Hyangii's 12th season!

Dear Friends of Hyangii,

Given that loyalty to any skincare brand is notoriously fleeting, I am blown away that Hyangii was able to thrive through 12 seasons with zero advertising or marketing budget! I started formulating skincare for myself only and shared the batch with my dearest family and friends. Because of this, my only concerns for the product were:

1. the quality of ingredients,

2. stability of the product,

3. functionality of the package.

Of course, I am biased, but as a compulsive label reader for anything related to skincare and food, I am convinced that Hyangii has the best ingredient deck compared to anything else I have seen on the market. Because it’s only produced twice a year and shipped directly from lab to the end-user and never stored in warehouse or store shelves, I don’t have to worry using highly-refined products that have long shelf-lives. I use the virgin, organic, unrefined ingredients as a base, with synthetically-produced active ingredients, even though shelf-life is shorter when using these ingredients. Please read about Hyangii’s philosophy here.

There is no selling of a dream/lifestyle/image here. There are no “natural is good, chemicals are bad” fear-mongering either. I search for the best of both natural and synthetically-produced star-ingredient actives (like bakuchiol, niacimamine, N-AG, kojic acid/dipalmitate, panthenol, peptides) and advocate for educated, informed consumerism. The ingredients speak for themselves.

You can find the ingredients for the Summer 2023 here, as well as an archive of all previous seasons. There’s something different every time. The biggest change this season is the addition of bakuchiol in M2.

Thank you for 12 seasons on Hyangii!

Your fellow informed consumer,

Cee

Summer 2023 coming soon!

Ingredients and supplies have been ordered. Hyangii Summer 2023 will be available mid-May.

Stay tuned, and thank you for your patience!

Cee

https://www.hyangii.com/

Why an aromatherapist minimizes use of essential oils in skincare

Although I am a trained and certified aromatherapist, I like to minimize the use of essential oils. When they are used, it is for their emotional and skin benefits, not just to cover earthy smells or to just to make products smell good.

Synthetic fragrances and even natural essential oils can be sensitizing and they must be used with caution. 

You will find them at low concentrations in M2 facial oil and Sleep Mask (since facial and neck skin is much more sensitive) and at higher concentrations in SpOILed Body and Hair & Scalp line. They are also contained in C1 and C2 since they are wash-off products.

Everything else: C3 AM, C3 PM, M1, M3, lipbalm contains no essential oils whatsoever. What you are smelling in those products are unrefined oils and butters, natural hydrosols and extracts.

Yours in healthy skin care,

Cee

Formulation changes for WINTER 2023 (W2023)

Here are some of the changes that have been made to this year’s winter skincare lineup:

C1- lavender and earthier, grounding patchouli replaces tangerine and lavender.

C2- it looks like dirt, but the actives in this preservative-free, water-activated mask is unmatched against any other mask you can find on the market. It boasts 17% L-ascorbic acid (the best performing and researched form of Vitamin C available in skin care), the highest concentration of licorice root extract in all Hyangii’s line, a punch of matcha green tea for antioxidant effects and pineapple extract for enzymatic exfoliation. It’s a pain to add water, but your skin will thank you for a preservative-free, freshly actived vitamin C (as opposed to an inactive, oxidized form) skin care treatment.

C3AM - Use of a more moisturizing rosewater in winter (more astringent orange blossom water in summer) with aloe juice. Antioxidant, circulation simulating caffeine in morning toner.

C3PM- smells and looks better for W2023 thanks to blueberry and pineapple extract for exfoliation by lactic acid and bromelin. Kombucha replaces apple cider vinegar with for a more pleasant smell and an added probiotic boost.

M1 - Aloe juice with a more moisturizing rosewater in winter (instead of the more astringent orange blossom water in summer). Addition of kojic acid as pigmentation inhibitor. Slight price increase to account for this ingredient.

M2 - Organic, unrefined prickly pear seed oil (aka liquid gold) is the first ingredient addition in this formulation. Broccoli seed oil (nature’s silicone) and evening primrose oil are included in the winter formula along with more grounding and healing essential oils such as frankincense (Boswellia carterii, not the much cheaper Boswellia serrata) and sustainable Australian sandalwood oil.

M3- Use of a more moisturizing rosewater in winter (more astringent orange blossom water in summer) with aloe juice. Addition of kojic acid dipalmitate, pigmentation inhibitor. Slight price increase to account for this ingredient.

Sleep mask - same formulation. Demi size is smaller, price reduction to reflect smaller size.

SpOILed Body- Richer avocado oil replaces a faster-absorbing apricot oil that is used for summer. Marula oil is added this season. The quality of this oil is better than most facial oils on the market.

H1 - same formulation 
H2 - same formulation

H3 - Back to simpler, more versatile formula using rosemary hydrosol instead of aloe juice. Can be used on hair, scalp, even as body spray. Price reduction to reflect a simpler formula.

Lip balm- It’s bigger (in an oval container) and includes lanolin. The formula is harder and smoother.

Prices are the generally the same unless otherwise indicated (“sales” may longer apply).

Click here for a complete list of all products and ingredients.

Yours in moisturized, protected winter skin,

Cee

Pairing M1 mist with a high-frequency device.

Is anyone interested in a discussion about at-home skincare devices? After almost seven years of exclusively using my own experimental formulations and then registered Hyangii cosmetics, I'm ready to explore non-invasive additions I am neither an aesthetician nor a dermatologist, but I do like DIY options for everything (including haircutting and dog grooming) since I do not like to leave my house unless absolutely necessary!

One of you asked me about this device years ago. I knew nothing about it at the time, but I have since seen it pop-up here and there. I have been testing this high-frequency device (use the orange coloured wands) with M1 (oil-free, antioxidant mist) since it's best used with oil-free products.

This device is often used with aloe gel or ultrasound gel, but I do not like the the extra step it requires to wash it off:

1. Oil cleanse and wash face.

2. Apply aloe or ultrasound gel and use the wand.

3. Wash off gel.

4. Follow with M1, M2, M3

Using M1 is easier and faster:

1. Oil cleanse and wash face.

2. Apply M1 and use wand.

3. Follow with M2, M3.

This device is not magical for "anti-aging" but it's really effective for acne that pops up once in a while. It also doesn’t seem to exacerbate spots on my pigmentation-prone skin when used once a week. Maybe I’ll try to increase it’s use to twice a week.

NOT TO BE USE WITH ACIDS or RETINOIDS.

* Did you know that aloe gel is made with aloe juice (which is the consistency of water) that is thickened with a gelling agent? The gelling agent is not necessarily beneficial for the skin, it just gives a aloe jelly type texture.

Are there any devices that you like to use?

Hello, World!