Many of you are probably piling on layers of skin care to keep skin nourished throughout winter. For an end-of-year skin detox, I decided to go against convention and take a more minimal approach to my skin care routine by using only gentle, predominantly light formulations that cater to my skin needs.
The Korean skin care brand ongredients immediately grabbed my attention when it launched at YesStyle in July this year. The brand focuses on sensitive skin-friendly, vegan remedies that are effective for different skin concerns. When it comes to packaging, the brand adopts an eco-conscious approach by stripping away all unnecessary labels and using only recyclable or biodegradable materials, resulting in a minimalistic aesthetic.
The Soothers:
Moisture Calming Essence
What is it? Designed for those with very dry and sensitive skin, this watery-light essence contains 93% organic centella asiatica extract to instantly alleviate redness and strengthen a weakened skin barrier. Its lightweight texture provides a refreshing sensation and leaves skin feeling revitalized and hydrated.
In detail:
The scentless essence comes in a light yellow color from the natural color of the centella asiatica extract in the formula. The texture is refreshing and quickly absorbed into skin, leaving a hydrated finish without any sticky after-feel. During the trial, this product became the first layer of toner I used after a hot shower, and it always left my skin feeling refreshed. The calming effect wasn’t dramatic, but enough to keep my skin hydrated and soothed on a dry, cold day.
Deep Calming Cream
What is it? Enriched with centella asiatica extract and madecassic acid to soothe irritated skin, fortify the skin barrier and promote wound healing, this moisturizing cream is perfect for those with dry and sensitive skin. It also contains Ecoceramide Shea Butter for added nourishment and for promoting the skin’s natural renewal process. The formula has a rich, buttery texture.
In detail:
The Deep Calming Cream comes in a much thicker texture than I anticipated, with a vanilla yellow color and thick, solid appearance that reminds of butter. During application, it felt like I was spreading butter on my face. Despite its thick consistency, the cream melted smoothly and instantly on skin, leaving a moisturized glow. Since it has the thickest texture out of the three creams I tried in this trial, I mainly used the Deep Calming Cream at night and on days when my skin felt taut.
The Anti-Agers:
Anti-Wrinkle Essence
What is it? This essence contains 97% butterfly pea (clitoria ternatea) flower extract, known for its mesmerizing blue color and antioxidant benefits. A Vegan Cold Brew™ method was used to extract beneficial properties from raw botanical ingredients to ensure maximum efficacy of the essence. Its high concentration of anthocyanin, a powerful antioxidant, helps to maintain skin elasticity all day long. The EWG green-grade formula is gentle enough for sensitive skin.
In detail:
There’s a faint earthy scent to this essence that can go unnoticed once it’s on skin. The grayish blue formula glides silkily on skin to leave a fresh, dewy finish. I’m at an age where I need to include at least one anti-aging step in my skin care routine, and this essence fit right in as my secondary toner. For this trial, I used the Anti-Wrinkle Essence mainly at night. I applied two drops each time, warming with my palms before gently tapping the product onto my face.
Slow Aging Cream
What is it? Formulated to treat premature aging skin concerns, this silky cream features EWG green-graded butterfly pea flower extract, polyglutamic acid and plant-based squalane to replenish moisture, nutrition and elasticity in skin.
In detail:
Unlike the Anti-Wrinkle Essence, the Slow Aging Cream boasts a prominent floral scent with a cherry-like kick. It comes in a powder blue color, with a texture that glides smoothly over skin and dries to a velvet finish. For this trial, I mixed half a scoop of the Slow Aging Cream with a similar amount of the Deep Calming Cream to use over my face and neck as a night cream alternative. Sometimes I used only the Slow Aging Cream before hopping to bed and it worked well on its own, as I always woke up with soft and moisturized skin in the morning.
The Hydrators:
Aqua Charging Essence
What is it? Suitable for all skin types, this refreshingly lightweight essence is formulated with 93% camellia sinesis (green tea) leaf to rebalance oil-water levels, while delivering hydrating effects to help skin retain moisture.
In detail:
Out of the three ongredients essences in this trial, the Aqua Charging Essence seemed the most underwhelming at first glance, given it’s clear color and slightly thicker consistency. Despite this impression, the essence performed better than expected as it delivered long-lasting hydration. Like the Moisture Calming Essence, the Aqua Charging Essence carries no scent and is absorbed quickly into skin for a clean finish. I used this product as my secondary toner step in my morning regimen to help my skin lock in more moisture for the day.
Aqua Keeping Cream
What is it? This highly hydrating cream is enriched with green tea leaf water, an ingredient rich in catechins that are capable of balancing skin’s oil-water levels. It also contains triple hyaluronic acid for added moisturizing power. The cream’s silky texture is lightweight enough to cater to dry and combination skin.
In detail:
I used this cream as my daytime moisturizer during the trial as it seems to have the most lightweight texture of the three creams in this trial. Like the Aqua Charging Essence, the Aqua Keeping Cream has no scent, and it’s easy to massage the cream onto skin. I can also attest to its moisturizing power, since my makeup remained intact with no dry patches at the end of the day whenever I used this cream as a pre-makeup moisturizer. The formula leaves a matte finish.
The Verdict
I wasn’t expecting breathtaking results with these three essence and three creams from ongredients when I first started the trial, but by the end, I was happy with the effects on my skin. The six products aren’t miracle workers but they are solid hard workers. I’m sure many people have reservations about minimalistic skin care, assuming they’re too mild to provide substantial skin care transformations.
I’m happy to say that since I tailored my skin routine to these six products, my skin no longer suffers from dryness, itchiness or flakiness − skin reactions I usually experience in winter. I went to bed with soft, moisturized skin, and woke up with the same results. Last year at this time, I couldn’t live without my facial oils, thick serums and heavy moisturizers, but in 2021 I’ve pared down my skin care routine to only essences and relatively light creams that offer much nourishment.
Overall, this skin detox was a success, and I recommend mixing up different products to tailor to your skin needs. Some of the products from ongredients are more suited to certain skin types, like the Deep Calming Cream and Moisture Calming Essence from the Calming Line are more ideal for super dry yet fragile skin, while the Aqua Charging Essence and Aqua Keeping Cream from the Aqua Line would work better for those with oily and combination skin.