Brand Comparison

Sulwhasoo vs Hera

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

Our Pick

Hera

Higher editor rating (9 vs 8)

Sulwhasoo Hera

Rating8/109/10

Price RangePremium ($$$)Premium ($$$)

Founded19661995

OriginSeoul, South KoreaSouth Korea

Products114

Best ForMature, Dry, Comboluxury skincare, Mature, K-prestige, gifting

PhilosophyLuxury hanbang (traditional Korean herbal medicine) skincare rooted in ginseng research. Decades of R&D from parent company Amorepacific, focused on holistic skin renewal.AmorePacific's luxury skincare-meets-color-cosmetics house — Black Cushion icon, Sensual Powder Matte Lipstick, and serious skincare.

Sulwhasoo

Sulwhasoo is the prestige end of K-beauty, and it delivers on that promise more often than most luxury brands. The First Care Activating Serum is a genuinely unique product — the fermented hanbang complex provides visible results that cheap alternatives can't replicate. But the premium pricing means you're also paying for heritage, packaging, and brand prestige. Worth it for the hero products; less convincing across the full range.

Pros

✓ First Care Activating Serum is genuinely excellent
✓ Decades of ginseng and hanbang research behind formulations
✓ Luxurious textures and elegant packaging

Cons

✗ Premium pricing is prohibitive for most budgets
✗ Some products rely on brand heritage more than innovation
✗ Contains fragrance across much of the range

Hera

Hera is the AmorePacific-owned Korean luxury house that has produced one of the most photographed cushion compacts in beauty history (the Black Cushion) and a quietly excellent skincare lineup that doesn't get the same Sephora-front-row coverage as Sulwhasoo or Whoo. Premium pricing, Korean luxury heritage, formulations that earn their place at the top of any K-prestige routine.

Pros