It's Skin
Dermatologist-co-developed Korean skincare with targeted 'Power 10 Formula' serums — one bottle, one problem, one solution.
Ask ChokChok AI
Get instant answers about It's Skin
Try asking
It's Skin has been a fixture of the Korean mass-market skincare aisle since 2006 and the Power 10 Formula Effector line is its genuine cultural artifact — each colour-coded bottle targets one concern (VB for whitening, VC for brightening, PO for pores, LI for soothing, etc.) at a $15–20 price point. Developed in partnership with Seoul National University dermatology faculty, the line has aged better than most K-beauty trend-moments. Not the most exciting brand in 2026's editorial K-beauty landscape — but the kind of reliable middle-class pharmacy brand that fills a real slot. The Prestige Ginseng D'Escargot line is the premium counterpart that keeps the brand in department stores.
Strengths
- + Power 10 Formula Effectors are well-executed single-concern serums at an affordable price
- + Seoul National University dermatology partnership gives clinical backing most K-brands lack
- + broad global distribution (Target, Walmart, Amazon, Stylevana)
- + colour-coded bottle system makes routine-building approachable for beginners
Weaknesses
- − older formulations haven't been refreshed in years — feel dated next to Anua, Beauty of Joseon, Numbuzin
- − fragrance present in most products
- − the prestige Ginseng line is overpriced relative to Sulwhasoo for what you get
- − visual branding feels stuck in mid-2010s K-beauty
The It's Skin Story
It's Skin launched in 2006 as a co-development project between Korean cosmetics entrepreneurs and Seoul National University's dermatology department — a structure that was unusual at the time (most K-brands of that era were marketing-first). The Power 10 Formula line launched in 2011 and quickly became the brand's signature: ten colour-coded single-active effectors, each under $20, each targeting one skin concern (VB = vitamin B whitening, VC = vitamin C brightening, PO = pore-refining, LI = licorice soothing, CO = collagen, AU = gold, etc.). The format became iconic in K-beauty — the blueprint for everything from The Ordinary's Buffet approach to COSRX's RX lines. The brand expanded into the Prestige Ginseng D'Escargot luxury line for department stores and the Have a Pomegranate cleansing line for drugstores. Now present in 50+ countries, stocked at Target and Walmart in the US.
All It's Skin Products
2 products reviewed and rated.
Power 10 Formula LI Cream Firefighter
The LI in the Power 10 Formula cream line stands for Licorice — a genuinely underrated calming-and-brightening active. Combined with chamomile and panthenol, this is a quiet redness-calming moisturiser at a $22 price point that most sensitive-skin audiences haven't discovered. Not a replacement for Real Barrier Extreme Cream or Avène Cicalfate, but a solid first-line daily cream for irritable skin.
Power 10 Formula VE Effector
The It's Skin Power 10 line in its cleanest form: vitamin E as a single-active serum at $18. Under-appreciated because everyone talks about the VC and PO variants. Vitamin E is the antioxidant workhorse — photoprotective, barrier-supportive, and pairs beautifully with vitamin C in an AM stack. Pat it in before moisturiser; wear it under SPF. The price is the point.
Compare It's Skin With
Similar K-Beauty brands
Brands with comparable formulation chops and price points