January is when I often concentrate on skincare products. It just seems to fit in with New Year Resolutions to take better care of ourselves. But even though January is just next week, I felt like talking about a skincare product I’ve been meaning to write about for weeks now.
I often get fantastic skincare ideas from Anastasia, the power behind the beauty blog Glamorable. Though she is decades my junior, Anastasia is very knowledgeable about skincare products and how to take care of skin. Several months ago, her review of the Korean skincare product, IUNIK Vitamin Hyaluronic Acid Vitalizing Toner, convinced me that I needed to try it.
First, I think the brand name demands a mention. IUNIK=unique. Their website is unique4u.com. Just in case you wanted to know how to pronounce it. 😉 IUNIK is a natural K-beauty brand.
What interested me most about the product when I read about it on Glamorable is that it’s a hyaluronic acid product. In fact, it is 45% hyaluronic acid! I have quite a collection of HA skincare products. I seem to be the queen of HA serums these days, but none of the other HA products I own come close to having this much HA in the formula.
It also contains 5% sea buckthorn that IUNIK calls Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract. Sea Buckthorn (not sure why it’s called “sea” when it comes from a tree?) is rich in vitamins C, E and K, fruit acids, amino acids, minerals and other goodies. I learned that sea buckthorn, a berry, contains 12 times the vitamin C of oranges.
IUNIK Vitamin Hyaluronic Acid Vitalizing Toner excels in increasing hydration via the HA, the sea buckthorn helps even skin tone, and the three plant extracts brighten. With its high concentration of HA, the toner is recommended for dry skin, though I think it would also be fine for combination skin especially during the winter.
IUNIK calls the product a “toner”. On their website (which must have been translated from Korean into English word for word because it doesn’t always make sense), they list one of the product benefits as “Runny gel type toner” – that made me laugh. It’s what I describe as “heavy water”. In texture, it’s similar to another HA product that I reviewed in November, Vichy Mineral 89 Daily Booster, also a clear heavy water. Though I occasionally use it as a toner applying it with a cotton pad, I primarily use IUNIK Vitamin HA Vitalizing Toner as an essence. I spill a few drops into my hand and press it into my skin. After it soaks in, I apply my other serums and then moisturizer.
As far as I can tell, the toner is unscented.
It comes in a tall, slim heavy plastic bottle. It has a small hole in the top so you can shake out a few drops onto a cotton pad or into your hand. I understand why is has that small hole: because IUNIK sees it as a toner and you often squeeze out toner onto a pad. Nevertheless, I wish it had a pump top like the Vichy Mineral 89 – but that’s a small complaint.
The ingredients in IUNIK Vitamin HA Vitalizing Toner have been rated as “low hazard” by the Environmental Working Group. From a foreign brand, knowing that it has such a good rating from EWG is quite reassuring.
IUNIK Vitamin Hyaluronic Acid Vitalizing Toner is the bargain of the century. On the IUNIK website, it’s priced at $16.49 for 200 ml (they’re offering 10% off now too). It’ll last forever!
I really like this high HA toner/essence. It does seem to make a noticeable difference in the hydration level of my dry skin especially now that the heat is on in the house full time, and the wind outdoors is cold and drying. I have about 5 different HA essences and serums, but because of the 45% HA, this is the one I reach for most often.
Any interest in this hydrating liquid? What’s your favorite HA product?
This sounds like a very effective hydrating toner. Definitely nice to combat the stress on the skin as we go from cold exteriors to heated interiors!
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It’s so cold here now, Helen. It was 10 degrees this morning and it’s going down to minus 1 tonight. Yikes! It actually hurts!
Morning 🙋🏻☕️☕️ I take a hyaluronic supplement everyday. It works internally not only for your skin but for your joints too. Research it……..stay warm! ❄️❤️
I take a supplement from NeoCell that has both HA and collagen. Definitely good stuff.
This sounds nice between the HA and sea buckthorn ingredients. I have bought so much reading other bloggers’ reviews and experiences, it’d be cheaper to stay off the internet but I wouldn’t look so fab, lol! Also – January – I totally hear what you’re saying about skincare/fresh!
It’s true, Judy! My post tomorrow is also about something I bought because of a review!
Haha I’ve wondered that about seabuckthorn as well – I mean, it’s a berry that grows on the Himalayas! My toners are usually acid-based (acne!), and I haven’t tried an HA toner. Maybe eventually if my acne-prone skin decides to turn over a new leaf.
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I’m glad I’m not the only one who wondered about sea buckthorn! Yes, you and I are on opposite poles when it comes to skincare 😉
Glamorable’s reviews are always so informative. She knows an incredible amount about skincare. I’m happy to hear that this is fragrance free and I love that it contains such a high level of hyaluronic acid. I think that ingredient is helping my skin more than most others. Thanks for reminding me about this toner/essence.
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Anastasia really knows her skincare stuff! This was a terrific recommendation especially since it’s made with natural ingredients. To me, it has no discernible scent. The poorly translated IUNIK website says “natural perfume” but I take that to mean that there is not added scent, and I do not see any fragrance or perfume in the ingredient list. If you’re ever in the market for an inexpensive HA essence, this is definitely one to consider.
I buy small plastic bottles with sprayer tops in travel product area at walmart. I have knocked over to many toners to not be aware but it still happens. So I fill the spray bottle and it works great.
That’s a great suggestion, Gloria! This “toner” is so much thicker than my typical toner or mist that I’m not sure it’ll work in a typical spray bottle, but I’m going to look through my stash and see if I can find out. What it might work in is my veggie cleaner spray bottle that looks like a slightly smaller version of a Windex bottle! I’m almost finished with the veggie cleaner so I might dry it in that. What I was planning to do was transfer it into the Vichy Mineral 89 Daily Booster pump bottle once that is empty since the two “essences” are the same heavy water consistency, but I have a long way to go before that bottle is empty. I’ll try your suggestions and see if it works. Thanks again, Gloria, for taking the time to give me a possible solution. Hope you’re having a good holiday week!
Love that is has so much HA in it!
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High HA plus super-affordable price=win win
Did you really wait 36 days to receive this after ordering it from Korea? Or have you found a US source?
Mahaila, I ordered this in late September or early October, I think. It took about 2 weeks for it to arrive, if I remember correctly. Are you in the US? I just looked to see if there is another retailer that sells it, but Haru Haru appears to price their products in euros so if you’re in the US, that won’t help. I wasn’t in a super hurry when I ordered because I had other products I could use in the meantime, but it really didn’t take very long to get it.
Thanks Allison They did say some of there products might be at retailers but no clues. Yes I am Left Coast but from your neck of the woods so enjoy reading your seasonally oriented posts even tho the weather’s so different here. People do overheat and overaircondition tho because they don’ t know what true cold or humidity really is!
Thanks, Mahaila, for your comments and checking out the blog. I tried another source for Asian beauty and IUNIK isn’t one of the brands they carry. The brand is only a little over a year old. Because you’re left coast, it might add a couple of extra days to the delivery, but my guess is you’d get it much sooner than 36 days! I ordered something via Amazon that said it would arrive on Jan. 12, and it arrived from Thailand on 12/26. Yes, you get temperature and atmosphere fluctuations even where you are 😉 But regardless of the weather, I think the product is worth trying even for garden variety dry skin. If you take the plunge, LMK what happens! Happy New Year, Mahaila xo
Lol at that translation. January is definitely an important time for skin care. The weather is so harsh here
I use sea buckthorn oil for spot treatment. It has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.
Anastasia is always making me want to buy stuff too!
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Anastasia and Cindy are my two biggest enablers 😉
So many great ingredients! your reviews always make me add products to my list! LOL
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😉 Thanks, Kristi! This actually is a good one for those of us with dry skin
I’ve still never tried a toner :-O
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This one is more like an essence – a lightweight serum – that you apply first. IUNIK Vitamin Hyaluronic Acid is great if you’ve got dry skin, and unnecessary if you don’t 😉
Anastasia really does have great recommendations for skin care. 45% Hyaluronic Acid is more than a lot of my other HA products combined!
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Great with a perfume free product.
That wait time would kill me!
The toner arrived in less than 2 weeks. I have so much stuff, I wasn’t desperate for it. It often takes Sephora 2 weeks to send me some of my orders, lol!
Hello Allison, I am so happy that I read this because I was preparing a K-beauty order. As you probably remember I am a huge fan of K-beauty skincare and have recently thought that I would try some of their cosmetics. I try to make only 2 orders a year so when I order I order quite a bit.
I have never used this Hyaluronic Acid before so I am very excited to try it. The last one I used I ended up giving away because I didn’t care for the sticky residue it left behind.
I’m also happy to get another reliable seller to use, I’m all about options.
I hope you have a wonderful New Year’s Eve and a Blessed New Year!
Happy New Year, Paula! I love K-beauty too. I dabble in it, especially skincare, though I have purchased a couple of lipsticks from Etude in the past. Also, I bought a Memebox a couple of years ago that was fun. My favorite Korean skincare brands are Laneige, Tony Moly, AmorePacific, and the super expensive Sulwahsoo (I don’t buy that one on my own because it’s so expensive). I just washed my face, sprayed it with Georgette Klinger lavender mist, and applied the IUNIK Vitamin HA Vitalizing Toner. I let the IUNIK sink in and dry while I brush my teeth. Because you mentioned a “sticky residue” with HA that you tried in the past, I wanted to see if the IUNIK had that as well because I hadn’t noticed anything like that. Focusing on the IUNIK HA specifically, it does leave a light “coating” on my face. But then I apply moisturizer and whatever I feel on my face is from the moisturizer. And then I apply primer and foundation so the HA is underneath it all hopefully helping to keep my skin moisturized. That 45% HA in this product, and the fact that “sodium hyaluronate” is the first ingredient is what appealed to me. I think making sure not to use more than about 3 drops and then pressing it into the skin may be the way around the “sticky residue” sensation. Here’s another blogger’s review of the product: https://beautyfindsforme.wordpress.com/2017/09/03/bouncy-gel-toner-iunik-vitamin-hyaluronic-acid-vitalizing-toner-review/ Paula, a couple of months ago, you entered one of my giveaways for a shampoo and conditioner developed for cancer patients. You mentioned you were entering to give the set to a friend who was sick. I received an extra set recently, and I’d like to send it to you for her. Please email me at neversaydiebeauty@comcast.net with your address. It may take me a bit to pack it up and send it out, but I’ll get it done!