Hanyul Pure Artemisia Watery Calming Cream Review | Meet the most popular skincare ingredient of 2019 - Mugwort/Artemisia

Herbs are a part of cosmetology I like the most, they have long stories - usually related to traditional medicine in different countries and sometimes they even have their own legends. Mugwort - the most popular ingredient of the year 2019, at least in South Korea brands are releasing products inspired by Artemisia with a speed of light. One of the Artemisia-influenced products is Hanyul Pure Artemisia Watery Calming Cream, I couldn't say no to it after my good response to the Hanyul's Yuja series. Is Artemisia (or Mugwort) really an ingredient you need in your stash?

Hanyul

If I have to mention one brand that got me with their aesthetic vibe, a brand that fits me the most then I guess it's going to be Hanyul. The aesthetic of the brand is natural and calming, I kinda feel safer and happier when I watch Hanyul's commercials. Hanyul is a brand inspired by traditional folk remedies, a brand which we can classify as Hanbang brand because folk remedies are nothing else than traditional medicines and Hanyul doesn't have to follow foreign trends because this brand knows the key to success - traditional herbs mixed with technology gives your skin more than you can imagine. Hanyul believes that wisdom behind natural skincare can make your skin look better, they use mild, harmless herbs in their formulas inspired by ingredients such as rice, Yuja, red beans, brown pine needles and other local plants. I've tried Yuja series before and I have to admit that Yuja Oil and Yuja Sleeping Mask are my favourite skincare products lately but I've never told that I won't try other series that's why this time I've decided to follow a trend which is clearly an influence of Mugwort - also known as Artemisia and test Pure Artemisia Watery Calming Cream which I wouldn't probably get if it wasn't Kosame Beauty - I thought that Artemisia Essence will be the first Hanyul Artemisia influenced product I'll try. 

Artemisia

The choice of Artemisia as the main star and making the whole line based on this ingredient was a bold move and I guess this move inspired many other brands since Pure Artemisia line is not a new line - I've tracked the line through Cosdna to find out that in 2016 you can see first products added to Cosdna database so clearly Hanyul and Pure Artemisia Line took its part to make Artemisia/Mugwort-inspired products popular. Artemisia is a plant which exists in many different forms for example - Primera Free & Free is based on Artemisia Vulgaris while Hanyul Pure Artemisia Watery Calming Cream is based on Artemisia Argyi - a plant known as Chinese Mugwort which you can find mostly in Asian countries like China, Japan, part of Russia and obviously Korea. This type of Artemisia prefers dry condition and it's widely used in traditional medicine. Hanyul uses Artemisia from Ganghwa Island, it is said that Artemisia from Ganghwa Island is better and more effective. 

Design

The design of the Hanyul product reminds me of Pantone, the packaging is minimalistic, you can see Korean and English names of brand and product. Unfortunately, Calming Cream doesn't contain a spatula which I find kinda problematic - obviously, it reduces the waste of plastic but still, I kinda need a spatula for safety reasons, that might be the only flop of the design. 

Product claims

According to the claims I've read online,  Hanyul Pure Artemisia Watery Calming Cream should protect your skin from environmental damage and moisturize your skin. It also has anti-inflammatory properties. The producer claims that this product is free from parabens, artificial colourants, animal ingredients, imidazolidinyl urea and mineral oil. 

Skin type

Hanyul Pure Artemisia Watery Calming Cream is recommended for all skin types.

Formula

The formula of Hanyul Pure Artemisia Watery Calming Cream is reminding me of an emulsion - it's not a heavy cream but a gel-cream formula, rich but light at the same time, it feels moisturizing. The colour is white, there's no artificial colouring and if you use too much of the product the formula needs to sink into your skin for a while. 

Scent

The scent of Hanyul Pure Artemisia Watery Calming Cream reminds me of a flower shop. I know that Artemisia itself is not the most pleasing scent people find. Hanyul added a scent to this product and I didn't try any artemisia product before so it's hard to tell if it's real artemisia scent or not but it's definitely a delicate scent that you won't feel after 10-30 minutes. 

Ingredients analysis

I found a couple of different lists of ingredients online but I've decided to follow the one on the app called HwaHae since it's probably the most accurate app if it comes to the lists of ingredients. 

Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Methyl Trimethicone, Dicaprylyl Ether, Artemisia Argyi Leaf Extract, Betaine, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Cnidium Officinale Root Water, Angelica Acutiloba Root Extract, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, C14-22 Alcohols, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Arachidyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Palmitic Acid, Behenyl Alcohol, Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract,  C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Fruit Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Arachaidyl Glucoside, Fragrance, Ethylhexylglycerin, Salicornia Herbacea Extract, Morus Alba (White Mulberry) Leaf Extract, Angelica Keiskei Extract, Disodium EDTA, Sorbitan Isostearate, Myristic Acid, Lauric Acid, Tocopherol, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil

Because Hanyul Pure Artemisia Watery Calming Cream is a moisturizing cream you can expect here lots of humectants and emollients like Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Betaine, Glycerin or Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil. You won't find here a huge number of silicones, only two of them are here - Methyl Trimethicone and Polymethylsilsesquioxane, you shouldn't be scared of both because they actually do good stuff like making formula softer and easier to apply. There are also at least 3 different types of alcohols like Arachidyl Alcohol, luckily the majority of them are fatty alcohols that are non-drying. Instead of a detailed review, I want this time to focus on couple herbal ingredients (sorry guys, I bet you're also dying from heatwave just like me). 

Artemisia Argyi Leaf Extract

Artemisia or Mugwort, I told you about it before, this one comes from Ganghwa Island. Artemisia has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial effects but in traditional medicine is used more widely, some kinds of mugwort are used for irregular menstruation, eczema or even hair problems. In some countries, mugwort is a spice while in some countries it's considered a useless plant that grows between potatoes. If you check Hanyul's Youtube you'll find a commercial - well-animated commercial - about Tiger and Bear, it's not a coincidence, it's a reference to the legend of Dangun which you can simply find online. In a very short version - with skipping all the important things but leaving only things related to mugwort - tiger and bear wanted to become humans so they asked Hwanung for help and he told them to avoid sunlight and eat garlic and mugwort in order for them to become humans. Unfortunately, the tiger gave up but the bear spent all 100 days in the cave eating garlic and mugwort and changed into a woman. So now the whole commercial has sense. 

Cnidium Officinale Root Water

Another herbal ingredient, with anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. It's helpful with allergies and skin rashes. 

Angelica Acutiloba Root Extract

Angelica Acutiloba is a plant typical for Japan but it also exists in Korea or China. Similar to Artemisia and Cnidium, it has anti-inflammatory properties, it's also soothing and it can be used in hair care. 

Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract

Also called Japanese Mountain Yam. It's an antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties. It's a good moisturizer.

Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Fruit Extract 

It's an antibacterial ingredient but also an antioxidant. It's useful for acne-prone skin with sebum production - it can moderate it. 

Salicornia Herbacea Extract 

Salicornia is known as glasswort. It's a moisturizing ingredient.

Morus Alba (White Mulberry) Leaf Extract

White Mulberry is a source of vitamins like vitamin B1 and B6. It's a moisturizer and an antioxidant useful in skin care of mature skin. 

Angelica Keiskei Extract

Another antioxidant and source of vitamin B12. It's an antiseptic and antibacterial ingredient 

Is there anything to be careful about?

This product contains Fragrance so not everyone will enjoy it, there might be some ingredients that can be comedogenic like Stearic Acid but it's an individual reaction. Remember to always patch-test the product before the use. 

Effectiveness aka my experience

My skincare with Hanyul Pure Artemisia Watery Calming Cream was really good. I've tried Hanyul before and I was always surprised with both - oil and sleeping mask from Yuja series. The cream is very light but the texture feels rich, the cream doesn't leave any film on the skin but it still feels like the skin is moist and glowy - for real, my friend tried to clean my face before a treatment at practical workshops we have every week and she was surprised that my skin is glowy even after (deep) cleansing. It works well under the makeup, I had no problem with this cream in my skincare, there were no caking or allergic reactions. Lack of spatula is a bit problematic. I was kinda scared that Mugwort might be photosensitive and I had a reaction to the sunlight even if I wear a sunscreen - hopefully, it turned out that Vitamin C serum I use contains Niacinamide and this mix of both ingredients made my skin red. Unfortunately, Pure Artemisia Watery Calming Cream didn't help me with the redness but once I stopped using the serum, this cream helped me get back to the old level of moisture. Sadly, my phone has problems with Bluetooth so I couldn't measure the moisture with analyzer but even if my skin is after an acne attack - typical stress and heat reaction - it feels moist, soft and I have no problems with dry spots anymore. I used small amounts of the cream and I feel like I'll end it at the beginning of July or maybe a bit earlier, for me a jar is enough for 2-3 months of use. 

Hanyul Pure Artemisia Watery Calming Cream in media

If you have a minute check Hanyul Youtube channel - the commercials are made in Korean but they are really interesting - the aesthetic is incredible and I feel like many brands should take these commercials in consideration when they make their own campaigns. 

Shop for Hanyul Pure Artemisia Watery Calming Cream

Where you can find Hanyul Pure Artemisia Watery Calming Cream and where you can find it? I got this cream from Kosame Beauty. Kosame is a shop where you can find products not only from Hanyul but also IOPE, Hera, Primera, Laneige, Sulwhasoo - funny enough Hanyul is called a Sulwhasoo but for millennials. Hanyul Pure Artemisia Watery Calming Cream costs £28 for 50ml. You can also find there my favourite Yuja series. 

If you haven't do this before check my reviews of Hanyul Yuja Oil and Hanyul Yuja Sleeping Mask.

What do you think about this cream? Have you ever tried any product from Hanyul?

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*** This post was made in collaboration with KosameBeauty, even though it still shows my personal opinion on the topic and product**