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It's that time again, skin-care lovers. Soko Glam's 2021 Best of K-Beauty Awards is here. And similar to years past, the e-retailer is hosting an exciting sale to celebrate and say thank you to its loyal customers. The promotion commences on Friday, October 1, and lasts through Wednesday, October 13, so shoppers get almost two full weeks of savings. Starting at 10 a.m. ET on October 1, this year's winners — all of which were chosen by the Soko Glam community — will be 20 percent off with the promo code BOBKB20. And judging by the lineup (pictured below), you absolutely don't want to miss out. Outside of Then I Met You's The Giving Essence, the promo applies to every single winner. (You can't combine the code with any other promotions or discount codes, as per usual.)

Best of all, if you spend $125 or more, you'll receive a complimentary The Happy (Skin) Days Set. Inside a limited-edition Soko Glam reusable tote, you'll find the following four winners in deluxe sample sizes: Saturday Skin Yuzu Vitamin C Sleep Mask, Rovectin Lotus Water Cream, Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum, and Hanskin Pore Cleansing Oil BHA. They're the perfect additions to any suitcase or duffle bag for your next (safe) getaway, so your skin stays glowing even in less familiar temperatures and settings.

Let's get into the good stuff and break down each individual winner by superlative:

Best Clean Beauty: Acwell Licorice pH Balancing Advanced Serum

Acwell Licorice pH Balancing Advanced Serum

We love how upfront Acwell is about the pH levels in its products. If you need a refresher, our skin clocks in at 5.5 — and the closer it stays to that number, the fewer chances harmful bacteria has of forming and wrecking havoc. Acwell's Licorice pH Balancing Advanced Serum has a watery, fast-absorbing formula spiked with, as its name suggests, a powerful brightening, discoloration-evening trio of licorice root extract, licorice root water, and niacinamide. 

Even Soko Glam cofounder Charlotte Cho told us that Acwell is one of her favorites and consistently makes the cut for the Best of K-Beauty Awards. (The Licorice pH Balancing Cleansing Toner, Licorice pH Balancing Intensive Eye Cream, and Licorice pH Balancing Essence Mist have all picked up awards in previous years.)

As for the "clean" designation, you can read all about Allure's standards for clean beauty to inform your decision — but this serum makes the cut for us.

Best Vegan Beauty: Rovectin Lotus Water Cream

Rovectin Lotus Water Cream

Don't let this unassuming exterior fool you. Within Rovetin's Lotus Water Cream, you'll find a blend of lotus flower extract, glycerin, niacinamide, and Aquaxyl (a patented hydrator) working together to majorly boost hydration levels, limit water loss, and improve elasticity and plumpness. If you're looking for a light-as-air, gel-like moisturizer that feels soothing and cool to the touch, this is it — hands down. Take it from senior commerce writer Sarah Han, who says it's become an absolute staple in her routine — both daytime and nighttime.

And as the category suggests, this cream is not made with any animal products.

Best Staple: Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum

Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum

When an affordable (as in, under $20) golden elixir like the Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum promises a woke-up-like-this radiance, it's ok to hoard a bit of doubt. But we're here to dispel those uncertainties because this soothing concoction of anti-inflammatory propolis, tone-evening niacinamide, and antioxidant-rich turmeric keeps skin feeling bouncy and looking bright. Add a few drops to your nighttime routine to calm breakouts and irritation.

The New Classic: Neogen Day-Light Protection Airy Sunscreen

Neogen Day-Light Protection Airy Sunscreen

It's no surprise that so many have fallen in love with Neogen's latest SPF, Day-Light Protection Airy Sunscreen. Upon its debut a few months ago, Han raved about the colorless, lightweight formula and its hydrating, glow-inducing, and yet barely-there texture. Despite being a chemical sunscreen (meaning it uses octocrylene, homosalate, and avobenzone filters), it's infused with a boatload of soothing ingredients including açai, aloe, avocado, glycerin, and hibiscus to counteract any potential sensitivity, as cosmetic chemist Ginger King confirmed. 

Best Night Treatment: Saturday Skin Yuzu Vitamin C Sleep Mask

Saturday Skin Yuzu Vitamin C Sleep Mask

While Saturday Skin's Yuzu Vitamin C Sleep Mask has a fun, jelly-like texture, it's not here to play around. In fact, it's going to work extra hard while you snooze and infuse your skin with deep hydration — so you wake up with refreshed, supple skin. How so? Look to the key vitamins found in the bouncy formula, including vitamin A (retinol), vitamin B (niacinamide), and vitamin C (yuzu extract). All you need is a little bit of product applied on top of your moisturizer to seal in all of that barrier-repairing, skin-smoothing goodness — you're welcome.

Best At-Home Treatment: Benton Snail Bee Ultimate Hydrogel Eye Patch

Benton Snail Bee Ultimate Hydrogel Eye Patch

After all of the screen time we subject our eyes to (sorry), they'll definitely appreciate a bit of pampering — courtesy of Benton Snail Bee Ultimate Hydrogel Eye Patch. Each container comes packed with 60 patches (aka 30 pairs/uses) infused with gold, pearl, diamond, and charcoal powders that firm and hydrate your delicate undereye area. Doesn't that so luxurious? An at-home spa night never sounded so right.

Best All-Around: Hanskin Pore Cleansing Oil BHA

Hanskin Pore Cleansing Oil BHA

We're huge proponents of double cleansing here at Allure, which means kicking things off with a no-nonsense cleansing oil that seamlessly (and satisfyingly) melts every bit of makeup and pore-clogging debris away. Perfect for combination and oily skin types, Hanskin Pore Cleansing Oil BHA targets blackheads and excess sebum with exfoliating salicylic acid, as well as jojoba, olive, and fruit oils (orange, lemon, etc.) to leave your pores feeling sparkling clean — but never stripped.

P.S. Those with drier and more sensitive skin can check out Hanskin's Cleansing Oil PHA, which is formulated with polyhydroxy acids (hence, the PHA in the name). In comparison to AHA and BHA, PHA molecules are larger in size and therefore can't penetrate the deeper, more delicate layers of the skin.

Best Body Care: Klavuu Green Pearlsation Tea Tree Care Body Spray

Klavuu Green Pearlsation Tea Tree Care Body Spray

In case you forgot, it's not just your face that's prone to breaking out. And, thanks to rising stress levels and a more sedentary lifestyle due to the ongoing pandemic, body acne is unfortunately more common than ever. Kick pesky backne and buttne to the curb with a beginner-friendly treatment like the Klavuu Green Pearlsation Tea Tree Care Body Spray, which is laced with tea tree oil and salicylic acid to fight acne and irritation in hard-to-reach areas. Pearl and algae extracts also assist in brightening skin and soothing irritation. 

Best Newcomer: Good Light Moon Glow Milky Toning Lotion

Good Light Moon Glow Milky Toning Lotion

Also ringing in a skin-loving pH of 5.5, Good Light's Moon Glow Milky Toning Lotion is pretty much perfectly named. Milky in both color and texture, this lightweight fluid leaves skin feeling moisturized, balanced, and smooth as heck. Natural alpha hydroxy acids (or AHAs) via fruit extracts — like apple, lemon, and coconut — gently sweet away dead skin cells to reveal a more radiant complexion. In terms of locking in hydration and strengthening your barrier, you'll have meadowfoam seed oil (an anti-inflammatory fatty acid), snow mushroom (holds 1000 times its weight in water), and plenty of soothing ceramides to thank. 

The Holy Grail: Then I Met You The Giving Essence

Then I Met You The Giving Essence

While Then I Met You's The Giving Essence unfortunately isn't discounted, that shouldn't stop you from experiencing this gem of a product for yourself. Seriously, we love a hydrating essence that also gently exfoliates, thanks to red algae (which, along with black chokeberry, lends this formula its gorgeous, natural pink hue). But the star ingredient might just have to be polyglutamic acid, which holds four times more moisture than hyaluronic acid. Let that sink in — literally. 

Treat your skin to an upgraded routine by shopping the epic sale through October 13 at 10 a.m. ET, so there's plenty of time to shop over at sokoglam.com and cash in on the savings. As a reminder, all you have to do is use the code BOBK20 at checkout to redeem the limited-time offer. Time to glow up, my friends.

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