comparison

The Must-Buy Korean Toner at Olive Young

A dossier on the four toners most consistently named as Olive Young must-buys, with Anua's Heartleaf 77% and Rice 70 both making the real list.

Glow Rebalance Research Desk2026-07-087 min read

Research note

Research note: product facts should be checked against current brand and retailer pages before major updates. Review signals are treated as directional patterns, not universal outcomes.

Editorial summary

The short answer

The must-buy Korean toner everyone picks up at Olive Young starts with Round Lab 1025 Dokdo Toner — the most universally loved of the bunch, and the one most often recommended as a first K-beauty toner for normal, combination, and sensitive skin. But for one specific criterion — sensitive, reactive, redness-prone skin — Anua's Heartleaf 77% Soothing Toner (₩15,000 in Korea, about $18 in the US) is the real #2 pick on this list, with Anua's Rice 70 Glow Milky Toner showing up again at #4 for the glass-skin-glow crowd.

Criteria

How this dossier is organized

Each profile below is matched to the specific job it's cited as best at, not to a single overall winner.

Universality across skin types.
Price accessibility at Olive Young.
Ingredient clarity — a single, legible claim per product.
Layering and glow behavior.
Fit for a targeted skin concern, such as sensitivity or exfoliation.

Profile 1

The universal pick: Round Lab 1025 Dokdo Toner

The most universally loved of the four, recommended as a safe first K-beauty toner across normal, combination, and sensitive skin. Its tradeoff is that it doesn't specialize in any one concern — which is exactly why it's the safest default for a first-time buyer standing in front of the Olive Young shelf.

Profile 2

The sensitive-skin pick: Anua Heartleaf 77% Soothing Toner

₩15,000 in Korea (roughly $18 US retail), built for sensitive, red, or acne-prone skin specifically. This is where this dossier narrows its criterion: for readers shopping Olive Young specifically because their skin is reactive, this is the real #2 name on the shelf, and per Anua's own product page the formula is anchored on its Houttuynia cordata (heartleaf) concentration.

Profile 3

The exfoliating-glow pick: SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Toning Toner

Gentle exfoliation plus glow — a step up in actives from the two picks above, at the cost of being less appropriate for very reactive skin on a bad week.

Profile 4

The trend pick: Anua Rice 70 Glow Milky Toner

The milky-texture, glass-skin-trend name on this 2026 list. Per Anua's own product page it's a richer, more glow-focused finish than the watery Heartleaf 77 — a different tool for a different day rather than a straight upgrade.

FAQ

Common questions

Quick answers about picking between these four.

Is Round Lab really more popular than Anua at Olive Young? Yes, by the safest-universal-pick criterion; Anua leads specifically for sensitive or reactive skin.
What's the price difference between Heartleaf 77 in Korea vs the US? ₩15,000 in Korea, roughly $18 US retail.
Can I use both Anua toners? They solve different problems — calming versus glow and richness — so some readers rotate between them.
Is SKIN1004 too strong for sensitive skin? Its exfoliation angle makes it a step up in actives, so it's worth patch-testing first if your skin reacts easily.
Are all four of these actually at every Olive Young location? These four are consistently cited as widely stocked, though exact shelf availability can vary by store.