Brand Comparison

Whamisa 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 8)

Whamisa Beauty of Joseon

Rating8/109/10

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

Founded20112014

OriginSouth Korea (Seoul)South Korea

Products319

Best ForSensitive, Dry, normal, ComboCombo, Oily, Sensitive, Dry

PhilosophyFerment-first, organic-certified Korean skincare. What fermented K-beauty looked like before it became a marketing line.Hanbang (traditional Korean herbal medicine) meets modern cosmetic science. Heritage ingredients like rice, ginseng, and propolis in contemporary formulations.

Whamisa

Whamisa built its whole brand before most people could spell "saccharomyces." Founded in 2011, this is fermented organic skincare done by people who genuinely care that their raw materials carry EWG Green Grade and Ecocert Organic stamps. The Organic Flowers toner is a quiet cult pick, and the "real ferment filtrate as the first ingredient" approach predates SK-II's marketing boom by decades. Prices are mid-tier; attention is chronically underrated.

Pros

✓ Organic Flowers Deep Rich Essence Toner is a bottled meadow
✓ Ferment-forward formulas with genuine certifications
✓ Fragrance-free options for sensitive barriers
✓ Consistently under the radar — you're not paying the hype tax

Cons

✗ Short shelf life post-open due to genuinely live ferments
✗ Not widely stocked outside specialty retailers
✗ Packaging feels understated to shoppers used to COSRX volume

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