Korean Luxury Skincare: Sulwhasoo

I don’t know about you but I always look forward to nighttime skincare, especially coming home from a long and exhausting day at work. The other day I was telling hubs that removing my false lashes is akin to unclasping bra, oddly satisfying and fulfilling! But really, the time I spend in removing makeup, cleansing, toning, applying serum, oil, moisturizer or slathering on mask without looking at the time or feeling rushed is my favorite time of the day. And yes, I feel more beautiful at night, sans makeup and all but with my skin soaking in all the moisture and goodness of my own facial cocktail of sorts. One particular brand that I am gravitating to more and more the past months is Sulwhasoo, a luxury Korean skincare line which utilizes indigenous medicinal herbs anchored on “sang-seng”, a philosophy that balances inner energies of the skin which contribute to a nourished and healthy complexion. To me it simply translates to taking of your skin through a combination of healthy lifestyle and smart skincare. So far I have tried three products from Sulwhasoo and given my positive experience, I don’t mind adding few more. Here are my favorites:

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Sulwhasoo Gentle Cleansing Oil is possibly the gentlest I have tried in recent years. I have so many ways of removing makeup but clearly, this product belongs to my top 3. I pump the dispenser twice and apply the product straight, massage my face and eyes then remove all the residues with damp makeup eraser (the pink towel). The next step is to cleanse my face with facial wash (whatever is in my rotation) and Foreo Luna.

I then proceed with serum (I layer at least two any given night) and Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum Ex belongs to my top 5 must-haves. Its list of ingredients is beaming with natural extracts such as licorice (known to enhance complexion by reducing discoloration and age spots) and dwarf lilyturf (indigenous to Asia, said to counteract free radical effects). See complete list below. The formula is very thin, more like liquid and the way to apply it is to warm it in between your palms first by gently rubbing, then pressing onto the skin gently in upward strokes. I know I use the word gentle repeatedly like your nagging mama but really, the art of skincare is all about mildness. Applying it gently (here we go again) and massaging your face like how your esthetician does it helps with blood circulation which in turn helps deliver oxygen and nutrients to the cells. So don’t rush it next time, seize the moment!

In some nights I want extra TLC, I use Sulwhasoo Overnight Vitalizing Mask as the last step to skincare. This is a no-rinse kind of mask, hence the name. You leave it on overnight for extra hydration as you catch some beauty snooze and wake up with extra supple skin. And nope, you don’t rinse off with cleanser but only with plain water. Actually, that’s how I have been doing my morning skincare (I will dedicate another post on this) but in a nutshell, unless you are sleeping somewhere dirty (sleepwalking perhaps?), washing your face repeatedly with cleanser strips your skin’s natural moisture. On a side note, all these three have slight medicinal herb scent to them, not migraine-inducing or anything but I know some of you guys prefer fragrance-free products. But other than that, these are worth checking out especially if you are curious to try Korean skincare line.

Sulwhasoo Gentle Cleansing Oil: Isopropyl Palmitate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Peg-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, Peg-8 Isostearate Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Spirodela Polyrrhiza Extract, Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Extract, Castanea Crenata (Chestnut) Shell Extract, Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract, Pinus Koraiensis Seed Oil, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Prunus Mume Fruit Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Germ Extract, Squalane, Dextrin Palmitate, Glyceryl Behenate/Eicosadioate, Butylene Glycol, Fragrance.

Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum Ex: Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract, Glycyrrhiza Uralensis (Licorice) Root Extract, Water, Butylene Glycol, Alcohol, Glycerin, Betaine, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Seed Extract, Polygonatum Officinale Rhizome/Root Extract, Lilium Tigrinum Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Rehmannia Glutinosa Root Extract, Chrysanthemum Morifolium Flower Extract, Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract, Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract, Adenophora Stricta Root Extract, Lycium Chinense Root Extract, Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Extract, Angelica Tenuissima Root Extract, Honey, Astragalus Membranaceus Root Extract, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Natto Gum, Beta-Glucan, Sodium Hyaluronate, Juglans Regia (Walnut) Shell Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Zizyphus Jujuba Fruit Extract, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Extract, Peg/Ppg-17/6 Copolymer, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Bis-Peg-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Potassium Carbomer, Peg-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Dextrin, Cellulose Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Chondrus Crispus (Carrageenan), Phenyl Trimethicone, Propanediol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Propylene Glycol, Disodium Edta, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance.

Sulwhasoo Overnight Vitalizing Mask: Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Squalane, Di-C12-13 Alkyl Malate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Cyclohexasiloxane, Panax Ginseng Root Extract Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract, Glycyrrhiza Uralensis (Licorice) Root Extract, Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Seed Extract, Polygonatum Officinale Rhizome/Root Extract, Lilium Tigrinum Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Rehmannia Glutinosa Root Extract, Chrysanthemum Morifolium Flower Extract, Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract, Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract, Adenophora Stricta Root Extract, Lycium Chinense Root Extract, Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Extract, Angelica Tenuissima Root Extract, Honey, Juglans Regia (Walnut) Shell Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract(??,Skullcap), Angelica Acutiloba Root Extract(??), Morus Alba Root Extract(?????, ???), Beta-Glucan, Sodium Hyaluronate, Trehalose, C14-22 Alcohols, Stearic Acid, Silica, Hydrogenated Castor Oil Isostearate, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Palmitic Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Peg-100 Stearate, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Polyacrylate-13, Phytosteryl/Behenyl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, C12-16 Alcohols, Carbomer, Polyisobutene, Xanthan Gum, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Dextrin, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Extract, Polysorbate 20, Propanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Alcohol, Tromethamine, Disodium Edta, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance.