Essences: The Missing Step In Your Skincare Routine

Source: Daniele Venturelli/Daniele Venturelli/Getty Images

Adding an essence to your regime is a total game-changer; it’ll help plump, hydrate, and prime your skin like no other product. For those of you questioning why you need to add another product to your seemingly never-ending daily regime, we promise an essence is essential – it’s the K-beauty secret to glass skin. Not only does it have high concentrations of active ingredients, but it’ll also enhance your entire skincare regime, prepping your skin for seamless skincare absorption and makeup application. Here’s everything you need to know:

What is a Facial Essence?

An essence is a lightweight formula designed to hydrate and rebalance your skin after you’ve cleansed and toned. It has a high concentration of active ingredients like hydrating heroes hyaluronic acid and glycerin. It’s an extremely lightweight formula as it’s free of rich moisturizing ingredients, like waxes and emollients, so it’ll be able to penetrate and hydrate your skin at a deeper level without the risk of clogging your pores.

The extra layer of hydration will also help prime your skin, enhancing the absorption of other skincare products like your moisturizer or serum. Essences typically contain nutrient-rich fermented ingredients like ginger, rice, and yeast, which speed skin-cell turnover as they contain enzymes and amino acids. If it includes alcohol (which will be listed as ethanol or alcohol denat), it’s not an essence. We’d stay clear of these products, as it’ll actually strip your skin of moisture.

How to Use a Facial Essence

Applying an essence is the fun part! Ditch your cotton pads and apply the essence to your fingertips, then using your hands, gently press the formula onto cleansed, toned, and dry skin. Continually pat the product onto your skin until it’s fully absorbed. This K-beauty method will increase absorption as you’re not wasting any product on a pad and it’ll also stimulate and awaken the skin, boosting circulation. Incorporate your essence into your morning and evening routine and follow with your fave serum or moisturizer, et voila! Your skin’s hydrated and prepped: ready for makeup application. The better hydrated your skin is, the less likely it becomes that your makeup ends up looking cakey.

Here are the essences that the (K) Beauty world’s currently obsessed with…

Tatcha The Essence

Source: Tatcha

The essence of all essences, this product has a cult following for a reason, and the ingredient list speaks for itself: it’s packed with anti-aging green tea, rice, and algae, as well as lactic acid to boost cell turner and improve texture.

Shop it here, $95.

Yuripibu Asiatica Calming Ampoule

Source: Asiatica

If you have dry or sensitive skin, this essence is made for you! The soothing essence features over 95% Centella Asiatica (tiger grass), which is super hydrating and is full of amino and essential fatty acids to help strengthen the skin’s protective barrier from external damage. It’s suitable for all skin types, leaving your skin brighter and softer. To find out more about Centella Asiatica, read this post.

Shop it here, $38.

Blithe Inbetween Makeup Prep Essence

Source: Inbetween

This makeup-prepping essence creates a protective layer on the skin, to seal in moisture and prevent makeup from penetrating the skin and clogging pores. We’re OBSESSED!

Shop it here, $38.

ID.AZ Dermastic Essence

Source: ID.AZ

Formulated with Tremella mushroom, hyaluronic acid, and papaya fruit extract, which are full of antioxidants, it helps fight damaging free radicals that cause premature aging.

Shop it here, $58.

Kiko Pure Clean Essence

Source: Kiko

If you have dull skin, you need to start using the Pure Clean Essence. It’ll moisturize and revitalize, giving your skin a new lease of life. It smells like a spa too, as it’s scented with magnolia, peach, and sandalwood.

Shop it here, $12.

Do you guys use an essence? Let us know in the comments below.