Well, some are hidden and some less so… the best and worst of Skin1004!
The brand
‘When you pronounce “1004” in Korean, it sounds the same way as the word “Angel.” “천사” or “Cheon-Sa” to be exact. Which is why we often call ourselves “Skin Angels”.’
Awwwww.
SKIN1004 is also an award-winning hypoallergenic & natural skincare brand from Korea. Our main ingredient, CENTELLA ASIATICA, originating from the untouched nature of MADAGASCAR, is one of the world’s finest Centella.
Skin1004
Our products are special in that all of our products are infused with high quality Centella extract. All products are very mild, soothing, extra-light and non comedogenic to provide breathable, non-sticky, and soft finish.
It was founded in 2013, and some of its products were earlier forerunners of the ‘it went viral!’ phenomenon we now know from TikTok. Just remember the Zombie pack, and, of course, the Centella Ampoule.
The best, the worst, the everything
Last summer, the incredibly kind Skin1004 PR asked if we wanted to review their skincare. Per our policy, I declined. After a bit of emailing though, I agreed to test their products (honestly, because they were so nice, and also I was curious about their sunscreens. I honestly expected to get just the sunscreens!), which they did send without expecting any kind of recompensating – no reviews, no IG stories, no nothing. And indeed, after a while, two packages arrived at my door, which Astrid and I then split (I want to use and finish my skincare, and having too much stresses me out. Also, I want to review things, but for that, I have to try them for a decent amount of time, and in the end, I only have one face).
Long story short, there were a lot of products I outright didn’t care for. I didn’t like the mineral nor tone-up sunscreens, and while Astrid liked the Water Fit Sun Serum, when I reviewed it (the tube I paid for with my own money), I was lukewarm on it. The Centella Ampoule Foam broke my husband out horribly, and the Centella Cleansing Oil made me feel I was cleansing my face with an essential oil, it was that strongly fragranced.
And while other products that I tried didn’t leave a strong impression on me (sometimes, skincare is just ok), here’re three products I definitely will repurchase – they’re that good. (I linked to the Skin 1004 site, but obviously, the products are available at all big online A-Beauty resellers. Look for deals!)
What is Centella?
Skin1004’s hero ingredient is Centella Asiatica, Gotu Kola, a plant native to Southeast Asia. (It’s also called Tigergrass because lore has it that wounded tigers rolled around in the leaves.)
Studies have shown that Centella Asiatica has moisturising and anti-inflammatory effects. The most interesting effect, though, for skincare products is that it promotes “wound healing through increasing antioxidant activity and enhancing collagen synthesis” (Incidecoder).
Centella Asiatica’s “main biologically active compounds are pentacyclic triterpenoid saponins called asiaticoside, madecassoside, asiatic and madecassic acid (also called centellosides)” (Incidecoder). Especially well-studied are Centella Asiatica Extract, asiaticoside and madecassoside.
The best and worst of Skin1004: My favourite products
The one you heard of before
Centella Ampoule
‘A soothing ampoule that helps calm and restore imbalance in the skin caused by harsh environments.’
This is the product that brought Skin1004 on the map back in the day. EVERYBODY who was interested in K-Beauty raved about it. When a German blogger reviewed it in 2018, it was sold out on Amazon.de afterwards.
It has a lovely, watery, light consistency that sinks in quickly, acts as a great base for whatever skincare you might layer on top and feels both very hydrating and soothing. It’s ingredient list is 100% centella asiatica extract, but before you get excited, remember that an extract is, per definition, a solution of either water or alcohol. (In daily life, you’ll come into contact with extracts a lot: your morning coffee or tea is one, for example.) In this case, 100% sounds exciting, but is actually less so. Nevertheless: I miss it when it’s not in my routine.
The summer must-have
Centella Quick Calming Pad
‘A pre-soaked toner pad to soothe, hydrate, and condition skin in one simple step.’
If you ever dreamed about bathing your face in Centella Asiatica, this is the one for you. Thin mask-like disks are drenched in centella, hyaluronic acid and panthenol. In summer, I apply three or four to my face and let it calm and cool down in the heat. It’s heavenly. It’s the sheet mask that’s better than a sheet mask: it’s not as cumbersome to apply and move around with, and also doesn’t come with all that plastic garbage as single-use sheet masks. If you ask me: it’s a must have. (And have a look at my reviews – when do I EVER say that? Right.)
The one for aggravated skin
Centella Spot Cream
‘Target your problem areas directly with this one-stop concentrated cream. Soothes, brightens and moisturizes areas of the skin that need a little more attention and care.’
I always think A-Beauty treats skin kindlier than we do in the Western world. Here, if you suffer from outbreaks, people will recommend acids, retinoids, BPO – while in A-Beauty, a spot treatment doesn’t have all the actives, but soothing ingredients. And you know what? Combining those two is the winning solution.
I’ve suffered from stress-related outbreaks a lot this year. My regular way of treating those deep, painful zits is putting on BPO and pimple patches. Usually, that helps a lot. What it also does, too, though, is aggravating my skin a lot. BPO is harsh, people! And for that, this little unassuming tube comes in. It has a very gentle formula, full of soothing centella and panthenol, plus brightening Niacinamide and Gluconolactone. I used it on healing spots and really feel it helped them healing much faster. Definitely nice to have in your arsenal for skin emergencies.
And there you have it: Hidden gems from Skin1004 that I like a lot and am happy to have found.
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