In the Korean beauty world, there are some cult products that always get talked about, that everyone reviews and because of that, I have tuned out. While I have always known Klairs to be a solid brand, I guess there was always a more interesting KBeauty product to try since something innovative comes out everytime I scroll through Instagram! Recently, Wishtrend invited members of the CBB to review the December featured product: Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin Drop*! This is a daily essence made with 5% L-Ascorbic Acid (the active form) and Centella Asiatica extract which is an antioxidant and incredible moisturizer with soothing properties. This is an ingredient I see often in Asian skincare and I just realized this is also known as "gotu kola" which I actually AM familiar with through some of Tata Harper's skincare and I love this stuff!
PR sample and affiliate links featured
While I adore vitamin C products and use them fairly regularly throughout the year, I don't tend to review them in great depth if at all because they are sooooo heavily discussed in the beauty world as is. So, all I will really say is that we all know vitamin C is proven to be effective at improving skin tone, hyperpigmentation and stimulating collagen production. There are varying concentrations of vitamin C with higher concentrations getting more active and potentially more irritating to the skin so you sort of have to find what works for you. Two things I have learned over the years is that an effective vitamin C product should not smell like oranges AND should not start off being yellow (unless it has reacted to UV).
The other general rules of thumb are to apply vitamin C products in the evening to counteract any damage from UV/environmental stressors encountered during the day, avoid using acids and to store in the fridge (I do this with the serum in the box) or cool, dry place.
Though the instructions for this essence say morning and night, I only used this at night for 2.5 weeks as I have gotten some slight irritation from vitamin C products in the past. I also avoided exfoliating which I was initially afraid of doing because my skin can start to look congested and gross if I don't exfoliate regularly.
What I first liked about this essence is how early on we see Ascorbic acid and Centella Asiatica Extract in what I know is a very long ingredients list, but I am not phased by long lists. I consider this essence to be similar to a serum in terms of where in my skincare routine this sits and serums are complicated to create. While I have seen some with very short lists, I find that serums with actives need to be "taken care of" and be supported by other ingredients in order to remain stable. What I do like about the ingredients overall is the mainly plant-derived origins in not just the top half of the list, but throughout.
Ingredients: Water, Propylene Glycol, Ascorbic Acid(5%), Hydroxyethylcellulose, Centella Asiatica Extract, Citrus Junos Fruit Extract, Illicium Verum(Anise) Fruit Extract, Citrus Paradisi(Grapefruit) Fruit Extract, Nelumbium Speciosum Flower Extract, Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Polysorbate 60, Brassica Oleracea Italica (Broccoli) Extract, Chaenomeles Sinensis Fruit Extract, Orange Oil Brazil, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Disodium EDTA, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Camellia Sinensis Callus Culture Extract, Larix Europaea Wood Extract, Chrysanthellum Indicum Extract, Rheum Palmatum Root Extract, Asarum Sieboldi Root Extract, Quercus Mongolia Leaf Extract, Persicaria Hydropiper Extract, Corydalis Turtschaninovii Root Extract, Coptis Chinensis Root Extract, Magnolia Obovata Bark Extract, Lysine HCL, Proline, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Acetyl Methionine, Theanine, Lecithin, Acetyl Glutamine,SH-Olgopeptide-1, SH-Olgopeptide-2, SH-Polypeptide-1, SH-Polypeptide-9, SH-Polypeptide-11, Bacillus/Soybean/Folic Acid Ferment Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caprylyl Glycol, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol
I wasn't sure what to expect when it came to the texture, but this essence feels like a dry facial oil. It can be mixed with a moisturizer or serum if you have more sensitive skin, but I actually squeeze out three drops directly on each cheek and then massage the product all over my skin.
I was curious to see how my skin would fare without any exfoliation (chemical or physical) while using this and even in just the 2.5 weeks I had to review this, my skin was incredibly clear, bright and flawless with zero breakouts even leading up to my period. I experienced no tingling whatsoever when I applied this and my skin did not look dull or congested and had a surprisingly smooth texture. Ah, the wonders of vitamin C!
Final verdict: I am very happy with this essence and I understand why people enjoy it. It's a fairly flexible vitamin C product that can be used on its own or cocktailed with moisturizer or serum if you find it irritating on its own. I also like that Klairs states that this is the "L" active version of Ascorbic Acid instead of "R". Note that L and R refer to the molecular orientation of the ascorbic acid. Not a lot of brands openly disclose this right on the packaging so this was also nice to see. In terms of function, I believe that with a few more weeks of use I will continue to see my skin at its best. I am almost sad to have to switch up my serums again in a week or two to make way for new products, but I will go back to this in March as once opened, vitamin C products really should be used within 6 months for best potency. Overall, this entry into Klairs has made me a believer in the efficacy of their products and I will gladly add more to my routine! I'm thinking the next thing I try will be the Midnight Blue Youth Activating Drop!
You can find the Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin Drop at www.wishtrend.com
No comments