Snail is a natural extract, which means there’s a lot of variation, and that includes with the percentage – you’re going to have different amounts of the actual compounds within each extract. It’ll depend on things like which species of snail they use, what they feed the snails, and how they purify the snail extract (which is a commercial secret).

I had been using an encapsulated retinaldehyde serum, that was 3 times the price of this one but only half the strength. The BoJ is a much nicer texture to use and has given me zero irritation, unlike the more expensive product.Aside from hydration, this product is also known for brightening skin tone, helping with breakouts and irritation, and there’s some talk of it being good for anti-aging. It’s hard to pin any of this down to a specific substance in the snail essence, but it does have a lot of antioxidants, peptides, antimicrobial compounds, glycolic acid. This sounds good, but how does Retinal compare to retinoic acid? Good question! We found a study (a pretty good one with 125 patients) that compared 0.05% retinal with 0.05% retinoic acid (and vehicle). They concluded that " at week 18, a significant reduction of the wrinkle and roughness features was observed with both retinaldehyde and retinoic acid." and the difference between the two was not statistically significant. (Interestingly, in both groups, the results were less significant at week 44, soit might be a good idea to have a retinoid break from time to time?) Also, our guy, Retinal was much better tolerated than retinoic acid known for its harshness. While a peeling gel starts bunching up immediately, this takes a bit longer and there are less particles. If you’re new to the world of hanbang and want to try it out, the Beauty of Joseon Hanbang Trio What makes Beauty of Joseon Special? They’re SPF 50+ and PA++++, which is as high as the rating system goes in Korea. They don’t leave a white cast unless your skin is quite dark (the whiteness probably comes from the MBBT UV filter, which is a chemical sunscreen but it’s in particulate form which scatters some visible light).

This Essence Toner is probably their most popular product – it’s been recommended by lots of content creators, including Gothamista and Beauty Within.

The Pyunkang Yul Essence Toner was perfectly soothing and hydrating during the summer months (I used 2-3 layers), but I had to switch to something a bit more hydrating when the temperatures lately have dropped below 0*C.

I have mixed feelings about having all these very similar Kolmar sunscreens on the market. I’ve seen Odile Monod say it’s boring, and while I kind of agree, it’s also really nice to have variations of my favourite formula. If you don’t like this formula or if you’re allergic to one of the components it’s probably less of a good time for you… Mixsoon Bean Essence I use it before I go to bed. At first I was very nervous about the retinal over-exfoliating my skin, so I started with once a week. I’ve worked up to be able to use this every night I don’t use glycolic acid with no negative result at all. If anything, my skin feels smoother, more moisturized, and plumper after I use it. My main influencer here was Kelly Driscoll. This is one of her top Beauty of Joseon products – she’s been using it since 2015! This was Beauty of Joseon’s first product, and it’s been through a few reformulations since. The main ingredient in this is snail mucin (or “snail secretion filtrate”) – it’s at 96%, which is what the 96 in the name means.Hyaluronic Acid: Also known as sodium hyaluronate, this gold standard humectant has molecules that can attract up to 1,000 times their own weight in water. A/ We recommend that such products are not used together with this product as your skin may react sensitively. I found this one very slightly heavier and richer than the Beauty of Joseon sunscreen, so I think this is more suitable if your skin is drier. I also found it more hydrating and slightly lighter than the Isntree one. Beauty of Joseon Revive eye serum : Ginseng + Retinal is an eye serum that helps to improve wrinkles on the sensitive skin around the eyes by combining ginseng extract and retinal. Also since it’s a natural extract, there can be allergens in it, and there are cross-reactivities between snail and dust mites and shellfish – but lots of people with these allergies don’t have a problem with snail products, and people without these allergies have reacted to it. Some people do get closed comedones (small clogged pores that are flesh coloured bumps) with snail.

A beautiful eye cream that goes on smooth and gets to work straight away.. the cream I’ve been searching for. So I think this product could work if it fits into your routine. If you have really dehydrated skin and you want one hardcore hydrating product in your routine that keeps your skin plump all day – this isn’t it. But if you want something lightweight and soothing, if your skin isn’t super thirsty, if you want a hydrating toner for summer, or if you use lots of layers of hydration, if you’re doing the 7 skins method, this is great. Round Lab Birch Juice Moisturizing Sun Cream This product has wildly improved my skin texture in the areas I apply it. I find that one pump is often more than I need for my eyes, so I’m often applying it lightly over other areas of my face. I did notice some eye stinging early on, so I’m really careful to not apply too close to my eyes or too much product above my eyes.

If you’re looking for a lightweight hydrating moisturiser, especially one that’s fragrance-free, this might be a good option. Beauty of Joseon Revive Eye Serum: Ginseng and Retinal