I knew there was something special about Purito the first time I tried the brand’s From Green Cleansing Oil. But it wasn’t until I ran out of Purito’s Galacto Niacin 97 Power Essence that I realized how deep my appreciation for the brand went.

It made me kinda sad. I literally missed a Niacinamide serum! It was like that feeling you get when you’ve just finished an ice cream cone. Like omg that’s it? It’s over so soon?

Speaking of, one of my favorite ice cream cones is a vanilla soft-serve with “jimmies'“. Jimmies are one of those things that are referred to differently depending on where you are in the US — or the world for that matter. Some call them sprinkles, some call them shots, some call them hundreds and thousands.

Growing up in Connecticut, we called those tiny, festive sugary sprinkles, jimmies. Why, I have no idea. But I love a soft-serve with jimmies on a hot day. Yesterday was the hottest, muggiest day in NYC this year. And I was on day two of an intense migraine. That ice cream cone was the one and only thing that was going to make it all feel just a little bit better.

I ventured out of the City again this week to visit my mother in Connecticut (home of the jimmies!). It was so good to get away — even for a few hours. I always come back feeling refreshed and loaded up with a few essentials. Like 24 tiny cans of tomato sauce, just the right size for covering a homemade pizza! Or parchment paper for baking. It’s amazing how much cheaper things are two hours out of the City.

“In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures. For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.” - Khalil Gibran

And, in Connecticut, it’s okay age to eat outside again. Socially distant, of course. No Connecticut lobster roll this time, but a big ole platter of fried seafood lifted my spirits — and left me completely bloated on the train ride back home. I guess that’s called fat and happy.

Life’s little pleasures are like treasures these days.

The skincare stuff starts here.

Over the past year, I’ve discovered numerous clean beauty products I really love. The Codex Beauty Facial Oil is one of the best facial oils for dry skin — or all skin types that are sensitive to harsh chemicals in skin care. Me included!

And, of course, one of my favorite mineral sunscreens for face is the Solara Suncare Time Traveler Ageless Daily Face Sunscreen which I reviewed on the blog here.

But no clean beauty brand has consistently delighted me as the natural, Korean skincare brand Purito has.

Like so many Korean skincare brands, Purito has this charming quirkiness to it that I love. Starting with the name of the brand itself. Granted, it’s not as completely out there as other K-beauty brands. What’s a Swanicoco? Yes, there’s a Korean skincare brand called “Swanicoco” and their Fermentation Peptine Eye Care Cream is an amazing formula!

What about Dr. Jart? Does anyone really believe there’s some genius dude in a white lab coat in Seoul named Dr. Seo-jun Jart? (Psst…there’s no actual doctor at Dr. Jart!)

So what about Purito? Where did this pseudo-English name come from?

Screen Shot 2020-05-30 at 1.07.21 PM.png

Did you see this: “With Purito, you will enjoy life-long healthy skin.” I gotta say, I can’t disagree with that sentiment. The formulas are that good. Clean, natural, effective, pro-skin health products that do-no-harm. Ahh, Purito, how do I love thee?

Let me count the ways…

Purito From Green Cleansing Oil

If there’s a single product that should be pure and clean, it’s a cleanser. Oh the irony of using a cleanser loaded with potential irritants like synthetic preservatives, micro-plastic and sensitizing fragrant plant oils.

Eww!

That’s exactly what got me so excited about the new Purito From Green Cleansing Oil.

Yes, I’m the world’s biggest #puritofanboy. And Purito’s Niacinamide serum, the Galacto Niacin 97 Power Essence, gets me all choked up when it starts running low and I imagine my life without it. Even the brand’s Fermented Complex 94 Boosting Essence is a personal favorite that I wish I could give to every single person on Earth who cares about the health of their skin.

Naturally, I’m gonna go nuts over a Purito cleanser. Cleansing is a sacred ritual, after all. Doesn’t everyone get that? I’ve been bathing in the From Green Cleansing Oil (again, what is that name?!) for about six months now. In fact, it was the star cleanser in my Clean, Green Skincare Routine. If you missed it, you can still read it here.

The From Green cleanser formula is amazing. Rich in five non-fragrant plant oils, it’s a super nourishing formulation, with a silky, pampering texture that reminds me of my very first oil cleanser experience, the cult shu uemura High Performance Balancing Cleansing Oil — first introduced in 1967. And first introduced to me in my days at Kiehl’s, circa 2005.

In fact, there are only a few more ingredients than those five non-fragrant plant oils — with just 11 in the entire formula. What I perhaps love most is what’s great about all really well-formulated cleansers: it barely emulsifies. Because it’s so gentle and so low-foaming, it doesn’t strip skin of anything, including its beneficial oils.

SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Purito From Green Cleansing Oil for $20.61 here.

BUY PURITO FROM GREEN CLEANSING OIL

SKINCARMA-Seal (2).png — SHOP THE BLOG:

**Purito From Green Cleansing Oil**
**Purito Centella Unscented Toner**
**Purito Centella Unscented Serum**
**Purito Galacto Niacin 97 Power Essence**
**Purito Centella Green Level Safe Sun SPF 50+ PA++++**
**Purito Fermented Complex 94 Boosting Essence**
**Purito Pure Vitamin C Serum**
**shu uemura High Performance Balancing Cleansing Oil**
**Swanicoco Fermentation Peptine Eye Care Cream**
**Paula’s Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster**

**WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW OF PURITO THE BEST CLEAN SKINCARE FROM THE WORLD OF K-BEAUTY…ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE.**

SUBSCRIBE TO SKINCARMA ON YOUTUBE

Purito Centella Unscented Toner

The new Purito Centella Unscented Toner is what I consider a minor upgrade of the brand’s popular Centella Green Level Calming Toner — which I’ve oddly never tried. No matter, the new version is a superior formula.

To start, the Centella Unscented Toner is fragrance free, essentially free of fragrant plant oils, or essential oils. Essential oils are certainly not essential for skin health. The only thing they’re essential for is stimulating our sense of smell.

Let me repeat it (I feel guilty when I don’t!) — fragrance isn’t skin care!

Like the original, Purito’s Centella Unscented Toner is infused with soothing Centella Asiatica Extract, the second ingredient, at a 10% concentration of the relatively tight formula. The entire ingredient list is comprised of 20 ingredients — the majority of which are intended to soothe and hydrate the skin.

There are an additional four components of the centella asiatica plant, Madecassoside, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, Madecassic Acid. The stuff is a veritable “cica” cocktail! In all, I’d say there’s about 15% centella, inclusive of all five components. That’s a solid amount.

What is Centella Asiatica?

“Centella asiatica is an antioxidant-rich extract that may be listed on labels as asiatic acid, hydrocotyl, or gotu kola. It is a source of amino acids and has soothing properties. Concentrations of 5% show notable improvement in skin’s moisture content.”

- The Paula’s Choice Research Team; reference for this information: Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jan-Feb 2016, pages 27-33

Centella also happens to be a hydrating humectant similar to Hyaluronic Acid, Aloe Vera and even algae. As an added hydrating bonus, Purito included Sodium Hyaluronate — the salt form of Hyaluronic Acid that’s most compatible with the skin. In addition, there’s Portulaca Oleracea Extract — an anti-inflammatory that helps to soothe irritated skin and can even help to provide relief for acne-prone skin.

With a pH of 5.5, the Centella Unscented Toner formula is as light as water and ideal for use in the K-beauty 7-Skin Method. If you haven’t tried the hyper-hydrating 7-Skin Method, check out my article on it here.

SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Purito Centella Unscented Toner for $21.51 here.

BUY PURITO CENTELLA UNSCENTED TONER

EXCLUSIVE SKINCARMA GIVEAWAY

ENTER BELOW FOR A CHANCE TO WIN THE PURITO CENTELLA UNSCENTED SERUM…AND TRY IT FOR YOURSELF!

Purito Centella Unscented Serum

And right along with Purito’s launch of the Centella Unscented Toner comes the new super-soothing, centella-powered Centella Unscented Serum!

Purito decsribes their new serum as '“a super solution to rescue super sensitive skin.” Hah, I love that!

And, similarly to their introduction of an unscented version of the original Centella Green Level Calming Toner the brand’s new serum is powered by the ultimate soothing actives to help treat sensitive skin and comfort skin that is highly sensitized to multiple factors like potential allergens, environmental pollution — even the change of seasons. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a brand position a product for the express purpose of skin sensitivity due to seasonal changes. I know my own skin experiences seasonal sensitivity. Hey, Purito, that’s kind of brilliant!

The new Centella Unscented Serum is, of course, powered by Centella — a purported 49% of the formula and the first ingredient in the INCI. The reality is more nuanced. Likely, Purito’s chemists “solved” (or dissolved) an amount of Centella Extract in purified water to create a Centella solution that comprises 49% of the formula. So it’s not exactly a 49% concentration of pure Centella Extract. That would probably feel like putting raw aloe on your face!

There’s lots more pro-skin health goodness here including three additional components of the centella asiatica plant — Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, and Madecassic Acid.

But this baby is much more than a soothing serum, although it’s quite the treatment for inflamed, sensitive and irritated skin.

There’s classic Glycerin as well as Niacinamide, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract and Sodium Hyaluronate. All to be expected.

But what really surprised me about the formula is the fact that Purito included ceramides and four peptides: Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Dipeptide-10.

So, not only is the Centella Unscented Serum a treatment for soothing sensitivity, but it also helps to hydrate, plump, brighten and strengthen skin while delivering a moderate degree of anti-oxidant protection. Think of it as a really well-rounded clean anti-aging serum for a mere $20 or so.

The lightweight formula has a slightly pulpy gel-like texture that melts instantly when massaged into the skin. Seriously, Purito, wow!

SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Purito Centella Unscented Serum for $15.21 here.

BUY PURITO CENTELLA UNSCENTED SERUM

Purito Galacto Niacin 97 Power Essence

And now for my little Purito fermented Niacinamide gem — the Purito Galacto Niacin 97 Power Essence.

I follow skin care and skincare ingredient trends very closely. And this particular factoid has really stuck with me. In 2017, the most googled skincare ingredient in China was “Vitamin C”. That trend followed worldwide. But get this. The following year, 2018, and well into 2019, the most searched term was “Niacinamide.”

Imagine that! Niacinamide. An ingredient I’d be willing to guess that few of us had ever even heard of before two years ago. Count me among them. The first time I’d ever heard of Niacinamide was when Paula Begoun’s namesake brand introduced what I now consider the OG Niacinamide serum — the Paula’s Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster.

Cherished for its brightening power, Niacinamide has not been popular in skincare products in A-beauty, J-beauty, K-beauty, C-beauty or Western beauty until quite recently.

For brightening, in particular, K-beauty has relied on plant extracts including Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Kojic Acid and Ellagic Acid — an antioxidant found in pomegranates, raspberries and strawberries. Mmm!

What is Niacinamide?

“Also known as vitamin B3 and nicotinic acid, niacinamide is a very effective skin-restoring ingredient that offers multiple benefits for aging and blemish-prone skin. Among these benefits is the ability to visibly improve the appearance of enlarged pores, uneven skin tone, fine lines, dullness, and a weakened skin surface.

Niacinamide can also mitigate and to some extent help visibly repair damage from UV light and offset other sources of environmental attack, including the negative impact of various types of airborne pollutants. Unlike many beneficial ingredients, niacinamide is stable in the presence of heat and light.”

- The Paula’s Choice Research Team; references for this information: References for this information:

Experimental Dermatology, February 2019, Supplement 1, pages 15-22; and October 2018, ePublication; Dermatologic Therapy, September 2017, ePublication; Journal of Investigative Dermatology, May 2017, page S116; International Journal of Pharmaceutics, March 2017, pages 158-162; and January 2013, Pages 192-201; Facial Plastic Surgery Clinics of North America, May 2016 , pages 145-152; Clinical, Cosmetic, and Investigational Dermatology, July 2015, pages 405-412; Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, June 2014, pages 311-315; International Journal of Pharmacy, January 2013, pages 192-201; Dermatoendrocrinology, July 2012, pages 308-319; Dermatologic Surgery, Volume 31, Part 2, 2005, Discussion 865;
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, October 2004, pages 231-238.

The Purito Galacto Niacin 97 Power Essence is one of the best Niacinamide serums for brightening the complexion that I’ve come across since Paula’s 10% Niacinamide Booster.

First, it’s a clean formula devoid of toxic irritants. Second, like the Paula’s Choice option, it’s a super watery formula — which means it’s extremely easy to layer into a skincare routine to boost your pro-skin health benefits.

Purito’s Galacto Niacin 97 Power Essence contains just 12 ingredients, three of which are nutrient-dense fermented actives — Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate, Bifida Ferment Lysate and Lactobacillus Ferment. If you’re familiar with Estée Lauder’s iconic Advanced Night Repair or K-beauty sensation Missha’s Time Revolution Night Repair Probio Ampoule, then you know the benefits of ferments like Bifida Ferment Lysate. In all, the brand claims a 92% concentration of fermented ingredients.

The second ingredient in the Galacto Niacin 97 Power Essence INCI is the power brightener and antioxidant powerhouse, Niacinamide — a 5% concentration of the vitamin according to Purito. There are also two nourishing amino acids and soothing Allantoin.

It’s seriously good stuff! And at around $20, it doesn’t get better than this.

SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Purito Galacto Niacin 97 Power Essence for $15.21 here.

BUY PURITO GALACTO NIACIN 97 POWER ESSENCE

Purito Pure Vitamin C Serum

One of my favorite pastimes — in addition to baking a succulent batch of homemade ginger snaps — is exploring Vitamin C serums.

If you didn’t catch my latest article on the best Vitamin C serums for face you can catch it here.

In the piece, titled New Vitamin C Facial Serums I Love but You’ve Probably Never Heard of! — one of my favorite new Vitamin C product discoveries over the last few weeks has been Purito’s Pure Vitamin C Serum. As with all of Purito’s formulas, it’s clean and natural — making it unique across Vitamin C products in the consumer skincare marketplace.

Purito’s Pure Vitamin C Serum is literally one of the first dedicated Vitamin C serums from a Korean skincare brand. Both K-beauty and A-beauty in general have only recently begun to incorporate Vitamin C into skincare formulations — and to offer dedicated Vitamin C serums in their product catalogues. Among these trend-setters are the COSRX Triple C Lightning Liquid and Rohto’s Melano CC Intensive Anti-Spot Essence.

Purito’s option isn’t the Vitamin C powerhouse that Western brands offer, among them the Allies of Skin 35% Vitamin C Collagen Rebuilding Serum with its 35% concentration of the powerful antioxidant vitamin. The Purito Pure Vitamin C Serum contains a conservative concentration of 5% Vitamin C.

But, the truth is, not all skins need massive quantities of any specific substance and higher percentages aren’t always better — or essential. What is essential is balance and feeding your skin what it needs to stay healthy. I know many people who simply cannot and do not use Vitamin C because their skin doesn’t tolerate it well. At higher amounts of 10% and more, it can cause inflammation, sensitivity and redness in some people.

Guess what! Purito’s Pure Vitamin C Serum may be the ideal option for you if you’re one of those people.

A deep dive into the INCI of the clean, natural formula and the first thing that stands out is ingredient number one — Sodium Hyaluronate liquid. I assume that’s simply a blend of the salt form of Hyaluronic Acid and, well, water.

Interesting though. And, according to Purito, it comprises 84% of the formula. Again, what that means is a concentration of perhaps 1% Sodium Hyaluronate was solved in water.

So, what’s left of the remaining 11% of the formula? Niacinamide, an Amino Acid or two and a slew of pro-skin health, antioxidant botanical extracts including Apple Fruit Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract and even Broccoli Extract, something you don’t often see in a skincare INCI.

The texture of the Pure Vitamin C Serum is something of a watery, lightweight gel likely due to the high content of the the aforementioned Sodium Hyaluronate liquid. It’s lovely though. The one drawback to the formula is the intense, unappealing odor it gives off. It’s not off-putting to me, but I imagine many would find it so.

That’s par for the course if you’re looking for a 100% natural, fragrance-free and fragrant plant oil-free Vitamin C treatment. This stuff definitely doesn’t smell a fresh-baked batch of cookies.

SHOP THE BLOG: You can purchase the Purito Pure Vitamin C Serum for $18.90 here — and have some money to spare for a soft-serve ice cream cone with extra jimmies.

Purito Centella Green Level Safe Sun SPF 50+ PA++++

Hands down, my favorite sunscreens come from the world of K-beauty and A-beauty. And, Purito didn’t let me down with their Centella Green Level Safe Sun SPF 50+ PA++++!

In fact, it’s one of the best clean sunscreens for face that I’ve come across. It could easily have been among my latest sunscreen picks covered in my recent article, Cool Clean Facial Sunscreens to Keep Us Safe and Smiling in the Sun — available here. But there’s a catch. It’s not a mineral sunscreen and that’s really what I was most focused on at the time.

The Purito Centella Green Level Safe Sun is an effect facial sunscreen formula which, like the Purito Centella Unscented Toner and Purito Centella Unscented Serum comes in both a scented and unscented version. But, I’m not gonna front, I love the original scented formula with its subtle, fresh green scent. Call me crazy!

Purito’s Centella Green Level Safe Sun contains one of the newest, most innovative sunscreen filters, Uvinul A Plus — popular in A-beauty formulas and not approved as a sunscreen by the US FDA.

Of course the FDA hasn’t approved a new sunscreen filter since like 1871 — twenty years after Kiehl’s was founded in New York’s Lower East Side.

Uvinul A Plus is the only photo-stable UVA filter. It not only effectively filters out the sun’s damaging UVA rays, but also provides advanced antioxidant protection from free radical damage.

The Purito formula excludes any of the potentially harmful chemical sunscreens like Avobenzone and Oxybenzone and Octinoxate — the FDA’s favorite chemical sunscreens.

A recent article on the use of chemical sunscreens peaked my interest. It was titled, When You Wear Sunscreen, You’re Taking Part in a Safety Study and appeared in The New York Times several months ago. The article, available here, described a study that appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association, which published the results of a randomized trial, conducted by the F.D.A. The purpose of the study was to determine, “whether the chemicals in four commercially available sunscreens are absorbed through the skin into the bloodstream.”

In fact, trace amounts of the chemicals were found in the blood of the participants. Four times a day, subjects of the study applied a chemical sunscreen formulated with one of the chemical sunscreens commonly used in US sunscreen products. Again, Purito excluded the controversial sun filters in the study.

Purito’s cool, clean formula is infused with Centella Asiatica Extract, along with Niacinamide, Hyaluronic Acid and Vitamin E. And it’s a pleasure to use.

The Centella Green Level Safe Sun has a super lightweight, creamy texture that blends right into skin and, as a chemical sunscreen, leaves no white cast.

To me, what’s most important is that you find a sunscreen you love — and that you use it consistently with pleasure. Whether it’s mineral or chemical, if you love it, you’ll use it. The only one who should be in the sun without wearing a sunscreen is Orpheus!

SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Purito Centella Green Level Safe Sun SPF 50+ for $12.76 here.

BUY PURITO CENTELLA GREEN LEVEL SAFE SUN

That’s it, guys! Give Purito a look. They’ve got some really amazing skin care — products that constantly amaze me. Gotta go take those ginger snaps out of the oven!

🖤 SKINCARMA