What's the most important thing for you when you choose your skincare? Price? Or maybe ingredients? Some people prefer to choose green skincare products with vegan formula. If you one of them then you'll love Aqulabo - a young K-beauty brand. Aqulabo Kombucha First Breath-Like Toner and Aqulabo Vinyasa Calming Serum are not only looking good, what's inside both formulas will make you happy.
About Aqulabo
You probably haven't heard about Aqulabo before. It's a very young South Korean skincare brand. You won't see in Aqulabo's formulas parabens. Products are cruelty-free and vegan-friendly, they focus a lot on healthy and green living. According to Bemused website, Aqulabo was born in 2018 and the name is a combination between words Aqua and Laboratory.
Aqulabo Kombucha First Breath-Like Toner
The first product which I've decided to try was Aqulabo Kombucha First Breath-Like Toner. The base of this product is Fermented Black Tea Water. Not only the design got my heart, but the texture which you can describe with words rich an uncommon.
What's Kombucha?
Kombucha is a fermented tea drink that's why some people call it tea mushroom. We don't know if this drink came from China or Russia, but there's one thing which we can be sure - nowadays this drink is famous. Fermentation has a positive meaning for our health, that's why we shouldn't be surprised why cosmetic brands are using fermented ingredients in their products.
Aqulabo Kombucha First Breath-Like Toner - Packaging
Aqulabo design is simple but creative, that's why I enjoy it. The plastic bottle has a tiny sticker.
Aqulabo Kombucha First Breath-Like Toner - Texture & Scent
The scent reminds me of a lot of Klairs Supple Preparation Unscented Toner - it has no scent, it kinda reminds me of plastic, but I see that lots of products with fermented ingredients have plastic or wine scent. The texture is also similar - it's not a watery toner from Western markets, but thick hydrating toner. Look at the texture inside the bottle - the bubbles are natural - you don't need to shake the bottle to make them appear.
Aqulabo Kombucha First Breath-Like Toner - Ingredients
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water(88.33%), Water, Glycerin, Betaine, Trehalose, Urea, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Uuron-Cha Ekisu, Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate, Lactobacillus/Honeysuckle Flower Extract Ferment Filtrate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hinokitiol, Chlorphenesin, Carbomer, Arginine, Rehmannia Chinensis Root Extract
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water(88.33%) is a positive ingredient. Tea is a source of polyphenols (EGCG), flavonoids and catechins. Aqulabo decided to base Aqulabo Kombucha First Breath-Like Toner on Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water, but we can find here regular water as well. But Aqulabo added Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract as well. It's an antioxidant with enormous popularity and use. You can use it as a moisturizer for both dry and oily skin or as an acne treatment due to its antibacterial properties. Maybe you fight with wrinkles and you need support? It's an antioxidant and it can repair your skin after the damage made by UV light (since UVA is helping your skin in aging) and free radicals. Even sensitive skin is a fan of this soothing humectant.
Glycerin is one of the most popular humectants in skincare. There's a large number of myths around glycerin like it can clog your skin. It doesn't clog your pores, but too much glycerin can make a sticky layer on the skin and even make your skin dryer than before due to TEWL (Transepidermal Water Loss). Still, it's an ingredient which we want to see in formulas. Betaine is derived from sugar beets. It's an amino acid that keeps your skin moist and you might want to use it in your haircare routine. Trehalose is sugar and another moisturizer in this formula. Urea (or Carbamide) is an ingredient with various use in skincare, but it's also a substance which you can naturally find in your body and... pee. It might sound a bit disgusting, but it's a humectant which is one of the best ways to heal the skin after hair removal with a razor. Sometimes it happens that after hair removal procedure skin is irritated, we have to deal with razor bumps, ingrown and other problems - urea is one of the solutions, because we need to moisturize the skin. A higher concentration of Urea can be used on feet. Next ingredient has an unusual name. Uuron-Cha Ekisu is nothing else than Oolong Tea Extract and it's an antioxidant.
We all know fermentation from the kitchen, in skincare this process helps to break bigger molecules down into smaller ones. Our skin can't allow larger particles to get through the outer layer of the skin. That's why the fermentation process is needed, so it shouldn't surprise us that Aqulabo decided to give a chance to Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate and Lactobacillus/Honeysuckle Flower Extract Ferment Filtrate. Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate is an ingredient which a couple of years ago changed the skincare game. It's a humectant that can help you with acne, especially post-acne pigmentation.
Ethylhexylglycerina and Chlorphenesin are preservatives and Caprylyl Glycol is a moisturizer that can boost preservatives. Butylene Glycol is a moisturizer and solvent, but it's also alcohol. You see, not every alcohol in skincare is bad. Some of them have positive effects on your skin - just like Butylene Glycol which is a popular substance even in eco/green cosmetic products. 1,2-Hexanediol is a solvent.
Arginine is an amino acid, a moisturizer with antioxidant properties. Rehmannia Chinensis Root Extract is used as a moisturizing ingredient.
Aqulabo Kombucha First Breath-Like Toner - How does it work
The toner is easy to use - all you need to do is to press the button. The formula is rich, but lightweight at the same time. It's not as light as watery toners, but you can feel the moisture on your skin. I had some issues with the scent because this toner reminds me a lot of my all-time favourite Klairs Supple Preparation Unscented Toner - it smells like plastic, but I guess that's because of the fermentation process and I might feel it, but in general, this product has no scent. It has no fragrance substances which is an advantage. I use this toner after cleansing but in two different ways. During the morning routine, I prefer to do a toner mask, but in the evening I go for patting the toner onto wet skin. Why I don't wait until my face is dry? To lock the moisture and avoid dehydration.
Toner masks are easy to do - all you need is thin cotton pads (brands like Pyunkang Yul, Klairs, Huxley or COSRX offers them) - soak them in toner and apply on the skin for 5 minutes. I wouldn't use this toner for the 7-skin method because it's thick. Even if I use one layer of the toner I can feel the difference in the moisture level of the skin. The toner doesn't sensitize the skin, my acne didn't get worse. I use Glycolic Acid + Vitamin C treatment so extra moisture is needed. It's a product which I can recommend and I think it's a 2nd toner which I enjoyed so much because of the texture.
Aqulabo Kombucha First Breath-Like Toner - Price
250ml of Aqulabo Kombucha First Breath-Like Toner costs $21 on Bemused Korea.
Aqulabo Vinyasa Calming Serum
Another product which I've tried is Aqulabo Vinyasa Calming Serum. It's a calming serum based on Lotus Flower Water. According to BemusedKorea website, this formula contains antioxidants, polyphenols and Vitamin C.
Aqulabo Vinyasa Calming Serum - Packaging
The design of Aqulabo Vinyasa Calming Serum is minimalistic - I enjoy the flower design on the sticker, but the glass bottle came in plastic wrap and paper box.
Aqulabo Vinyasa Calming Serum - Texture & Scent
The texture is a light, bit thicker than toner. It's not a gel formula, it's a formula based on hydrosol - it is watery, but it's also thick. The serum has a transparent colour and the scent reminds me of fermented product - especially galactomyces and snail filtrate. I'm aware that some people won't feel this scent and it'll have a neutral scent to them - I'm not sure how it works, but with many products that don't contain fragrance ingredients, products with no scent - especially ones with fermented ingredients - don't have any scent.
Aqulabo Vinyasa Calming Serum - Ingredients
Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Water (61.1%), Glycerin, Euglena Gracilis Polysaccharide, Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract, Pulsatilla Koreana Extract, Usnea Barbata (Lichen) Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Germ Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Extract, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Beta-Glucan, Xanthan Gum
Nelumbo Nucifera is the key ingredient in Aqulabo Vinyasa Calming Serum. We would prefer to see Nelumbo Nucifera Leaf Extract also known as Sacred Lotus which is a strong moisturizer, but also an ingredient with anti-bacterial properties. It's soothing but it also speeds up the healing process. Aqulabo decided to use Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Water, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract and Nelumbo Nucifera Germ Extract. Glycerin is one of the most popular humectants in skincare. There's a large number of myths around glycerin like it can clog your skin. It doesn't clog your pores, but too much glycerin can make a sticky layer on the skin and even make your skin dryer than before due to TEWL (Transepidermal Water Loss). Still, it's an ingredient which we want to see in formulas.
You probably heard about Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract, Pulsatilla Koreana Extract and Usnea Barbata (Lichen) Extract. This trio became popular at the beginning of 2020 due. Each one of them has antibacterial properties but combined they make a natural preservative called Euro-NApre. I don't want to get in details of this situation since it's not clear - some statements related to this case made online communities suspicious if Euro-NApre can be a problem or not. Many brands like Benton started to test their products and so far - I haven't noticed any brand that uses Euro-NApre in their formulas to remove this preservative from the product that's why I'm not scared to use this product. Sodium Hyaluronate is a salt form of a popular Natural Moisturizing Factor - Hyaluronic Acid.
Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate is a tripeptide. It's a famous Syn-ake aka snake's venom which people call sometimes 'botox in a jar'. It's an ingredient for mature skin - it should make your wrinkles less visible and prevent your skin from new wrinkles. Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 aka Syn-Coll is also a tripeptide, it stimulates collagen production and it helps with wrinkles.
Pentylene Glycol is a solvent. Portulaca Oleracea Extract is an anti-inflammatory antioxidant, people believe that Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Extract can be soothing just like Portulaca. Butylene Glycol is a moisturizer and solvent, but it's also alcohol. You see, not every alcohol in skincare is bad. Some of them have positive effects on your skin - just like Butylene Glycol which is a popular substance even in eco/green cosmetic products. Beta-Glucan can be derived from yeast, mushroom (like Chaga or shiitake), seaweed or cereals (oat, wheat, barley). I don't know why but Beta-Glucan to me smells like wine. Beta-glucan is an amazing humectant with soothing properties. It's great for sensitive skin.
Aqulabo Vinyasa Calming Serum - How does it work
I want to be honest with you - I prefer toner. It doesn't mean that serum is bad because it's not - it's moisturizing and I prefer serum if it comes to packaging than toner. Both formulas have amazing ingredients - even if Vinyasa has Euro-NApre which some people might not want to use (but as I said before, we have no evidence that Euro-NApre is bad, that's why I'm still using it), my problem with Vinyasa is the scent. I'm very sensitive to the scents and the characteristic scent of this product is hard to stand for me. I don't know why, but this scent is just making me bit more nervous, even if right now when I spend entire days at home and I can't go out my skin gets super dry. For days like these - this serum is helpful, I guess if you have wrinkles you'll love it, but I don't see myself repurchasing it in the future due to the scent issues. I didn't have any allergic reaction to the product, my acne didn't get worse so that's a positive thing about it. At first, the texture might feel bit sticky, but the skin will absorb serum in few minutes leaving your skin soft and smooth - and believe me the soothing and smoothing effect of this serum feels so good on the skin.
Aqulabo Vinyasa Calming Serum - Price
50ml of Aqulabo Vinyasa Calming Serum costs $32 on Bemused Korea.
Aqulabo & Bemused Korea Promo Code
I wouldn't be able to make this post without Bemused Korea - a K-beauty store. Lisa, who's a founder and curator of Bemused Korea does an excellent job in finding unique brands. She doesn't go for popular brands that's why Bemused is full of skincare brands focused on mixing nature with science to make products good for both - your skin and environment.
You can also get other products from BemusedKorea and if you use KHE15 code you will get 15% off on regular-priced products. I can recommend A by BOM Ultra Time Return Eye Cream - which is my mom's favourite eye cream and you can read its review here. My another recommendation is A by BOM Blue Cica Azulene Dew Soothing Hydration Cream - I made a review of it last year and it's an ideal product for summer - just like another product from this series - A by BOM Blue Cica Soothing Mask.
Aqulabo Kombucha First Breath-Like Toner and Aqulabo Vinyasa Calming Serum are available as a set option too. Aqulabo Kombucha and Vinyasa Set cost $42. The set will help you save $11.
Have you ever tried Aqulabo? What type of products are you currently using?
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*** This post was made in collaboration with BemusedKorea, even though it still shows my personal opinion on the topic and product***
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