If I were to ask you about including an Essence into your skincare routine, would you have any clue as to what I was talking about? More than likely, probably not. From my research a lot of people have either A) Never heard of them or B) Heard of them but have no idea how to properly use them. I fell into category B. I have always heard of Essences being mentioned in talks about Korean Skincare routines or Bloggers sharing their skincare routines, but here in the States, they were just recently starting to become popular. I didn’t really understand where the product fit into my skincare routine or really what it was.
$14.00/40ml or $43.00/150ml
Peach & Lily, a brand completely dedicated to selling only Korean Skincare and Beauty products, reached out to me and sent me a package with some of their best selling products. One of the products they sent me was the Raw Sauce by May Coop. It happens to be one of their best selling Essences on their website. Before I get into any of my thoughts on the product or how to use it, I want to talk about what exactly an Essence really is.
An Essence is NOT a Toner, nor is it a Serum. Think of an Essence as the product you use AFTER you tone your skin, but BEFORE you apply any serums. An Essence, from what I understand and to be honest, I’m still learning, is like an extra step in hydrating your skin. The ingredients in an Essence penetrate to the deeper layers of the skin’s surface layer, so they allow the serums to do their job better!
Not all Essences are the same either! Just like all the other skincare available, there is an Essence available for every skin type, not just dry skin. That means that each product will vary slightly in texture and ingredients. The May Coop Raw Sauce Essence that I have been using is a very watery-like substance that is made with 93% Maple Tree Sap. It’s watery and thicker than a toner, but not as thick as a serum. Nor is it sticky at all. It’s great for hydrating the skin and giving my skin that healthy glow we all want. However, some Essences are more lotion or gel-like in texture. Some contain Anti-Oxidants, Acids, Hydrators and other ingredients that are tailored to specific skin types and issues. So even with Essences, there are a lot of options!
The product comes out in small drops. You don’t need much at all!
Using an Essence is so easy! I take about four drops (more or less depending on my skin that day) on my hand and gently rub my hands together and begin by gently patting the product into the skin, starting at my chin and going upward. I normally start with my chin, move onto the cheeks and finally the forehead. I don’t use a cotton pad with mine, as I like to really push the Essence into the skin with the palms of my hand, but you could if you wanted to.
You can see in the picture how watery the Essence is. This is about three-four drops!
Do I think you need to include an Essence into your skincare routine? Ultimately, that’s up to you. Since I’ve been using the Raw Sauce, I’ve noticed that my skin glows and my skin just seems so much more hydrated than usual. Sometimes, no matter how much water I’m drinking, or hydrating products I’m using, it’s not enough to stop me from getting dry patches. Since using an Essence, day and night, I haven’t had that issue. I really enjoy using Raw Sauce because it’s so hydrating and I love that it doesn’t leave my skin feeling sticky or like there’s a lot of product on my face. It’s just an extra step that I don’t mind adding to my routine because so far the results seem to speak for themselves!
Products sent to for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I thought an essence was interchangeable with a serum up until recently when I read Anastasia’s post on Glamorable about them. I really like the idea of adding an essence to target hydration, since my skin always feels so dry when I get up in my morning. This one sounds lovely! I liked the Goodall one I received in a Birchbox a few months back, too. Thanks for sharing!
I had no ida there were so many Essences available for so many different type of skin issues! I’m going to keep exploring this product as I’m curious about others out there!
I don’t think I have ever heard of an essence. It’s another step to add to your skincare routine, but if it helps hydrate it would be worth it. The price seems good as well! There are times this aging skin could use some more moisture but I don’t like using heavy creams except at night. This could be an answer for me!!
This would be a great product to include in your routine!
Looks like a fun, necessary, but totally awesome kind of product! I’ll keep an eye out for essences, I’d like to see how it works for me!
I think they’re a product that aren’t completely necessary, but it’s a nice addition to my routine. At least with this product I can tell a difference when I use it!
I have heard that Raw Sauce is pretty amazing! It comes super highly recommended!
It’s one of the best I’ve used!
I just got the small size of this, and after reading your review, I’m so glad that I did! I’ve tried another one before, but it didn’t work for me. This one sounds much better!
I can’t wait to see what you think after you use this one for a while. I’m pretty sure I know the other Essence you are talking about because I think we had a conversation about it!
I love essences – when I’m running really, really late, I use an essence, then my serum, and can skip moisturiser altogether on my oily skin. I’m trying not to do that, but essences are a good way of adding more hydration to the skin before thicker serums.
I’ve become such a fan!!
Fantastic, informative post! I’ve pinned it to save for later reference. 🙂 I have heard of essences here and there, but never read anything about WHAT they were exactly until this post. Good to know — I think I need to start incorporating an essence into my skincare routine in the near future!
Thank you!! I didn’t think I’d notice such a difference in my skin, but it really has felt so much more hydrated recently!! Peach and Lily has some great options as far as Essences to choose from!
I’ve just started using an essence from SK-II, and I’m applying it as you recommend. Frankly, it’s about the same weight as my toner and some of my serums. I’ve been applying it with my palms but it’s a hydrating essence and my palms don’t fit under my eye sockets so I’ve been cheating and applying it there where I need it with my fingertips. I think of it as just another layer, and now I’ve got about 5 layers, lol!
Yeah the SK-II is one of the more popular Essences that are out there. I’m curious to see what you thought of that one! I have previously tried it in the past and was left a little underwhelmed with such a HUGE price tag.