Kelly Driscoll

Are you a skincare minimalist? Maybe you still perform 10+ steps in your routines but you prefer to use straightforward products with simple ingredients lists?

If you fall into the latter category, then I have a product for you!

This is the Missha Time Revolution Artemisia Treatment Essence, and it contains only 1 ingredient — double fermented Artemisia Annua extract.

Artemisia

What in the world is Artemisia?

Artemisia Annua is known as sweet wormwood, sweet sagewort or better known to us K-beauty lovers as annual mugwort.

That’s right, mugwort!

Mugwort has been used for centuries in Asia for its many medicinal properties. It’s used often in traditional Chinese medicine as a treatment for fever and is considered a Korean Hangbang (traditional herbal ingredient) staple.

Mugwort is known for its warming properties and ability to improve circulation and help with muscular pain. It’s also famous for its soothing properties and is used in many different ways at Korean bathhouses.

Mugwort has been popping up in many K-beauty products lately and it’s understandable why.

When it comes to benefits for the skin, Mugwort has a long resume:

Mugwort has great anti-acne properties, is antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal (when the mugwort is not fermented).

Mugwort is excellent for sensitive skin with its soothing, healing and nourishing benefits. It’s also great to help calm redness on the skin.

Mugwort is beneficial to damaged skin since it’s chock-full of antioxidants, amino acids and minerals that help bind hydration to the skin and are helpful in aiding the function of a healthy moisture barrier.

Mugwort has many different varieties, but artemisia annua is particularly well known for possessing high antioxidant activity.

Missha Artemisia Treatment Essence

The Missha Artemisia Treatment Essence uses artemisia annua extract cultivated from Gangwha Island, Korea. The artemisia is double fermented, once in a warm environment and then again in a more traditional method utilizing a cool environment and a jar.

So why ferment it? Fermenting skincare ingredients can render them more easily absorbed by the skin. Fermentation can make the molecule of the ingredients smaller, meaning they can get into the skin much easier, This is a good thing, since we know the deeper we can get those beneficial ingredients, the better they work.

Kind of like fermenting food, fermenting skincare can create new, beneficial and more nutritious substances. In skincare, fermentation can result in more amino acids and more antioxidants that can benefit, protect and repair the skin in so many ways!

How to Use it

As the first step of your skincare routine after cleansing. The texture of this essence is incredibly watery and has less “body” than most watery and hydrating toners. Remember this can aid the penetration of your other skincare layers too!

Alternatively, you can create a quick 2-minute mask with some 5-layer cotton soaked in this essence. Place the cotton pads on your skin to give it a deeply soothing and refreshing treatment.

My Experience

I love it!

I was pretty much obsessed with this on first use. The calming benefits are totally real and that’s what made me fall in love with this so quickly.

When I first cracked this open my skin was feeling irritated from chronic dehydration. As soon as I got this on my face I felt a subtle but powerful soothing effect come over my face. It wasn’t like an “ah my skin is healed’ feeling, but it was a comforting feeling that relieved the irritation on my skin. The calming benefits are real.

While I didn’t find this super hydrating on it’s own, it’s a great foundation for a hydrating routine. This helps prep my skin for the layers of toner that I like to put on to feed my dehydrated skin. I’ve also noticed this really does work to help my skincare layers absorb better into my skin (a benefit of the double fermentation).

This also seems to help relieve redness on my skin over time. I haven’t noticed crazy brightening benefits. but after about 3 weeks of use I’ve noticed my skin has taken on a healthy and more even skin tone. It’s not going to fade hyper-pigmentation, but it will lend itself to translucent, lit from within skin.

I really can’t find much fault with this one! This is a mild, totally gentle product that helps prep my skin, provides a ton of nutrition and keeps my skin calm! Plus, with only 1 superstar ingredient, I don’t have to wonder if this one is causing my skin stress or irritation. Mild, gentle and no fuss is my kind of skincare product!

150ml Jolse |  Yesstyle