3.) An essence is a must for younger women (usually) since it can do wonders for more youthful skin. What exactly is it doing for the health of our skin? I also love that it comes in a mist pump to keep that hydration going throughout the day.”. Speaking of effectiveness, correct application is crucial, too – and that means ditching the cotton pads. K-Beauty stalwarts Dr. Jart have just released this brilliant face essence, which uses probiotics to boost your moisture barrier while keeping a temperamental complexion calm and balanced. Caudalie’s offering is ideal for anyone with combination or oily skin. “Toners wipe away excess impurities and are the last step in cleansing the skin,” says Glazman, “whereas essences and infusions absorb quickly to deliver more targeted benefits and are the first step in treating the skin.” Comparatively, a serum is more concentrated than either essences or toners, and usually targets one particular skin-care concern, like firmness, brightening, or smoothness. No, I'm not talking about the white, fluffy treats that fit perfectly between graham crackers and chocolate, but the herbs found in the root of the actual plant. LHA decreases the concentration of bacteria found within the pore. Lev Glazman: “This essence promotes the health of your skin through its pollution defense benefits, protecting from indoor, outdoor, and digital pollution.”, May Coop Raw Sauce, $14 FutureDerm readers will probably be happy to know that LHA can therefore be used with everything from acidic forms of vitamin C to retinoids (for which activation occurs at pH 5.5-6.0). Decléor Night Essence Energy, Radiance & Skin Renewal, $150 MSRP. Generally containing mild to moderate concentrations of exfoliants like alpha hydroxy acids, a skin care essence is designed to prime and exfoliate the skin. 'Essences combine the various elements of a skincare routine in one step: they hydrate and re-balance the skin whilst also using highly concentrated levels of active ingredients, enabling a deeper penetration into our skin barrier. At first glance, the product might look like a bottle of water wrapped up in pretty marketing (I certainly was skeptical in the beginning), but essences actually serve an important purpose. Though present in low concentration, not much of any of these ingredients are required for skin refining and firming benefits. Shiseido Eudermine Revitalizing Essence, along with Skinceuticals CE Ferulic, was one of the products that got me super excited about skin care in the first place as a teenager. In terms of formulation, an essence generally has the watery texture of a toner and the targeted benefits of a serum. Magnesium as magnesium chloride has been found to improve skin hydration when used as a part of a magnesium Dead Sea salt solution (International Journal of Dermatology, 2005). I like to think of a skin care essence like a new age toner: Meant to stay on the skin for longer-lasting benefits, and infused with more beneficial, modern ingredients like AHAs, sodium hyaluronate, and probiotics. The LHA molecule has been found to separate transmembrane glycoproteins at the corneosome/corneocyte interface, cleanly detaching individual corneosomes from one another (European Journal of Dermatology, 2002). The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast. Ingredients that are hard to find, like the super exfoliant LHA in Kiehl’s Iris Extract Activating Treatment Essence, the brightening Pitera in SK-II Facial Treatment Essence, or the skin-firming arginine and magnesium chloride in Shiseido Eudermine Revitalizing Essence, can all easily be added into your regimen with an essence! Look out for exclusive Skincare.com content in your inbox soon! It’s the perfect prep product for a glowy skin look, especially if you find most primers too heavy. As you all know, antioxidants work by fending off free radicals before they can damage DNA. Formulated with glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and the brand’s Mineralizing Thermal Water, this refreshing formula leaves the skin looking and feeling softer and smoother. Formulated with 3 plant stem cells—edelweiss from the Italian Alps and sea holly and criste marine from the Brittany coast—this nourishing gel-to-water facial essence can help trigger fresh-looking skin that appears rejuvenated, replenished, and refined. There is limited research, produced by Procter & Gamble (the brand behind SK-II) attesting that the Pitera yeast used in SK-II increases the production of hyaluronan – a component found in the skin’s extracellular matrix – in a synthetic skin model. I'm obsessed with the floral scent and the barely-there feeling it leaves on my face. To learn more about the advantages of using an essence, and why they’re so crucial for taking care of your skin, we spoke with Alicia Yoon, founder of Peach & Lily, and Lev Glazman, co-founder of Fresh, two veterans in the field of skin care. Plus, the formulas are hitting the shelves with varying textures, including gel and oil versions. Victoria Tsai, the Taiwanese-American founder of Tatcha, a Japanese skin-care label, was one of those skeptics, refusing to add an essence when the brand was introduced in 2009. Though critics online say that Shiseido Eudermine Revitalizing Essence contains too much alcohol, this stems from a common misunderstanding of cosmetic chemistry.