ongredients Balancing Skin Softener 250ml
ongredients Balancing Skin Softener 250ml carries five separate centella asiatica forms on its own ingredient panel, including Centella Asiatica Extract, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, Madecassoside.
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- Suited to
- dry, dehydration-prone skincombination skinskin coming off a harsh cleanse that needs pH rebalancing
- Helps with
- dehydration right after cleansingan uneven skin surface before the rest of the routinea rough or flaky texture
In stock. Ships from our California warehouse, dispatched within 2 business days
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- 30-day returns
- Free US shipping on orders of $100 or more
- Dispatched within 2 business days
Key benefits
- Five forms of centella asiatica on one panel, not a single token inclusion
- Houttuynia Cordata Extract on the same panel, the formula's plant extract
- Portulaca Oleracea Extract on the same panel, the formula's plant extract
- 250 ml to a unit
- Korean GS1 barcode matched against a Korea sourcing supplier's record for this item
Key actives
Centella Asiatica Extract
Centella Asiatica is the plant behind the whole cica category, sold as gotu kola or Madagascar centella. Its extract is the anchor of Korean formulas built for easily reddened skin, and its work is done by four triterpenes: asiaticoside, madecassoside, asiatic acid and madecassic acid.
Asiaticoside
Asiaticoside is one of the four active triterpenes isolated from centella and the most studied of them. Korean formulas name it separately when they want to show which fraction of the plant they standardised.
Asiatic Acid
Asiatic Acid is the third of centella's four triterpenes and the aglycone form, meaning it has no attached sugar. It is oil soluble, so it turns up in cica creams and balms more than in watery layers.
Madecassoside
Madecassoside is the centella triterpene most associated with the look of redness, and the one brands lead with in cica products. It is water soluble and stable, so it appears in essences as readily as in creams.
Houttuynia Cordata Extract
Houttuynia Cordata is heartleaf, and it is one of the two or three anchor plants of Korean calming skincare. Its extract carries quercitrin and other flavonoids and is used for the look of redness and blemish-prone skin.
Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Portulaca Oleracea is purslane. Its extract is unusually high in omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants for a plant, and Korean formulas use it for the look of reddened, reactive skin.
Tocopherol
Tocopherol is vitamin E. It is an oil-soluble antioxidant that protects the oils in a formula from going rancid and works on skin as an emollient, and it is regularly paired with vitamin C because each keeps the other going for longer.
How to use
- Apply Balancing Skin Softener 250ml after cleansing, patting it into skin in light layers rather than one heavy pour.
How do I apply Balancing Skin Softener 250ml?
Pour a small amount into your palms or onto a cotton pad and press it into cleansed skin rather than dragging it across the face. Follow immediately with serum while skin is still slightly damp, since that is when a toner's hydration is most useful to the steps layered on top. Two to three light layers work better than one heavy one.
Can Balancing Skin Softener 250ml replace a moisturizer?
No, a toner hydrates the surface but does not seal that hydration in the way an occlusive moisturizer does, so it is a step before cream rather than a substitute for one. Skipping moisturizer after toner usually means losing most of the hydration benefit to evaporation within the hour. Use both for the result either is trying to deliver on its own.
Is Balancing Skin Softener 250ml suitable for both morning and night?
Yes, this is formulated for twice-daily use as a standard first step after cleansing. Morning use preps skin for the rest of the AM routine and any makeup that follows; evening use resets skin before serum and cream. There is no reason to limit it to only one part of the day.
Will Balancing Skin Softener 250ml sting on sensitive skin?
This is formulated as a hydrating, low-irritation toner rather than an acid-forward treatment toner, which is usually a comfortable starting point for reactive skin. Even so, patch test any new toner before a first full-face application, since individual sensitivity varies. Stop use if you notice ongoing redness or stinging that does not settle quickly.
Is Balancing Skin Softener 250ml the authentic Korean-market formula?
Yes, this is the same toner ongredients sells through Korean retail, sourced specifically for Korean Pharmacy's US catalog rather than reformulated for a US shelf. and its original Korean-market batch coding intact. That is the version this brand is actually known for.
- Ships from
- California
Duties are prepaid. Nothing is owed at delivery. Returns are accepted for 30 days, by mail.
Orders ship from our California warehouse, dispatched within 2 business days, and arrive in 3 to 5 days. Shipping is free on orders of $100 or more.
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 - 2Customs
Duty paid by us before it enters the US - 3California
Ships domestically, no international leg
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.
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.
Import duties are paid by us before the parcel reaches you, so nothing is owed at the door, 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.
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How it works
The panel on this toner names five forms of centella asiatica rather than one: Centella Asiatica Extract, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, Madecassoside, Madecassic Acid. Centella Asiatica is the plant behind the whole cica category, sold as gotu kola or Madagascar centella. Its extract is the anchor of Korean formulas built for easily reddened skin, and its work is done by four triterpenes: asiaticoside, madecassoside, asiatic acid and madecassic acid. On this panel it sits alongside Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract and Tocopherol. Houttuynia Cordata is heartleaf, and it is one of the two or three anchor plants of Korean calming skincare. Its extract carries quercitrin and other flavonoids and is used for the look of redness and blemish-prone skin.
Worth knowing
- Anyone using a prescription retinoid or a strong acid exfoliant elsewhere in their routine should introduce this alongside it gradually.
- New actives, including this one, are best patch tested on the inner arm before a first full-face use.
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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.
Match the batch code on the box against the code printed on the bottle or tube itself; the two are stamped separately and should agree.
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 the key actives in this formula, quoted from the medical sources linked beside each.
Centella can make your skin appear more hydrated, plumper and healthier.
Samantha Stein, PA-CDermatology physician assistant, Cleveland Clinic Small, preliminary studies suggest that madecassoside can dial down inflammatory cellular messengers called cytokines, including those that are typically turned on during an acne flare.
Whitney Bowe, MDDermatologist, Byrdie
1 more professional perspective
Its potential for skincare is promoted because of its anti-inflammatory (think blemishes, rashes, eczema) and hydrating properties.
Michele Koo, MDPlastic surgeon, PureWow
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