Hanskin

Hanskin earned its place in K-beauty history by reinventing a single product. The South Korean brand, generally dated to 2001, was among the first to take BB cream, originally a thick, skin-repairing ointment used on patients after dermatological procedures, and remake it into a lightweight, tinted product suitable for everyday wear. That move helped launch the global BB cream boom of the late 2000s and 2010s. Over time Hanskin broadened beyond base makeup into skincare, and today it is arguably best known in Western markets for its trio of pore cleansing oils formulated with AHA, BHA, and PHA, designed to dissolve sunscreen, makeup, and sebum while gently addressing blackheads and texture. The brand is now part of Celltrion Skincure, the skincare arm linked to the South Korean biopharmaceutical group Celltrion, which positions Hanskin's newer products around biotechnology-derived ingredients. While Hanskin carries genuine category-pioneering heritage and corporate backing, its product claims rely more on K-beauty formulation tradition and brand testing than on extensive independent peer-reviewed studies, so its strongest credential remains its long track record and the popularity of its cleansing oils.