Life is hectic. As students, we have to balance school, work, internships, and our social lives, all while planning for a future that may or may not even exist (thanks, broken economy and climate change!). And with all of these day-to-day responsibilities we’re forced to muddle through, the last thing we want to come home to is a strict, 20-step skincare regimen that we copied from some influencer’s sponsored YouTube video.
Thanks to pressure from social media and Korean beauty trends that got lost in translation, what’s supposed to be a moment of relaxation and self-care has become a set of hurdles that stands between us and sleep. Nobody has time to do a Byzantine skincare routine using 20 different products, and nobody has the money to be buying said 20 products. And according to most dermatologists, these extensive routines aren’t even beneficial for your skin.
Source: KraveBeauty
That’s where KraveBeauty comes in. Founded by Korean-American skincare YouTuber Liah Yoo, the brand encourages us to #PressReset by simplifying our routines and giving our skin just what it needs and nothing more. It boasts a total of five products that do exactly what good skincare should be doing, and thanks to its carefully planned out formulations and ingredients, you’ll never find fragrance, essential oils, or anything harmful in these products.
I’ve personally tried every single product from the line, save for the Kale-Lalu-YAHA. Here are my thoughts, arranged in the order you should be applying them in.
- Matcha Hemp Hydrating Cleanser ($16)
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A cleanser should never be doing anything more than, well, cleansing. Thankfully, the Matcha Hemp Hydrating Cleanser uses hemp seed oil and gentle surfactants as antibacterial cleaning agents to clean the skin without draining it of any moisture, and it uses Vitamin B5 to maintain our skin’s natural moisture barrier.
This is a fabulous cleanser for every skin type, but I wouldn’t say it’s a must-have. I personally don’t think you should be splurging on a cleanser because it gets immediately washed off and therefore can’t do anything more than cleanse. But, if you don’t mind spending $16 on a cleanser, I think this would be a great addition to anyone’s routine, especially for those with dry skin.
- Kale-Lalu-YAHA ($25)
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To be honest, I’ve never tried this product. I have acne-prone, combination skin, so I find that my skin responds better to BHAs, and I don’t think I’ll ever abandon my beloved Paula’s Choice 2% BHA. That said, I have friends who have used this product, and they all love it. It uses glycolic acid to slough away dead skin cells and cleans out the pores, and it uses a blend of leafy greens, aloe, hyaluronic acid, and Vitamin B5 to immediately replenish the newly resurfaced skin.
Chemical exfoliators work far better than physical scrubs for two reasons: there’s no risk of micro-tears or physical damage, and the carefully formulated chemicals ensure that the pores are actually getting cleaned out. And if you have dry, sensitive skin, I think this product would be a great fit for you.
- Great Barrier Relief ($28)
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This serum is packed full of moisturizing, nourishing ingredients that can either repair a broken skin barrier or just nourish an already healthy one. Specifically, it has tamanu oil, sunflower oil, rosehip seed oil, squalene, natural moisturizing factors, ceramides, and niacinamide/Vitamin B3, which are incredible ingredients for all skin types.
Yes, I said all skin types. I know all those oils can sound intimidating for my oily-skinned folks, but oil can actually be good for your skin! Linoleic oils can penetrate into the skin and eliminate that goopy sebum we all hate, and they can balance out the skin to reduce the amount of sebum being produced. Also, thanks to the niacinamide and rosehip seed oil, this product can take care of any hyperpigmentation you may have, which is great for those with acne scarring.
I tried this product last winter when my skin was wrecked from Glossier’s Solution. My skin barrier was clearly compromised; a lot of my usual products were suddenly stinging my face, and I was getting overly dry in my drier parts and overly oily in my t-zone. My skin was pretty much out of balance and highly sensitive, and this product definitely helped turn that around. I think anyone who needs some extra moisture and nourishment can benefit from this product, but it’s especially magical if you’re going through something like what I went through.
- Oat So Simple Water Cream ($28)
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This launched about 10 days ago, so I’ve really only had about a week to use it, so I can’t say anything about long-term benefits or effects, but I can say I do quite like this moisturizer! It has a very short list of ingredients that make it suitable for every skin type, and it uses oats, squalene, and butylene glycol to soothe and hydrate the skin. It’s thick enough to work as a nighttime occlusive to seal all that moisture in, and it’s light enough to absorb easily and keep the skin breathable.
- The Beet Shield ($20)
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This is a solid chemical sunscreen for, well, anybody. It has an SPF rating of 50+, and it contains beetroot extract and allantoin to soothe the skin and Vitamin C to work as an antioxidant. There is alcohol, but the KraveBeauty site says that the alcohol was needed to stabilize the UV filters and keep the formula lightweight. The site assures us that the alcohol is not irritating or drying, and they even conducted multiple tests to ensure it would be safe for sensitive, dry skin. I can attest to this not being drying at all, as I’ve gone through a whole bottle of this stuff. In fact, I’d say it’s actually quite nourishing, and it even gave my skin a nice glow. An overall great sunscreen!
KraveBeauty’s mantra is all about minimalism and nourishment, and I think that’s what everybody’s skin needs in this hectic world. It’s important to take care of yourself and make sure your skin is getting what it needs, but it’s just as important to make sure you’re not overdoing it and letting social media skincare routines give you unnecessary stress.
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