Essences That Celebrities Love

Essences are part of the famous 10-Step Korean skincare routine, right after double-cleansing and toning. Essences are watery gels or creams that hydrates and primes your skin before applying serums, moisturizers, and sunscreen, which are the later parts of the routine. Essence brands like Sulwhasoo are popular preludes for serums and some of these essences are celebrity favorites.

What are essences?

Essences are lightweight liquids that contain a high amount of active ingredients designed to penetrate the skin deeply to deliver hydration and nourishment deep into the skin’s layers. Essences are different from toners because toners are designed to remove excess impurities left from just washing. It’s also different from serums and ampoules because essences are not really designed to correct advanced specific skin care concerns, such as aging lines and discoloration.

Rather, essences mainly function to hydrate and prime the skin for deeper nourishment from serums, ampoules, and moisturizers. Our skin are like sponges: a dry sponge does not easily absorb liquid soap and other substances compared to a damp sponge. Thus, essences mainly function to dampen our skin for effective absorption of nutrients while providing much-needed skin hydration at the same time.

Popular skin essence ingredients

Here are some of the most popular ingredients infused in top essence brands that range from plant botanicals to snail extracts.

Plant botanicals

Green tea

Green tea is packed with an antioxidant to help fight free radical damage that causes your skin cells to deteriorate and cause accelerated skin aging and a dull complexion. Green tea extracts also help unclog pores and soothe redness and irritation.

Aloe vera

Aloe vera produces a very soothing gel that treats sunburns and skin lesions. Aloe vera also hydrates the skin and contains antioxidants, enzymes, and amino acids that work synergistically to prevent skin inflammation and deliver nutrients into your skin. Aloe vera is effective for treating dry skin, acne, redness, and has a cooling effect on the skin

Tea tree oil

Tea tree has antimicrobial properties and is effective in targeting pimples, acne, and oily skin. It also effectively treats acne scars, leading to a smoother complexion. Tea tree oil is also a common ingredient in anti-acne and oil control formulations for this reason.

Rice extract

Rice contains a lot of minerals and vitamins that help make your skin smooth and glowing. Rice extract is effective for its anti-aging benefits, such as preventing wrinkles, fine lines, and treating dark spots and discoloration on your face. Rice is also very mild and soothing and is ideal for nourishing sensitive skin because it is not irritating or drying while delivering much-needed nutrients into your skin’s barrier at the same time.

Lycopene

Lycopene is an antioxidant found in tomatoes and red fruits and vegetables like watermelon and papaya. Lycopene helps fight skin damage caused by free radicals and is also credited for giving your skin a rosy glow.

Witch hazel

Witch hazel is a natural astringent that effectively tightens pores, controls excess oil, and relieve skin inflammations. It is commonly found in anti-acne and oil control skin care products as well.

Vitamin or mineral-based

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a very powerful antioxidant that serves many functions: it is an important cofactor in collagen synthesis because it binds amino acids together to form collagen for maintaining connective tissues and skin firmness, and functions as an antioxidant that fights against free radical skin damage. It also brightens skin and targets dark spots, leading to a clearer complexion and a brighter, radiant glow.

Hyaluronic acid

Our skin naturally produces hyaluronic acid to help maintain our skin’s moisture levels by binding itself to water. Essences containing hyaluronic acid help hydrate our skin further, and is credited for making your skin look plumper. Hyaluronic acid also helps diminish wrinkles and fine lines, leading to younger-looking skin.

Niacinamide

Also known as Vitamin B3 or nicotinic acid, niacinamide is an all-around skin vitamin that helps reduce dark spots, tighten pores, even out your skin, reduce fine lines, impart a rosy glow, and revive tired and dull skin

Glycoproteins

Snail mucin

Mucin is a viscous glycoprotein produced by animal species that lubricate and protect tissue surfaces such as the digestive tract, sinuses, the mouth, and inner joints and tendons. The most popular mucin used for cosmetic purposes is mucin from snails (yes, snail slime). However, only edible snails are used for safety purposes. Snail mucin is effective for lubricating the skin and healing skin lesions like acne scars.

Essences are ideal to add in your skin care routine since it has a chock-full of beneficial skin ingredients. Choose an essence that’s suitable for your skin type and needs, and consult with a dermatologist to check for contraindications.