Your favorite K-beauty night cream just got a new ingredient list — did they fix it or ruin it? The internet is spiraling, but I’ve been slathering this on for three weeks straight to find out.
The old formula was a sticky, glowy mess that somehow worked. The new one? It’s lighter, but I’m suspicious of anything that changes texture this drastically without warning.
It’s a 50ml jar of fermented rice and ginseng goo, retailing around $18. Beauty of Joseon claims it’s for dry skin, but the new finish says otherwise.
Fermented Rice Bran
The star ingredient, but it feels less oily now — more like a gel-cream hybrid.
Ginseng Water
Still there, still smells like earthy tea, but it sinks in faster than my morning espresso.
Squalane Swap
They replaced some heavy oils with squalane — good for breakouts, bad for winter winds.
Photo: Rosa Rafael / Unsplash
They ditched the old thick butters for lighter esters. The hero actives are still fermented rice and ginseng, but they’ve added niacinamide to calm the redness the old version sometimes triggered.
- Fermented Rice Bran: Brightens dull spots, but now evaporates fast
- Ginseng Water: Boosts circulation, gives that morning flush
- Niacinamide: Shrinks pores, controls the midday oil slick
- Squalane: Hydrates without suffocating your pores
Photo: Jocelyn Morales / Unsplash
It’s a whipped, almost fluffy cream that melts in 10 seconds — no greasy film on your pillowcase. First night, I thought it was too thin; by morning, my skin felt bouncy, not buttery.
Week two hit different — my T-zone stayed matte past noon, which never happens. The downside? My cheeks felt a bit tight by 3 PM, so it’s not a heavy-duty fix anymore.
Photo: Content Pixie / Unsplash
My pores look smaller, and the red patches around my nose faded. But the deep winter flakiness I used to cure with one thick layer? That needs a second pass now.
Photo: Rosa Rafael / Unsplash
The reformulation is better for most people, worse for the dry-skin loyalists — I’d call it a solid upgrade, not a betrayal.