Hanbang, the Korean Oriental Medicine practice with origins in classical Chinese texts, gained traction in recent years. You may not be familiar with the term hanbang, but I am sure you have heard of brands like Sulwhasoo and The History of Whoo? These wildly pricey brands bottle the wisdom of hanbang to promote well-being and maintain good health and longevity.
(Source: blog.naver.com/snpacsys/)
Name: SNP Za Aryeon Eun Yoon Set 자아련 은윤 세트
Price: ₩ 160,000 for the following to be used in this order
Za Aryeon Eun Yoon Cleansing Foam 자아련 은윤 클렌징 폼 50 g
Za Aryeon Eun Yoon Skin 자아련 은윤 수액 130 ml
Za Aryeon Eun Yoon Essence 자아련 은윤 진액 10 ml
Za Aryeon Eun Yoon Emulsion 자아련 은윤 유액 130 ml
Za Aryeon Eun Yoon Cream 자아련 은윤 크림 50 g
Za Aryeon Eun Yoon Eye Cream 자아련 은윤 아이 크림 10 g
Made in: Korea
In lieu of the hanbang renaissance, SNP launched the Za Aryeon Eun Yoon line, which consists of 7 medicinal herbs (Wild Ginseng, Figwort, Sage, Sophora Root, Codonopsis Pilosula, Pilose Bellflower and Leguminosae), to refresh and revitalise tired skin while maintaining skin balance, and ultimately restore youthful looking skin.
The herbs in the Za Aryeon Eun Yoon range undergo fermentation where yeast is utilised to catabolise the active ingredients into smaller particles so they can be absorbed more quickly, thus becoming more effective. The herbal broth then matures in containers made from Jeju cedar, which lends the line a slight cedar aroma.
The color purple (that is what SNP's blog says, but methinks it looks more burgundy) dominates the line, with gilded filigrees vining around the base. It is the most ornate as well as decadent design to grace my vanity! I only wish that the entire line is encased in glass to amp the luxurious factor. Failing that, plasticise everything, so that uniformity is maintained... seeing as the Skin and the Emulsion are housed in glass bottles, whereas the others are stored in plastic jars.
Za Aryeon Eun Yoon Cleansing Foam is soft and fluffy (like whipped marshmallow!), and a lot more gentle than regular cleansing foams; but I can feel it working deep in the pores to rid of impurities. After rinsing, my skin is very fresh and without the tight, clean-as-a-whistle sensation. Another plus going for it is the size, 50 g is the perfect amount to bring along for a vacation!
Za Aryeon Eun Yoon Skin is plenty soothing but it is not the kind of product that will single handedly transform my skin overnight. It is however perfect to swipe all over post-cleansing. It is not as moisturising as the other products, which is to be expected since it is the first in line. I would quite like for it to be housed in a plastic spray bottle - so that I can bring it everywhere and spritz all day.
I can't think of many other serums that are this light, yet as effective. Za Aryeon Eun Yoon Essence absorbs into the skin without leaving a film yet hits the spot perfectly when it comes to moisturisation. All skin types will find the fluid consistency to their liking.
Personally, I think that the Za Aryeon Eun Yoon Emulsion is better off on its own over a toner with a nice heaping of sunscreen in the AM, but it doesn't feel too much if I want to go all the way and sandwich it between an essence and a moisturiser. That is the lovely thing about it – my skin felt properly taken care of in the moisture department yet feels nice and fresh. Not at all like slapping my mug with too many layers.
My favourite product of the bunch is the Za Aryeon Eun Yoon Cream. It feels like an ointment and manages to maintain its shape even when upended! I love the rich texture and how it provides my face with spades of moisture. The cream works well on my skin and gives it a plumptious, nourished look without having breakouts or issues with richness. I am quite generous with it because I like to bring it down to my neck as well and it absorbs fairly quickly for what it is.
The Za Aryeon Eun Yoon Eye Cream has a delicious texture, and it sinks into the skin without too much effort at all. I don't dip into the pot and come out with a blob of product... instead, I slide my fingertip over the surface and then pat onto the undereye area. It is amazing to mask the appearance of pesky crow's feet, fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes.
For someone who is accustomed to mixing and matching potions depending on how my skin feels that day, it was quite the novel experience to limit myself to a single line. That being said, I definitely could see the benefit of using products from the same line that is meant to work synergistically with each other for maximum results.
This set makes it so easy to get your hanbang fix on - it encompasses most of the things that you'd need on a daily basis (yes, we shouldn't forget things like exfoliators, sunscreens, masks, etc). Looking at it from a purely economic point-of-view, this actually fits in the positively bargainous section with each product working out to be ₩ 27,000 (or thereabouts)!
The full ingredient list for the Za Aryeon Eun Yoon set:
Disclosure: BNTGirls sample. Head on over to BNTNews for more exciting news, may it be K-Beauty, K-Fashion or K-Pop!
