Better Than COSRX? | KSECRET Seoul 1988 Essence Snail Mucin 97% + Rice
KSECRET is a new creator of fabulous, gentle and minimalist skincare out of South Korea. Inspired by the 1988 Seoul Olympics (hence the name of their sensitive skincare line) they blend modern excellence with traditional and cultural ingredients for quality products. Still new to the game, they’ve come out with relatively great success and are being picked up all over the globe (especially for their retinal products that soothe and boost fine lines). Their Seoul 1988 line is by far their most famous and the line they are most proud of.
So, when they released a blend of Snail Mucin essence and rice extract, it was a little exciting to see. Other brands have released snail mucin essence, but majority of them are pure snail filtrate with little to no additions. Here, KSECRET has created a simple and brightening formula – with snail mucin forming the base, balanced with allantoin, panthenol and rice extracts to brighten and improve glow. Being a fan of the Cosrx snail mucin, I was really curious. How did it compare? Was it worth buying over the Cosrx edition? It was time to switch up my snail mucin game and see what KSECRET had added to the successful Snail Mucin Essence formula.
What's In The Bottle?
Snail Mucin Filtrate (97%): as mentioned, this forms the majority of the bottle. It’s highly useful for healing and repairing the skin barrier, as its rich in building peptides, plumping hyaluronic acid and refreshing glycolic acid for overall pore care. It’s perfect for achieving smooth, glassy and poreless skin (due to the deep hydration and balance).
Allantoin: soothing emollient that helps boost moisture and encourages cell growth for thicker, stronger and more healthy skin texture. Stimulates skin barrier healing.
Sodium Hyaluronate: water magnet that helps draw moisture into skin cells for plumper and long-lasting hydration of skin.
Panthenol: soothing and healing vitamin B5 extract that helps balance and restore function to dry and damaged skin.
Rice extract: rich in peptides and phenols to moisturize, plump and improve repair of skin barrier for refreshed and brighter skin texture. Helps balance immune function for reduced irritation and redness.
Arginine: protein that helps restore skin circulation, stimulating growth of new cells and boosting skin elasticity for firmer and more youthful radiance.
Sake (rice ferment) filtrate: rich in kojic acid, peptides and antioxidants; sake is a popular extract for deep hydration, reducing dark spots and providing an overall brightness to skin. It helps soften and refresh skin texture.
Who Should Avoid?
This essence has a simple formula that is designed to be acne friendly, sensitive skin friendly and gently hydrating for almost all skin types. It should be avoided in individuals who have had a reaction to snail mucin before. It’s also important to note that people can be sensitive to snail mucin if they have a dust mite or shellfish allergy; so consider if it’s worth risking if you do have specific allergies. Otherwise, it has a gentle and holistic formula that can be used to hydrate dry skin, balance oily skin and soothe sensitive skin.
The Results
Ever since I’d started using the Cosrx 96 snail mucin, it has been a mainstay in my routine. As someone with oily, acne-prone skin – it was a deep part of my rotation and often subbed out as a moisturizer to allow me to layer moisture without risking an outbreak. I also loved using rice serums for the brightness; as they help boost your skin glow... so the combination made really good sense to me. I ordered in the Snail Mucin Essence (+Rice) and started it after a heavy outbreak, when I was still in the healing period.
It was absolutely glossy, lightweight and immediately soothed my skin barrier. It was so gentle, even over irritated spots and absorbed better than the Cosrx mucin typically did. I was genuinely a little shocked at how much I loved it and how much my skin drank it up. It still leaves residue (as most all mucin does), but it perfectly sat underneath other moisturizers and make-up and added a golden shine to my skin. Amazingly, it also shrank my pore size due to the boost of hydration, stopping my skin from looking dry or weakened.
It’s a really well designed, soothing essence that gave my skin and immediate boost and glow. I’d really recommend it to anyone – it's a holistic product that works in almost all routines, but it provides the best benefit to oily and acne-prone skin.
To find a balancing product to hydrate that not only doesn’t trigger acne, but helps heal it is amazing. Within two weeks of using, it helped reduce spot size, improved pore texture and had me touching my cheek with wonder. It’s really super lovely to use, not super expensive and has a good amount in the bottle for (I’d estimate) at least a month of AM/PM use. It’s become my favourite to use after an exfoliator, as I can gently massage it into my skin to immediately reduce redness and boost moisture.
Final Thoughts
This essence is a pinnacle of what makes me love Korean beauty. It’s light, versatile, sensitive-skin friendly and helps heal your skin in real time. It acts as a moisturizer, forms a protective layer and is silky soft. It’s genuinely good for all skin types, but if you have oily skin like me – add a layer for a glassy, radiant finish to any routine.
Looking for minimalist and innovative skincare? Shop the KSECRET range on Arktastic. Or looking for more skincare secrets? Check out our guide to de-influencing your skincare routine to focus on effective routines and forget the fads. Or check out our favourite K-Beauty products to soothe acne.
