I received the J:DEW Green Moist Essence complimentary for review from an online Korean cosmetics and skincare shop, Q-depot. I have dry skin and wanted something that would provide moisture and/or brightening. Working with Q-depot, they were kind enough to give me three J:DEW options in the format of a face cream, emulsion or essence. I love the concentrated power of essences/serums so I opted for that choice and I’m very impressed thus far in my two weeks of testing. Key ingredients are organic aloe vera and green tea from Jeju Island and adenosine that will fade away wrinkles and bring firmness back to skin. And can I just say that I love, LOVE the lavender and bergamont scent it has? This product was a super surpriser because I wasn’t expecting much from a brand I’ve never heard of before. Click on to read more about this great moisturizer.
About Q-depot
Q-depot is an online Korean cosmetics and skincare shop that ships directly from Korea. All items are of course authentic and also pride themselves on excellent customer service. There is free shipping and $2.50 tracking fee on all orders over $69. If your order is under $69, it’s a flat rate of $2.99 for Asia and $6.99 for U.S., Canada, and Europe.
Each order will also come with, and I quote, “a ton of free samples” and a 30 day satisfaction guarantee or your full money back. It’s very easy to find a K-Beauty shop nowadays so excellent customer service, competitive pricing, fast shipping and customer appreciation are key factors in making a shop succeed. While I have not ordered through Q-depot yet, my interactions with their representative was very pleasant and she even followed up telling me that my package has arrived before I had the chance to pick it up from the post office. I was also offered acne products (an expensive $100+ kit) but it’s not for my skin type so I had to turn it down and the representative actively listened to my suggestions.
They are currently offering a $25 coupon just for registering on their website! You can find many affordable Korean skincare brands here however know the going price rates of what you want because each item seems to be priced higher in order to make up for the lower shipping fees. The $25 off should offset some of the inflated costs for a first purchase.
About J:DEW
I have not heard about this brand before so I got information from the inserted brochure. J:DEW is an eco-friendly brand that utilizes the rich resources from Jeju Island, a small volcanic island off the coast of South Korea known for its bounty in botanic life and mineral-dense soil. J:DEW is manufactured by Jejuers.
Product Claims
I’m paraphrasing from the Q-depot website:
- Formulated with green tea and aloe vera from the clean soils of Jeju Island, both of these ingredients are effective for moisturization.
- Shea Butter will nourish and moisturize your skin. Pigmented and rough skin will be rejuvenated and radiant.
- Antioxidants from broccoli extract will protect your skin from any further damage and help bring back healthy skintone.
- The moisture effect penetrates to the deeper layers of your skin while leaving it calm, smooth and moisturized.
- It’s also free of these six ingredients: parabens, mineral oils, animal derivatives, artificial aromas, artificial colorings and benzophenone.
Packaging, Size, Price, etc.
Packaging: The dispenser comes in a simple pump bottle with a clear cap that’s molded to fit the shape of the pump. I had a little bit of a problem with the cap because the snug fit with the pump meant accidental pressing down and dispensing of product right into the cap. It’s easy to clean out but I still don’t like fumbling around with it so I end up not using the cap at all. The main compartment is made out of plastic and it’s a translucent green so you can see how much product you have left.
Size: 30ml. This is an essence/serum so 30ml is pretty typical.
Price: $22.99 on Q-depot and they are running a $25 coupon promotion for just registering!
Results – Pleasantly Surprised
Upon my first application, I was in love. The essence step is used after cleansing and toning (and after first essence if you’re using that). An essence is synonymous to the serum step in which it contains a highly concentrated amount of active ingredients that can penetrate deeper into the dermal layers because the product formula is made up of smaller molecule sizes. It’s a cloudy white-ish, semi-transparent watery gel. I only need to use two pumps for my entire face and it aborbs like a dream. It takes only about a minute for it absorb and leaves no sticky residue. Then the SCENT! If you’re a fan of lavender and bergamont, you’ll fall faster for this product than a basket of puppies. The lavender and bergamont oils give me a reminds me of a time when I used to use aromatherapy oils from The Body Shop. J:DEW has committed to not using artificial aromas so this is the real deal.
My skin felt so hydrated and bouncy that some nights I was tempted to skip out on my face cream but I should advise you that essences and serums will treat the deeper layers of your skin and not so much the outmost layer of your skin. A separate face cream is meant to be thicker and occlusive in order to treat and seal all the products you’ve used in the beginning of your routine. Spreading a face cream after the serum was not a problem – there was no pilling and the other products on top were able to absorb through as well.
It’s been two weeks testing this product out and I overall love the long-lasting hydration it’s given to my skin. Skin is seriously supple, smooth and toned throughout an entire day where my nasolabial folds (also known as smile lines) are gone. In very dry weather my nasoabial folds are more noticeable and even flaky but my skin is now a soft cushion.
Ingredient List
I entered the ingredients into CosDNA and there were almost no concerns in terms of triggering acne. There were only two ingredients that show a 1 (least harmful) to acne-skinned sistas. The gel is so lightweight that I wouldn’t doubt it. It scored a 5 (as most hazardous) under Safety for “Eugenia Caryophyllus Flower Extract” which is Clove Flower Extract. It acts as an astringent but then again broccoli extract is also listed as an astringent so I’m not too concerned with it being too harsh as long as the proportions aren’t ridiculous.
Ingredient list is a thumbs up for me for the most part but there aren’t any ingredients to brighten and fade away dark spots. The description on the website promised moisturization but the website description stated that it “turns pigmented and rough skin into rejuvenated and radiant skin” which made it seem like it would also brighten. This is meant to mainly be a moisturizer but the effects of great moisturization is the plumping of fine lines giving you a more youthful look.
Water, Glycerine, Propanediol, Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Brassica Oleracea Italica (Broccoli Extract), Cyclohexasiloxane, Betaine, Cetearylolivate, Shea butter, Sorbitan Olivate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Green Tea Extract, Sophora Angustifolia Root Extract, Eugenia Caryophyllus (Clove) Flower Extract, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Extract, Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Fruit Extract, Citrus Junos Fruit Extract, 1, 2-Hexanediol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Lavandula Hybrida (Lavender) Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Adenosine, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Glyceryl Caprylate, Sodium Levulinate, Sodium Anisate, Butylene Glycol
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 – I love this enough to put it on the #topshelfie
I know I shouldn’t judge a product on its branding/packaging, but I judge. I judge so hard I should be on American Idol. I’ve read other blogger reviews on the other items like their cream and emulsion from J:DEW and it’s been received quite well! I would consider repurchasing this again as soon as I’m finished my massive piles of skincare (in T minus 10 years). I subtracted 0.25 because the cap was too finicky to use and the other quarter point because it’s a very one-dimensional product where its only function is to moisturize and plump the skin. I would need to layer something else to keep my freckles in check. Still, very solid product.
Comments
Have you ever seen this product or ordered from Q-depot before? Are you a fan of lavender or bergamont scents? Let me know down in the comments!
This sounds so good. Adding it to my buy-later list *—-*