Brand Comparison

Skandinavisk vs Beauty of Joseon

A head-to-head comparison of two popular K-beauty brands. Which one is right for your skin?

Our Pick

Beauty of Joseon

Higher editor rating (9 vs 7.5)

Skandinavisk Beauty of Joseon

Rating7.5/109/10

Price RangeMid-Range ($$)Budget ($)

Founded20102014

OriginCopenhagen, DenmarkSouth Korea

Products119

Best Fornormal, DryCombo, Oily, Sensitive, Dry

PhilosophyScandinavian body-care + home fragrance built around distilled moods of specific Nordic places — Øy, Skog, Hygge, Lempi.Hanbang (traditional Korean herbal medicine) meets modern cosmetic science. Heritage ingredients like rice, ginseng, and propolis in contemporary formulations.

Skandinavisk

The design-object Scandi brand. More perfume house than skincare house, but the hand creams and body lotions punch above their weight. Packaging is museum-grade beautiful. Fragrance-forward — skip if you want fragrance-free. If you want the Nordic minimalism aesthetic on your sink, this is the brand.

Pros

✓ Museum-grade packaging design
✓ Fragrance compositions are genuinely beautiful
✓ Strong body and hand-care lineup
✓ Small carbon-neutral operation

Cons

✗ Heavily fragranced
✗ Skincare is secondary to fragrance
✗ Premium pricing for what's essentially body lotion

Beauty of Joseon

Beauty of Joseon has quietly become one of the most impressive value propositions in K-beauty. Their Relief Sun is arguably the best budget sunscreen globally, and the Glow Serum delivers genuine results at a price that undercuts competitors by half. The hanbang angle could be gimmicky, but they back it with solid formulation science.

Pros