Living in Korea is exhilarating and convenient. Everything is right at your fingertips with little to no wait. You can be wherever within a reasonable amount of time. Thanks to globalization a wide variety of foreign products are available too. Still, there are some products that you wish were available. Amazon, has you covered in times like these.
1. Deodorant / Antiperspirant
Koreans just don’t sweat as much as the rest of us, so the available brands are a lot different. Finding the exact deodorant or antiperspirant you need can lead you on an unsuccessful wild goose chase. Although Emart and Costco do have options, those are limited.
Does Nivea compare to Clinical Secret or Degree?
Most Popular: Degree Men Dry Protection, 48 Hour Antiperspirant Cool Rush 2.7 oz (Pack of 6)
Rating: 4.6/5
Most promising review: “We live in a hot, humid part of the world where it is ungodly steaming hot for 10 months of the year. That means most deodorants just melt off your skin then migrate on your shirt leaving you damp and malodorous. This Degree product stays put. It keeps wetness and odor in check and it smells like a fresh clean person should smell. No baby powder scent here. Everyone at my house uses this so I buy it in bulk making it easy to keep one with our own every day toiletries for home, one with travel toiletries and one for each gym bag. It does not leave build up on clothing and has not upset anyones sensitive skin. I would consider this a unisex product because it’s gentle on freshly shaved underarms and the scent is not overwhelmingly masculine.” – Anony
2. Hair Toner
SourceHair dye is available in South Korea, but toner is a bit of another story. Toners tend to be exclusive to hair salons. If you are wanting to dye your hair blonde or go to a pastel color at home, Amazon has the selections you won’t be able to find.
Yellow hair may be a trend around Korea, but it doesn’t suit everyone.
Most Popular: Manic Panic Semi-Permanent Hair Color Cream 4 Ounce (Virgin Snow)
Rating: 3.7/5
Most promising review: “I will DEFINITELY be ordering this product possibly for the REST OF MY LIFE!!!!! ABSOLUTELY OVER THE MOON WITH THIS PRODUCT AND SHIPPING TIMES etc!!!!!! Sorry for late review! VERY VERY VERY HAPPY!!!!”- Leigh D
3. Sunscreen
Korean cosmetics are known for their
whitening/brightening agents, and sunscreens are no different.
Finding sunscreen without brighten agents is more a feat, but Amazon has all of your favorites from back home.
Most Popular: Neutrogena Ultra Sheer DryTouch Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 45, 3 Fl. Oz, Pack Of 2
Rating: 4.0/5
Most promising review: “This is the best sunscreen I’ve ever had. It leaves your skin soft and never sticky. It’s the only one I’ve found that feels nice, doesn’t have a strong smell, and ranks highly on every dermatologist’s list. This size isn’t a huge bottle, which is also good because you need to replace your sunscreen regularly. They have expiration dates too!”- Faustine Liszt
4. Toothpaste
Korean toothpaste just is not the same. Blame it on the lack of fluoride. Arm and Hammer and Aquafresh are available, but there’s difficulty finding other brands. (Well, at least for a reasonable price.)
Most Popular: Colgate Total Whitening Toothpaste Twin Pack (6oz Tubes Each)
Rating: 4.5/5
Most promising review: “It’s one of my subscribe and save items! I had four subscribe items and wanted a fifth one to get the extra savings, but wanted something cheap and useful. So I picked this! Very satisfied, and the toothpaste doesn’t taste weird either (I don’t like cinnamon flavored toothpaste or anything like that.)
I’ve gotten it for a few months now and I have a happy little back stock in my bathroom cupboard!”- Kristen B
5. Makeup For Non-East Asian Skin Tones
Get that foundation and concealer, girl! Enjoy the plethora of fun eye-shadows, lip colors, and mascaras Korea offers!
Most Popular: Maybelline New York Fit Me Matte Plus Poreless Foundation Makeup
Rating: 4.3/5
Most promising review: “Love this product. I normally buy this item from the store, but I decided to buy online this time because I had a few other make-up items in my cart and I wanted to get it all at the same time. This item arrived 1 day early and it works just as expected. I absolutely love it.” – Tashina Lee
6. Beard Oil Conditioner
This is an all year essential. Maintain a flawless, head-turning beard that will bring all the ladies or gents to your yard.
Most Popular: Honest Amish Beard Balm Leave-in Conditioner
Rating: 4.4/5
Most promising review: “Love this balm. I bought it based on YouTube reviews and Amazon reviews and I do not regret it. I use it to shape my beard and control lose hairs in the morning, 12 hours later, my beard still has its shape. Smells good as well. A bit strong when you first apply it, but soothing as it dries up.” – Leo Crespo
7. Shea Moisture
It is difficult for naturals to maintain those curly, kinky tresses in Korea, but hang in there Shea butter babies! Amazon’s options are half the price of G market’s.
Most Popular: SheaMoisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Reparative Leave-In Conditioner 16 oz
Rating: 4.4/5
Most promising review: “Best leave in conditioner I’ve ever experienced..my hair usually soaks up everything like a sponge but the actually left my hair soft and moisturized.. I have really dry thick hair with very little to no curl so I guess my hair type would fall under 4c but anyway product shipped really fast and I’m in another country…got product within a week.”- sweetface
8. Cheez-it Crackers
Nothing says “I miss America” like buying Cheez-its in bulk.
Rating: 4.0/5
Most Promising Review: “Who doesn’t like Cheez-It crackers? Seriously, I think unless you’re allergic to the ingredients, it’s hard to find someone who doesn’t find these totally delicious! My kids go crazy for the cheddar flavor and I’ve been known to eat large handfuls more quickly than I probably should admit! So how could you possibly make this iconic cracker any better? This is how! Make the crackers into edible scrabble tiles! These are fantastic for my young kids! My 6 year old is in first grade and gradually unlocking the secrets of reading, so it’s so cool that she can spell out words and then gobble them up!” – Busy Working Mom
9. Flamin’ Hot Anything
Sometimes you just want Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, Funyuns, Ruffles… You get the idea.
Most Popular: Flamin’ Hot Mix – 30 ct
Rating: 4.2/5
Most promising: “Was pretty nervous to get these, I’ve never ordered edibles and some of the reviews made me worried, but they came just fine. The expiry date was a bit shorter than I expected but otherwise I got all of my favorite chips like I hoped.”- Susanna
Korea is great, but it cannot have everything. These items only skim the surface of great finds on Amazon. Always be careful when buying anything online, and don’t forget to set up your Amazon Global to get your items on time.
What are some items you have difficulty finding or are too expensive in Korea?