SKIN1004 is one of those Korean skincare brands that looks simple at first glance — clean packaging, Centella everywhere — yet quickly becomes confusing once you start browsing their serum range. Many of their ampoules sound similar, some share key ingredients, and several target overlapping concerns like hydration, barrier repair, or acne.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through SKIN1004’s philosophy, explain how their serums truly differ, and help you choose based on your skin’s needs, not marketing claims. To make this easy, I’ve grouped the serums into five clear skin goals, comparing two products at a time — because in real life, these are the choices people usually hesitate between.

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Table of Contents:

About SKIN1004: Brand Philosophy & Focus

Calming vs Barrier Repair: Which Centella Does Your Skin Need?

Hydration: Prep Hydration vs Deep Hydration

Brightening: Gentle Tone Correction vs High-Strength Niacinamide

Pores: Inflammation-Related vs Structural Pores

Anti-Aging: Peptides vs Retinoids

Final Thoughts & How to Build Your Routine

About SKIN1004: Brand Philosophy & Focus

SKIN1004 is a Korean skincare brand best known for its strong focus on Centella Asiatica, particularly Centella sourced from Madagascar. Their philosophy centres on skin comfort, barrier support, and long-term skin health, rather than quick, aggressive results.

Most SKIN1004 products are designed to:

Calm inflammation
Strengthen the skin barrier
Support skin recovery and resilience

This makes the brand especially appealing if your skin is sensitive, acne-prone, over-treated, or simply needs consistency rather than constant stimulation.

How to Pronounce SKIN1004 (Fun Fact!)

You may have heard many different pronunciations online, but in Korean, 1004 is read as “cheon-sa” (천사), which means “angel.”
So the brand name is essentially “Skin Angel.”

A simple phonetic way to say it: Skin-cheon-sa.

Calming vs Barrier Repair: Which Centella Does Your Skin Need?

When skin feels uncomfortable, red, or reactive, it’s easy to assume it simply needs calming. In reality, irritation can come from two very different issues: temporary inflammation or a weakened skin barrier. One approach focuses on soothing the skin quickly, while the other works on rebuilding its protective structure.

Centella Ampoule

This is SKIN1004’s most minimal, soothing formula. It focuses on calming inflammation and supporting the skin without adding extra stimulation.

Best when your skin is:

Red, irritated, or reactive
Over-exfoliated or post-treatment
Easily sensitised

Think of this as first aid for your skin — ideal when you need things to calm down before doing anything else.

Probio-Cica Intensive Ampoule

While this also uses Centella, it goes much deeper. With fermented Centella, ceramides, fatty acids, and skin-identical lipids, this ampoule works on rebuilding the barrier itself.

Best when your skin is:

Chronically dry or tight
Damaged from retinoids or exfoliants
Struggling to hold moisture

If your skin feels fragile rather than just irritated, this is the better choice.

Hydration: Prep vs Deep Treatment

Dehydrated skin isn’t always about a lack of moisture — sometimes it’s about how well your skin can receive and retain it. In this category, one option prepares the skin to absorb hydration more effectively, while the other delivers deep, multi-level moisture to relieve tightness and dehydration.

Hyalu-Cica First Ampoule

This is designed as a hydration booster, not a standalone treatment. It preps the skin, improves absorption, and adds light hydration without weight.

Best for:

Dehydrated skin using layered routines
Anyone who wants products to absorb better
Skin that feels tight but not dry

Think of it as laying down a smooth, hydrated base.

Hyalu-Cica Blue Serum

This is a true hydrating serum. With multiple molecular weights of hyaluronic acid, polyglutamic acid, and ceramides, it deeply hydrates and visibly plumps the skin.

Best for:

Dehydration lines
Tight, uncomfortable skin
Dry or combination skin

If your skin actually feels thirsty, this is the one to choose.

Brightening: Gentle vs High-Strength

Uneven skin tone can be treated in more than one way. Some formulas focus on gradual, low-irritation brightening that supports sensitive skin, while others take a more direct, high-strength approach to oil control, pores, and discoloration. Choosing the right intensity makes all the difference.

Tone Brightening Capsule Ampoule

This formula focuses on slow, steady tone correction using niacinamide, tranexamic acid, and a vitamin C derivative, all supported by Centella.

Best for:

Uneven skin tone
Post-acne marks
Sensitive skin needing brightening

This is ideal if your skin reacts easily or you prefer gradual results.

Niacinamide 10 Boosting Shot Ampoule

With a full 10% niacinamide, this is a corrective, high-performance serum. It targets oil balance, pores, and pigmentation more aggressively.

Best for:

Oily or acne-prone skin
Enlarged pores
Persistent discoloration

If your skin tolerates actives well, this can be very effective — but it’s not a beginner product.

Pores: Inflammation vs Structure

Enlarged pores don’t all have the same cause. For some, pores appear larger due to excessive oil production and active breakouts, while for others the issue is linked to loss of elasticity and skin structure. These two approaches target very different reasons behind visible pores.

Tea-Trica Relief Ampoule

This targets inflamed, breakout-related pores. With a high concentration of tea tree leaf water and Centella, it calms active acne and reduces redness.

Best for:

Acne-prone skin
Inflamed breakouts
Oily, sensitive skin

If your pores look larger during breakouts, this is likely the right approach.

Poremizing Fresh Ampoule

This focuses on elasticity and skin structure, using peptides and firming ingredients to improve how pores appear as skin loses firmness.

Best for:

Visible pores linked to aging
Loss of firmness
Combination to oily skin

This is about skin architecture, not oil control.

Anti-Aging: Signalling vs Turnover

Anti-aging skincare isn’t one-size-fits-all. Some formulas work by supporting the skin’s natural collagen signalling over time, while others focus on increasing cell turnover to improve texture and visible lines. Both are effective, but they suit different skin goals and experience levels.

Matrixyl 10 Boosting Shot Ampoule

This peptide-based serum supports collagen signalling and long-term firmness without irritation.

Best for:

Early signs of aging
Preventative routines
Sensitive skin avoiding retinoids

It’s gentle, consistent, and ideal for long-term use.

Retinol 0.2 Boosting Shot Ampoule

This serum focuses on cell turnover and texture renewal using retinol and retinal, buffered with soothing and hydrating ingredients.

Best for:

Fine lines
Uneven texture
Experienced retinol users

This delivers more visible change — but requires careful use.

Final Thoughts: Choosing the Right SKIN1004 Serum

SKIN1004 doesn’t expect you to use everything. Their strength lies in offering targeted solutions, so you can choose what truly supports your skin right now.

If you’re unsure, always ask yourself:

Is my skin irritated or structurally damaged?
Is it dehydrated or dry?
Do my pores come from acne or loss of firmness?
Do I need prevention or correction?

If you’d like more guidance, you can explore in-depth skincare blogs, ingredient education, ebooks on Korean skincare routines, honest product recommendations, and personalized skincare routine consultations — all created to help you make confident, informed choices for your skin.