Toner (or essence; however you want to call it) is notoriously difficult to review, because it’s so hard to gauge its effects. Add to that SK-II’s exorbitantly high price I don’t judge anyone running away from this screaming hysterically – I did for sure for the longest time. Until… I didn’t. So, is SK-II Facial Treatment Essence – worth the money?!
To give you an impression of where I stand: I like both toners/essences and fermented stuff in my skincare. I love cosrx’s Galactomyces Alcohol-Free Toner, but didn’t like Estée Lauder’s Micro Essence (which is pricey enough), and when I went to Japan I jumped on the opportunity to grab the famed SK-II Facial Treatment Essence (FTE) at a price that was slightly more stomachable. Also, while SK-II calls this product an essence, it’s toner-like in consistency, which is why I jump around on terminology like that and also compare it to other toners and essences.
A word on toners
If you’re dabbling in a skincare routine that’s brimming with actives, it might be a good idea to use a toner to bring back your pH after cleansing (especially if you’re using a cleansing product with a high pH). A toner might also be a good idea if you’re in an area with especially hard water, or if you’re in an area where your tab water is either polluted or overly laden with chlorine.
It’s also a good idea when you’re layering products: think of your skin as a sponge. A dry sponge can’t absorb as much liquid as a damp one can. Also, if you have dry skin, a lot of toners have hydrating ingredients, which makes the application feel so nice after cleansing.
And lastly, if you’re living in a hot area of the world, a spritz of cool toner is just nice.
A word on fermented ingredients, mainly Galactomyces
The hero ingredient in SK-II’s Facial Treatment Essence is Pitera, which is the trademark of Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate. Galactomyces is a special class of yeast – funny thing that you’re using that stuff you might know from baking (which is funnily enough a kind of fungus) on your skin, right? It’s also used in brewing Sake, and SK-II tells a touching story about the soft hands of the sake brewers. (SK-II is a part of the P&G conglomerate, which makes me look a bit cynically on their published touching stories. Sorry, SK-II.)
Anyways. The main ingredient in SK-I’s FTE is the fermented filtrate of Galactomyces, and looking at their website, it’s supposed to do everything for your skin. It should leave a glow on your face, make your skin more supple and smooth, should prevent spots and diminish wrinkles. There’s a nifty explanation with a lot of studies over at Musical Houses’, which I urge you to read. All studies seem to suggest that Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate might help with brightening your skin, is good to strengthen the barrier function of your skin and also seems to have an anti-oxidant effect.
Sk-II Facial Treatment Essence – what it did
The ingredient list for this is seriously short: Galactomyces ferment filtrate (Pitera), butylene glycol, pentylene glycol, aqua (water), sodium benzoate, methylparaben, sorbic acid.
It’s supposed to include 95% of Pitera, and then we have some humectants and a bit of water and some preservatives.
It’s a water-thin liquid that I splash into my hand and pat into my skin after cleansing and a quick spritz of cosrx’s Galactomyces Toner. (Which in itself has 10% Galactomyces but also some other moisturising and calming ingredients. Digression: Their Galactomyces 95 Whitening Power Essence has 95% of Galactomyces, is serum-like in consistency and has a longer ingredient-list. Albeit the high percentage of Galactomyces I’ve never noticed the same effects on my skin like I had with SK-II’s FTE.) I can detect a faint yeasty smell, but nothing nasty!
Let me say that the cosrx toner in itself stops that uncomfortably tight feeling I often get after cleansing. But after patting some Pitera onto my skin it feels (and looks) great. A bit glowy, and rather nourished. I could go on for quite a while without applying anything else to my skin and feel still comfortable.
That concludes for me that this is a great product if you have drier skin. Unintentionally, when I first started to use this, I had quite a pared back routine. Together with a propolis serum this gave me the brightest and calmest skin I had in a while. I went out without wearing foundation on a regular basis. Which is basically unheard of.
Conclusion – worth it.
It is incredibly pricey, it is a water-like liquid without any gimmicks, and it has zero skin-tertainment value. And all I can really prove (for myself) is that it’s seriously moisturising. (I always find glow and brightness incredibly hard to gauge, even on myself.) Nevertheless, I will be incredibly sad when my small bottle (which accompanied me for about three months) will run out. Will I bite the bullet and re-order? Most likely, I’ll have a look at my skin without it and see what happens. I’ve got the inkling that this is one of the products which effects you see when you stop using it. But so far, I’m a fan. Of a skincare product that retails for 179$. I’m sorry.
SK-II Facial Treatment Essence, 160ml/5,4oz, $179.
cosrx Galactomyces Alcohol-Free Toner, 150ml/5,07oz, $16.
cosrx Galactomyces 95 Whitening Power Essence, 100ml/3,38oz, $20
Please note that this review is not sponsored in any way. We buy products ourselves, with our own money, and don’t accept exchanging goods, or money, for reviews. We are completely independent, and our reviews reflect that.
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