Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Essence Water Review – Deep Glow
Beauty of Joseon are the masters of soothing, nourishing skincare that is inspired by traditional ingredients and remedies from South Korea. They’ve created a variety of gentle formulas that are beloved across the world and inspired by an encyclopaedia from the Joseon era. Although they use a variety of exciting ingredients (rice extracts, red bean, green tea extract), there is one that they are renowned for and used in a wide range of their products. Ginseng!
Although we have a whole blog dedicated to the benefits of ginseng in your skincare routine, it’s worth revisiting this ancient, herbal root and why it's used in so much K-Beauty. Not only does ginseng have a rich variety of molecules that help soothe cell stress and inflammation, it is most famous for its ability to stimulate collagen production and boost skin elasticity. It helps revive skin glow, reduce dullness and create smooth, gorgeous and radiant skin. It’s great in almost any skincare product (serums, moisturizers, face masks), but surely getting it close to the skin is better for absorption.
This is where the Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Essence Water has been a long-time favourite in K-Beauty. With a whopping 80% ginseng root water, it’s simply balanced with brightening niacinamide and nourishing adenosine. It’s great for a variety of skin types; but is really great for healing and reviving damaged skin barriers and reducing stress and fine lines. It should be used as the first step after cleansing (or second if you are starting with a lighter toner first). And as I’m struggling to repair my skin from a wayward product test, this seems like the perfect addition to my combination skincare routine.
What's In The Bottle?
Panax Ginseng Root Water (80%): rich extract made from the root of ginseng plant. Rich in a variety of healing molecules to help moisturize and heal the skin biome.
Niacinamide: brightening vitamin B3 that helps nourish and brighten skin texture, whilst reducing the appearance of dark spots.
Panthenol: soothing and hydrating vitamin B5 that helps moisturize and revive irritated and damaged skin biome.
Ginseng Callus Culture extract: specialized plant cell extract that helps restore vitality to skin, improve collagen production and elasticity, whilst boosting moisture content of skin for a dewy finish.
Adenosine: helps improve cell energy and cools irritation and redness, whilst promoting collagen production for more firm and elastic skin texture.
Cocoa extract: flavinoid-rich extract that helps improve hydration and reduce fine lines, whilst preventing collagen break-down for firmer, brighter skin.
Probiotics (Lactobacillus): helps repair and restore the skin biome in a holistic manner for refreshed and improved skin texture and appearance. Helps prevent future outbreaks and irritation.
Who Should Avoid?
This gentle essence is safe to use in a variety of skin types; being hydrating for dry skin and fine lines, whilst also being balancing and refreshing for oily and acne-prone skin. The only users who should really avoid is those sensitive to one of the ingredients (i.e. niacinamide or ginseng).
Otherwise, it is a versatile and hydrating essence that is highly beneficial to improve skin barrier healing and glow.
The Results
Struggling with irritated and acne-prone skin can be tough and I'm always looking for hydrating and soothing ingredients that can improve overall skin health. Ginseng is a holy grail of fine line care, but I was curious if those healing elements would work well with damaged, irritated skin.
I added it to my AM/PM routine to see the results more visibly, substituting it out for one of my exfoliating toners. It is a rich, herbal formula which is incredibly soothing and hydrating to the skin. Where some toners can make your skin feel taut and dry, this essence is enough on its own to boost your skin moisture in one shot. Immediately it adds a gentle glow to the skin, helps reduce pores and vanishes fine lines in a nourishing finish.
You can see the before and after of two weeks of daily use above. The ginseng was not as effective for my acne as I was hoping - but you can see the immediate plumping and firming of skin. It enhanced my cheekbone definition and also reduced overall pore size to create smoother, radiant skin.
The addition of probiotics helped to reduce general redness and inflammation and helped reduce the itch and irritation from acne-treating products. I wouldn't automatically recommend it for acne-prone skin or an outbreak - but for post-acne scarring and deep hydration of the skin, this essence is an awesome addition.
I'd genuinely recommend it most for dull or dry skin and fine lines, as that's what it does best (lifting and firming skin quickly, whilst adding a gentle golden glow). It's not a bad addition for acne-prone skin, but if you are trying to get an active outbreak under control, you're less likely to see the true benefits of ginseng essence.
Final Thoughts
This essence water is an amazing, high-quality addition to any routine that needs improved healing and hydration. If you're struggling with scars, fine lines or large pores - I'd absolutely recommend this golden essence. It's lightweight texture absorbs deeply, brings instant relief and shows amazing results. For acne-prone skin? You're not going to get some miracle result, but for healing dark spots, large pores and scarring - you'll see some awesome results.
Enjoy Joseon era beauty in the 21st century with the amazing, timeless range from Beauty of Joseon. Each product is high quality, revitalizing and amazing to use. Upgrade your skincare routine with our hand-picked range on Arktastic.
Looking for more K-beauty reads to get your skin absolutely glowing? Check out our original blog on the benefits of Ginseng. Or check out our comparison review on the Beauty of Joseon Sun Protection Range:
