by Rosy Day Blog

Oil + Moisture Balance

I’m reviewing this popular and affordable hanbang brand by the renowned Pkyunkang Oriental Medicine Clinic.

Pyunkang Yul is a South Korean skin care brand. They use carefully selected ingredients to insure that they are gentle and safe for your skin. Their basic philosophy is to find and maintain the balance of moisture and oil in order to acheive healthy and naturally glowing skin. Everything about their products is simple, yet highly effective. Even if you’re not familiar with their hanbang/medicinal ingredients, they just somehow work. Bonus: Pyunkang Yul is a cruelty-free brand! Read on to learn more!

Disclosure:

I bought all of these with my own money from OhLolly. I was not given anything in exchange for this review. I enjoy doing product reviews to share my own experiences with the product and hope someone finds it useful. All of these items were purchased prior to me becoming an OhLolly affiliate. milk vecht root extract, coptis japonica root extract, Astragalus Membranaceus Root Extract

Table of Contents

- ATO Wash & Shampoo Blue Label
- ATO Lotion Blue Label
- Mist Toner
- Essence Toner
- Moisture Serum
- Moisture Ampoule
- Oil
- Moisture Cream
- Nutrition Cream
- Balancing Gel
- Final Thoughts & Shop This Post

Pyunkang Yul ATO Wash & Shampoo Blue Label Mini-Review

Mild + Pure Daily Head-to-toe Cleanser:

This is not the same as the cleansing foam. This is supposed to be a body cleanser/wash. I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be one of those “all in one” type of body cleansers that could also be used on the face. I did try it on my face just for the heck of it and while this didn’t entirely strip my face, it didn’t exactly retain moisture or put some moisture back into my face either. I’d say you’re better off just using this for your body unless you happen to not have any cleanser for your face. This has a typical soapy smell and kinda lathers like soap as well (non-foaming), but also feels kinda gelly (almost like Jell-o).This is supposedly a product that’s gentle enough for kids/babies. In that case, this would make a good family body wash. The special ingredient in this wash is honeysuckle flower extract (itch relief & calming aromatherapy). Unfortunately I did not try this out as a shampoo as at the time that I tried out this sample, OhLolly was not carrying to full size product yet, and I didn’t know that this was also a shampoo. I will re-purchase this again in the future to give this a more thorough review.

Final Rating = 2.5/5 (for now)

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Pyunkang Yul ATO Lotion Blue Label Mini-Review

Hypoallergenic Lotion for The Whole Family:

To accompany the Ato Wash & Shampoo, you have this body lotion. It kind of has a funky smell to be honest (at least to me it does). I don’t mind medicinal/hanbang-type of scents but for a body lotion I expect something either more pleasant smelling or just completely non-scented. I do like how it quickly absorbs into my skin and hydrates without leaving a greasy feeling, or how sometimes it feels like a body lotion can take forever to absorb into your skin. The scent on this does linger a bit though - I’m just not digging this kind of scent for a body lotion. The special ingredient in this lotion is the same as in the wash: honeysuckle flower extract (itch relief & calming aromatherapy). I would not purchase the full size of this lotion just because of the scent. I want to at least smell naturally fresh and not “medicinal”.

Final Rating = 2/5

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Pyunkang Yul Mist Toner Mini-Review

Thirst-quenching + Balancing:

This is like a lighter version of the Essence Toner made specificially for more oily/acne-prone skin. If you want something mildly hydrating, yet with anti-inflammatory and nourishing properties, this would be the toner for you. Also, the fact that this comes in a mist bottle, makes it super convenient to use pretty much whenever you want to. I of course had the sample size, so it did not come in a mist bottle. I will re-purchase this in the full size in the future so I can comment more about the actual quality of the mist bottle, etc. The mist bottles are actually available in 2 sizes. The regular 6.7 fl oz. (200 ml) one, and the smaller 3.4 fl oz. (100 ml) one for travel. The special ingredient in this mist is japanese goldthread (anti-bacterial & anti-inflammatory) - this ingredient also makes up 91.9% of the product. Overall I had no issues with this. It’s mildly hydrating with zero irritation.

Final Rating = 3/5 (for now)

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Pyunkang Yul Essence Toner Mini-Review

Nutrient-filled + Serum-like Toner:

This is probably Pyunkang Yul’s most popular product and I can see why. It might be on the cheaper end for toners but it produces a nice slip that makes it feel more luxe. For those who are looking more for anti-aging, brightening, or even more heavy-duty hydration, this toner might feel kinda “blah”. However for those who are looking for more basic hydration and even more soothing ingredients - you would probably love this toner. To me it feels like a slightly more watery version of the Hanskin Skin Essence. I’m not sure if I would re-purchase this for myself, but I really like it for good light layers (especially the 7-skin method).
However, being in my 30s I do require some more “oomph” with my toners. Plus I kinda expected this toner to help with my redness, but after using this for almost 2 weeks now, I’ve concluded it does zero for my redness unfortunately. With that said, I think if you’re looking at this line to specifically target redness, they definitely do work better if you use more than one Pyunkang Yul product at the same time. Pretty much all skin types can use this toner unless you prefer your toners to be more watery, then you should try the Mist Toner instead. Despite this toner being more hydrating than the mist version, it’s not heavy at all. If you have oily but dehydrated skin, you can use this essence toner as well. The only thing is that if you have dry skin, you might not find this essence toner hydrating enough, though I guess it would help if you applied multiple layers (if you’re into layering). The special ingredient in this toner is milk vetch (anti-aging & tissue growth) - this ingredient also makes up 91.3% of the product. Like the mist, the toner bottles are available in 2 sizes. The regular 6.7 fl oz. (200 ml) one, and the smaller 3.4 fl oz. (100 ml) one for travel.

Final Rating = 3.5/5

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Pyunkang Yul Moisture Serum Mini-Review

Balancing, Hydrating + Calming:

This is actually my favorite from Pyunkang Yul. Usually most hydrating serums/essences/ampoules are kinda “meh” to me. Like if your moisturizer isn’t hydrating enough, try a different one, LOL. However I really like this serum. Even though it is advertised as for oily, dehydrated skin, anyone who craves a burst of hydration can benefit from this. For more oily skin/warm weather, this feels cooling and is hydrating enough to replace your daytime moisturizer. It also does not add any more oil to your face (if I dare say so it helps balance it).
For more dry skin/cold weather, this adds a boost of plumping, yet long lasting hydration to your existing routine. The milky texture makes me feel like I just sheet masked (if you’ve ever used one of those sheet masks that come with a milky white essence). My makeup went on just as smooth and lasted just as long, if not longer with this serum. I also felt like adding the serum to my routine made my face look more plump and refreshed (remember: good hydration is the basis for anti-aging). The special ingredients in this serum are Japanese goldthread (anti-bacterial & anti-inflammatory), arginine/amino acid (protects from photo-aging), and olive fruit extract (vitamins A, D, K & E, and prevents UV damage from prolonged sun exposure). I would definitely buy the full size for myself and I hope to eventually do so in the future so I can comment on any long term results with this serum.

Final Rating = 4/5 (for now)

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Pyunkang Yul Moisture Ampoule Mini-Review

Supercharged Moisture Builder:

This is like a less sticky version of the J.One Jelly Pack. I don’t think it really firms like the J.One, however if you’re looking for something to use as a kind of barrier between your skin care and makeup (basically like a makeup base/primer but with skincare benefits), this might be worth a try. I don’t think this really adds moisture, but it is more of a sealant to keep your existing moisture in. This might also make a good sleeping pack/last step (similar to the more expensive Miwaji Hyalu Serum Veil), however, I’ll have to buy the full size of this ampoule to properly try this out and to see if there are any long term benefits. The special ingredient in this ampoule is japanese goldthread (anti-bacterial & anti-inflammatory) - this ingredient also makes up more than 90% of the product.

Final Rating = 3/5 (for now)

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Pyunkang Yul Oil Mini-Review

Reviving + Restoring Concentrate:

Unlike the majority of the products which are nearly scentless, this does have a pretty hanbang-smell (not a bad thing if you’re used to it/like it though). While this does feel slightly more runny compared to other facial oils, if you use too much this does still feel oily/greasy like most facial oils. If you’re looking for something hydrating, yet with soothing/hanbang-type of ingredients, this is for you. While I’ve read that some people with more oily skin don’t mind this facial oil, I’m not quite sure I would recommend this for oily skin based on the texture alone. It still felt kinda “heavy” to me.
Unless you’re an oily-skinned person who is already used to facial oils, I don’t quite think this would be the product to suddenly turn a facial oil hater into a facial oil lover. I do like how this is one of the more affordable facial oils out there. Too many good/interesting ones seem to be over $50 now and not everyone has that kind of money to throw away. I will purchase the full size in the future to see if there’s any long term benefits to using this as a night facial oil (I do not like its texture for during the day). The special ingredients in this oil include jojoba seed oil (anti-inflammatory & repairs skin damage), sunflower seed oil (omega-6 & linoleic fatty acid that helps decrease skin inflammation), shea butter (highly moisturizing & repairs skin damage), wild geranium oil (anti-inflammatory & anti-aging), rosemary leaf oil (iron and calcium & improves circulation), lemon fruit oil (vitamin C & high in antioxidants), lavender oil (reduce redness & acne scarring), and bergamot fruit oil (anti-bacterial & anti-inflammatory).

Final Rating = 3/5 (for now)

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Pyunkang Yul Moisture Cream Mini-Review

Quick-Absorbing + Balancing :

Although this is called “Moisture Cream”, this is actually designed for oily/oily-dehydrated skin. I used this on a separate night than the Nutrition Cream and texture-wise, I can barely tell the difference. This and the Nutrition Cream are both pretty hydrating. I think that this cream would still be too much for someone with oily skin to wear during the day, but I think that it would be perfectly fine at night for when you need more hydration, yet want something that is not going to break you out. Compared to the Nutrition Cream, I also think this one dries more semi-matte on your face, so your face looks healthy yet you don’t have that typical shiny just-applied-moisturizer look. This is actually one of the better “basic” creams I’ve used and I would like to buy the full size in the future to test this out under makeup, etc. The special ingredients include Japanese goldthread (anti-bacterial & anti-inflammatory), jojoba seed oil (anti-inflammatory & repairs skin damage), and shea butter (high moisturizing & repairs skin damage).

Final Rating = 3.5/5 (for now)

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Pyunkang Yul Nutrition Cream Mini-Review

Nutrient-rich, Intensive Moisturizer:

In many ways, this is pretty much your standard white hydrating cream, however like the rest of this line, it does have soothing and anti-aging properties. If you have normal to dry skin, this would be perfect for you. However, if you’re more on the “very dry” end, this might not be enough for you, unless you use a hydrating serum before such as the Pyunkang Yul Moisturizing Serum, or you use a hydrating sleeping mask after. This is just as good as the Moisture Cream, though I do prefer the Moisture one just because of the semi-matte finish it leaves behind. For very dry skin, Pyunkang Yul does have the Intensive Repair Cream, though I have not had the chance to try that so I can’t comment on how they compare. The special ingredients in this are milk vetch (anti-aging & tissue growth), shea butter (highly moisturizing & repairs skin damage), and beeswax (seals in moisture without clogging pores).

Final Rating = 3/5

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Pyunkang Yul Balancing Gel Mini-Review

Strong Skin Barrier Maker:

This is pretty similar to the Moisture Ampoule except a tad bit thicker and stickier (again this is like the J.One Jelly Pack). While the “balancing” part in its name might make you think that this is just a light hydrating cream meant for more oily/acne-prone skin, you’re wrong. It seals all the good stuff in your skin just like the Moisture Ampoule, but I feel like this product does it better. My skin was definitely plumped and some fine lines filled in when I put this as the very last step of my skin care routine (it’s basically a sleeping pack). My skin still looked good the next morning and felt soft, comfortable and slightly still hydrated. Not at all tight and dry, etc. I even had zero dark circles, LOL. But then again I really layered up on hydration the night before, and I only really get dark circles when I’m very dry around the eye area and a serious lack of sleep. I’d love to buy a full size of this to be able to use it longer and see how my skin does with it in the long run. Possibly even try this together with the Moisture Ampoule to see how the effects potentially double. The special ingredients in this are milk vetch (anti-aging & tissue growth), and jojoba seed oil (anti-inflammatory & repairs skin damage). Out of the other moisturizers, this one does come in 2 sizes: the regular 100 ml one and the smaller 60 ml one for travel.

Final Rating = 3.5/5 (for now)

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Holistic Health Made Into Skincare

Healthy skin is the foundation to good skincare...

No matter how “basic” some of the products seem, there is something for everyone so that we can all have the right amount of hydration, matter what skin type we have.

I think it is important to focus on your own skin health first, as healthy, hydrated skin can help minimize fine lines as well as help balance skin for less acne and smaller pores. Then you can move onto stronger/more specific targeted treatments to further address those areas of concern.

I have tried a lot of basic balancing/hydrating skincare brands and I’ll have to say that this is probably the most affordable/reasonably-priced one I’ve tried so far. Unlike the others, Pyunkang Yul does have a couple of different options depending on your skin type so it’s not like it’s just a basic line for normal to dry-ish skin - even those who are oily and/or acne prone can benefit from using Pyunkang Yul as well. You can refer to OhLolly’s guide here to see which Pyunkang Yul products are recommended for your skin type: https://ohlolly.com/collections/pyunkang-yul-guick-guide
Overall, I do appreciate the simple, yet hanbang nature of Pyunkang Yul. If you are looking for more “medicinal” kind of options within the K-beauty world, I definitely recommend checking this brand out. If you are new to K-beauty, it is definitely not all snail creams and whatever else “exotic” ingredients you might be thinking of. Pyunkang Yul products might surprise you with how compatible they are with your skin. In fact, there is nothing wrong with going for more simple products for your base routine. If you have concerns such as acne, dullness, or wrinkles, etc. you should always target those areas with treatments such as serums, ampoules, etc. in addition to a basic routine anyway, as those items are more potent (instead of expecting a cleanser/toner/moisturizer to cure something for you). Basically, don’t be afraid to mix and match your products to get the routine that is just right for you. I hope to try more Pyunkang Yul products in the future (as well as their full sizes), and if I do, I’ll be sure to update this post with more mini-reviews for you.

Any questions and/or comments about my Pyunkang Yul brand overview/product reviews? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Please let me know in the comments below!

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Pyunkang Yul Collection

Photo Credit: 24Hrs Secret

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By Rosy Day Blog

Korean Beauty: Hanskin Bio Origin The Ampoule Product Review

I’m reviewing this to share my experiences on Hanskin's patented 3R system & omega 3, 6 & 9.

Disclosure:
I bought this product with my own money from Soko Glam. I was not given anything in exchange for this review. I enjoy doing product reviews to share my own experiences with the product and hope someone finds it useful. I do not work for Hanskin or Soko Glam.

Brand Overview:
Hanskin is a South-Korean brand that is considered to be famous for their science-backed anti-aging products. It's basically the opposite of the typical ingredients you see with fancy plant extracts and other exotic ingredients. Most of their products use their patented 3R System which is a combination of omega 3, 6, and 9. These oils deliver intense hydration as well as lift and tone skin (make it more elastic).

Product Description:
As quoted from Soko Glam, "This serum is a triple threat: It minimizes fine lines, moisturizes, and seriously brightens skin."

Product Claims:
As stated above, this product pretty much claims to be an all-in-one multi-tasker for anti-aging, hydration, and brightening.

Notable Ingredients:

• I'll later research and add at a later date and time.

Full Ingredients List:
Dimethicone, Water, Glycerin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dipropylene Glycol, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Niacinamide, PEG-10 Glyceryl Stearate, Phytosteryl/Behenyl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil Unsaponifiables, Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Saccharomyces/Potato Extract Ferment Filtrate, Saccharomyces/Barley Seed Ferment Filtrate, Saccharide Isomerate, Adenosine, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Pistacia Lentiscus (Mastic) Gum, Triisostearin, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polyglyceryl-1 Distearate, Behenyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, PEG-75, Caprylyl Glycol, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Cetyl-PG Hydroxyethyl Palmitamide, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Tocopheryl Acetate, Fragrance (Parfum), Phenoxyethanol, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl-Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Tromethamine, Disodium EDTA, 1,2-Hexanediol, Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tin Oxide (CI 77861), Citric Acid

How To Use:
The instructions on Soko Glam's website just say to use one to two pumps on your skin. While this is marked an "ampoule", it's actually thicker than most ampoule/serum. I would say that this is more like a very hydrating emulsion. In fact, if you didn't need to layer on a lot of hydrating products, you can probably just use this as your sole moisturizer. HOwever, if you are layering skin care products, definitely use all your lighter more watery products before this, and any thicker creams, balms or oils after this product.

Packaging:
This product has one of the most feminine yet still sophisticated packaging that I've seen. It's a classic pastel pink kind of color (very romantic looking LOL). If you were to use this as your moisturizer, it's definitely convenient that it comes in a pump bottle (for those of you that hate jars). The only downside I can see with the packaging is that for those of you who are looking specificially for products that look unisex, well this wouldn't exactly fit the bill.

Scent & Texture:
I'm not that good with describing scents and I couldn't really pick up anything specific with this one. It just pretty much smelled like your typical lotion/skincare product. As far as texture goes, it's like your typical emulsion, however it leave a very nice silky finish on your face, similar to if you were to mix a little bit of facial oil into your moisturizer.

Performance:
In all honesty I didn't really notice any anti-aging or brightening benefits with this product. However I already have brightening covered in my routine, so perhaps if you didn't already have a product to help with brightening in your routine, this product would at least help in evening out your tone with brightenining ingredients such as niacinamide. This product does have a bunch of anti-aging ingredients so it's still a decent product as far as wrinkle prevention goes.

Now where this ampoule really shines is hydration. I always say good hydration builds a solid foundation for the rest of your routine and this is no exception. When your face is well hydrated it just looks more plump, youthful, even, and balanced, etc. As previously mentioned this product does leave a nice silky finish like one might have perfectly mixed their facial oil in with their moisturizer. It makes a good day moisturizer for combo/dry skin (you can add a cream if you're more dry or when it's night), and for oilier skin that still want a bit of anti-aging, this should be fine to use at night.

If you are acne prone, you might want to steer away from this product as it does contain dimethicone. If you don't know, dimethicone (or slilicone ingrdients in general) are common in makeup primers and can make some break out as it does tend to clog one's pores. As someone who used to be more oily and acne prone, this product didn't break me out or clog my pores but I always made sure not to go overboard with my skincare products whenever I used this.

Pros:

• Deeply hydrating without feeling too heavy or greasy (feels nice and silky).
• With omega 3, 6, and 9 oils, it gives your skin a light even coating of hydration that seems to make skin appear more plump and any fine lines minimized.
• Can be used as an all-in-one multi-tasking hydration/anti-aging/brightening product when you're pressed for time.
• Comes in a large pump bottle (2.02 oz is a good amount for an anti-aging serum/essence/ampoule).

Cons:

• Other than hydration, I wouldn't use this product solely for anti-aging or brightening as it doesn't quite shine in those aspects.
• While not super expensive for an anti-aging product, it's still pricey for most at $64.
• Only available online. This is not something that you can drop by your local Sephora or Target, etc. and pick up on your way out of town for example.

Final Impression:
There is such a strong competition when it comes to anti-aging products and anti-aging ingredients (as well as just beauty products in general). While this isn't my favorite anti-aging product, it felt really nice and luxurious to use. My favorite way to use it is as an all-in-one multi-tasking hydration/anti-aging/brightening product when I'm rushed in the mornings and can't layer up on hydration after using tretinoin the night before. This product does help calm down flaky skin (or at least makes it less noticeable). I definitely recommend this product if you're looking for a sort of mid-range beginning anti-aging product.

4/5 = I still enjoyed this product regardless of it having not so noticeable results and I wouldn't mind keeping this in my rotation from time to time.

Where to Buy:
Soko Glam

Similar Products:
Here are some other lotion/moisturizer-like essences you might want to try...

• CosRX Advanced 96 Snail Mucin Power Essence - Snail mucin is kind of an all-in-one hydrating, anti-aging, brightening, and even anti-acne type of product.
• RE:P Nutrinature All-In-One Multitem - This is actually advertised as an all-in-one product and seems a bit lighter than the Hanskin.
• Benton Fermentation Essence - Kind of similar to the Cosrx except this one is based on fermented ingredients rather than snail mucin.
• Saturday Skin Freeze Frame Beauty Essence - This is very similar to the Hanskin but doesn't have the silky finish. It is also "science-backed" and contains 7 different kinds of peptides (they are towards the bottom of the ingredients list though).

Any questions about the product and/or my experience? Just let me know!