From the beginning I would like to say that everything in this review is personal. I will write only about my own experiences.
I initially came up with the idea to order Missha First Treatment Essence Time Revolution from a Korean beauty shop. (I read a lot of good reviews about the product, and decided that I needed it). While I know ordinary cream is sometimes too much for my skin, I can usually get by with lotion, toner, and milky cleansing lotion to avoid oily skin in the morning (or later in the day).
After reading about the low cost of the popular essence from SK-II, I decided to try it out, and found it to be a good bargain. This is some background info about SK-II, so you can understand what I’m talking about:
SK II (pronounced S-K-Two) is a Japanese prestige beauty brand launched in 1980. It is owned by Procter & Gamble and is sold and marketed as a premium skin care solution in East Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America. SK-II claims the active ingredients can make skin younger and marketing supports claims of visible improvements within 1 month.
Actress Cate Blanchett is the face of the product in the West.
SK-II was developed by Japanese scientists during the 1970s, who were looking into using more naturally derived ingredients. While observing workers at a sake brewery, they observed that elderly workers had wrinkled faces that showed their age, but their hands were smooth, clear and younger looking from years of submerging their hands in the fermented yeast.
This ingredient can help to start a natural regeneration of the skin and promises to transform your skin that can be compared to a miracle. And that miracle was evaluated by many glossy magazines such as Elite Beauty Awards — Elite MagazineBest Beauty Buys 2014 — InStylePrix d’Excellence Beauty Awards — Marie Claire Global Beauty Awards — Reader’s Choice — Elle
Missha First Treatment Essence Time Revolution is an analogue of the famous essence, but has a slightly better and richer formula, all for less money. The box clearly states the ingredients, as you can see below.
I do want to apologize for that photo, as I couldn’t take a better one; but I have listed a comparison of the ingredients.
Missha: saccharomyces ferment filtrate, bifida ferment lysate, propanediol, niacinamide, polyquaternium-51, ulmus davidiana root extract, betaine, amaranthus caudatus seed extract, piper methysticum leaf/root/stem extract, beta vulgaris (beet) root extract, phellodendron amurense bark extract, hydrogenated lecithin, sodium hyaluronate, pentylene glycol, water, trehalose, disodium EDTA, hydrolyzed corn starch, adenosine, ethylhexylglycerin, butylene glycol, glycerin, raffinose, tromethamine, acetic acid, lactic acid,1,2-hexanediol, caprylyl glycol, hexapeptide-9, phenoxyethanol, potassium sorbate.
SK II: Saccharomycopsis Ferment Filtrate (Pitera), Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Water, Sodium Benzoate, Methylparaben, Sorbic Acid
As you can see, Missha’s has better ingredients. (I chose the sensitive version.) Although it has a slightly different composition, it has the same essence. Like all makeup, from time to time there are changes in the ingredients when they renew the line.
The package looks like this:
It is attractive for is price, and provides a small description in English and Korean.
The first step of this essence is to be used after you wash your face. To apply: the product recommends putting an appropriate amount on a cotton ball and applying it all over your face. Then lightly pat until it is fully absorbed.
Inside the package you will find is a smaller plastic bottle, instead of one made of matte glass.
From the photo you can see how much I’ve used over the course of 50 days. I use it twice a day, so the product is very economical.
The bottleneck looks like this:
The bottleneck makes it easy to get the amount of product I need (sometimes I get more, but I just apply it to my neck).
This small amount is enough for me to use for my entire face. I do want to specify that my skin is oily. If you have dry skin, you will probably need to use more of the product.
The essence itself is an almost-transparent liquid. It has a very slight cosmetic scent. While some people can smell the scent of yeast, I didn’t smell that scent at all.
How I apply it-–I put a few drops (1 – 3) on my palm, rub them together, and pat the product onto my face. Then (especially if I took too much product) I press my palms against my face and repeat several times until I have covered the entire surface. This helps to improve blood circulation and sink the product into your skin. It’s very important to remember that your hands must be warm!
I didn’t take a before and after photo of my face, as there is nothing to look at. The experience of this product is rather subjective, so I will try to describe it.
The first thing I noticed after the first usage was the softness of my skin. It made me really want to touch my face. My skin felt comfortable and I didn’t have any stickiness, dryness, or tightening on my face. After the essence I usually don’t apply anything (except at night), because the essence is a good enough moisturizer. After this, my makeup goes on easily; and in just a couple of weeks I noticed that my skin was smoother and sleeker After using the essence, my skin is not quite as oily. While I can’t say my acne disappeared, I did notice that it goes away much quicker.
In general I can’t say that this is a panacea for acne or oily skin, but it’s a really good product for everyday usage for moisturizing and nourishing your skin. You can definitely see the effect; my wrinkles around my eyes even became less visible (which I think is because of the moisturizing).
I definitely recommend this product.
If you are interested in this essence; but you aren’t quite sure yet, I advise you to start with samples. You can easily get them on eBay or from shops that sell samples. If you are ready to make a purchase, I advise shopping in Korea (through Internet shops or eBay), since many shops have really high prices.
