By Neogen’s Fermented Micro Essence Hydrated & Brightened My Skin
When you paint your nails, you don’t just glob on polish and call it a day. Thin layers work better to create a glossy, even coat of color. I take the same approach to hydrating my oily skin. Instead of slathering on a thick cream and clogging up my pores, I prefer to build up moisture with three steps: toner, essence, and moisturizer.
After double cleansing, I swipe toner on with a cotton pad before I reach for the Neogen Dermalogy Real Ferment Micro Essence. Although it looks like a mini bottle of Voss Water (and feels like it on skin), the essence is far from glorified water. If anything, it’s more like somaek (a.k.a. a beer and soju/sake cocktail) for your face. The transparent fluid is spiked with a myriad of ferments, including those of the rice and yeast varieties. In fact, approximately 93 percent of the formula is made up of them, if you want to get mathematical.
But why does your skin need some somaek you ask? The ferments in this Korean essence — which are typically found in alcoholic beverages, yogurt, and cheese — improve our skin’s microbiome. As a result, skin locks in hydration better while becoming brighter, smoother, and plumper. They can also help desensitize inflamed skin. So with the Neogen Dermalogy Real Ferment Micro Essence, you’re not just getting a concentrated layer of moisture or helping your other skin-care products absorb better. It also strengthens your skin overall. Brightening niacinamide and soothing allantoin also make welcomed appearances on its ingredient list. Both work wonders for helping clear up my skin after a hormonal breakout.
Typically, I sprinkle the essence, which has the faintest scent of sake, into my hand and pat it onto my face for peak absorption. Then, I proceed with the rest of my skin-care routine: a retinol and a hylauronic acid serum followed by a lightweight gel-cream moisturizer. The essence binds all these layers of hydration together while helping my skin look healthier and more radiant, so I can continue having confidence in my makeup-free skin while sheltering in place.
You’ll find the Neogen Dermalogy Real Ferment Micro Essence in our November 2020 Allure Beauty Box.
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