Korean aesthetic experts Essen (AHC) launched into the UK this Spring, finally bringing their well-known, affordable and highly adaptable range to our shores. Founded in 1999, AHC is based on the ethos that everyone’s needs are different and that there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ when it comes to ingredients or formulations, hence their ‘three core elements’ approach:
- Formulas based on science
- Safe, tested ingredients used at their optimum levels
- Optimised usage method
Their Hero product is the AHC Essential Real Eye Cream for Face, a brilliant light-yet-concentrated eye cream, so good that it’s formulated to be used all over the face, should you want something more intense than the moisturiser from the Aqualuronic range. This eye cream contains more proven ingredients than most serums found in the ‘anti-ageing’ category on any retail website.
Interestingly, this is a 30 ml size. If you had two and used them as a face cream, doubling your price, it would still be more affordable than most high end face moisturisers (I always do the math) and you’d have 10ml more than the average 50ml size.
The RECFF firms, brightens and hydrates the eye area, as well as minimising the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It immediately hydrates and rejuvenates a tired under eye area, and when used as a face cream it firms, brightens, hydrates and leaves your skin with a lovely glow. Containing 6 patented ingredients and 5 peptides, it also supports your own collagen production to help firm and plump your face, leaving it hydrated, glowing and dewy.
Aqua, Cyclopentasiloxane, Methylpropanediol, Betaine, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Glycerin, Cyclohexasiloxane, 1,2- Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 60, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Panthenol, Squalane, Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract, Parfum, Calendula Officinalis Flower Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glycosyl Trehalose, Sorbitan Isostearate, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Butylene Glycol, Raffinose, Adenosine, Lecithin, Disodium EDTA, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Polyquaternium-51, Dipropylene Glycol, Sodium Palmitoyl Proline, Ficus Carica Fruit Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Pseudoalteromonas Ferment Extract, Ceramide NP, Folic Acid, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydrolyzed Lupine Protein, Alchemilla Vulgaris Extract, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Centaurea Cyanus Flower Water, Helichrysum Italicum Flower Water, Cholesterol, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Elaeis Guineensis Oil, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Schizosaccharomyces Ferment Filtrate,Collagen Extract, Propanediol, Alcohol, Anastatica Hierochuntica Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Argania Spinosa Kernel Extract, Phytosphingosine, Tromethamine, Maltodextrin, Acrylates Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Hydroxydecyl Ubiquinone, Tocopherol, Caprylyl Glycol, Lactic Acid, Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Sorbitan Laurate, Lepidium Meyenii Root Extract, Saccharide Hydrolysate, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Salicornia Herbacea Extract, Asparagus Officinalis Stem Extract, Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Oryza Sativa Extract, Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract, Mentha Piperita Leaf Extract, Primula Veris Extract, Malva Sylvestris Extract, Achillea Millefolium Extract, Veronica Officinalis Extract, Sodium Cocoyl, Glutamate, Rutin, Rhododendron Ferrugineum Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Nymphaea Alba Flower Extract, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Benzyl Alcohol, Ascorbic Acid Polypeptide, Dipotassium Phosphate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Plankton Extract, Carbomer, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, Ceramide AP, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Copper Tripeptide-1, VP/Polycarbamyl Polyglycol Ester, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Hydrolyzed Sesame Protein PG-Propyl Methylsilanediol, Gluconolactone, Calcium Gluconate, Potassium Sorbate, Saussurea Involucrata Extract, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Sodium Benzoate, Dehydroacetic Acid, Arginine Ferulate, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Acetyl Tripeptide-1, Disodium Phosphate, Acetic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Phaseolus Lunatus Seed Extract, Retinol, Sodium Lactate, Magnesium PCA, Lysine, Leucine, Methionine, Valine, Serine, Sucrose, Cysteine, Proline, Histidine, Calcium Chloride, Taurine, Tryptophan, Asparagine, Formic Acid, 1-Methylhydantoin-2-imide, Magnesium Citrate, Magnesium Chloride, Citrulline, Ammonia, Ornithine, Uric Acid, Tyrosine, Threonine, Phenylalanine, Potassium Hydroxide, Alanine, Arginine, Urea, Isoleucine, Maris Sal, Aspartic Acid, Glycine, Glucosamine HCl, Glutamic Acid, Glutamine, Ceramide EOP, Benzyl Benzoate.
The Real Eye Cream For Face is £26.00 for 30ml and available exclusively from LookFantastic.com
The Aqualuronic Collection starts at £18.00 for the cleanser, going up to £32.00 for the moisturiser, again giving great bang for your buck (pound). 🙂
The range consists of five moisture-boosting products designed to deeply hydrate, firm and protect the skin via AHC’s key blend of ingredients including:
- Aqua Ceramide Complex to replenish the skin barrier
- three different weights of hyaluronic acid to plump
- mineral enriched french seawater to energise the skin
All of the products are extremely hydrating, while being light to the touch and play well with others, meaning you can use them under makeup without a problem, but my personal favourites are the Emulsion and the Cream. The Emulsion is light enough to hydrate my skin on a good day, and the Cream gives me the extra moisture boost that I need when my skin feels dry or dehydrated.
As a very rough guide I would consider these your first pick of products for the following skins:
Dehydrated acneic/combination skin: Toner, Serum, Emulsion
Dehydrated skins under 35: Emulsion, Serum
Dry/dehydrated mature skin: Emulsion, Serum, Cream
AHC Aqualuronic Moisturising Foam Cleanser, 140ml, £18, available here.
Far from the ‘foaming’ of old, this leaves your skin softer after cleansing than it was before. My personal thinking is that this is a skin cleanser, so suited to a morning cleanse or second cleanse in the evening/when removing makeup/spf.
Suitable for all skin types. I would avoid the eyes.
Aqua, Glycerin, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Myristic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Lauric Acid, Cocamidpropyl Betaine, Enteromorpha Compressa Extract, Codium Tomentosum Extract, Sodium Chloride, Undaria Pinnatifida Extract, Parfum, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Acrylates/ C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, PEG-14M, Arachidic Acid, Cellulose Gum, 1,2-Hexanediol, Disodium EDTA, Silica, Citrus Paradisi Fruit Extract, Saponaria Officinalis Leaf/ Root Extract.
AHC Hydrating Aqualuronic Toner, 150ml, £20, available here.
Often overlooked these days, the toner in this case could also be called an essence. Not designed to remove the last traces of your cleanser, this is very much designed to start the layering of moisture into your skin and seal against water loss. For ease, you can also decant into a spray bottle and use as a lighter mist.
Suitable for all skin types.
Aqua, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Betaine, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Propanediol, Alcohol Denat, Glycereth-26, Butylene Glycol, Enteromorpha Compressa Extract, Codium Tomentosum Extract, Undaria Pinnatifida Extract, Glycereth-25 PCA Isostearate, Artemisia Princeps Leaf Extract, Ethylhexlglycerin, Maris Aqua, Parfum, Adenosine, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Disodium EDTA, Biosaccharide Gum-1.
AHC Aqualuronic Emulsion, 120ml, £22, available here.
Although this is designed to be used under your serum as another hydrating step, you could multi-task and use it as your moisturiser over your serum.
Suitable for all skins as a layered product, and especially suited to more combination skins as your moisturiser over your serum.
Aqua, Propanediol, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Pentylene Glycol, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Vinyl Dimethicone, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Butylene Glycol, Codium Tomentosum Extract, Enteromorpha Compressa Extract, Undaria Pinnatifida Extract, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Carbomer, Palmitic Acid, Tromethamine, Stearic Acid, Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate, Artemisia Princeps Leaf Extract, Parfum.
AHC Aqualuronic Serum, 30ml, £26, available here.
A lovely, lightweight serum that deeply hydrates your skin and leaves it feeling soft and comfortable.
Suitable for all skin types and ages, especially helpful if dehydration is your main concern.
Aqua, Methyl Guceth-20, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Codium Toemntosum Extract, Enteromorpha Compressa Extract, Undaria Pinnatifida Extract, Glycereth-25 PCA Isostearate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Artemisia Princeps Leaf Extract, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Xanthan Gum, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Hydroxyethlcellulose, Ethlhexlglycerin, Maris Aqua, Parfum, Adenosine.
AHC Aqualuronic Cream, 50ml, £32, available here.
This is designed to seal in all the moisture from your previous layers, and does so without any heavy or sticky feeling on the skin. Instantly comforts the skin and eases the signs of dehydration, namely fine lines and wrinkles and dullness.
Suitable for drier/dehydrated/more mature skins.
Ingredients:
Aqua, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, 1,2- Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Codium Tomentosum Extract, Enteromorpha Compressa Extract, Undaria Pinnatifda Extract, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Caromer, Cetearyl Olivate, Cetyl Ethylhexonate, Tromethamine, Sorbitan Olivate, Artemisia Princeps Leaf Extract, Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate
All available at LookFantastic.com now.
