What is Face Essence?

Lately, a new crop of beauty products has been popping up across the country. A longtime staple of the famous 10-step Korean skincare ritual, face essence is a relatively new phenomenon for Americans. If you aren’t quite clear on what it actually does, you aren’t alone. In a nutshell, essence is a water-based lotion packed with active ingredients to help your skin retain. You don’t really need it in the summer (your skin tends to be more oil-prone), but it’s a fantastic addition to a fall/winter skincare routine. The essence I’m including in my fall-to-winter skincare regimen is Jurlique’s Activating Water Essence. The product’s hero ingredient, marshmallow root extract, hydrates and softens skin while increasing the skin’s ability to absorb moisture, making all the products you use next more effective.

How to use: After cleansing, put a few drops of the essence onto your fingertips and rub together to warm. Then pat the essence onto your face, starting at your jawline and moving up.

—Kait Clark