How to Read Korean Cosmetics Labels

To find the expiry date on a Korean cosmetic, look for the word 사용기한 (use-by date) or a date followed by 까지 (“until”). Some products give a period after opening instead: 개봉 후 사용기간 with a number of months, or a small open-jar symbol marked something like “12 M”. A product labelled that way must also print its manufacturing date, 제조연월일, so you may see two dates and should know which is which. The batch number, 제조번호, is a separate code. Korean law requires these on the bottle or tube itself, not only on the box.

This is a guide to the packaging of cosmetics sold in Korea, based on the Cosmetics Act and its labelling rules as they stand on October 12, 2026. It helps with shopping and keeping product information; it does not assess whether a product suits your skin.

Which Korean words mark the expiry date?

Korean packaging standards require dates to be easy to tell apart from the batch number. Find the label word first, then read the number next to it.

The law defines the use-by date as the period from manufacture during which the product keeps its properties and can be used stably, provided it is stored properly. When only a year and month are given, the standard says that month must not run past the actual use-by date.

How long can I use it after opening?

A product with an opening period counts from the day you open it, not from the day you buy it. The packaging standard allows the period to be written as 개봉 후 사용기간 with “12월” or “12개월”, or shown as a symbol of an open jar with the period, such as “12 M”. Under the required-label rules, a product that uses an opening period must also show its manufacturing date.

For gifts or a large purchase, check the date before paying and write the opening date on the product when it enters your routine. Do not rely on a generic shelf-life assumption instead of the information printed for that product.

Is the date on the bottle or only on the box?

Both. Korean rules distinguish the primary container from the outer packaging. The container is the bottle, tube or jar that touches the contents; the box is the packaging around it. When a product comes in a box, the container itself must still carry four things: the product name, the company name, the batch number, and the use-by date or opening period (with the manufacturing date, if an opening period is used).

The rest is on the outer packaging: the company address, the full ingredient list, the contents quantity, the price and the precautions for use, among other items. Once the box goes in the bin, that information goes with it. Keep the box, or photograph the ingredient list and precautions clearly enough to read later.

Are Korean cosmetics labels in English?

Not necessarily. The Cosmetics Act requires the label to be written in Korean that is easy to read and understand, and allows Chinese characters or foreign languages alongside it. An English line on the box is optional, so the Korean words in the table above are the ones you can count on.

How do I read the ingredient list (전성분)?

Look for 전성분, the full ingredient list, and 내용량, the contents quantity. The government’s label guide explains that ingredients appear from the largest amount downwards, while ingredients used at one per cent or less, fragrances and colourants can appear in any order. Fragrance can be listed simply as 향료, unless it contains an allergen that the ministry has designated, which must then be named. The list therefore does not give you a percentage for every ingredient.

The quantity refers to the contents, not the weight of the bottle and box. For a price comparison, use the contents quantity and the number of pieces in the pack. A large gift box is not itself a measure of how much product is inside.

What do samples and minis have to show?

Most small products of 10 ml or 10 g or less, and not-for-sale samples, can carry only the product name, the seller’s company name, a price (for a sample, a mark such as “not for sale”), the batch number, and the use-by date or opening period (plus the manufacturing date with an opening period). Korea’s cosmetics regulator, MFDS, confirmed this for a 5 g sample in March 2026. If the ingredient list is left off, the packaging must give a phone number or website where you can see every ingredient straight away, or the shop must keep a printed list. If you plan to use a sample later, keep it with whatever ingredient information came with it.

How are dates shown on a gift set?

On a set of two or more products, the outer box may show only the earliest use-by date among its contents, with a note such as “사용기한: 제품에 별도 표시” (use-by date: shown on each product). For opening periods, the box may show the period of the product with the oldest manufacturing date, with a similar note for the rest. The packaging standard allows both arrangements. A set can therefore contain several different dates; read each product when you unpack it.

What should I check before paying?

For cosmetics that Koreans order from overseas shops, MFDS tells shoppers to check the use-by date, the ingredients and the precautions for use. Our shopping version for products bought in Seoul uses the same three checks: inspect the date, the ingredient list and the precautions before paying, keep the box or a photo of it, and write down when you open each product. If you plan to claim a tax refund on a haul, our tax refund guide explains why those products should stay unopened until you leave Korea.

Steve OH edits Seoulpin. Steve runs Standardpin, a Seoul-based web studio that also builds websites for clinics; that work has no effect on whether or how any clinic appears here. Articles are drafted with AI assistance from the sources listed and reviewed by Steve before publishing. How we work