I decided to give the Etude Soon Jung line a try during a sale, given all the hype. After using it for about a month, here's my take:
1. It doesn't necessarily make your skin feel super hydrated, but it definitely prevents dryness. As someone who's only used essence-type toners before, I was skeptical about how a water-like toner would moisturize. But it doesn't leave your skin feeling dry right after application. You won't feel any tightness using this alone, though I prefer layering it with Innisfree Seed Serum for that extra hydration boost.
2. While I didn't notice a dramatic improvement in blemishes, it certainly didn't cause any. I've been cautious about my skin during summer breakouts, and this toner seems gentle enough not to trigger any new issues.
3. It's great as a toner pack for calming redness. I bought the medium size, so I'm a bit stingy with it. I use three cotton pads - one for my forehead and one for each cheek - before makeup to combat redness. It seems to help quite a bit.
Overall, it's good value for money. I don't have any major complaints and would repurchase if it goes on sale again. I'd especially recommend it during times of excess oil production.
If I had to nitpick:
1. While it does improve redness, don't expect miracles. The calming effect is subtle, not dramatic.
2. It might not provide enough moisture for autumn and winter. I'm hoping Soon Jung will release a slightly thicker toner for those seasons.
3. The internet suggests you can use it as a mist, which works fine on bare skin. However, it's not great over makeup - it can cause your foundation to shift slightly, leaving a somewhat slippery feeling. I'd stick to using it on bare skin.
To sum up:
It's perfect for toner packs with cotton pads!
Safe for acne-prone skin - no breakouts!
