My first new products of the new year – I’ve started using 3 Korean skincare products – a Sulwhasoo gel toner and two Su:m 37 cleansers. Thought I would share my thoughts on them because each one has something unique.
Sulwhasoo Essential Balancing Water
It’s been a while since I purchased Korean skincare, just to underscore that this product is special to me.
The Sulwhasoo balancing water is a toner – the kind that hydrates. I absolutely love the scent. It’s a beautiful, mild Asian herbal scent.
If you’ve been following me for a while, then you know that I don’t like strongly scented skincare. My preference is for mild or no scent. I’m also not a scent person, meaning a product’s scent is not very important to me (except when it’s a turnoff). So the reason that I’m writing about this toner is because it is the ONLY product that I have ever purchased on account of its scent.
The herbal scent is strong enough that you can smell it without making an effort at sniffing but not overpowering. It’s also not too medicinal. It doesn’t smell like Chinese herbal medicine. Have you ever walked into a Chinese medicine shop – the kind that has hundreds of herbs and roots on display? If you have, you know what I mean by overpowering Asian herbs. 🙂
I first sampled this toner almost 2 years ago (in a sample-sized bottle). It made a strong impression on me then, but I never bought the full size product because I had more than enough toner to last me several years. But this toner made me miss it! I kept thinking about it every few months, especially when my skin was feeling off and craving something gentle. I finally caved and bought it recently.
I have by no means tried a lot of Korean skincare compared to the enormous selection that is available. But of all the Korean skincare products I have tried, this is my favorite. Sulwhasoo is also my favorite Korean brand of all the major Korean brands I have tried. Their textures, scents, and end outcomes are quite positive for me. My only wish is that it were priced more affordably (this toner is $58 USD for 4.2 oz). But the ingredients are truly top quality, and the products are very good. (Sulwhasoo is a luxury, holistic Korean brand.) So I don’t paying more for their products. I don’t feel the same way about the luxury brands in U.S. department stores (their products don’t deserve the steep prices in my opinion).
I should note that this toner has an unusual texture for a toner – it’s a very lightweight, fluid gel, not a loose fluid like many other Korean toners (softeners). But it doesn’t feel as heavy as a gel and it’s not sticky like some gels. Because of its gel texture, I find it very soothing when spreading it over my face.
This “water” just sinks right in. It does a good job at hydrating. But what I like best is how my skin feels right afterward. Calmed and soothed. It’s a gentle product that anyone can use.
The word “balancing” is in its name, but it is not the meaning that we are accustomed to here in the U.S. It’s not an oil-control toner that will reduce or regulate sebum production. When I see “balancing” on an American product, I immediately think: this will dry out my skin (because my skin is not oily). In fact, a dry or mature skin type can use this toner. The word “balancing,” as explained in the packaging insert, is in the context of balancing Yin and Yang energies – for example, making up for deficiencies in skin, such as dryness or dullness.
For the longest time, I thought this toner had ginseng in it. It doesn’t although it smells a bit like ginseng. Also, I never knew just how many herbs (many of them native to Asia) were inside this toner until I looked at the ingredient list and counted them.
17 herbs and plant extracts, wow. This toner is all herbs!
Since the ingredient list is not available on Sulwhasoo’s site, I thought you might like to see the herbal ingredients. Here they are, in the order in which they appear on the ingredient list.
Sulwhasoo Essential Balancing Water Herbal Ingredients:
- Ophiopogon japonicus root extract (mondo grass)
- Camellia sinensis leaf extract (white tea)
- Glycyrrhiza uralensis root extract (licorice)
- Nelumbo nucifera seed extract (E. Indian lotus)
- Paeonia albiflora root extract (Chinese white peony)
- Polygonatum officinale rhizome/root extract (Solomon’s seal)
- Lilium tigrinum flower/leaft/stem extract (white lily)
- Rehmannia glutinosa root extract (a Chinese herb)
- Chrysanthemum morifolium flower extract (chrysanthemum flower)
- Paeonia suffruticosa root extract (mountain peony)
- Citrus unshiu peel extract (satsuma mandarin)
- Adenophora stricta root extract (ladybell)
- Lycium Chinese root extract (matrimony vine)
- Coix lacryma-jobi ma-yuen seed extract (Job’s tears)
- Angelica tenuissima root extract (kobon)
- Portulaca oleracea extract (purslane)
- Astralagus membranaceous root extract (a Chinese herb)
Su:m 37 Cleansing Balm
This cleansing balm was a gift from a friend. I’m late to the party on this product, which has been a kbeauty favorite the past couple years. So I was thrilled to receive it and see what all the fuss is about.
It is considered a “luxury” balm compared with other Korean cleansing balms, and it is priced higher too (around $42 USD for 3.4 oz). It has a sherbert texture, which is very smooth, and the balm glides over skin effortlessly. Rubbing it in is a pleasure.
But I have to say, and I’m probably in the minority on this, it did not bowl me over. The popular Banila Clean It Zero (another Korean cleansing balm) cleans my skin just as well. Banila also has a sherbert texture that melts into oil. Although its texture is not as elegant (it is not as creamy and soft), it costs half the price of the Sum:37 balm – at around $22 USD for 3.4 oz.
I actually prefer the Banila cleansing balm over the Su:m 37 because it converts into more oil when it’s spread over skin. I like having more oil on my skin during the first step of the double cleanse (the cleansing oil step). More oil means less friction on skin. So there is more glide as you’re rubbing the oil around (more glide = faster and easier movements), and a facial massage can last longer before the oil dries up.
As you can see, the packaging of the Sum:37 balm is quite distinctive. The jar has an interesting shape. The funny metal piece sticking out of the lid is a magnetic spatula. This spatula is magnetized so that it sticks to the lid! It’s a strong magnet too (won’t fall off easily), but easy to pull off too.
I love this spatula, which is my favorite part of the balm. Storing the spatula is so easy, and there is no need to dip into the jar with your fingers. When a spatula is in such easy reach, you’re more likely to use it (and keep the bacteria away).
Note: The lid on the jar is a shiny, reflective, metallic surface. It is not frosted as it appears in this photo. I put the “frost” there to hide the reflection 😉
Su:m 37 Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick
This was also a gift. A very unusual cleanser. It’s in a solid form and looks like a deodorant stick. You roll it up like one. I was perplexed by how to use it at first.
Basically, the cleanser is a solid-to-foam cleanser. There are different ways to apply it. The instructions say to wet your face and slide the stick over your skin, for instance on your cheek. You then rub your face, and the product foams up.
Another way is to wet your hands, rub the stick on one palm, then rub your palms together to create foam, and then rub the foam over your face. Or rub the stick on one or both palms, and then rub those palms onto a wet face to foam it up there.
I rub the stick onto my palm first, since it’s more hygienic than placing it directly onto my face. I don’t want to contaminate the surface of my cleansing stick with bacteria and debris from my skin.
The dark flecks blended into the stick are rose petals. The cleanser has a mild rose scent.
If you like foam, there’s quite a bit of it. The cleanse is gentle, especially for a foaming cleanser, and it cleans pretty well. But I don’t find it particularly special or different from other good liquid cleansers. I actually prefer liquid cleansers as I find this solid stick application a bit unwieldy. Pouring or pumping out liquid is more straightforward for me.
In fact, I’m not quite sure of the point of this solid-to-foam cleanser. It even seems a bit gimmicky to me. Is it really necessary to package cleanser this way? But I do see some advantages.
- It’s lightweight – weighs a lot less than a liquid cleanser packaged in a bottle. So if you need to travel with a cleanser, this is lighter to carry.
- Since it’s not a liquid, there’s no chance for a spill. And it’s easy to use up all of it. You don’t have the hassle of getting to the bottom of a liquid cleanser bottle and trying to use up the remaining amount.
