Why Dear Glow Chose Pobaek: The Moisture Cream Built By Its Users — and Why It's Already Korea's #1

Most skincare brands launch a product, then ask customers what they think. Pobaek did it the other way around — and that's exactly why we noticed them.

Before a single tube of the Pobaek Multi Layering Moisture Cream hit the shelves, 40 real people — members of Pobaek's tester community called "399" — were already testing samples, giving blind feedback, and helping shape the final formula. The result? A moisturiser that went straight to #1 on Korea's Ably platform within a month of launch — not through paid ads, but through the kind of word-of-mouth that only comes from a product that genuinely works.

At Dear Glow, we curate carefully. Every product we carry has to meet our standards for authenticity, ingredient quality, and real-skin results. Pobaek didn't just meet those standards — it told us something we rarely hear from a brand this new: that its customers were involved from the very beginning.

Here's why we chose Pobaek, what makes this cream different, and who it's perfect for.

Who Is 400: Pobaek? The Small Brand With a Very Different Philosophy

Pobaek is a young Korean skincare brand, and proudly so. They don't have decades of history or celebrity endorsements behind them — what they have is a community. Their approach to product development is simple but rare: instead of finishing a product and then finding reviewers, they build the product together with their users.

For the Multi Layering Moisture Cream, this meant recruiting 40 members of their tester community — called "399" — real people with real skin concerns, and sending them multiple sample formulations before the final product was decided. Testers conducted blind comparisons between Sample A and Sample B, rating each on moisture satisfaction, formula lightness, and absorption. The winning formula wasn't chosen by the brand's in-house team. It was chosen by its future customers.

The data from those tests was decisive. In satisfaction with hydration, the winning sample scored 61% at the highest rating — compared to 29% for the alternative. In formula lightness, it scored 55% versus 32%. In absorption feel, testers were equally clear. The final product is, in every sense, the cream its users asked for.

This isn't Pobaek's approach to just this one product. According to the brand, their products currently in development are being shaped the same way — through ongoing customer feedback. In a market where most brands talk about "listening to customers," Pobaek has made it a structural part of how they operate.

Pobaek Multi Layering Moisture Cream: What It Is and What It Does

The Multi Layering Moisture Cream is Pobaek's debut product — a 100ml, fragrance-free daily moisturiser designed to deliver deep, layered hydration without any heaviness, greasiness, or irritation. The name refers to both the formula's technology (multiple forms of hyaluronic acid working at different skin depths) and the way it's intended to be used: you can apply a single layer for everyday hydration, or layer it multiple times for more intensive moisture — and it absorbs quickly every single time.

Pobaek describes it with three words: pure, makeup-magnet, daily essential. Each one is deliberate.

Pure — the formula is fragrance-free and formulated to minimise irritation. It completed clinical safety testing at the OATC Skin Clinical Trial Center (November 2025, 33 participants, average age 28), confirming it is suitable for daily use on sensitive skin.

Makeup-magnet — apply this cream in the morning before foundation, and your makeup will look noticeably better. This is one of the most common things people say after using it for the first time. The skin feels hydrated but not slippery, giving makeup something to grip and hold to throughout the day. For anyone whose foundation tends to slide, crease, or go patchy by midday — this is the missing step.

Daily essential — it's light enough to use every single day, for all skin types, morning and night. There's no adjustment period. You don't need to ration it. It's designed to be your base layer, every day, indefinitely.

Inside the Formula: Key Ingredients Explained

The Pobaek Multi Layering Moisture Cream is built on five star ingredients, each chosen for a specific job in the skin:

Multi-Hyaluronic Acid Complex — Multi-layered hydration

Rather than using a single form of hyaluronic acid, Pobaek uses a complex of multiple HA molecules — including sodium hyaluronate, hyaluronic acid, sodium hyaluronate crosspolymer, and hydrolysed sodium hyaluronate. Different molecular weights penetrate to different depths of the skin, creating layered, long-lasting hydration from the surface down. This is the technology behind the "multi layering" name.

Ceramide NP — Barrier strengthening

Ceramides are the skin's natural lipid molecules — they make up the "mortar" between skin cells and are essential for a healthy, intact barrier. When the barrier is compromised, skin loses moisture faster and becomes more reactive. Ceramide NP replenishes what daily exposure to sun, air conditioning, and cleansing strips away, keeping skin resilient and better at holding hydration over time.

Centella Asiatica Extract — Calming and soothing

Centella asiatica (also known as cica or tiger grass) is a K-beauty staple with well-established calming properties. It helps reduce redness and sensitivity, making this cream particularly valuable for skin that feels easily irritated, reactive, or inflamed. For those dealing with occasional breakouts or post-sun sensitivity — especially relevant in Singapore's climate — centella provides a meaningful soothing effect alongside the hydration.

Panthenol — Soothing and moisture-locking

Panthenol (provitamin B5) is one of skincare's most reliable workhorses. It draws moisture into the skin and helps retain it there, while simultaneously calming irritation and supporting barrier repair. It works in harmony with ceramides to both soothe and seal — addressing the two things that matter most for sensitive, dry, or stressed skin.

Squalane — Oil-moisture balance

Squalane is a lightweight emollient derived from plants that mimics the skin's own natural oils. It doesn't clog pores or leave a greasy residue — instead, it helps balance the skin's oil-to-moisture ratio, keeping skin soft and supple without the heavy finish of heavier oils. This is the ingredient that makes the cream feel comfortable on skin that leans oily in humid weather, while still delivering meaningful nourishment.

Why This Cream Works Especially Well in Humid Climates

Finding a moisturiser that works in Singapore is genuinely harder than it sounds. The humidity means skin already has ambient moisture in the air — so heavy creams become suffocating rather than nourishing. But air conditioning pulls that humidity away indoors, leaving skin dehydrated. The result is a constant cycle of oily-feeling skin that is, paradoxically, actually parched underneath.

The Pobaek Multi Layering Moisture Cream addresses this directly. Its texture is light and water-forward, absorbing within seconds of application — so it never contributes to the greasy feeling that many people in humid climates associate with face creams. At the same time, the multi-HA complex and ceramide combination actually replenishes the deeper hydration that air conditioning and sun exposure deplete.

And because it's completely fragrance-free, it won't cause the kind of sensitivity reactions that heat and perspiration can amplify in tropical climates — making it genuinely suitable for year-round daily use in Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong.

Why Dear Glow Chose 400: Pobaek

At Dear Glow, we don't add products to our shelves lightly. Every brand we carry has to meet a specific set of criteria: the products must be genuinely formulated (not just well-marketed), the ingredients must be appropriate for sensitive and barrier-conscious skin, and — most importantly — the product must actually do what it claims.

When we first came across Pobaek, a few things stood out immediately.

The first was the ingredient profile. Multi-HA complex, ceramide NP, centella asiatica, panthenol, squalane — this is a formula that reflects real knowledge of what skin needs, not just trending buzzwords. There's no unnecessary filler, no fragrance, no alcohol. Just a clean, considered formula built around hydration and barrier care.

The second was the development story. We believe the best products come from real conversations with real skin. Pobaek doesn't just say that — they structured their entire launch process around it. 40 members of their "399" tester community tested their samples. Blind tests. Structured feedback. The formula that launched is the one that users actually preferred, with data to prove it. That kind of rigour from a new brand is rare, and it aligns exactly with how we think about curation.

The third was what we heard from people who'd already tried it. The feedback was consistent: it absorbs beautifully, it doesn't pill, and it makes makeup sit differently on the skin. For anyone who's ever applied a moisturiser and watched their foundation slide off by noon — that last point alone is worth paying attention to.

Pobaek is a small company that's growing fast, and for good reason. They hit #1 on Ably within one month of launching — not through influencer campaigns or aggressive advertising, but because the product works and people tell other people. That's the kind of brand momentum that's hard to fake, and exactly the kind of brand we want to bring to you first.

How to Use the Pobaek Multi Layering Moisture Cream

Take an appropriate amount and spread it gently over the face from the inside outward. For dry skin, or when you want more intensive hydration, feel free to layer it — even multiple times. It absorbs quickly enough that layering doesn't leave skin feeling heavy or occlusive.

Morning use: Apply after your essence or serum, before sunscreen. Give it a minute to absorb fully, then apply your SPF and makeup. The cream creates the ideal base for foundation to adhere without slipping — particularly noticeable if makeup sliding has been a recurring concern.

Night use: Apply as your final step after any treatment products. A slightly more generous amount at night supports overnight repair and means skin feels genuinely comfortable, not tight or dry, by morning.

Dry skin tip: Layer 2–3 times in the morning for an extra boost of hydration, especially during long days in air-conditioned environments. Because the formula absorbs so quickly at each layer, it never feels heavy — just deeply hydrated.

✨ Shop Now: Pobaek Multi Layering Moisture Cream 100ml — available at Dear Glow with shipping to Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the USA.

Who Is This Cream Best For?

The short answer: almost anyone. But it's especially well-suited to:

• Dry and dehydrated skin — The multi-HA complex delivers layered hydration at multiple depths, making this particularly effective for skin that feels persistently tight or parched.
• Sensitive and reactive skin — Fragrance-free, clinically tested for low irritation, and enriched with centella and panthenol. This is a formula that has been verified as gentle by an independent clinical centre.
• Makeup wearers — The "makeup magnet" effect is real. Apply in the morning and notice the difference in how foundation sits, adheres, and lasts through the day.
• People who hate greasy creams — Lightweight texture, fast absorption, zero sticky residue. If you've given up on face creams because they always feel too heavy — this is worth trying.
• Anyone in a humid climate — Specifically formulated for fast absorption without compromising on genuine hydration. Works with your skin, not against the climate.
• All ages and genders — Pobaek made this as a universal daily essential, and it lives up to that. There's nothing in the formula or the feel that makes it specific to any demographic.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Pobaek Multi Layering Moisture Cream?

The Pobaek Multi Layering Moisture Cream is a 100ml Korean moisturiser formulated with a Multi-Hyaluronic Acid Complex, Ceramide NP, Centella Asiatica Extract, Panthenol, and Squalane. It is fragrance-free, clinically tested for low irritation, and designed for daily use on all skin types. It is currently Korea's #1 ranked moisturiser on the Ably platform.

Is Pobaek fragrance-free?

Yes. The Pobaek Multi Layering Moisture Cream is completely fragrance-free. This was one of the explicit requests from the 40 members of Pobaek's "399" tester community during development, and it makes the formula suitable for those with sensitive, reactive, or fragrance-intolerant skin.

Can I layer the Pobaek cream multiple times?

Yes — and this is one of its key design features. The cream is formulated to absorb quickly even when applied in multiple layers, so those with dry skin can build up hydration without the formula feeling heavy or greasy on the skin. Apply layer by layer, waiting a few seconds between each, until you reach your desired level of comfort.

Does it help with makeup application?

Yes. One of the most consistent pieces of feedback from users of the Pobaek cream is how well makeup adheres after application. The cream hydrates without leaving a slippery or film-like texture, creating a surface that foundation and cushion compacts grip to rather than slide off. It is particularly beneficial for those whose makeup tends to crease or separate throughout the day.

Is Pobaek suitable for sensitive skin?

Yes. The Pobaek Multi Layering Moisture Cream completed a dermatologist-conducted low-irritation (skin sensitivity) test at the OATC Skin Clinical Trial Center in November 2025, with 33 participants at an average age of 28. It passed the test and was confirmed suitable for daily use on sensitive skin.

Where can I buy Pobaek in Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong?

The Pobaek Multi Layering Moisture Cream is available at Dear Glow (dearglow.shop), Singapore's curated K-beauty destination. Dear Glow ships to Singapore (free shipping, 2–5 business days), Malaysia, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States.

How does Pobaek compare to other Korean moisturisers?

Pobaek's key differentiators are its community-driven development process, its multi-form hyaluronic acid complex for layered hydration, and its fragrance-free formula with clinical safety certification. Unlike many moisturisers positioned for sensitive skin that compromise on hydration intensity, the Pobaek cream delivers noticeable moisture while remaining lightweight and non-greasy — a balance that is particularly valuable in humid climates.

Final Thoughts: A Brand to Watch

Pobaek is exactly the kind of brand Dear Glow exists to find. Not the loudest brand in the room. Not the one with the biggest marketing budget. The one with a genuinely good product, an honest development process, and a growing community of people who found it and haven't stopped talking about it.

The Multi Layering Moisture Cream is a daily essential in the most literal sense — light enough to never feel like a burden, effective enough to become something you notice when you skip it. If you've been looking for a fragrance-free moisturiser that works well with makeup, doesn't sit heavily on skin, and is safe for even the most sensitive skin types, this is worth adding to your routine.

We're proud to be among the first to bring Pobaek to Singapore and beyond. Shop the Pobaek Multi Layering Moisture Cream at Dear Glow →

— The Dear Glow Team