Ground Plan Brand Product Reviews

12/2/2020

by Rosy Day Blog

Honest Products Made With a Mother’s Love

Clean, natural, and vegan products have been thriving on the western side for awhile now, however, it appeared to have not caught on quite yet with the Korean beauty side until more recently. Similar to some other natural Korean brands I’ve come across, the brand Ground Plan came about when its founder, Kim Yoon-Kyun was pregnant and wanted safe products for use during her pregnancy as well as on her newborn. Like its name, it became literally a “ground plan” for healthy skin.

Similar to some other brands, Ground Plan takes a more simple approach to skincare. Ground plan has a commitment to natural ingredients, luxurious textures, and simplicity. Their products might initially seem basic, but they boast unique beneficial ingredients. That is not to say that the products/ingredients themselves are any less effective than more elaborate brands. Sometimes more simple ingredients lead the way for more potent formulations, as well as less irritation for those with skin sensitivity issues. With the exception of a couple of products, most of the Ground Plan products are vegan as well. Being someone with sensitive skin that seems to be reactive to many different products, this is always something that I can get behind on.

Unlike some other brands, Ground Plan doesn’t exactly have a single “star” ingredient that is in all of their products. Instead, each product comes with its own set of star ingredients which I will bring up in all my mini-reviews below. Read on to learn more!

Disclosure:

I bought all of these with my own money from Peach & Lily. 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 Peach & Lily or Ground Plan.

- First Clear Skin Toner
- Cell Power Energy Essence
- Day & Night Secret Moisture Cream
- Final Thoughts & Shop This Post

First Clear Skin Toner Mini-Review

BHA + Centella Asiatica:

I used to really like exfoliating toners, especially when I was more acne-prone in my late teens to mid 20’s (the struggle with acne was real). However, since I’m older now and started incorporating actives like retinol and vitamin C into my routine (I don’t use the two at the same time), my skin has become a bit sensitive to what seems like all forms of exfoliation. I still like BHA because it keeps my now minor breakouts under control. The Ground Plan First Clear Toner is perfect because it has the power of BHA, yet the gentleness of centella asiatica which many should know by now is powerhouse when it comes to sensitive, irritated skin. I have sensitive skin and I can use this like almost everyday without any issues. And if I do have any existing breakouts (because they will sometimes happen anyway), they seem to look at least 50% smaller after using this toner. My favorite way to use this though is if I plan to wear foundation/makeup, I will sweep this across my face before doing the rest of my skincare routine. Personally whenever I start my routine with this toner (or any BHA-type of toner), I do oil up and breakout less than if I use a more hydrating-type of toner before makeup wear. I may also use this toner more frequently during the hot summer months to help prevent any breakouts due to the oiliness on my face. Other interesting ingredients include chia seed extract (for skin barrier & anti-wrinkle), houttuynia cordata extra (anti-inflammatory & anti-bacterial), and lavender oil (reduce redness & acne scarring). It is important to note that the BHA in this product is from wintergreen, and according to Peach & Lily’s website, you should check with your doctor before using this product if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Sounds a bit weird considering it’s a Ground Plan product, however, everyone is different so it is definitely better to be safe than sorry. Overall, I don’t find any faults with this product unless you specifically want something with a strong percentage of BHA (though it’s potentially drying at that point).

Final Rating = 5/5

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Cell Power Energy Essence Mini-Review

Plant Stem Cells + Oatmeal:

This essence attracted me because it has plant stem cells which is a pretty unique ingredient that I don’t see too often from other skincare brands. The Cell Power Energy Essence has the powerful anti-aging properties of stem cells (from tomatoes) and the hydrating and soothing properties of oatmeal. If you have sensitive skin that is more on the dry side and looking for something anti-aging, this would be a great pick. However, just keep in mind that as with most anti-aging products, this is probably more preventative and you won’t necessarily see a huge improvement to any wrinkles or concerns with skin firmness. With that said, this essence does produce a lovely glass skin-like glow upon use. I highly recommend this if you’re not a big fan of watery essences that don’t provide enough hydration for your skin. The Cell Power Energy Essence is a watery gel that might seem slightly sticky at first, but it absorbs into your skin nicely. Other interesting ingredients include job’s tears (nourishing & anti-wrinkle), rose extract (anti-inflammatory & anti-bacterial), edelweiss extract (more antioxidant potency than vitamin C), rice extract (anti-inflammatory & moisture retention), star anise (antioxidant & astringent), East Asian mountain yam (for fighting collagen loss & reducing skin flakiness), adenosine (anti-wrinkle & skin smoothing), lavender oil (reduce redness & acne scarring), aronia/black chokeberry fruit extract (phytonutrients & collagen building), centella asiatica extract (anti-bacterial & reduces redness), and purslane extract (antioxidant & collagen building). Overall I like how hydrating this essence is (I can get a good amount with only 1-2 layers versus doing the full on 7-skin method). I also see potential in plant stem cells, and while I didn’t really notice much with the use of this essence, I do hope that Peach & Lily will eventually curate more of Ground Plan’s products with stem cells in them. At the moment I have a hard time fitting this essence into my routine as I’m a bit overwhelmed by the many different essences out there. If there was a serum or emulsion, etc. from Ground Plan with similar ingredients, that would fit into my current routine a bit better.

Final Rating = 3.5/5

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Day & Night Secret Moisture Cream Mini-Review

Olive Oil & Shea Butter + Rice Bran & Green Tea:

At the time, I was suffering from dryness due to my Curology prescription and I wanted something hydrating for night, yet didn’t make my face greasy. The Ground Plan Day & Night Secret Moisture Cream is one of the best “basic” moisturizers I’ve used. You get the hydrating powerhouses of olive oil and shea butter, with the nourishing and soothing properties of rice bran and green tea. It’s a nice medium-weight cream that is both creamy, yet lightweight at the same time. This might be a bit much for more oily skin during the day, but I feel like almost everyone can use this at night. The thing that I like about this cream is that it gives me enough moisture to help combat the drying side-effects of tretinoin yet it leaves behind a satin/semi-matte finish. It has helped minimize redness on my skin as well. A lot of people claim that the Peach & Lily Matcha Pudding cream helps with their redness, but personally I saw better redness reducing properties with this Ground Plan cream than the Matcha Pudding one (it still has great soothing properties though). It also helps that the Ground Plan cream comes in a large 1.7 oz (50 ml) jar compared to the usual 1 oz or even 1.2 oz. Other interesting ingredients include beeswax (anti-inflammatory & anti-bacterial), witch hazel (pore minimizing & anti-inflammatory), star anise (antioxidant & astringent), purslane extract (antioxidant & collagen building), lavender extract & oil (reduce redness & acne scarring), and ginko biloba leaf extract (antioxidant & hydration). Overall this is a great “basic” moisturizer with some hidden star ingredients (lots of balancing ingredients and antioxidants). Only fault I see with this cream is that it obviously won’t please those seeking more (acne prevention, brightening or anti-wrinkle type of products).

Final Rating = 4.5/5

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Natural + Clean Skincare

Healthy skin is the foundation to good skincare...

No matter how “basic” some of the products seem, they all have something extra that brings out your own natural glow.

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.

Overall, I love the simplicity of Ground Plan and I feel like they give a lot of love and care to their products to make them just a bit more than “basic”. If you are looking for more vegan 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. Ground Plan 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 Ground Plan products in the future, 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 Ground Plan brand overview/product reviews? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Please let me know in the comments below!