K-beauty is gaining attention all over the globe. It makes sense too. Have you seen Korean skin? It is flawless! Skin health is serious in Korea. Do you often wonder what their secret is?
We are now finding out as Korean beauty products are all the latest rage—many people are adopting or wanting to adapt to the great Korean face care regimen. One product in that face care regime is Essence.
What Is Korean Essence?
Korean Essence is a thin, watery/gel/ clear/cream color substance that boosts your skin with moisture and nutrients. Frequently confused with your toners, serums, ampoules essences provide way more than a simple moisturizer.
Incorporated by the Korean beauty industry, they are part of the 10 -step Korean skincare routine. Yes, we said ten steps. (Told you the Koreans take their skin health seriously.) Applying Korean essence is placed at number three in the 10 -step routine list.
Essence Application
Korean essence is usually applied using a cotton ball or pad. If you want to keep with true Korean tradition, you use your fingertips to administer all over then pat into the skin to get the full absorption effect.
As we mentioned, the Korean essence application fits in step three of the Korea skincare routine. So it takes place after you wash your face and apply your toner, but before you slather on all your moisturizers, serums, ampoules, and eye creams, etc.
Are you noticing a trend here? Korean skincare beauty is all about skin moisture! Applying essence acts as a skin prepper to help prepare the skin for the rest of the routine. They make essences usually containing hyaluronic acid and other nature-based extracts, some even exotic.
Is Essence for Everyone?
The answer is yes. You might think otherwise primarily if your skin is oily, (Like you need any more moisture.), sensitive or acne-prone. Honestly, the Korean essences can be rewarding for all skin types, especially when you find the right essence product for your skin.
Note if you have severe disturbed skin or are on any kind of prescription medication, be smart and to talk to your dermatologist before diving in headfirst.
Essences come in many varieties, with some even aimed for oily and acne-prone skin types. To aid you on your journey of mastering the Korean skincare regime, we have hosted the top 18 best Korean Essences.
Best Korean Essences
Seoul Ceuticals: Marine Plump and Glow Essence
Here is a lovely Korean essence to add to your routine. It comes in handy and is in a beautiful spray pump. You can either spray it directly on your face patting it in with your hands or a cotton puff. Seoul Ceuticals Essence is made from 98% natural products and can be treated as a skin toner too. It sprays on your face in a refreshing mist that will guarantee you will have better-looking skin just a few days after using. They even promise, or your money back!
Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence
You are not going to find the best Korean essence list without mention of this product. The reason why is thanks to snail mucus power. Sound gross, but the benefits you see in your skin will make you a believer. Cosrx hosts 96% filtrating snail secretion. Snail secretion helps lock up the moisture in your skin more, providing less skin moisture loss. While experiencing a relative of a greasy texture, it works well for all skin types.
The results are noticing. Your skin will become more luminous, feeling moisturized all day.
Mizon – Skin Power Original First Essence
Super moisturizing effective Mizon- Skin Power Original First Essence packs your skin with hydration readiness as it offers ten skin aids that include;
- Firming /Boosting
- Tone up/ Tone correction
- Balancing /Anti-aging
- Removing dead skin /Relieving
All while being hypoallergenic, no harmful ingredients include. This essence on top prevents your skin feeling moist and alive all day.
Pros all around no cons at all.
TOSOWOONG/Green Tea Essence
Thanks to the antioxidant power of green tea, this essence is vital if you have acne-prone skin. It’s light and gentle, not invoking break-outs. It’s a bit thicker than most essences, almost a gel consistency. Glides on smooth absorbing fully into your skin, no viscous residue. It readies your skin for your moisturizer, cream, or serum to work on your skin to its maximum potential.
Noticeably prep your skin to help your other skin products work well.
Has witch hazel, which may remain a problem for those who demonstrate a sensitivity to witch hazel.
MISSHA Time Revolution The First Treatment Essence Intensive
MISSHA Time Revolution is on all the best Korean essences list. They craft their product using 90% fermented yeast, which remains a trendy ingredient among the K-beauty market. The fungus comes from purple barley that resides in the Himalayas. It promises to plump up and regulate skin tone in moisture-rich vibrance.
The Pros? It spreads excellent with instant absorption into the skin.
The Cons: The price is a bit steep.
NELLA One Day Whitener Ginseng Fermented Essence
This beauty essence is genuinely coming from Korea with a welcoming bottle that features both Korean and English writing. Nella One Day Whitener hydrates rejuvenate your skin using 68% BIFIDA Ferment Filtrate, Ginseng root extract (5,000mg). After applying, your face retains an extraordinary touch of clarity.
NEOGEN Dermatology /Real Ferment Micro Essence
Designed to strengthen your skin’s barrier from outside irritants, NEOGEN Dermatology contains 90% skin-friendly fermented ingredients that will stimulate your skin for brighter, more transparent, more hydrated skin. Micro Essence melts into your skin rapidly, and there is no tackiness.
Hanskin Hyaluron Skin Essence
Do you love multi-purpose products? Hanskin Hyaluron Skin Essence is it. A toner, essence, and moisturizer all in one this is all you require to administer after cleansing your face. Boosted with sodium hyaluronate, which is hyaluronic acid in its most esteemed stage, it provides1000 times the moisture than regular hyaluronic acid would. Thus leaving your skin soft, supple, and looking fabulous!
Mizon Multi-Function Snail Repair Intensive Essence
If you enjoy the magic of snail secretion, then Mizon’s Multi-Function Snail Repair Intensive Essence should pique your interest. Each bottle contains 88% snail goo. A more liquidly base, aforementioned, the essence helps with multiple skin factors. Such as balancing out skin tone, treating fine lines, controlling pores, smooth skin’s texture, renewing skin’s hydration to promote healthier and more resilient skin.
Mizon’s Intense Essence contains nothing artificial and is fragrance-free. The snail secretion is healing, so this stuff is gentle and safe to use on sensitive skin too.
It is multi-functional, helping more than one skin issue.
It does not instantly absorb, creating a relatively tacky feeling on your face until it wholly absorbs into your skin.
PURE Aloe Care Organic Aloe Vera Vitality Hydrating Essence
Hydrate your skin with nature’s sheer power of Aloe. This essence penetrates moisture into your skin to seal the moisture in there. Thanks to its lasting effects, your skin doesn’t look tired or dull at the end of the day.
As expected in it being an aloe-based essence, the texture of this essence is like a dewy gel. It blends into a sweet soothing effect that does not leave a sticky residue as you’d expect with it being aloe vera. PURE Aloe Care conducts no animal testing, and the product is fragrance-free.
Primera Miracle Seed Essence
A leading seller in the Korean beauty industry Primera Miracle Seed Essence embodies another watery based essence that they have crafted wielding the power of seeds. In each bottle contains 93.1% lotus seed extract, the lotus seeds give you the moisture and protection it needs. The result is giving you more vibrant skin that will be noticeable to all. The kicker is it comes with its own little application cotton pad to apply. A dislike, however, is it does demonstrate a firmer consistency than most watery essences.
BENTON Snail Bee High Content Essence
If you get over applying snail secretion on your face, then you will encounter no problem with BENTON Snail Bee High Content Essence. Not merely do we have snail slime, we also have Bee Venom. These two focused main ingredients provide skin healing and restoring richness to your skin that will cause you to say wow! Effective and gentle enough to be used if you possess sensitive and acne-prone skin too. Apply this watery gel to soothe, clear up, firm up your skin. Your skin will only get better with each use.
Etude House Moistfull Collagen
Boasting with super moisturizing effects, Etude contains Baobab Tree Oil and Super collagen water. The Baobab tree is a tree that lives in the desert that can hold 120,000L of water. Baobab oil is said to help protect against future dryness by leaving your skin feeling moisturized and silky. Containing 78.5% Super collagen water contains smaller collagen particles, which results in proving a waterfall of moisture to your skin. The essence has a jelly type texture, yet once applied to your skin, it soaks into invisible, only leaving soft skin behind.
Cremorlab Mineral Treatment Essence
This essence works well for those who have dry, rough skin. Its goal is to help condition, brighten, reduce pores, hydrate, and smooth the skin. The essence is a clear watery texture that glides on your skin so silky smooth and absorbs effortlessly, leaving no residue on your skin only smoothness.
Mineral Treatment Essence harbors no fragrance or denatured alcohol. Features four prominent ingredients Rooibos extract, which helps firm and improve your skin texture. Chamomile extract to soothe, Peony extract to moisturize and Diospyros Kaki Leaf extract to revitalize.
SKINFOOD Royal Honey Propolis Enrich Essence
SKINFOOD nourishes your skin with the restorative power of honey. Royal Honey Propolis is packed with 63% black bee propolis extract, 10% royal jelly extract, and 10% black honey extract that creates a shield of moisture protection. Acceptable for those who have troubled or sensitive skin.
Fresh – Black Tea Kombucha Facial Treatment Essence
A refreshing Korean essence using the health benefits from Kombucha and fermented black tea. It hydrates protecting the skin from outside pollution as it empowers your skin with antioxidants, reduces thin, delicate lines, improves skin elasticity, leaves amazing smooth youthful, and toned skin behind.
I’m From Mugwort Essence, for Acne-Prone Skin
An essence design for acne-prone skin it contains Mugwort, which is originally native to Korea. Formulated for 100% top-notch Mugwort from Ganghwa, Korea, the Mugwort essence possesses the properties to detoxify, calm, and soothe skin, irritated skin often caused by acne.
The con? While fragrance-free, the Mugwort holds a peculiar scent that they call chineol, which is just the scent of the vitamins and minerals that are in the Mugwort. The effect, nevertheless, makes the smell endurable.
MISSHA Time Revolution Artemisia Treatment Essence
MISSHA products are so nice we added them twice. Using fermented Artemisia, which is another name for Mugwort MISSHA Time Revolution Artemisia Treatment Essence, promises essential moisturizing—therefore triggering a skin-soothing sensation for irritating, sensitive, dry skin. The finished product is skin with a dewy glow.
Conclusion
As you see, there are many types and many styles of essences. Which one is best is genuinely up to you. Take your skin type, or skincare needs to mind when purchasing. The kind of consistency an essence has represents another factor.
Do you want the waterier based types? The gel or jelly types? Is it possible you prefer your Korean essences to be snail mucus free? Whatever your choice, Korean essences provide benefits of minerals, and moisture to help all your skincare needs to help your other skin moisturizing products blossom better, giving you the best-looking skin possible.
Sources:
1. https://guidingbeauty.com/best-korean-face-mask/
2. https://www.kryzuy.com/best-korean-essences/
3. https://www.finehomesandliving.com/featured/why-korean-skincare-is-so-popular-worldwide/article_3ed8c2fb-8fca-5bde-bbba-7b74d09e3f04.html
