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When I heard that enough project and SOON+, both Korean beauty brands under the Amorepacific Group, had launched new
skin care sets, I jumped at the opportunity to trial those items. I’ve tried products from Amorepacific brands in the past, and I recently got a facial treatment at an Amorepacific branch that left me with happy results. As much as I want to be unbiased, I expect high-quality products that generate effective results whenever I encounter skin care products that are part of this beauty giant.
enough project and SOON+ are both focused on clean beauty. enough project, also known as enuf proj, is built on the notion that “We are already enough just the way we are,” and provides plant-based, gender-neutral necessities for skin. The brand’s new skin care set includes three hot products: Essential Skin toner, Essential Lotion emulsion and bestselling Moisture Cream.
Launched in 1988, SOON+ is grounded in minimalist formulas for cosmopolitan women who want a streamlined skin care routine. Its latest set includes the brand’s bestselling 5.5 Cleansing Foam cleanser, 5.5 Balancing Water toner and 5.5 Balancing Emulsion.
Read on to learn about my skin journey with both brands!
enough project
Essential Skin + Essential Lotion + Moisture Cream
Suitable for dry and sensitive skin types, all products in this selection contain patented Beta-Hyaluronic Acid™ (made of different molecular weight sizes of hyaluronic acid) to moisturize the inner and outer layers of skin, and beta-glucan to lock in hydration and prevent moisture loss. The set includes full and travel-sized versions of the Essential Skin and Essential Lotion, and a travel-sized version of the Moisture Cream.
Essential Skin
What it is: A lightweight toner that contains panthenol (Provitamin B5) to smooth skin’s appearance and protect the skin barrier while delivering moisturizing care.
My experience: Super lightweight indeed, the toner’s watery texture seeped into my skin easily to deliver moisturizing effects without being too heavy on skin. Its clean laundry scent elevated my experience. Products I applied after adhered well to my skin, which made my skin feel abundantly fed with moisture.
Essential Lotion
What it is: This lightweight lotion emulsion contains oil-soluble Vitamin E to provide antioxidant and anti-aging benefits to skin and balance its oil-moisture levels.
My experience: Like the toner, the enough project Essential Lotion boasts a satisfying clean laundry scent. It has a creamy yet lightweight texture, so it didn’t leave a cloggy feeling despite the white cream viscosity. I applied a generous amount of this product to my face after using the toner, but it wasn’t moisturizing enough on its own. Nonetheless, I appreciate that the formula easily glides on skin for a soft, velvety and glowing finish.
Moisture Cream
What it is: A bestseller of the brand, this gel-like cream contains antioxidant bakuchiol, a mild alternative to retinol for anti-aging benefits, and delivers a robust amount of moisture to skin.
My experience: Since the lotion emulsion wasn’t moisturizing enough on its own, I sealed the deal with the Moisture Cream. I’ve always wanted to try bakuchiol as an alternative to retinol for my sensitive skin. The cream was gentle and nourishing on skin. The lightweight, gel-like texture moisturized my skin without feeling dense, and it easily penetrated into skin. I noticed that the creases around my mouth area smoothed. The best part is that I didn’t have to worry about using the cream in the morning as bakuchiol isn’t sensitive to sunlight like retinol.
SOON+ 5.5 Balancing Line
5.5 Cleansing Foam + 5.5 Balancing Water + 5.5 Balancing Emulsion (these bestsellers are included in the set)
Suitable for young adults with sensitive skin, this line uses probiotics water in mild pH 5.5 formulations to balance skin and reinforce its barrier. Probiotics water contains plant-based lactic acid ferment from the mustard leaf to strengthen the skin barrier, prevent external irritation, and moisturize and soothe skin. Other key ingredients include highly moisturizing allantoin and skin-soothing magnolia berry (schizandra) peptide. Set includes full-sized versions of the Balancing Water and Balancing Emulsion, and all three products in travel sizes.
5.5 Cleansing Foam
What it is: A mildly acidic and creamy facial wash that thoroughly cleanses skin and reduces irritations. The moisturizing and soothing power of probiotics water means you’re less likely to get that taut feeling after cleansing your face.
My experience: After using a cleansing oil to remove my makeup, I squeezed a dollop of the cleansing foam into my hands and rubbed them together before lathering it onto my face. I expected to encounter a skin-pulling effect after rinsing off the cleanser but that didn’t happen. I believe the probiotics water supplied my skin with soothing moisture rather than strip me of it. The cleansing foam works well on the skin’s surface, but if you want a deeper cleanse, I recommend using a separate exfoliator.
5.5 Balancing Water
What it is: A weakly acidic and refreshing toner that instantly penetrates into skin to rebalance skin’s acidity and keep it moisturized and nourished. Probiotics water is blended with ceramide to relieve skin sensitivity while building up its barrier. This skin-balancing solution can reduce redness and inflammation.
My experience: I enjoyed the milky water texture of this toner. Its subtle scent was as gentle as it felt on my skin. The ceramide kept moisture from evaporating quickly, leaving me with ample time to apply products to lock in moisture and hydration.
5.5 Balancing Emulsion
What it is: A weakly acidic lotion emulsion to balance skin’s natural oil-moisture levels and keep skin soft and healthy. The probiotics water is concentrated with squalane to prevent water loss and fortify the skin’s moisture barrier.
My experience: I don’t often use emulsions and trialing enough project’s and SOON+’s versions made me realize I’ve been missing out big time. My skin has been feeling lackluster and droopy due to lack of sleep, but I credit using the 5.5 Balancing Emulsion for saving my skin from further doom and gloom. My skin hasn’t looked this nourished and plump in a while. The formula’s texture was light and refreshing, a perfect fit to kick-start my morning, and there was barely any scent. Similar to enough project’s emulsion, the 5.5 Balancing Emulsion wasn’t moisturizing enough on its own, so I used a moisturizer over it.
Final Thoughts
I enjoyed my skin journey trialing both brands for one week each. Though I didn’t notice drastic physical differences to my skin after using the sets, the gentle formulas appeased my sensitive skin, reducing irritations and redness.
If I had to choose between the two sets, I’d favor enough project’s. The packaging caught my attention for one, but also the Moisture Cream is my newfound favorite moisturizing cream. Staying forever young is at the heart of my skin care game and I can finally say that I’ve found my match in this bakuchiol-rich formula. Overall, I liked how enough project’s products added to my natural beauty rather than make it go through an entire revamp.
With SOON+’s set, my skin’s oil-moisture levels felt balanced – my skin looked less oily throughout the day while staying moisturized. With moisture levels enhanced, I noticed that my skin became less sensitive to external triggers like my face mask and dust. SOON+’s products help a cosmopolitan busy bee get by day to day with healthy and more resilient skin. All in all, I’m happy with how well all the products complemented my skin and made it feel less irritated.