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The reason why you have to go to a big CVS, not Olive Young

Wiliam_Yang·7/8/2026, 6:33:12 AM·1

The products most frequently purchased by foreign tourists at large pharmacies in Korea are 'functional beauty medicines' such as acne treatment, scar ointment, and cream of freckles.
Recently, as the "K-Pharmacy Shopping List" has been rapidly shared around global social media such as TikTok and Instagram, the number of foreigners using pharmacies as one K-beauty shopping course like Olive Young and Daiso has soared.
One of the major attractions is that high-content medicines that require a doctor's prescription abroad or are very expensive can be purchased cheaply without a prescription at Korean pharmacies.
We organize representative popular items that foreigners capture lists on their smartphones and sweep them in large quantities.

  1. Trouble and Acne Care (Most Popular)

Aknon Cream: It is a purulent acne treatment and has a higher content than famous Japanese products and is considered a must-have item for both Western and Asian tourists.

CLEARTIN: BHA ingredient that is effective in removing narrow rice acne and blackhead sebum, it is famous among overseas YouTubers. EasyDum Coming Line: This acne patch product that soothes salty acne wounds, so I buy it in bulk because of its cost-effectiveness.

  1. pigmentation and trace management

Noscana Gel: A trail care ointment that softens acne scars and red marks, it went viral on social media as a 'miracle ointment'.

Melatoning Cream: It is a hydroquinone cream that resolves blemishes, blemishes, and brown pigmentation. It is popular because it is more effective and reasonably priced than an expensive whitening serum.

  1. Skin regeneration and post-treatment care

Rejuvenex Cream / PDRN Cream: This is a skin regeneration cream that contains salmon injection ingredients (PDRN). Foreigners who have undergone dermatological laser treatment in Gangnam or Myeongdong stop by pharmacies to buy a bunch of them for "aftercare" to help their skin recover.

Non-Ten / Dexpanthenol Cream: It is famous for its all-purpose cream that soothes the skin barrier that has been turned upside down due to care or retinol side effects after tattooing.

2&T Cream: It is a Tretinoin-based cream that is effective for wrinkle improvement and photoaging. Prescriptions are often required overseas, so they are often found in Korean pharmacies.

  1. Pouring medicine and emergency medicine

New Bain Acupuncture + Danggui Fisheries Cooperative: It has gone viral for its combination of honey that quickly reduces swollen faces after plastic surgery, dermatology procedures, or long flights and travel.

Oriental Digestive and Drinking Digestive: It is known as a "magic pill" taken when you have an upset stomach while enjoying a spicy and stimulating K-food mukbang, and is popular as a standing medicine for tourists.

Coinspas and powerful anti-inflammatory drugs (Taxen, etc): Many tourists on foot buy for immediate muscle pain relief or buy in bulk for their parents' gifts (trast patches, etc.).

💡 Additional Tips
Large pharmacies in Myeong-dong, Seongsu, Hongik University, and Gangnam have separate sections for popular products for foreigners to meet this trend, and exclusive checkout counters for English, Chinese, and Japanese information boards or foreign language communication, and immediate tax refund

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