At the risk of sounding like a total braggarina, my skin is in the best shape it has been in decades. I’m not exaggerating. For someone who has been acne prone her whole life, it’s almost supernatural that I’ve only had one pimple since the year started. But it’s not only the lack of breakouts that have me in awe at my own complexion, but my makeup also goes on so much better, my texture is so smooth, and my fine lines and wrinkles are reduced although I’m overdue for Botox. It’s wild! I have a few theories as to why my skin is top-notch these days, one of them being essences. Once I began incorporating them into my skincare routine every single day, I noticed something monumental was happening.
If you’ve never really understood the hype around what essences do, it’s understandable since they’re relatively new in the whole skincare scheme of things. According to Alicia Yoon, Korean skincare expert and founder of Peach & Lily, essences were popularized in Korea and Japan because there’s a foundational focus on keeping the skin hydrated.
"Hydrated skin is one of the pillars for healthy skin. When skin is dehydrated, so many other skin issues can crop up. Hello, irritation, loss of firmness, dark spots, breakouts!” explains Yoon. "Essences are specifically formulated to quench skin thirst easily due to the fast-absorbing texture and concentrated dose of humectants that grab moisture to skin. Think of essence as a Super Soaker for skin—it's your fast lane to plumped up, hydrated skin.” Peach & Lily’s Wild Dew Treatment Essence ($39) delivers intensive plumping, hydration, antioxidants, and brightening benefits and is proven to enhance the absorption of your other products, all while being clean and gentle to the skin and the Earth.
Yoon goes on to say that essences typically allow other skin treatments to absorb better into the skin. "Adding this extra step not only gives you plumped up, dewy skin but also lets your other products go further for you,” she says. For me personally, this means that other game-changing products that I began using this year, like Alastin’s A-Luminate Brightening Serum ($168), are getting a big boost just because I slapped on an essence beforehand. (Well, not slapped per se, but gently pressed into my skin.)
Ready to add an essence to your routine and get great skin like me? It’s an easy step. Yoon says that most essences are pH balanced and are intended to be used twice a day either right after cleansing or cleansing and toning and before your serum treatments. There are all sorts of essences. Some of them have specific ingredients that target issues like pigmentation and rough texture, so you’ll be able to find the right one for you. Learn about my other favorite essences below.
The first essence that I used regularly that really made a difference was the famous SK-II treatment. It’s made with the brand's trademarked Pitera, a clear, water-like liquid made through a natural fermentation process by a special yeast strain. It contains over 50 micronutrients, including vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and natural acids that help to condition skin and reduce the appearance of dark spots and fine lines. It’s pricey but worth it if you have the budget. This seriously was the catalyst for my skin’s transformation into greatness.
An essence that I truly cannot live without is this iconic one from Tatcha. This is my ride-or-die essence. Sometimes, I’ll only use this and a serum at night (my current favorite is Darphin Éclat Sublime), and my skin is baby-soft in the morning.
A new favorite of mine is this revamped and relaunched essence from the legendary J-beauty brand Shiseido! My skin loves hyaluronic acid, and this one has two types, plus vitamin C for brightening and fermented kefir extract to speed up skin cell turnover. I tested this one exclusively on my chest where I’m having some rough texture from working out, and my skin was so much smoother after a few days of regular use.
I’m not sure where to begin with this new obsession of mine. It’s truly all in the name: divine! First of all, it’s pink, and if you know me, you know anything pink is an easy sell. But the essence itself is so luxurious. I feel like Cleopatra in her milk bath when I apply this to my face after cleansing. The rose scent is also personally important to me. I can’t wear rose perfumes (they give me a headache), but I’m totally fine with it in this essence. It’s the kind of beauty product I could write love letters to.
Yes, it is as luxurious as it sounds. This essence from plastic and reconstructive surgeon Yannis Alexandrides, MD, FACS, has peptides that are actually fused together with fine diamond particles to enhance the efficacy of its ingredients even more. It’s honestly incredible technology. Using the diamonds like a shield, the peptides are able to penetrate the skin longer than not. Also formulated with tranexamic acid and hematite extract, it’s a fantastic treatment for aging concerns like wrinkles and unwanted pigmentation.
I can see why Fenty fans love Fat Water. First of all, I love the name, but this milky delight does double duty as a toner and an essence, plumping up the skin while evening out tone.
One of my favorite J-Beauty brands, DamDam, also makes one of my favorite essences. It has phytic acid for exfoliating and reducing the appearance of pores and comes in spray form, which is incredibly convenient and great for travel.
I am enamored with this K-beauty brand and highly suggest its products because they are incredible and priced affordably. This is a water-like essence that has 93% galactomyces ferment filtrate, which helps improve skin texture and tone. Plus, it contains my favorite skincare ingredient, niacinamide (4%), for brightening the skin and reducing dark spots.
A new launch from the luxe skincare brand, this essence exfoliates and rejuvenates the skin through a formula that contains RéVive’s signature Bio-Renewal Peptide with fruit acids like papaya, cranberry, and pineapple along with hydrating squalane and plant oils like meadowfoam and jojoba seed.
This is another legend in the essence department. From celebrity esthetician Shani Darden, this essence uses sake water to soften and brighten complexion.
Naturium is becoming one of my favorite brands for its accessible price point and solid-AF products. If you have big pores and uneven skin tone concerns, pick this essence up. It’s formulated with 3% niacinamide, beta-glucan, and hyaluronic acid to treat those issues and bring moisture.
This powerful yet gentle essence does a lot of work in one bottle. I’m talking about eight different products as it firms, brightens, hydrates, exfoliates… It seriously does it all thanks to hyaluronic acid, antioxidant vitamin C, plant acids, and 20+ superfoods. Because of the exfoliating acids, it does tingle a bit compared to other essences, but again, it’s super gentle. While on the pricey end, you’ll most likely be able to replace a few of your products with just this one.
Though technically not one, I’ll sometimes use Caudalie’s Beauty Serum like an essence and spray it before applying my serums, but the brand has an essence that specifically targets skin texture issues with a combination of glycolic acid, white peony, and its signature skin-loving probiotic ingredient, grape water.
This milky treatment essence is great for those who are looking for something to treat dark spots. It’s made with a complex consisting of organic plants like lady’s mantle and sea lily extracts, plus superfruits and vegetable squalane for a super-soft and smooth complexion.
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