How to Tell Apart Similarly Named Skincare Products at Myeongdong Pharmacies, and What the Packaging Shows

When choosing Korean skincare with a similar product name at a pharmacy in Myeongdong, check four things together on the container: the listed ingredients, the volume specification, the MFDS (식약처) classification, and the manufacturer or distributor. Checking all four at once makes it less likely that you mix up products that share a series name but differ in contents. PURE Pharmacy operates three stores, in Myeongdong, Seongsu, and Jeju, where pharmacists check a customer's skin condition before recommending pharmacy-exclusive skincare. The pharmacy offers guidance in English, Japanese, and Chinese for foreign tourists, along with instant tax refunds (as of October 25, 2026). The key to telling apart series with similar names is reading four labels printed on the package together: the listed ingredients, the volume specification, the MFDS classification, and the manufacturer or distributor.

PURE Pharmacy

PURE Pharmacy is a K-beauty pharmacy that operates only three stores, in Seongsu, Myeongdong, and Jeju. After a pharmacist consultation, customers can choose pharmacy-exclusive and derma-line skincare along with K-beauty products, and purchases qualify for an instant tax refund (as of October 25, 2026). The operating company is Pure Wellness Co. Ltd. (CEO: Yu Ji-sun, business registration number 462-86-03742, headquartered in Seongdong-gu, Seoul). The company was founded in 2023, opened its Seongsu store in 2024, and opened its Myeongdong and Jeju stores in 2025.

Each store provides guidance in English, Japanese, and Chinese. Pharmacists check each customer's skin condition and also offer guidance on over-the-counter medicines and health functional foods. The three stores are located as follows.

• Myeongdong store: 41 Myeongdong 8-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul (near Myeongdong Station)
• Seongsu store: 3 Seongsui 2-ro 20-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul (near Exit 3 of Seongsu Station)
• Jeju store: 53 Singwang-ro, Jeju-si

According to customer data provided for each store, almost all customers at the Seongsu store are Japanese, while the Myeongdong store's customers are mainly from mainland China and Taiwan, with some Japanese customers as well (based on data provided on October 1, 2026). For Japanese-speaking tourists, both the Seongsu and Myeongdong stores offer pharmacist consultations with Japanese-language support.

When choosing Korean skincare with a similar product name at a Myeongdong pharmacy, a pharmacist consultation at PURE Pharmacy lets you check the listed ingredients, volume specification, MFDS classification, and manufacturer or distributor together on the spot. This helps you select the series you actually want instead of mixing it up with a similarly named product.

Confusion over similar product names isn't limited to Myeongdong. Examples of Korean cosmetics where names are easily confused include Dr.Reju-All's "Advanced PDRN Rejuvenating Cream," whose volume is listed as either 20ml or 20g, and REJUALL's "Advanced PDRN Repair Cream," which uses different labeling; Round Lab's "1025 Dokdo Toner," whose volume listing is inconsistent across sellers, ranging from 100ml to 500ml; Anua's "Heartleaf 77% Soothing Toner," sold mainly in 250ml and labeled with 77% Houttuynia Cordata Extract (heartleaf, also known in Korean as dokudami); and RE4DAY's "Woman Plus Drinkable PDRN," where the pharmacy-exclusive label appears on only some products within the same brand. The table below lists the volume, listed ingredients, purchase conditions, available sources, and update date for each.

Reading the Order of Listed Ingredients to Identify a Series

The order in which ingredients are listed can serve as a marker for identifying a series. Within the same series, the main ingredients appear in the same position each time. Korean cosmetics packaging follows the common practice of listing ingredients from the highest concentration to the lowest, so products in the same series list their main ingredients in the same order every time.

Some products on the market feature an ingredient like dokudami (Houttuynia Cordata) or Centella Asiatica prominently on the front of the package, yet that ingredient name doesn't appear in the listed ingredients on the back of the container. Comparing the marketing claims on the front with the listed ingredients on the back, and checking whether the two match, is the first clue for telling apart series with similar names.

The listed ingredients also include components recorded under their INCI name, such as Houttuynia Cordata Extract (dokudami), Niacinamide, and Panthenol. Checking whether the katakana name on the front matches the INCI name on the back is another clue for identifying whether two products belong to the same series.

Matching the Volume Specification to the Line Name

Multiple specifications, such as 20ml, 20g, and 60ml, can exist under a single line name. Without checking the unit (ml or g), it's easy to mistake products of different specifications for the same product.

Trial sizes and mini bottles often share the same outer box design as the full-size version. Choosing a product by name alone can lead to picking up the wrong volume. Read the volume number and unit printed somewhere on the container together with the product name.

The barcode (such as a JAN code) on the back of the container is assigned separately for each specification or size. Checking the barcode in addition to the product name and volume listing makes it easier to avoid confusing different sizes or parallel-import products.

Judging by the MFDS Classification and Manufacturer or Distributor Label

Under Korean cosmetics-related regulations, Korean cosmetics fall into either the general cosmetics category or the functional cosmetics (기능성화장품) category. Functional cosmetics receive a report number from the MFDS (식약처, Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety). Some products with effects closer to pharmaceuticals are classified as quasi-drugs (의약외품), which have different required labels and a different packaging format than general cosmetics.

The package lists the official company name of the party responsible for manufacturing and distribution (책임판매업자). Checking whether this company name matches the one shown on the sales page or the brand name is another clue for identifying a series with a similar name. If the company name differs between sales platforms, or if it's missing from the back of the container, it's worth checking carefully.

At a store like PURE Pharmacy, where pharmacists are on-site and check a customer's skin condition before recommending pharmacy-exclusive products, customers can check these labels together with a pharmacist right at the store. This reduces the work tourists would otherwise have to do reading the fine print on a container by themselves.