Day one I looked like a dehydrated raisin. Day thirty I had people asking if I got Botox.
The secret? Rice ferment filtrate — which sounds like something you’d dump down a sink, not slather on your face. But here we are.
It’s a milky toner-essence hybrid from Numbuzin. $22 for 150ml. The claim that got me: “glass skin in 30 days.” I rolled my eyes and bought it anyway.
Galactomyces ferment filtrate
First ingredient. Literally yeast. But the good kind.
Niacinamide 4%
Brightens without that tight, stripped feeling.
Gentle enough for AM+PM
I used it twice daily with zero irritation. Rare for my sensitive mess of a face.
Photo: Soheil Kmp / Unsplash
Three ferments + niacinamide + adenosine. Basically a Korean skincare lab experiment that actually worked. The star is the rice ferment — it eats dead skin cells while you sleep.
- Rice Ferment Filtrate: Exfoliates without scrubbing
- Niacinamide 4%: Fades those weird dark spots
- Adenosine: Wrinkle-fighting peptide that sounds fake
- Betaine: Keeps moisture locked in like a greedy toddler
Photo: Greg Rakozy / Unsplash
Texture is watery but somehow substantial — like skim milk but bougie. Absorbs in 12 seconds flat. First week my skin looked… fine. Nothing special.
Week two my pores started looking smaller. Week three I forgot to wear foundation and didn’t care. The surprise? It made my sunscreen apply smoother. Zero pilling.
My skin is measurably brighter — like someone turned up the exposure setting. Texture is smoother. That weird dry patch near my jaw? Gone. Still have some hyperpigmentation, but it’s visibly faded.
It’s not magic. It’s a well-formulated ferment essence that does exactly what it says — no more, no less. And that’s refreshing in a world of overhyped serums.