SEOUL 1988

SEOUL 1988 is a Korean skincare brand. Its name is printed in big letters on every tube and bottle, in a color that changes with the line: red, pink, green or orange on a cream background. At Ma Petite Coree, the selection covers almost a full routine: cleansers, an essence, serums, creams, a sleeping mask, an eye cream and two sunscreens.

We give no founding year, no parent company and no meaning for the name: we did not find enough reliable, independent sources to write them. This page sticks to what the titles and photos of the products show.

The brand's own line structure is not detailed on our product pages, so we grouped the products by name. The ingredients below are the ones named in the titles, nothing more.

• Retinal: the Retinal Black Ginseng Serum, the Retinal Fermented Rice Cream, the Retinal Fermented Soybean Eye Cream and the small Advanced Retin-R Shot. Retinal is a vitamin A derivative.
• Collagen: the Collagen Boosting Serum, the Collagen Boosting Ball, the Collagen Sleeping Mask, the Collagen Sun Lotion and the Multi Balm Collagen Complex 7+ Plum.
• Pine: the Pine Sunscreen, the Pine Cica Cleansing Oil and the Pine Cica Cleansing Foam, with pine and cica in the cleanser titles.
• Niacin Yuja: the Niacin Yuja Serum and the Niacin Yuja Capsule Cream.
• Niacica: the Niacica Repair Cream.
• Snail: the Snail 97 Essence and the Snail 93 Cream, with snail mucin according to the titles.

Start with what you need right now. For mature skin, look at the Retinal and Collagen lines. The Niacin Yuja line names niacin and yuja in its titles. If you just want to add one step to your current routine, the Snail 97 Essence and the Niacica Repair Cream are good starting points.

Add only one new product at a time, especially if it contains retinal, and try it on a small area first. In the morning, sunscreen is the step not to skip. If your skin is sensitive, or if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, ask a professional before using a retinal product. Cosmetic advice, not medical advice.

To compare with similar brands, look at SULWHASOO for ginseng, KAHI for mature-skin care or REJURAN for another take on Korean skincare.

To choose by skin, the mature skin and combination skin pages help you compare.

First, the packaging. The products share a shape and a typeface, but each family has its own color, which makes a shelf easy to read. Second, the styling. The photos show the ingredients named in the titles, such as soybeans, rice, pine cones or yuja.

Third, the formats. Next to pump bottles and classic tubes, there are capsules in a jar, a care ball in a blister, a stick multi balm and a small 15 ml size. You can build a full routine with this brand, or try just one product.

There are several ways into the brand. If you want to try retinal, the Retinal Black Ginseng Serum and the Retinal Fermented Rice Cream are the two Retinal products that slot most easily into an evening routine. The Retinal Fermented Soybean Eye Cream takes over around the eyes.

For something gentler on paper, look at the Collagen Boosting Serum or the Collagen Sleeping Mask, which name collagen. To start with cleansing, the Pine Cica Cleansing Oil and the Pine Cica Cleansing Foam make a double cleanse from the same line. To finish the morning routine, pick the Pine Sunscreen or the Collagen Sun Lotion.