CYoung has tested more than 40 moisturizers, and her 55% approval rate tells you she does not hand out praise easily. Her outright winners include Aestura Atobarrier 365 Cream, Mixsoon Bean Cream, Illiyoon Ceramide Ato Concentrate Lotion, and I'm From Rice Bran Cream. Those picks say a lot about what she looks for.
What does CYoung recommend in moisturizers?
CYoung keeps coming back to moisturizers that actually stay with the skin rather than just sitting on the surface. She praised Illiyoon Ceramide Ato Concentrate Lotion for still feeling moisturizing hours later, and said I'm From Rice Bran Cream is one of the rare products she reaches for without thinking. Fragrance-free formulas get extra points from her. She noted that Real Barrier Extreme Cream, which contains panthenol and madecassoside (two ingredients that calm and help repair the skin), works even for people who find most creams too irritating. IOPE Super Vital Cream impressed her enough that she uses it as both her face cream and her eye cream at night.
CYoung's moisturizer picks, in her words
"I'll definitely give this an S. All three of us makeup artists gave this an S. If you have dry, sensitive skin, or even if you're oily or combination and not that dry, it still works in winter, so why not. You don't have to put it on your whole face, mainly just the dry areas. It has no scent and contains cholesterol and ceramide, and it just restores your skin, so it's definitely worth it. I've used it for more than five years, and the reformulated version is even better."
"This is the one I like the most in the normal skin category. It's a little more moisturizing than the others, so if you're more on the dry side you'd like this. I have so many products I don't even think about which to use, I just reach for this one, it's really rare for me to use something this much without thinking about anything else. It has no scent and works really well in the winter."
"This one I'd put between an S and an A, but I'll just give it an S, Isntree does pretty good with hyaluronic acid. With gel creams, what I don't like is that a lot of them are just like water in a big jar and it's gone fast, but this one you can definitely use as your everyday moisturizer if you have oily or combo skin, and for me even in really humid summer it still makes my skin hydrated, and I love it. It's easy to apply, a tube type not a jar, and the price is pretty good, so why not."
"This was the it item here in Korea last year. I've gone through three tubes of it and I really love it. Hourglass gives your lips an instant cooling, hydrating feel and full color with just one swipe. For warm undertones try the shade Lucid, for a cool tone there's a stunning cherry pink, and it's stunning either way. Hourglass really delivers, if you're ready to spend more, go for it instead of the cheaper dupe."
"This was my holy grail for a pretty long time. It contains both panthenol and madecassoside. Some of my guests say they're so sensitive they can't even use Aestura, but this one is okay even if you have super sensitive skin. The texture is similar but it doesn't have capsules, it's a little bit heavy. They also have an Extreme Cream Light version, which is better if you have oily or acne prone skin."
"The IOPE Super Vital Cream is amazing, it even works as an eye cream, but it's not sold at Olive Young. These days my nighttime eye cream and face cream is this, I've stopped using other options because everything else feels too light. I'm using the IOPE Super Vital Cream, it gives so much glow, and for my skin I don't feel much tingling around my eyes, so I use this thick cream for my face and as my eye cream too."
How many moisturizers has CYoung reviewed?
CYoung has reviewed 44 moisturizers, for an approval rate of 55%. 24 approved, 10 mixed, and 10 skipped.
What has CYoung skipped in moisturizers?
CYoung was direct about what missed the mark. She gave Medicube Collagen Jelly Cream her lowest rating of the whole batch, calling it the worst of everything she tried. The texture felt like Vaseline to her, and she said it does not moisturize deeper in the skin, it just coats the surface. Beauty of Joseon Red Bean Water Gel got a similar verdict for dry and mature skin: it cools on contact but then evaporates and leaves skin drier than before. She described COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream as too slimy and ineffective on dry or mature skin, though she said it can be passable for oily or combination skin in summer. The pattern in her skips is texture that feels heavy without delivering real hydration, or formulas that only work for one skin type while being sold as something for everyone.
"This has the highest hydration level of all sixteen moisturizers I tested, but it feels almost like Vaseline. I cannot understand why people love this. If you have oily combo skin you will really hate it, it just feels like putting on Vaseline. It has a thick, occlusive texture but I do not feel like it is actually moisturizing on the inside. It is just a viral product, so if you only listen to one thing from me, save your money and skip this one. It is the worst of all the products I tried."
"The Red Bean Water Gel is kind of interesting, I haven't seen other brands make this kind of gel, [...] it's basically like an aloe gel. If you have dry or mature skin, [...] this gel isn't for you. It feels really cooling when you put it on, but once it evaporates it dries your skin out more. If you have a device to help it absorb you might be able to use it, but other than that, it was a waste of my money."
"Comparing to the other one, the other two makeup artists also don't like this much because it's a lot heavier since they put more ingredients in for restoring the barrier, and I agree with that. When you want to restore the barrier because your skin is really damaged, you have to look for something more like Panthenol or an ointment style cream, like La Roche-Posay Cicaplast B5 or Reair Barrier. This one has a heavier texture, but I don't see the effect, so I would say this is a C."
"The texture is very slimy, and on dry, mature skin it doesn't work, it evaporates and it's all gone. I don't really use it myself, but if you have more oily or combo skin and don't want anything too oily, it can be okay, more for the summer time, so if you're already using it, just keep going. But dry skin, mature skin, never ever, it's not going to work. I was going to give this between a B and a C, so I'll just give it a P."
What should you take from CYoung's picks?
CYoung's record on moisturizers is a useful filter for anyone who has wasted money on viral products. She looks for formulas that last, that calm easily irritated skin, and that do not just feel good for the first five minutes. Her named winners are a solid starting point, and her clear skips on Medicube Collagen Jelly Cream and Beauty of Joseon Red Bean Water Gel are worth knowing before either goes in your cart.
Watch CYoung say it
Every verdict here comes from a video. These are the moments themselves, each one jumping straight to the bit about that product.
- Aestura Atobarrier 365 CreamNamed a winnerWatch at 7:09
- Illiyoon Ceramide Ato Concentrate CreamNamed a winnerWatch at 10:59
- Mixsoon Bean CreamNamed a winnerWatch at 3:52
- Illiyoon Ceramide Ato Concentrate LotionNamed a winnerWatch at 10:22
- I'm From Rice Bran CreamNamed a winnerWatch at 9:46
- Medicube Collagen Jelly CreamSkipped itWatch at 1:40
- Beauty of Joseon Red Bean Water GelSkipped itWatch at 9:13
- Dr.Althea 147 Barrier CreamSkipped itWatch at 10:03
- COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One CreamSkipped itWatch at 6:35
- Pyunkang Yul Calming Moisture Barrier CreamSkipped itWatch at 6:32
- Atopalm MLE CreamSkipped itWatch at 9:11
- Medicube PDRN Pink Collagen Volume Multi BalmSkipped itWatch at 13:30
- Tatcha Dewy Skin CreamSkipped itWatch at 5:25
- Skin1004 Probio-Cica Rich CreamSkipped itWatch at 13:16
- Bepanthen CreamSkipped itWatch at 2:16
- Aestura Atobarrier 365 Cream (2025 reformulation)Rated itWatch at 3:26
- Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Aqua Gel CreamRated itWatch at 10:49
- Hourglass Phantom Volumizing Glossy BalmRated itWatch at 13:37
- Real Barrier Extreme CreamRated itWatch at 7:26
- IOPE Super Vital CreamRated itWatch at 4:01
- belif True Cream Moisturizing BombRated itWatch at 10:40
- Hada Labo Gokujyun Premium LotionRated itWatch at 4:24
- Tatcha Water Cream Oil-Free Pore Minimizing MoisturizerRated itWatch at 4:41
- Numbuzin No.1 Purple Complex Soothing Moisture CreamRated itWatch at 6:43
About this expert
See everything CYoung has reviewed
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This guide reflects what CYoung said across her videos about 44 products in moisturizers, aggregated by The Guru Index. Sponsored takes are excluded. The approval rate is the share of these products she approved. It is general information, not medical advice.