacto-Fit is South Korea's best-selling probiotic brand, and for good reason. The Probiotics Gold formula targets gut health with 19 strains specifically selected for the Korean digestive environment. Koreans take gut health seriously as part of skin health, making this a beauty-adjacent wellness staple.
Best for: Gut health, immunity, skin-gut connection.
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Teazen — Kombucha Lemon (1 Box, 50pcs)
Teazen's kombucha powder went globally viral after BTS's Jungkook was spotted drinking it. The lemon flavor remains the most popular, delivering gut-friendly probiotics and a refreshing citrus taste with no artificial sweeteners. Easy to pack, mix anywhere, and make part of a daily wellness ritual.
Best for: Daily gut support, K-pop fans, easy wellness routines.
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Dentiste — Fresh Breath Spray (15ml)
Oral care is a growing category in K-beauty, and Dentiste's spray format won for convenience. No rinsing needed — spray, and go. Dentiste is a Thai-Korean brand widely trusted for natural-formula oral care, and the spray is now a handbag staple for Korean beauty fans globally.
Best for: On-the-go oral care, sensitive gums, fresh breath between meals.
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Euthymol — Whitening Purple Toothpaste (106g)
Color-correcting toothpastes had a massive 2025. Euthymol's purple formula neutralizes yellow tones in teeth using the same color-wheel logic as purple shampoo for blonde hair. The charcoal-infused variety became Korea's top-selling whitening toothpaste, certified by Olive Young shoppers through sheer repurchase volume.
Best for: Teeth whitening, yellow-tone correction, daily brushing.
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Orthomol — Immun Multivitamin & Minerals (1 Box, 7pcs)
The German Orthomol brand earned a cult following in Korea for its immune-support sachets. Each sachet contains a comprehensive blend of vitamins, minerals, and trace elements — popular for travel prep, seasonal immunity, and post-illness recovery.
Best for: Immune support, travel, seasonal wellness.
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How to Shop the Winners in Hong Kong
Most of these Olive Young Award winners are available at Hallyu (hall-yu.com), Hong Kong's dedicated authentic Korean beauty store. Every product is sourced directly from authorized Korean distributors, stored in climate-controlled conditions, and ships to all areas of Hong Kong including outlying islands.
Free express shipping applies on orders over HK$400.
If you can't find a specific product, Hallyu's custom sourcing service lets you request any Korean product through its distributor network. Can't identify something you saw on Instagram or TikTok? The AI image search feature lets you upload a screenshot and find the exact product or closest alternative.
Browse all Olive Young Award winners at Hallyu →
