The Essence sits between cleanser and serum in your routine, and that placement matters. It's not a toner, it's closer to a treatment. The idea is that it preps skin so everything you apply afterward actually absorbs properly rather than sitting on the surface.

The formula is built around Hadasei-3, a blend of three fermented Japanese superfoods, green tea, rice, and algae. Fermented ingredients are better absorbed by skin, which is part of why this works the way it does. It firms, softens and smooths, and clinically it showed a significant improvement in moisture levels instantly, with visible improvement in fine lines after one week across 100% of participants in a 34-person study.

The retinol comparison comes from in vitro testing on collagen biomarkers, worth noting for anyone who finds retinol too irritating but still wants those kinds of results.

No synthetic fragrance, sulfates, parabens, mineral oil, or anything unnecessary.

How to Use: After cleansing and before anything else. Splash a palmful into your hands and press it gently into face and neck.