Review: From Nature Age Intense Treatment Essence

It can be overwhelming, the sheer abundance of first essences on the market. Practically every Korean brand offers a variation on the theme, from the dizzying heights of absurd luxury (Amore Pacific Vintage Single Extract Essence, for example), to the cheerfully downmarketed From Nature Age Intense Treatment Essence at the local Emart, one of many iterations of SK-II that might catch your eye while shopping for groceries and socks, priced gently enough to make a glow-inducing, mildly acidic post-cleansing hydration step accessible to everyone. The formula is brief and to the point, but the important ingredients (galactomyces ferment, niacinamide, and humectants) front the list.

INGREDIENTS    galactomyces ferment filtrate, niacinamide (2%), water, adenosine, sodium hyaluronate, butylene glycol, Portulaca oleracea extract, Ipomoea hederacea seed extract, Paeonia albiflora flower extract, saccharomyces/Angelica dahurica root ferment filtrate, ethylhexylglycerin, phenoxyethanol, chlorophenesin

From Nature Age Intense Treatment Essence is housed in the conventional manner for first essences: a frosted glass bottle with silver accents. It smells faintly of yeast, which dissipates quickly, but is otherwise unscented. The texture is optimal for a first essence—watery, a touch of slippery humectants, quick absorption—and it dries down to a slightly tacky finish that one expects from a moderately humectant formula. This means that, on dehydrated skin, it penetrates a little deeper, absorbs better, hydrates a bit more. If you're more severely dehydrated, or live in a dry climate, you'll still need to layer on products targeted at dehydration, but this forms a nice base. It's also brightening. Perhaps not as much as the Swanicoco, but more than the Hanyul and BRTC. What makes the From Nature appealing is the balance it strikes: the niacinamide-rich formula competently hydrates and brightens, and isn't onerously priced.

It leaves the skin nicely hydrated, not too tacky.

Does this make From Nature my perfect first essence? Not quite. I didn't quite finish my full run with this product; one out of five products will irritate my skin, and this was one of them. (Years ago, I reacted to SKII, and since then I've always been wary of galactomyces. I'll avoid it from now on.) Since sensitivity is entirely individual, this ought not dissuade anyone else from trying what appears to be a good product in all other respects.


AFTERTHOUGHTS

• PROS Inexpensive. Easy to find at Emart. Moderate hydration. Moderate brightening. Respectable amount of niacinamide.
• CONS None, really. It irritated my skin, but that's down to personal triggers.
• UNIQUE FEATURES None, but it simultaneously satisfies a number of criteria well: sometimes a well rounded performance is noteworthy.

DETAILS
RRP for From Nature Age Intense Treatment Essence is ₩19,800 for 150mL or ₩30,000 for 340mL (a plastic bottle with a pump), but typically goes on sale for 50-60% off. It's also worth looking around for 1+1 deals; two 150mL-bottles for ₩18,000 make this an economical purchase indeed. I bought mine at the Emart near Guro Digital Complex for ₩12,900.

Review: BRTC The First Ampoule Essence

I was primarily drawn to BRTC The First Ampoule Essence for featuring a rice ferment and niacinamide, much like Hanyul Rice Essential Skin Softener. I find their effects comparable—they brighten to roughly the same degree, albeit not as much as Swanicoco Fermentation Care—but BRTC has no alcohol, no added fragrance, and somewhat unexpectedly, no humectants. There's a handful of ferments, white tea and Korean dandelion extract, niacinamide, and some plant-derived antioxidants/anti-irritants, but it's a brief ingredients list.

INGREDIENTS    lactobacillus/brown rice ferment filtrate, Camellia sinensis leaf extract, Taraxacum platycarpum extract, niacinamide, PEG/PPG-17/6 copolymer, galactomyces ferment filtrate, lactobacillus/Eriodictyon californicum ferment filtrate, allantoin, adenosine, dipotassium glycyrrhizate, disodium EDTA, Centaurea cyanus flower extract, Borago officinalis extract, Lavandula angustifolia extract, Chamomilla recutita (matricaria) flower/leaf extract, Hyacinthus orientalis extract, Salvia sclarea extract

The First Ampoule Essence is practically scentless; there is perhaps a very faint whiff of fermented rice, but this quickly dissipates, and none of the flower waters are detectable. It comes in a frosted glass bottle with navy and silver lettering, simple and conventional packaging for first essences, with demarcations running along one side, each notch indicating a single-day's volume of use. However, I tend to use only just enough to spread a thin layer over my face once, and only once, because the deceptively watery texture dries down to a surprisingly emollient, silky finish (see below) that feels more moisturizing than hydrating. This is a true first essence; unlike others of that ilk, it does not double as a hydrating toner. On my skin, I feel it's necessary to follow up with a product that's specifically aimed at dehydration. This is a minor inconvenience if you already follow a multi-step routine, but if your aim is to keep it simple this—or any other first essence, for that matter—is probably not the product for you.

On the one hand, I find BRTC well suited to wintertime use, as my skin could certainly benefit from a little extra nourishment, a little extra glow. I do not know how it would fare in summertime, or on oilier skin types. On the other hand, it's a finicky product best suited to a complicated routine. It's best applied with a cotton pad, then patted in and allowed to absorb for a few minutes, followed by a hydrating toner or serum. As yet, I've not noticed any reactions; perhaps an isolated whitehead or two.

Overall, BRTC The First Ampoule Essence evokes mild approval. It gives me no cause for concern, and it's competent in its role as a brightening, niacinamide-enriched first treatment essence, but it's not remarkable enough to differentiate it from its competition.


AFTERTHOUGHTS
BRTC The First Ampoule Essence

• PROS Alcohol free. Fragrance-free and almost scentless. Feels nourishing on dry skin, but takes a little longer to absorb.
• CONS Due to the emollient feel, may be unsuited to oilier skins. Not hydrating enough; would require layering with hydrating products if dehydration is an issue. BRTC is available offline at select LOHB, Watson's, and Olive Young, but only selected products.
• UNIQUE FEATURES None. Looks great on paper, however.

DETAILS
Available in 150ml for ₩38,000, 310mL for ₩68,000. It is often on sale, however, for half price. I got mine off Gmarket for ₩22,800.