Pyunkang Yul Essence Toner

2 Reviews

1. 

   trustingMare2

   Reply

   I have extremely oily skin that used to be very dehydrated. I now know the importance of layering watery products in order to prevent dehydration. The Pyunkang Yul Essence Toner was getting a lot of praise and hype on the interwebs and I was sucked into it. I am so glad I was because I would not have made it through my tretinoin without this product. It helped calm my red and irritated skin. It is a very light liquid that has a good amount of viscosity. It spreads easily without having to tug or pull on your skin and it sinks in completely. I will absolutely be repurchasing this product.

2. 

   exactingGranola8

   Reply

   First impression review

   Context
   Finally I’ve gotten my hands on the much-hyped K-beauty essence, and I love it! The reason I got this is astragalus, the main ingredient in this essence toner, is a nutritious herb that hydrates (due to its polysaccharides), protects cells from free radicals and delays cellular death, and nourishes skin (due to its variety of minerals, bioactive compounds and amino acids). Astragalus is also found in Sulwhasoo activating serum and Wei Beauty Imperial Tonic. Also, it is decently priced, which for me means something that’s less than 20 USD for around 6 fl. oz. It is more expensive than drugstore toners but that’s reasonable since astragalus is more expensive than the usual ingredients found in drugstore toners like aloe and witch hazel.

   Application
   -Very slight medicinal, bitter smell. You won’t smell it when you apply to skin, only when you bring it to your nose.
   -Looks like water, feels slightly thicker than water. Sinks into skin fast. Skin feels smoother.
   -Dark blue plastic bottle is protective against light and great at dispensing one drop of liquid at a time
   -I’ve used five layers of this, six drops each time. My skin seems to drink this up like a sponge. Very easy to layer.

   What I like
   -Helps my subsequent products absorb better without sticky, greasy finish. Recently, the Laneige skin refiner moisture I bought has been quite tacky and doesn’t absorb as well as it once had. With three to five layers of this essence, my one to two layers of Laneige absorbs much better with the tackiness gone faster (a feature that my Etude House SoonJung toner and rose water lacks). The same is true for Inkey List’s 2% hyaluronic acid serum, as well as subsequent moisturizers.
   -Simple ingredient list means less chance of irritation. Also, suitable for people with fungal acne.
   -What I’m most impressed with is that it helps prevent redness and oiliness on my skin while maintaining skin hydration. For some reason, my skin, which looks calm with no redness right after my skincare routine, becomes slightly flushed and oily at the end of the day even when wearing sunscreen and staying indoors. Applying two layers of this essence keeps my skin “un-red”, hydrated and less oily throughout the day, unlike my Laneige skin refiner moisture (even though the Laneige toner is more viscous so it should be more hydrating), SoonJung toner, Cerave PM, Inkey List 2% HA gel, aloe gel and BHA-containing products (lol long list). This is the only change in my routine and lifestyle so I’m sure this product is the one that prevents redness on my skin.

   Tl;dr: This reasonably priced essence is hydrating throughout the day, nourishing, easily layer-able, boosts absorption of subsequent products, suitable for fungal acne skin, and surprisingly good at keeping my red skin at bay out of all the other products I’ve used. I’m almost certain this is my HG.