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Face Essence - Everything You Need To Know About These Smart Glow-Givers
Your skincare routine just gained a major player.
You’re probably familiar with Korean beauty by now – even if you don’t realise it. Used a sheet mask in the past year? That likely came from South Korea. The same goes for snail extracts, glass skin and those fun pimple patches that temper the terror of an unexpected breakout (if you’re yet to try them, head straight for Starface – they’re a revelation).
But facial essences are one born-in-Korea trend that we’ve got less of a grasp on. Skincare show-offs will know that they slip into a routine between the toning and serum-slathering, but what exactly is a face essence? And what do they really do? Stay with us for everything you need to know.
What is a facial essence?
'Originating from the Korean beauty industry, a facial essence – not to be confused with a toner – essentially works as a primer for your moisturiser whilst also including a lot of extra benefits for the skin,' explains Julia Marinkovich of COSRX.
We know what you're thinking – sounds just like a face serum, no? Honestly, you'd be right: facial essences and serums are much of the same. 'Essences have similar benefits to a serum, and with a lower molecular weight than most creams, they work to penetrate the skin at a deeper level than your average moisturiser,' says Marinkovich. The best essences out there combine various benefits in one, working to hydrate, balance, soothe or exfoliate, depending on the formulation.
So plainly speaking, an essence is predominantly a watery alternative to a serum, used to deliver targetted actives to the skin and supercharge the rest of your routine. If you're largely happy with your existing product line-up there's no need to invest – but if breakouts are persisting or your skin feels dry by lunchtime, you might benefit from adding in an essence. What’s more, if you’re trying to obtain the super-hydrated, dewy skin of Insta-filter fame, a light layer of a humectant-rich facial essence may just get you there.
How to use a facial essence
Speaking of effectiveness, correct application is crucial here – and that means ditching the cotton pads. ‘Some people like to apply 2-3 pumps to a cotton wool pad and sweep over the face, but this means a lot of the essence just sits in your pad, and you end up wasting quite a bit of product,' says Marinkovich. She recommends treating an essence like a serum when it comes to application, 'dispensing 4-5 pumps of the essence into the palms of your hands, then pressing the product gently into your skin.'
The best face essences to try now
As with all things in skincare, there’s now an endless array of face essences to choose from, each one promising different benefits. Here, see the best ones we’ve tried – and the skin types they suit.
Dr. Jart+ Vital Hydra Solution Biome Essence
Dr. Jart+ Vital Hydra Solution Biome Essence
K-Beauty stalwarts Dr. Jart offer this brilliant face essence, which uses probiotics to boost your moisture barrier while keeping a temperamental complexion calm and balanced. Triple-weight hyaluronic acid plumps cells on multiple levels – brilliant skincare technology for such a reasonable price tag.
Ren Clean Skincare Perfect Canvas Smooth, Prep & Plump Essence
Hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and glycerin combine to make Ren's latest launch a very wise investment for, well, pretty much everyone. It's designed to help plump skin before make-up (and boy does it deliver), but the added bonus is how it strengthens the skin barrier over time, thanks to added biome-feeding ferments.
Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence Gel
Don't think about what you're putting on your face, just know that this is an absolutely brilliant hydrator that'll get you to glass skin faster than anything else. Containing 96% snail mucin, you know this is a zero-filler product, too. (Even Emily Ratajkowski has raved about it.)
Ok fine, if you' can't get over the ick factor, try the brand's equally good hyaluronic acid essence.
Caudalie Vinoperfect Concentrated Brightening Essence
Caudalie’s offering is unusual in that its focus is on exfoliating, making it ideal for anyone with combination or oily skin. It contains glycolic acid to gently dissolve dead skin cells and keep your pores clear, ensuring a glow that never feels greasy.
111 Skin Celestial Black Diamond Brightening Essence
If you're after something that'll streamline your entire routine, look no further than 111 Skin. This predictably powerful facial essence contains elastin-boosting copper peptides that are delivered deeper than usual into the skin – thanks to the brand's 'diamond' delivery system – ensuring they can do their best work. Tranexamic acid and liquorice fade pigmentation, so you're left with a brighter, plumper visage in time.
Fresh Black Tea Kombucha Facial Treatment Essence
This one is a great choice for anyone living in a built-up city. It’s formulated with pollution-neutralising antioxidants alongside fermented extracts to keep your skin barrier healthy and happy. It’s worth so much more to your skin than a litre of kombucha.
This South Korean staple contains a hefty (91% in fact) concentration of astragalus, or milk vetch root: a plant extract widely in traditional Eastern medicine for its anti-inflammatory properties. With a texture more akin to a toner, it sinks straight in to hydrate and calm any skin type.
Much as we call on tea tree to bring down a breakout, the aromatic herb mugwort has long been used in South Korea for treating irritation and acne. This essence contains absolutely no filler, and can be pressed onto clean skin whenever a pesky pimple rears its head.
Not just a smart hydrator, Sunday Riley's serum-like essence contains peptides that prompt better collagen production as well as biome-regulating prebiotics. With ceramides and calming cucumber extract too, it's a very hard-working option for anyone looking to reduce enlarged pores or tackle uneven texture.
This watery essence is a smart way to work retinol into your routine. It contains a gentle retinoid encapsulated within liposomes, meaning your skin is slowly drip-fed the active ingredient, thus reducing the risk of irritation.
The fanfare that surrounded Tatcha on its UK launch last year was well and truly warranted. A great introduction to the brand's gently-does-it ethos, this cooling essence combines a surprisingly brief list of ingredients that work together to calm and hydrate all skin types: there's hydrating Japanese algae, antioxidant green tea, and calming camellia.
Tata Harper Hydrating Floral Essence
Undeniably luxurious (with a price tag to match), Tata Harper’s floral essence is a total treat. It’s lighter than most, so feels more like a watery mist, yet is packed with plant-derived hyaluronic acid to lock in moisture before you’ve even reached for a serum.
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