Last updated: October 2026
Some products go viral and vanish. The Dynasty Cream just never left. It was Beauty of Joseon’s very first product, it’s still one of their best sellers, and every time I scroll K-beauty TikTok somebody is dabbing it on like it’s liquid gold.
So I did my usual thing before letting anything near my face. I have combination skin and type 1 rosacea, which means my T-zone wants lightweight and my cheeks want zero drama. I pulled the full ingredient list from Beauty of Joseon’s own site, read it line by line, and worked out who I’d point this cream at (and who I’d quietly steer somewhere else). And there’s one thing on the label that’s worth knowing before you buy.
At a glance
The Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream is a fragrance-free, alcohol-free and silicone-free moisturizer made with rice bran water, ginseng root water, niacinamide and squalane. Beauty of Joseon says it was made for all skin types, especially normal to dry skin, and their own 4-week test with 22 people found it non-comedogenic. It suits normal to dry skin and works on combination skin in a small amount, and it’s a gentle pick for redness-prone skin because there’s no fragrance on the list. It is not fungal acne safe: cetearyl olivate, sorbitan olivate, safflower seed oil and hydrogenated coconut oil are all in it. You can buy it at LOOKFANTASTIC with my code LFTFNEVEEN for up to 25% off, at STYLEVANA with code INF10NEVE for up to 25% off, at YesStyle with code NEVEEN15 built in, at Olive Young Global with code NEVEEN20, or at Boots, Space NK, Sephora UK and Cult Beauty.
Buy the Dynasty Cream▾See where to buy it, with my codes
- LOOKFANTASTIC, code LFTFNEVEEN for up to 25% off
- STYLEVANA, code INF10NEVE for up to 25% off
- YesStyle, code NEVEEN15 built in
- Olive Young Global, code NEVEEN20 built in, up to 10% off
- SkinSeoul, code NEVEEN for 5% off
- BuyBeautyKorea, code NEVEEN10 for 10% off
- Space NK
- Sephora UK
- Sephora US
- Boots
- Cult Beauty
Table of Contents
What is the Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream?
It’s a jar moisturizer (there’s a tube version too) built around hanbang, which is traditional Korean herbal medicine. The two ingredients Beauty of Joseon shouts about are rice bran water and ginseng root water, with niacinamide and squalane doing the more modern work.
Beauty of Joseon’s site sells the Dynasty Cream in 30ml, 50ml and 100ml sizes. It’s meant for morning and night, as the last step of your routine before SPF.
Texture-wise, it’s one people either love straight away or need a minute with. It can feel slightly tacky at first (I found that too), then it sinks in and leaves that dewy, bouncy finish everyone’s chasing for glass skin.
The good ingredients in the Dynasty Cream, and what they do
This is the bit I always want first. Here are the ingredients I’d call the good guys in this cream, with what each one is there to do. The four key ones are described in Beauty of Joseon’s own words, and the rest come from INCIDecoder, so you know where every line came from.
Niacinamide and squalane are the two I’d get excited about, because they’re right up at 5th and 6th. That means there’s a decent amount of both in the jar.
Honey extract is 28th. After that come the plant extracts: coptis root, radish seed, cocoa seed, goji berry, phellinus mushroom and Baikal skullcap root. They sit right at the very end of the list, so there’s only a tiny amount of each. I wouldn’t buy the cream for those – they’re a little extra on top.
The surprise: there are two different ingredient lists out there
Here’s the odd part. On the list Beauty of Joseon publishes on its own European site, ginseng root water is 14th and rice bran water is 20th. Water, glycerin and an emollient called hydrogenated polydecene come first.
But a lot of retailers and older reviews still show a different order, with rice bran water 2nd and ginseng root water 4th. Same ingredients, very different order. Ingredient lists run from most to least, so that’s a real difference in how much of the two hero ingredients is in the jar.
I can’t tell you which tub is sitting on which shop’s shelf right now. What I’d do is check the box when it arrives. If you’re buying it mainly for the rice and ginseng, it’s worth knowing the newer list puts them further down.
Is the Dynasty Cream good for rosacea and sensitive skin?
From an ingredient point of view, it looks like a friendly one. Beauty of Joseon labels it fragrance-free and alcohol-free, and I didn’t find any essential oils on the list either. That’s what I look for first with rosacea, because fragrance and essential oils are classic triggers for reactive cheeks like mine.
The brand’s own 3-day test on 33 people found it non-irritating and suitable for sensitive skin. That’s their test, not an independent one, so I’d still patch test. But on paper there’s nothing here that makes me nervous for redness.
Want to check it against your own skin? Paste the full list into my skin ingredient checker. It flags what’s worth a second look for rosacea, fungal acne, seb derm and pore clogging. And my Korean skincare for rosacea post has the products that helped my redness.
Is the Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream fungal acne safe?
No, I wouldn’t call it fungal acne safe, and the reason is a little cluster of oils and esters in the middle of the list.
Cetearyl olivate is 10th and sorbitan olivate is 11th, and both are esters made from olive oil fatty acids. Safflower seed oil is 17th and hydrogenated coconut oil is 18th. Malassezia, the yeast behind fungal acne and seb derm, feeds on fatty acids and esters with C11 to C24 chains, and all four of these fall in that range.
Good news though – the caprylic and capric bits on the list (butylene glycol dicaprylate/dicaprate and caprylic/capric triglyceride) are C8 and C10, which is below that range. They’re not the problem. If you’ve got seb derm on your face, my seb derm safe Korean moisturizers post has nine creams I’ve already screened.
Is it good for combination or oily skin?
Yes, with one tweak. Beauty of Joseon’s own tip is to use a small dab, about half a pea, if you’re oily, blemish-prone or combination, and a coin-sized amount for every other skin type.
That makes sense to me. A coin of a glowy cream on an oily T-zone is a recipe for shiny-by-lunch, and I’d rather go small and add more than spend the afternoon blotting. Their 4-week test on 22 people found it non-comedogenic too, and the brand’s FAQ confirms there are no silicones in it.
How to use the Dynasty Cream
After cleanser, toner and serum, pat a small amount over your face and neck. Use it morning and night, and in the morning it goes on before SPF.
If you’re dry, a slightly thicker layer at night works like a sleeping mask. If you wear makeup, give it a few minutes to settle before foundation goes on top.
- 1Cleanser
- 2Toner or essence
- 3Serum
- 4Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Creamthis one!
- 5SPFmornings
How the Dynasty Cream feels on my skin
Okay, so here’s my take. I get the hype. It leaves skin looking really hydrated and dewy, that fresh glass-skin look, and it does it without feeling like you’ve slathered on some big heavy night cream. My favorite bit is how smooth and healthy my skin looks afterwards.
On my combo skin though, it’s a night-time-only cream for me. It feels a little tacky right after it goes on. Not for long, thankfully, it settles down before it gets annoying.
Now the reality check. It’s a lovely moisturizer, but it’s still a moisturizer, and if you’re hoping it’ll totally transform your skin it’s not going to do more than a good cream can. I also wouldnt hand it to just anyone. If your skin gets congested easily, bring it in slowly – a few nights a week first, rather than going straight in with it as your everyday cream.
What other people say about the Dynasty Cream
My skin is one face, so I always check what everyone else thinks before I make up my mind.
On Beauty of Joseon’s European site it’s rated 4.9 out of 5 from 4,266 reviews, and 97% of reviewers say they’d recommend it. Those are brand-site reviews, so take the shine with a pinch of salt, but that’s a lot of happy faces.
Most of the complaints I saw were about texture. A few people with very dry skin say it isn’t rich enough for them, and some find the first few minutes a bit sticky. Plenty of people get on brilliantly with it, but others report clogged pores or breakouts, which is why I’d bring it in slowly if you’re congestion-prone.
Who I’d recommend it to, and who I wouldn’t
I’d point you straight at it if you’ve got normal to dry or combination skin and you want a glowy finish that’s kind to fragrance-sensitive faces. It’s a lovely everyday cream with a short list of things to worry about.
I’d look elsewhere if you get fungal acne or seb derm on your face, because of those olive esters and the two oils. And if your skin is very dry, you might want it as a night cream with something richer on top.
Over 40 like me? The adenosine and niacinamide are nice to see for fine lines and tone, and a dewy cream goes a long way on mature skin that’s started looking a bit flat. For dark spots, my Korean skincare for hyperpigmentation post covers what I’d look at.
Grab it if…
- Your skin is normal to dry or combination and you want that dewy, glowy finish
- Your face hates fragrance and gets red easily
Skip it if…
- You get fungal acne or seb derm on your face (it’s the olive esters and the two oils)
- You’re hoping one cream will totally transform your skin
What I like
- No fragrance or essential oils on the list, which my rosacea appreciates.
- Niacinamide and squalane sit high up, not hidden at the bottom.
- It leaves skin looking smooth and dewy without feeling heavy.
- On combination skin, it makes a nice night cream.
What to know
- It isn’t fungal acne safe because of the olive esters and two oils.
- The newer list puts rice bran water 20th, so check your box.
- It feels slightly tacky at first, though that doesn’t last long.
- Some people report clogged pores, so bring it in slowly if you get congested.
Where to buy the Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream, and the discount codes for each
These are the shops I’d buy it from, with my code for each one where I have one. Buying it in the US? STYLEVANA, YesStyle, Olive Young Global, SkinSeoul and BuyBeautyKorea all ship there as well as the UK, and Sephora US stocks it too. Each code has its own page with the details and FAQs: my LOOKFANTASTIC discount code, STYLEVANA discount code, YesStyle discount code, Olive Young discount code, SkinSeoul discount code and BuyBeautyKorea discount code pages, or all my discount codes in one place.
- LOOKFANTASTIC, code LFTFNEVEEN for up to 25% off
- STYLEVANA, code INF10NEVE for up to 25% off
- YesStyle, code NEVEEN15 built in
- Olive Young Global, code NEVEEN20 built in, up to 10% off
- SkinSeoul, code NEVEEN for 5% off
- BuyBeautyKorea, code NEVEEN10 for 10% off
- Space NK
- Sephora UK
- Sephora US
- Boots
- Cult Beauty
FAQs
Is the Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream good for dry skin?
Yes. Beauty of Joseon says it made the cream for all skin types, especially normal to dry. If your skin is very dry, use a coin-sized amount and try a thicker layer at night.
Does the Dynasty Cream clog pores?
Beauty of Joseon’s own 4-week test with 22 people found it non-comedogenic. If you’re breakout-prone, start with a half-pea amount like the brand suggests.
Is the Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream fungal acne safe?
No. Cetearyl olivate, sorbitan olivate, safflower seed oil and hydrogenated coconut oil are all on the list, and those can feed malassezia. If you get fungal acne or seb derm, I’d pick a different moisturizer.
Does the Dynasty Cream have fragrance in it?
Beauty of Joseon labels it fragrance-free and alcohol-free, and I didn’t find any essential oils on the list.
Can I use the Dynasty Cream as a night cream?
Yes. Beauty of Joseon says it works morning and night, and a slightly thicker layer at night works like a sleeping mask.
Does the Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream have silicones?
No. Beauty of Joseon’s FAQ says the Dynasty Cream is silicone-free.
Why are there two ingredient lists for the Dynasty Cream?
The list on Beauty of Joseon’s European site puts ginseng root water 14th and rice bran water 20th, while many retailers still show an older order with rice bran water 2nd. Check the box on the one you get.
Affiliate links, I earn commission if you use my links or codes.
Google will show you more of my posts when you search, AI answers included. One tap, and you can undo it any time.
