*Skinfood Royal Honey Propolis Essence Review*
It's spring here in Australia and usually after the cold winter months, I want to change up my skincare routine. Today I am introducing a new product I received and have been loving! The Skinfood Royal Honey skincare line is one of my favourites, their moisturiser (review here) is amazing. And luckily, I was able to try the Skinfood Royal Honey Propolis Essence in the same line for this review.
Let's get on with the post.
Brand: Skinfood
Name: Royal Honey Propolis Essence
Type: Skincare (for all skin types)
Price: US$26.38 (roughly between $24-$28)
Size: 50ml
Where to buy:Jolse, ibuybeauti, w2beauty.
Packaging:
This product is a little more expensive than some other Korean beauty items I regularly use, and this is definitely reflected in the packaging. The glass bottle has a lovely dark honey to light gold gradient, reminds me of Japanese/creme caramel puddings (does anyone know what I'm talking about? :p) Because it is made of glass, it is quite heavy and not suitable for travel. However you can always use the small travel sized bottles that are easily found at general stores.
I am not kidding you when I say that I am pretty much in love with this packaging. You can tell when the product is closed properly when the pump is closed. However when you twist the cap, the pump pops up. This movement creates a suction that allows the propolis essence to travel up the dropper. And when you close it and the pump falls down, the excess product is ejected back in the bottle. That's neat! No need to pick up any product by yourself, the packaging does it for you. The dropper is glass as well.
Scent:
A light.. medicinal smell. It's extremely light and it doesn't exactly smell medicinal but I couldn't describe the smell in any other way. But it is not heavy and unnecessarily artificially fragranced.
Product:
Ingredients list:
Propolis extract (50%), royal jelly extract (20%), honey extract (10%), glycerol, dipropylene glycol, Butylene Glycol, Portulaca Oleracea extract, arginine, beta-glucan, disodium EDTA, Sodium hyaluronate, hydroxyethylcellulose, Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol (taken from retsun on asian beauty subreddit)
Essences are part of an extended skincare regime. Usually it is applied after toner/lotion. Lotion in Korean skincare is basically toner in western society, just a heads up. The Skinfood boasts about this product to provide skin protection from environmental factors and moisture. The simpler the claims, the better I feel about the product.
There is black bee propolis extract 50%, royal jelly extract 20% and royal black honey extract 10%. Propolis is produced by bees from the sap of needle-leave trees or evergreens. It is produced by bees to coat their beehives and has been used as a skincare ingredients for years. Propolis is popular for its' medicinal and antibacterial properties, Egyptians used it for the embalming process of mummies!
The essence has a light viscosity, thicker than water but not as much as a cream. Compared to other essences, this does have slightly thicker formula for your information. If you have used an ampoule, it is exactly the same. Sometimes when I use this, I give myself a short facial massage because it doesn't absorb immediately like toner. This texture makes it easier to absorb into the skin and apply. I love how even though this product is light, it provides a slight moisture barrier (seen from a small sheen) when blended into the skin. After a short while, the product is completely soaked into the skin but still feels hydrated and moisturised to the touch. As well, one pump of the essence is enough for the whole face. I have been using this for around 3 weeks everyday after my Mamonde Rose Water Toner and I still have a lot of product left.
I expected this essence to be thicker so I was pleasantly surprised to see that it is not. That being said, I do not think this is fit for winter. This is definitely a summer, spring and autumn product as it is not thick enough to provide intense moisture.
Another plus is that this product has not broken me out, or given me any other skin troubles. In fact, I think this product has brightened my skin.
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| The line gives you a short 'pamphlet' on the product |
Because it is spring right now in Australia, I have been loving the Mamonde Rose Water Toner and this Skinfood Royal Honey Propolis Essence. It is perfect to use with a light moisturiser.
I definitely recommend this product if you can splurge a little more. It fits all skin types due to its gentle formula. However this is not a necessity for your skincare regime. This works wonderfully due to the simple premise but definitely not a miracle worker that makes all your skin troubles disappear. I hope thsi review was useful for you!
*product provided for review by jolse
*all content are my own