I’m back with the brand focus series with Etude House, a Korean Cosmetics Brand. Etude House is a popular brand that is well-known for its cute packaging. Well, it’s known to be targeted for younger consumers, mostly teenagers and high schoolers. But it’s not all that. Etude House has some great anti-aging products from the Moistfull Collagen Range and the Soon Jung Line curated for sensitive skin types which have won over a bunch of consumers.
Needless to say, Etude House is more popular for its makeup range than skincare. They have a good variety of makeup products, all of which are super cheap in Korea. Etude House is a budget-friendly brand in Korea and you can find their stores in every nook and corner of the city. But those overseas have to pay a little bit extra depending upon the prices in their country. That’s a quick intro about the brand. Further in this post, I will be sharing my experience with a couple of products from the Etude House Soon Jung line.
Etude House Soon Jung Review
This whole line has been formulated for the most sensitive skin types. Unlike Klairs (which is for sensitive skin types), this line doesn’t contain any essential oils – they don’t contain any fragrance. Literally! They don’t smell anything at all. Not even that subtle scent. They also have a minimal ingredient list with no potential irritants including artificial colors, fragrances, and parabens. This entire line contains skin-soothing ingredients – Panthenol (promotes wound healing, reduces inflammations & improves hydration) and Madecassoside (derived from Centella Asiatica, repairs damaged skin, and soothes irritation).
1. Etude House Soon Jung pH 6.5 Whip Cleanser
Product Type: It’s a foam cleanser that uses 98.9% naturally derived ingredients to cleanse the skin in the gentlest way possible
Suitable For: Oily, Normal, Combination, Sensitive Skin.
Ingredients: Water, Glycerin, Sorbitol, Propanediol, Lauryl Glucoside, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Panthenol, Madecassoside, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Butylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Glyceryl Caprylate, Ethylhexylglycerin
My Experience:
I have a weakness for foam-type cleansers and this cleanser is no different. I love its fluffy whipped foam texture. It feels so luxurious on the skin. It is a nice gentle cleanser, but I would not classify this as a mild morning cleanser or a winter cleanser. It’s not drying but it’s not hydrating either.
The cleanser has a pH of 6.5 which is slightly acidic but still low. It hasn’t irritated my skin or caused breakouts. It soothed my existing active acne and reduced redness. I liked using this cleanser and I would recommend it.
Rating: 4.5/5
2. Etude House Soon Jung PH5.5 Relief Toner 15ml
Product Type: It’s a low-pH toner made with 97% naturally derived ingredients to keep skin balanced and hydrated for hours.
Suitable For: All Skin Types.
Ingredients: Water, Propanediol, Glycerin, Betaine, Panthenol, Madecassoside, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, 1,2-hexanediol, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Carbomer, Polyglycerin-3, Disodium EDTA.
Additional Info: Free of Alcohol, Fragrance & Essential Oils.
My Experience:
This is a basic pH-balanced hydrating toner. It is just like water, clear and runny. No scent or anything. It is great for layering as it’s light on the skin. This toner not only hydrates but also increases the absorbing ability of the next products.
I didn’t notice much of a difference in my skin with this single product alone. But still, it is a good one for those sensitive and irritated skin types. This feels something similar to the French Pharmacy Thermal Spring Water but added with wonderful skin-soothing ingredients Panthenol and Madecassoside.
If most hydrating toners haven’t worked for you, this might work for you as it’s light, gentle, and super soothing, apt for sensitive skin. The only thing with this, since it’s water-like, it gets used up fast and I don’t recommend using a cotton pad for this toner. Just use your palms and pat it into your skin.
Rating: 4/5
3. Etude House Soon Jung 10-Free Moist Emulsion
Product Type: It’s a lightweight emulsion-type moisturizer containing 93% naturally derived ingredients to suit even the most sensitive skin type.
Suitable For: All Skin Types. Great for Sensitive, Combination Skin Types.
Ingredients: Water, Propanediol, Glycerin, Betaine, Panthenol, Madecassoside, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Carbomer, Polyglycerin-3, Disodium EDTA.
My Experience:
Etude House Soon Jung 10-Free Moist Emulsion is a white lotion-like product but is thinner than a lotion yet thicker than an essence. It is not flowy and a little is enough for the face and neck. The emulsion feels emollient and nicely moisturizes the skin. It has a cooling sensation when the product directly touches my skin.
This does not dry down matte but gives a non-greasy dewy skin. The emulsion and toner go well together. I had lots of cystic acne when I used this entire line. This emulsion didn’t disturb them. Neither it lead me to new breakouts. If you like a nourishing moisturizer, you will like this.
Rating: 3.8/5
4. Etude House Soon Jung 5-Parthenolide Cica Balm
Product Type: It’s a barrier repair balm with 92% Natural Ingredients and 5% Pantenocide to repair, soothe and improve damaged skin.
Suitable For: Irritated, Damaged, Breakout Prone Skin.
Ingredients: Water, Propanediol, Panthenol 5.0%, Squalane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Madecassoside, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Butylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Glyceryl Stearate, Diisostearyl Malate, Cetearyl Glucoside, Stearic Acid, Acrylates/​C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/​Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Disodium EDTA, 1,2-Hexanediol.
My Experience:
This product was the main reason why I bought this kit and it didn’t disappoint me. The Cica Balm has a more concentrated version of Centella Asiatica to calm irritated skin.
It has a balm texture and takes a bit of massage to get absorbed fully. Sometimes it does sit there on top of the skin. I use this as the last step of my routine as a spot treatment on acne and areas where my skin is irritated.
By morning it calms down the redness of angry pimples while soothing the irritated areas. It doesn’t eradicate acne overnight (if one may think so), but it does help with active acne significantly with consistent use. It took me 3 days (twice-a-day application) to flat down my huge acne.
It’s a great product to have handy for Acne-Prone Skin Types and this worked for Cystic Acne too. I always thought acne has to be treated with harsh treatments like Salicylic Acid, Benzoyl Peroxide, and such. But guess I was wrong. There is also a soothing route that you can take, which is using Cica Products such as the La Roche Cica Baume, Avene Cicaflate, etc and this Etude House Cica Balm is a great Korean one to try.
I might repurchase this once this tube is over or if I encounter any huge acne breakouts in the future. My skin has been super calm after using this cica balm. Highly recommended.
Rating: 4.9/5
5. Etude House Soon Jung 2X Barrier Intensive Cream
Product Type: This is a moisturizing cream with 93% naturally derived ingredients to strengthen skin resistance and provide deep hydration while repairing the skin.
Suitable For: Hyper Sensitive, Dry, Damaged, Acne Prone Skin.
Ingredients: Water, Propanediol, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethyl hexanoate, Caprylic/​Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Panthenol, Madecassoside, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Potassium Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Butylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA
My Experience: It has an emollient-like cream texture that spreads easily. It’s an intensely moisturizing cream and I found it a bit heavy for my oily skin. I could use this as a night cream during the winter. It certainly calms and soothes the skin overnight. It’s loved by many people, especially those who have damaged skin barriers and/or are reactive to most products. Unfortunately, I didn’t find this suitable for my skin type. So it’s a skip for me.
Rating: 3/5
6. The Etude House Soon Jung Sleeping Pack – Panthensoside 5
Product Type: It’s a soothing sleeping pack that strengthens the moisture barrier during the night.
Suitable For: Sensitive, Dry & Damaged Skin.
Ingredients: Water /​ Aqua /​ Eau, Glycerin, Propanediol, Panthenol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dicaprylyl Ether, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Squalane, Glyceryl Stearate, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax /​ Copernicia Cerifera Cera /​ Cire De Carnauba, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/​Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Acrylates/​C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Stearic Acid, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Lauroyl Lysine, Glyceryl Caprylate, Butylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Trehalose, Asiaticoside, Narcissus Tazetta Bulb Extract, Madecassic Acid, Sorbitan Isostearate, Disodium Edta, Asiatic Acid, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, Madecassoside, Tocopherol, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract.
Additional Info: It’s not fungal acne safe.
My Experience: It’s a thick creamy product that acts as a very good occlusive. It seals in all the goodness of my toner and serums I’ve layered throughout the night. It makes my skin soft and plump along with reducing redness and inflammations. I find this product to be multifunctional for dehydrated combination skin. It soothes my irritated skin after derma rolling or a chemical peel. I also used this as a moisturizer during the cold weather when my skin was dehydrated.
Rating: 3.5/5
If there is one product that I have to pick from this range, it is definitely the Cica Balm. It worked so well for my cystic acne that I will highly recommend this product. This is one of the best among the Etude House Soon Jung Products. I got these from BeautyBarn.in and Shelc.in.
I hope you found this Etude House Products Review helpful. Share your thoughts on it in the comments section below.
Safiya is the editor and founder of TheBeautyInsideOut. With 7 years of experience in the beauty industry, she has been contributing content since its inception in 2016. She’s keen on trying out skincare from various verticals – be it Western skincare, Korean beauty, or Indian Ayurveda and sharing their unbiased opinions on them.
Bahut accha brand aur itne acche products ka itna detailed review ??
I would love to try Soon Jung line…