“I never win anything” is typically true for me, however I won this ampoule for review from the Korean cosmetics store Jolse.com. I was really surprised when an unexpected box from Korea showed up and thought maybe a friend sent this to me (or maybe I have purchasing amnesia, that sometimes happens too). After some pondering, I vaguely remembered applying for it through Jolse. Sweet!
This ampoule is meant for troubled skin and promises to make it healthier while also helping other cosmetics absorb better. The Caryophy Portulaca Ampoule isn’t yet officially launched, so there’s not much information about it online, especially in English. I did find a list of ingredients on cosdna, which I’m including at the end of the review.
Active ingredients:
Portulaca oleracea (common purslane) extract - soothes the skin and acts as an antioxidant.
Artemisia capillaris (capillary wormwood) extract - a bitter and cooling herb used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries; soothes the skin.
Centella asiatica extract - the main reason I was excited about this ampoule. Centella asiatica is a popular ingredient in Korean cosmetics with soothing and anti-inflammatory properties. It greatly speeds up healing of any blemishes.
How to use:
Apply after toner before thicker products
My impressions:
I have combination skin with an oily t-zone and dry-to-normal cheeks (mostly dry lately, probably because of the AC and summer). Centella asiatica products agree with my skin, so I was excited to try the ampoule. It came in a small glass dropper bottle (yay, I love glass) that is easy to use. A few drops after toner covered the whole face and absorbed quickly. My skin felt smooth after use. The scent is mild and somewhat medicinal but not unpleasant.
To be honest, I wouldn’t purchase it if it were available. I find it to be drying. At first I thought maybe I was crazy (the bottle has no ingredient list in English), but after finding the ingredients online I see why my skin isn’t crazy about this stuff. The first 4 ingredients have nothing to do with the “good stuff” that is advertised on the label (ingredients are listed from highest amount to lowest, so things at the end have the smallest quantity). The first ingredient is water, the 4th is a drying alcohol. With that said, “alcohol” isn’t always automatically bad, and some people tolerate it just fine. However, I prefer to avoid it if I can, especially in products that are meant to soothe and heal breakouts. To me, drying alcohols only exacerbate blemishes.
Final verdict - not bad, but not great either. You can check out my other reviews of centella asiatica products that work well for me.
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Caryophy portulaca ampoule ingredients: purified water, propanediol, glycerin, alcohol, 1,2-hexanediol, carrageenan extract, sugar cane extract, chamomile, centella asiatica extract, portulaca oleracea extract, tarragon extract, lemongrass, propolis extract, methyl gluceth-20, choleth-24, caprylyl glycol, butylene glycol, citric acid, xanthan gum, disodium EDTA, madecassoside.