This post contains affiliate links. Product provided as PR.
Sulwhasoo was the first luxury Korean brand I’ve ever encountered. I’ve known and admired them from afar for at least five years now, but only recently got a chance to try a few products. Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum promises hydration, radiance, brightening, and improvement in the look of wrinkles. Sign me up.
The product is available on YesStyle (reward code KBHOBBIT), Amazon, Stylevana (code INF10KBH), and Jolse. In Korea, a bottle is sold every 10 seconds (according to the brand). Despite the name “serum”, this product is designed to be the very first post-cleansing step in the morning and at night.
The amber-colored serum contains an impressive amount of carefully selected botanical ingredients. A new JAUM Activator™ is a combination of Lotus, White Lily, Solomon's Seal, Peony, and Rehmannia. Sulwhasoo considered almost four thousand combinations of more than a thousand Korean herbs before choosing the final amounts and formulation. Since I have had my serum for a few months already, mine may not be the newest formula.
How to use:
Cleanse the face (at night, I prefer double cleansing)
Apply the Sulwhasoo serum in gentle circular motions - it’s designed to absorb quickly right after cleansing
Follow with one of the Sulwhasoo waters
Finish with moisturizer and SPF (in the morning)
I do not own a full Sulwhasoo skincare routine, so I usually apply this serum after cleansing at night (I don’t cleanse in the mornings and have a different morning routine), then I may use a toner (instead of water), an essence or an ampoule, and finish with moisturizer.
Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum comes in a beautiful glass bottle with a pump dispenser. Mine is smaller than most commercially available sizes, because it’s a PR sample-size. The one you would buy will typically be larger. It has a warm, herbal scent that I happen to really enjoy. The consistency is pretty liquid without being overly runny. I find joy in the application process, both because of the texture and the scent.
My impressions
I have combination skin that’s not very sensitive but is prone to redness due to being very fair / pale. I’m noticing some signs of aging like fine lines (and I’d like to take this opportunity to remind everyone that aging is a privilege denied to many, and that there’s nothing wrong with aging).
I look forward to this serum every time I use it. The entire experience is pure luxury - the glass bottle feels perfect in my hands, and the serum smells and feels amazing. I only use this at night, but I can see how it could be beneficial twice a day as well.
I wouldn’t say there’s a huge, glaring difference in my fine lines that I could 100% attribute to this product. I do think it makes my skin look more radiant, healthy and plumped up. I’m not sure how far away I am from finishing the bottle, but I will be sad when it’s gone. If you have the means to try Sulwhasoo products, I suggest you do so and see for yourself why they are so popular.
Have you tried any luxury lines? What did you think?
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Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum ingredients: Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract, Water, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Butylene Glycol, Alcohol, Betaine, Glycerin, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Paeonia Lactiflora (Red Peony) Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera (Sacred Lotus) Flower Extract, Polygonatum Officinale Rhizome/Root Extract, Lilium Candidum (Madonna Lily) Bulb Extract, Rehmannia Glutinosa (Chinese Foxglove) Root Extract, Honey, Juglans Regia (Walnut) Seed Extract, Portulaca Oleracea (Green Purslane) Extract, Ziziphus Jujuba (Jujube) Fruit Extract, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Natto Gum, PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Carbomer, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Dextrin, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Extract, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Chondrus Crispus (Carrageenan), Phenyl Trimethicone, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Propylene Glycol, Tromethamine, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance