3 Times I’ve been to Japan. 3 Times I’ve stood at the duty free counter with the SKII Facial Treatment Essence in my hands and ended up leaving without it. Priced at € 150 for 150 ml, it’s just so expensive and I just couldn’t flash the cash after already buying a ton of stuff during each trip. Luckily there’s Missha to save the day with their own dupe that is three times less expensive; the Missha Time Revolution The First Treatment Essence Intensive (150 ml).
Packaging wise, the Missha First Treatment Essence isn’t inferior to its more expensive counterpart. The essence comes in an elegant milky glass bottle with silver-coloured twist-off cap that feels just as luxurious.
The First Treatment essence (regular version pictured here) is meant for dull or lifeless complexion, dry, rough texture or to combat temporary redness. It’s suitable for all skin types. Missha has also released an Intensive Moist version, for skin types that are a little more demanding.
The essence has a very watery consistency, so the way you use this is in the toner stage of your skin care routine, right after cleansing and before your other ticker essences or serums. You can use a toner before that too if you want. I pour a little bit in my hands and then pat it into my skin to make it feel more hydrated and plump INSTANTLY. It smells a bit of yeast, but you quickly get used to that.
Despite having a longer ingredients list than the SKII essence, the list is looking pretty damn good. It’s main secret is the powerfully concentrated 80% fermented yeast extract that is derived from fission yeast to help hydrate, balance and firm the look of the skin. Other good ingredients I’m spotting are licorice root, Niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, chamomile, lactic acid, .. Together they clarify the skin tone, refine skin texture, minimize the appearance of redness .
Ingredients: Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate, Bigida Ferment Lysate, Propanediol, Niacinamide, Polyquaternium-51, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Betaine, Amaranthus Caudatus Seed Extract, Pirper Methysticum Leaf/Root/Stem Extract, Beta vulgaris (Beet) Root extract, Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract, Cassia Alata Leaf Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Pentylene Glycol, Water, Trehalose, Disodium EDTA, Hydrolyzed Corn Starch, Adenosine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Raffinose, Tromethamine, Acetic Acid, Lactic Acid, 1, 2-Hexanediol, Caprytyl Glycol, Hexapeptide-9 Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate
Honestly I just love how my skin feels every time I use this. I tried to use it sparingly but there’s no way around it; I just had to repurchase as I can’t imagine skipping this step. It makes my skin look more hydrated and plump, brighter and healthier altogether. One of my favourite skin care products of 2018 for sure!
As the air in the office is quite dry I opted for the Intensive Moist version as my repurchase for 2019 to make it through the Winter and to see if that makes any difference at all. TBC…
Missha Time Revolution The First Treatment Essence Intensive (150 ml) – € 40 / $ 49
Available at Missha, various Korean retailers
Disclaimer: Product was purchased.