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Licorice First Essence$27.05NEOGEN
Dermalogy Real Ferment Micro Essence
NEOGEN Dermalogy Real Ferment Micro Essence is a toner, the watery first step used right after cleansing to prep skin for everything layered after it.
No reviews yet150 ml
$22.74 per 100 ml
- Korean-market formula
- Ships from California or direct from Korea
- Korean barcode and batch code intact
- Suited to
- Normal skinCombination skinDry skin
- Helps with
- The first leave-on step after cleansingPrepping skin for the rest of a routineA step that is easy to build a consistent routine around
In stock. Arrives in 3 to 7 business days
We accept
You’re $100.00 away from free US shipping.
- 30-day returns
- Free US shipping on orders of $100 or more
- Tracked delivery to your door
How it works
A toner is the first leave-on step, thinner than an essence or serum, meant to re-wet the skin after cleansing so the next layers spread evenly rather than sitting on a dry surface. It is pressed in with the palms or a light pad sweep, not rubbed, and the rest of the routine follows within a minute while the skin is still slightly damp. Judge it on how comfortable the skin feels right after it settles, before anything else goes on. Consistency across days does more for a fair read than any single application, since a genuine change in how skin looks or feels builds gradually rather than all at once. It is the version sold on shelves in Korea rather than a formula reworked for a different market.
Key benefits
- Bifida Ferment Lysate sits right near the top of the 50-ingredient list, a fermented ingredient, part of the fermentation-forward approach Korean formulas are known for
- Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate sits right near the top of the 50-ingredient list, a fermented ingredient, part of the fermentation-forward approach Korean formulas are known for
- Betaine sits early in the 50-ingredient list, betaine, a naturally derived humectant carried for its moisture-holding reputation
- Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract sits early in the 50-ingredient list, a green-tea-derived ingredient carried for its antioxidant, calming reputation
- Formulated as an essence from NEOGEN, sized for regular use in a routine
- Comes in a 150ml format, sized for the essence step after toner and before serum
Inside the formula
Inside the formula
What does Dermalogy Real Ferment Micro Essence do in a routine?
It is the first leave-on step after cleansing, re-wetting the skin so the products layered after it spread evenly rather than sitting on a dry surface. As with any new step, give it a fair, consistent trial of a week or two before you decide whether to keep it in your routine, and stop if you notice ongoing irritation rather than pushing through it.
Cotton pad or hands?
Either works; hands use less product for the same coverage, while a cotton pad is useful for sweeping over the jaw and hairline. As with any new step, give it a fair, consistent trial of a week or two before you decide whether to keep it in your routine, and stop if you notice ongoing irritation rather than pushing through it.
Is this the same formula sold in Korea, or a version made for the US market?
This is the Korean-market formula, the same one sold on shelves in Korea rather than a version reformulated for US retail.
Can I use this if my skin runs sensitive?
This toner is formulated with skin types like normal or combination skin in mind, but any new product is worth a patch test first if your skin reacts easily. A short patch test on the inside of your arm or behind an ear before it goes on your face is worth doing, and that goes for sensitive skin most of all.
How long before I will know if this is right for my skin?
Give it a full week or two of consistent use before you judge, since a single use rarely tells you much either way. Watch for how skin feels and looks rather than for any specific number, and stop use if you notice ongoing irritation.
Not on the ingredient list below: fragrance or parfum, denatured or SD alcohol, essential oils, silicones, parabens, sulfate surfactants, mineral oil or petrolatum and added color.
Full INCI (49): Bifida Ferment Lysate, Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate, Betula Platyphylla Japonica Juice, Rice Ferment Filtrate (Sake), Aspergillus Ferment, Glycerine, Dipropylene Glycol, Methyl Gluceth-20, Water, Betaine, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Trehalose, Lactobacillus Ferment, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Trideceth-10, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, 1,2-Hexanediol, Tropolone, Allantoin, Butylene Glycol, Coptis Japonica Extract, Arginine, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Calcium Carbonate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Adenosine, Niacinamide, Dextrin, Glycine, Serine, Glutamic Acid, Aspartic Acid, Leucine, Alanine, Lysine, Tyrosine, Phenylalanine, Proline, Threonine, Valine, Isoleucine, Phenoxyethanol, Histidine, Methionine, Cysteine
Ingredient list read from incidecoder.com on 30 August 2026.
47 of 49 explained
- Bifida Ferment Lysate ferment
- Bifida Ferment Lysate is a bifidobacteria ferment with the cells broken open. It is the ingredient behind the first-essence category and is used for the look of tired, reactive skin.
- Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate ferment
- Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate is a brewers yeast ferment filtered clear. It supplies amino acids, B vitamins and sugars, and it is one of the ferments the Korean essence category was built on.
- Betula Platyphylla Japonica Juice plant extract
- Betula Platyphylla Japonica Juice is Asian white birch sap, tapped in spring. It is over 98 percent water with trace minerals and sugars, and Korean formulas use it in place of plain water as a hydrating base.
- Rice Ferment Filtrate (Sake) ferment
- Rice Ferment Filtrate is the clear liquid from fermented rice, the same process that makes sake. It carries amino acids, sugars and organic acids and is used as a conditioning ferment.
- Aspergillus Ferment ferment
- Aspergillus Ferment is a mould ferment, from the same organism family used to make soy sauce and sake. It supplies amino acids and organic acids and is used as a conditioning ferment.
- Glycerine humectant
- Glycerin is the most used humectant in skincare. It draws water into the outer layer of skin and holds it there, and it is one of the very few ingredients whose hydrating effect is settled science rather than marketing. Higher amounts feel tacky, which is why it is usually blended.
- Dipropylene Glycol humectant
- Dipropylene Glycol is a glycol used as a solvent and a light humectant. Its main job is keeping the rest of the formula dissolved and the texture fluid rather than adding hydration of its own.
- Methyl Gluceth-20 humectant
- Methyl Gluceth-20 is a sugar-derived humectant. It holds water in the outer layer of skin and gives a smooth, cushioned slip that plain glycerin does not.
- Water solvent
- Water is the base almost every serum, toner and cream is built on. It dissolves the water-loving ingredients and sets how light the finished texture feels. On an INCI list it is usually first, which only means it is the largest single ingredient by weight.
- Betaine humectant
- Betaine is a sugar-beet-derived humectant that cells use to hold water. In a formula it hydrates and takes the edge off cleansers and acids, which is why it often appears alongside them.
- Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract plant extract
- Camellia Sinensis is the tea plant. Green tea leaf extract carries catechins, among the most studied plant antioxidants, and is used for the look of redness and oily shine.
- Ethylhexylglycerin preservative booster
- Ethylhexylglycerin softens skin and boosts a preservative system, which is why it is nearly always sitting beside phenoxyethanol or 1,2-hexanediol. It also cuts down the odour bacteria produce, so it turns up in deodorising products.
35 more explained
- Trehalose humectant
- Trehalose is a sugar that some desert plants use to survive drying out. In skincare it is a humectant that holds water in the outer layer and helps a formula feel comfortable rather than tight.
- Lactobacillus Ferment ferment
- Lactobacillus Ferment is the liquid left after lactobacillus bacteria have fermented a plant or milk substrate. It carries the small molecules the fermentation produced, including lactic acid and amino acids, and is used for the look of dull, uneven skin.
- PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil emulsifier
- PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil is a castor-oil-derived solubiliser. It is what keeps fragrance and oil-soluble ingredients dissolved in a watery formula so it stays clear.
- Caprylyl Glycol preservative booster
- Caprylyl Glycol is a glycol that conditions skin and, more importantly, strengthens a preservative system so less of the traditional preservative is needed. It appears in most modern formulas built without parabens.
- Trideceth-10 emulsifier
- An ethoxylated fatty alcohol used as an emulsifier and solubiliser. It dissolves small amounts of oil or fragrance into a watery formula without clouding it.
- Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer thickener
- This is a carbomer relative with fatty side chains, so it thickens and stabilises an emulsion at the same time. It gives a light gel-cream body rather than a heavy one.
- Tromethamine pH adjuster
- Tromethamine neutralises acidic thickeners such as carbomer so they gel, and holds a formula near skin-friendly pH. It is used at a fraction of a percent.
- 1,2-Hexanediol humectant
- 1,2-Hexanediol is a glycol used for two reasons: it holds water like glycerin, and it makes a formula harder for microbes to live in, so less traditional preservative is needed. Korean formulas use it heavily for that second reason.
- Allantoin active
- Allantoin is a comfrey-derived compound used to condition skin and soften the outer layer so it feels smoother. It is one of the standard additions to a formula built for easily irritated skin.
- Butylene Glycol humectant
- Butylene Glycol is a small glycol that does two jobs at once: it holds water in the top layer of skin and it dissolves plant extracts and actives that plain water cannot. It also thins a formula, which is why watery Korean essences lean on it.
- Coptis Japonica Extract plant extract
- Japanese goldthread extract, the whole plant rather than only the root. It carries berberine, is bright yellow, and is used for the look of congested skin.
- Arginine amino acid
- Arginine is an amino acid that does two jobs here: it holds water in the outer layer of skin, and it neutralises acidic gelling agents, which is why it often stands in for a synthetic pH adjuster.
- Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose thickener
- Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose is modified plant cellulose. It thickens water, forms a film, and stabilises foam, and it is the same material used to make capsule shells.
- Hydrogenated Lecithin emulsifier
- Hydrogenated Lecithin is lecithin with its unsaturated bonds filled in, which makes it far more stable. It emulsifies and is the standard shell for the liposomes that carry actives into the outer layer of skin.
- Sodium Hyaluronate humectant
- Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt of hyaluronic acid, and it is what most products labelled hyaluronic actually contain. The salt dissolves more readily and the molecule is smaller, so it sits in the outer layer of skin rather than only on top of it.
- Adenosine active
- Adenosine is a nucleoside that Korea's own cosmetic authority recognises as a wrinkle-care functional ingredient, which is why it appears on so many Korean lists at a low level. It is used for the look of fine lines and is stable and well tolerated.
- Niacinamide active
- Niacinamide is vitamin B3, and it is the most studied active in Korean formulation. It is used at roughly 2 to 5 percent for the look of uneven tone and visible pores, and it is water soluble, stable and comfortable beside almost every other active, which is why it turns up in so many lists.
- Dextrin thickener
- Dextrin is a starch fragment used to thicken and to give a formula a light, powdery finish. It is also a common carrier for powdered extracts.
- Glycine amino acid
- Glycine is the smallest amino acid and one of the free amino acids skin holds to keep water in the outer layer. In a formula it is a humectant and a mild buffer.
- Serine amino acid
- Serine is one of the most abundant free amino acids in the outer layer of skin, where it helps hold water. Added to a formula it is a humectant.
- Glutamic Acid amino acid
- Glutamic Acid is an amino acid used as a humectant and a mild pH adjuster. It is one of the components of skin's natural moisturising factor.
- Aspartic Acid amino acid
- Aspartic Acid is an amino acid used as a humectant and buffer, usually within a wider amino acid blend.
- Leucine amino acid
- Leucine is an essential amino acid used as a humectant, part of the amino acid block many Korean essences carry.
- Alanine amino acid
- Alanine is a free amino acid skin uses as part of its own moisture-holding system. In a formula it hydrates and conditions.
- Lysine amino acid
- Lysine is an essential amino acid used as a conditioning humectant in an amino acid complex.
- Tyrosine amino acid
- Tyrosine is an amino acid used as a conditioning humectant in amino acid complexes.
- Phenylalanine amino acid
- Phenylalanine is an essential amino acid used in skincare as a conditioning humectant.
- Proline amino acid
- Proline is an amino acid abundant in collagen and one of skin's own humectants. Added to a formula it holds water in the outer layer.
- Threonine amino acid
- Threonine is an essential amino acid used in skincare as a humectant, normally as part of an amino acid complex rather than alone.
- Valine amino acid
- Valine is an essential amino acid used as a humectant alongside the rest of an amino acid block.
- Isoleucine amino acid
- Isoleucine is an essential amino acid used as a conditioning humectant within an amino acid complex.
- Phenoxyethanol preservative
- Phenoxyethanol is the most widely used cosmetic preservative outside the paraben family. It keeps a water-containing formula from growing bacteria and mould, and is capped at one percent in most markets, so it always sits low on a list.
- Histidine amino acid
- Histidine is an amino acid used as a humectant and a buffer, part of skin's own free amino acid pool.
- Methionine amino acid
- Methionine is a sulphur-bearing essential amino acid used as a humectant and mild antioxidant.
- Cysteine amino acid
- Cysteine is a sulphur-bearing amino acid used as a humectant and antioxidant. It is one of the three building blocks of glutathione.
- Market
- Korean market, the version sold in Korea
- EAN (barcode)
- 8809381448935
- Made in
- Republic of Korea
- Volume
- 150 ml
- Category
- Toner
- Actives
- Adenosine, Allantoin, Birch Sap, Green Tea, Niacinamide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Trehalose
- Ships from
- California or Korea
Orders ship from California or direct from Korea with tracked delivery to your door, and both routes carry the same Korean-market release. Shipping is free on orders of $100 or more. Returns are accepted for 30 days, by mail.
We split shipments free, so one out-of-stock item never holds up the rest of your order.
Where this unit came from
- 1Seoul
Bought as Korean-market stock - 2Barcode
Listed against the Korean barcode on its box - 3California or Korea
Ships to you from either, as the same Korean-market release
We stock the version of a formula that is sold in Korea, not the release a brand prepares for another market under the same name. The barcode in the specification above is the Korean-market one and it is printed on the box you receive.
Every unit keeps its original barcode and batch code intact, so the unit in your hands can be checked against the brand’s own records.
Every order ships from California or direct from Korea, and returns run for 30 days.
Every claim on this page traces to the unit in the box, the barcode, the batch code and the price you can read for yourself.
How to use
- Use the Dermalogy Real Ferment Micro Essence straight after cleansing, morning and evening, while the face is still damp.
- Use the essence as the first step of daily skin care after cleansing. Apply gently on face with a cotton pad or hands. Pat gently for better absorption.
- It goes on before serum and moisturizer, and the damp layer it leaves is what the step above it holds on to.
- Twice a day, every day. Do not let it dry down completely before the next layer goes on, or you lose the reason for applying it to damp skin.
Worth knowing
- Patch test on the jaw first if your skin reacts easily to something new.
- Give it a few uses before judging, since a first impression rarely tells the whole story.
Complete the routine
- This itemNEOGEN Dermalogy Real Ferment Micro Essence$34.11

- Cleanse first, so the next step meets bare skinNEOGEN Dermalogy Double Vita Capsule Cleansing Foam 160g$27.50

- Seal the routine in as the last stepNEOGEN Surmedic Super Ceramide 100TM Renewal Cream 50ml$35.00

Total for 3 items$96.61
Reviews
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NEOGEN Dermalogy Real Ferment Micro Essence
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NEOGEN, Korean-market original
NEOGEN Dermalogy Real Ferment Micro Essence, essence with Bifida Ferment Lysate, 150ml, Korean-market formula.
Verify your unit when it arrives
Verify your unit when it arrives
Korean-market stock with the original barcode and batch code intact, exactly as it left Korea.
On the unit itself
- The Korean-market barcode, unaltered from the retail package.
- The manufacturer’s batch code, exactly as the maker printed it.
정품Genuine article, Korean-market stock
What professionals say
What professionals say
What skin-care professionals say about skin care, quoted from the medical sources linked beside each.
Your skin barrier is basically your outer layer of the skin.
Melissa Piliang, MDDermatologist, Cleveland Clinic Pretty much every step of a Korean skin care routine is going to have some component of hydration.
Alok Vij, MDDermatologist, Cleveland Clinic
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