Episode: Exposing the Worst K-Beauty Products I Tried in 2025

If you listened to the last episode on marketing trends that need to die in 2026, this is the follow-through. In this episode, Lauren walks through the most disappointing K-Beauty products and formats she tried in 2025, and explains the gap between what they are sold as and what they actually deliver on real skin.

Today, I’m going to walk you through five “worst” experiences I had with hyped K-Beauty products in 2025. For each one, I’ll cover what the product or trend is sold as versus how it actually performed in real life. 

Products Mentioned in This Episode

• Dr. Melaxin Eyephalt Cream
• Grinding cleansing balms - I tried House of Hur, Dr Althea and Jeju Seonduk 
• Rom&nd lip tints
• Some By Mi “mineral” sunscreen

Worst K-Beauty Products #1: Dr. Melaxin Eyephalt Cream

I bought the Dr. Melaxin Eyephalt Cream on a whim after seeing the marketing, which showed it helping with under-eye concerns in older customers. As a mum of 2 young kids who is chronically under-slept (and only a year away from turning 40!) I need all the help I can get in that department. 

Unfortunately, I somehow missed the fact that this was a spicule eye cream. 

I was shocked when I first applied it because it felt less like an eye cream and more like rubbing wet cement under my eyes. It wasn’t tingling or “active" in the way that some chemical exfoliants often are. Instead, to me it felt abrasive, heavy and just a bit "wrong". After leaving it on a few minutes my discomfort didn't improve, so I washed it off a few minutes later. 

I then went away to investigate what the **** was actually in it. 

As someone with rosacea and extremely sensitive skin I'd been purposely avoiding spicule skincare so I was very surprised to find out that this was the "miracle technology". 

The idea of using spicules so close to the eye seems like a bit of a crazy idea to me generally, given how thin and fragile the under-eye area is. However, I may well be in the minority here because I saw plenty of rave reviews online before purchasing it. 

Worst K-Beauty Products #2: Grinding Cleansing Balms

If you were following K-Beauty in 2025, chances are you too found it hard to escape the grinding cleansing balm hype on social media. And I admit; they look genius on camera. Twist it, the thing grinds and the perfect amount of cleansing balm comes out, no muss or fuss. 

In real life however, I literally could not get over how quickly I went through these things! I used three different versions in seemingly slightly different packaging and none of them lasted even a month of nightly cleanses.

Not to mention the formulas themselves, which unfortunately among the 3 I tried were average at best. 

Considering the amount of plastic and individual, non-recyclable parts that goes into making these I think it's a bit misleading to advertise them as  "more environmentally friendly" or suggest that they contribute to "less waste". With a mere 50g worth of product in any of them it's a hard argument to make. I think the better choice would be to not include plastic spoons with a regular cleansing balm as a standard choice. 

Worst K-Beauty Products #3: Rom&nd Lip Tints and the Cheilitis Controversy 

This one pained me to say because I've been singing the praises of Romand's Juicy Lasting Tint on this podcast for years. Unfortunately, 2025 was the year I found out that the peeling, inflamed mouth edges, persistent dryness and full-on cheilitis I'd been experiencing on and off for a year and a half was caused by my "holy grail" lip tint.

The brand came out explaining how they'd received a "surge of complaints" from their customers experiencing cheilitis after using their Juicy Lasting Tint. After investigation, they put it down to the volatile solvents in the formula, which is how they achieve longevity.

For more on this scandal, tune into this previous episode on the Romand Lip Tint controversy. 

Worst K-Beauty Products #4: Some By Mi “Mineral” Sunscreen

On the advice of my dermatologist, I've been sticking almost exclusively to mineral sunscreens for several years now to help minimise rosacea flares. After being diagnosed with rosacea a few years back, I gradually realised that one of my key triggers was actually chemical sunscreens (the kinds that don't rely on zinc and titanium dioxide as the main UV filters). 

And I'm not alone in choosing mineral sunscreens on purpose. Their recommend for children and babies, as well as for people with sensitive skin  because they're considered to be more low sting, barrier-friendly and "sensitive skin safe". Which is exactly why I bought Some By Mi's “mineral” sunscreen.

So you can imagine my surprise when it triggered a full rosacea flare almost immediately, complete with redness, heat and irritation.

Once I reviewed the ingredient list, the issue became obvious. Despite being labelled and marketed as a “mineral" sunscreen it's not actually a 100% mineral sunscreen at all. Instead, the formula contains five chemical UV filters, as well as essential oils. For rosacea-prone skin, both of these can be a trigger.

The chemical UV filters in SOME BY MI's Mineral Sunscreen: 

• Diethylhexyl Butamido Triazone
• Terephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic Acid (Mexoryl SX)
• Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate (Uvinul A Plus)
• Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine (Tinosorb S)
• Ethylhexyl Triazone

Want to know what I'd recommend trying instead? Check out this TikTok. 

1:1 K-Beauty Routine Builder Session 

If you are listening to this thinking, “The social media algorithm is influencing my skincare purchases too much; I keep falling for viral products that end up being really gimmicky or average", I get it. Trying to build a routine from scratch based on TikTok trends is hard. Often, you end up with a routine that looks great on paper but makes little sense for your actual skin.

I can help. If the products you're currently using aren't working (or worse; making your skin worse) then let's work together to build a routine that makes sense for you. If you want help choosing products, avoiding triggers and getting clarity about the best products for your skin, click below to book in for a 1:1 session with me. 

Connect with Lauren

• Instagram: www.instagram.com/lauren.kbeauty
• YouTube: youtube.com/@thekoreanbeautyshowpodcast
• Website: www.thekoreanbeautyshow.com
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stylestory_kbeauty

STYLE STORY is a Korea-based K-Beauty consultancy for global beauty professionals. We bring clarity to Korean beauty, from products and claims to clinics and strategy.

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