I promised that I would be testing products offered in BoOonBox to my readers and customers and so here I am starting it out. There were already few empty tubes, tubs and bottles of Korean products, used up to the last drop, which I thought would be nice for me to write something about them, which might help you too if you are looking for a new product to test as well. Though, we don't have the same skin type, I know it is still nice to hear somebody else's experience from one product.
The Missha Super Aqua Ultra Bio Essence is the first ever essence I chose to use. I never had any essence used in my whole life, so it was quite exciting to test it. This essence isn't that famous at all, but I added it anyway in my inventory because I only read positive reviews about it. By the way, all of the products you can find in BoOonBox are all truly tested products. These are positively reviewed by many people around the world.
I wanted to test the Missha Time Revolution The First Treatment Intensive Essence at first since it is the most famous among all Missha's Korean Essences, which have great reviews, but then the Super Aqua Ultra Bio Essence intrigued me more because of its innocent ingredients. Compared to the older Version of the Time Revolution, this essence only has 16 ingredients compared to the Time Revolution with 32! (now only 18!)
THE INGREDIENTS
water(aqua), glycerin, glycereth-26, niacimid, ceramide 3, lysine, lecithin, acetyl glucosamine, creatine, hydrogenated lecithin, adenosine, pentylene glycol, polyglycerine-3, bis-18 methyl ether dimethyl silane, polyquaternium-51, phenoxyethanol
I run the above set of ingredients in COSDNA to find out how safe the ingredients were. Most of the ingredients garnered an excellent rating, except for 2 ingredients that showed red flag: bis -18 methy ether dimethyl silane which is actually a moisturizer and a foam booster BUT regarded by some other experts to be a good ingredient: and the other ingredient is phenoxyethanol a preservative, which didn't bother me much since it is listed at the last line of ingredients, meaning just traces of it can be found in the the whole formula.
THE TEST
This essence is contained in a big and sturdy (quite heavy!) smoked glass bottle. It contains 150 ml of yummy stuff, which would last you quite sometime. I started using it May 2016, and I still have 1/4 left in the bottle! As expected, the essence is liquidy almost the same consistency with that of water. It is colorless and I did not smell any odor. So, my first reaction, was „okay, it's watery, will this really give me any effect (if at all) in the skin?“ The answer came right away, just right after I pat in the liquid into my skin. I was like, „oh wow“, the review didn't lie. My first essence and I was elated it worked for me! I have oily skin, but a little dehydrated. With this essence it gives the skin an instant glow, but not an oily look. I don't like a matt look though, because it looks dry, but I don't want to be shiny either with grease in my fingers when I touch my skin. I wanted that glow look which this essence gave me in an instant!
But since an essence is just one of the many steps in the Korean Skincare Routine, and since my skin needs more than an essence, because like I said my skin is also dehydrated, this essence (or any other essences nothing in particular) is for me, not enough without combining it with few other toners or creams or gels.
I never attempted to use it alone without following it with other skincare products, for the sake of observing the effect. But I had applied creams without this essence, and it was the missing link for that radiant glowing effect. It had brighten my skin only after a week of use. For an essence, this is an amazing outcome! As we all know essences are the diluted sister of serums or ampoules, which could mean that they work a little slower compared to their sister, but hey, this essence is a fighter!
I have problems with clogged pores and I was happy it did not clogged me or break me out at all! This is a great advantage in using an essence. It is light, absorbs quickly in few seconds and no traces of application visible. Great in summer, since it is light. It is also compatible with other skincare products. You can top it with few other skincare products wihout that heavy feeling. I used it the morning as well as in the evening (until I switched to a serum in the evening) right after cleansing. I started Korean skincare regimen skipping a toner and used this essence instead. It had definitely added hydration to my skin and brightened it too.
Any negative side? Maybe just the packaging, since it is quite heavy and bulky making it unconvenient when travelling. But then again, one could be creative and pour the liquid in a smaller bottle. Aside from this, nothing particular that had irritated me.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The Missha Super Aqua Ultra Bio Essence has fewer ingredients compared to other essences. Two ingredients weren't so great, but it didn't give me any irritations or outbreaks. It works great even for people like me with oily and clogged pores. It is heavy, but it aslo carries lots of juice in the bottle that would last you a looong time! For an essence it works wonderful in hydrating, brightening and giving the skin a smoother and radiant glow.
