Facial Treatment Essence.

"This is my beloved SK-II, if we're doing an Alice bootcamp we're going back to the SK-II. I'm at the point of just gently patting it into my skin. This is a very expensive product, I am so happy and jealous of the people for whom the dupes work. She's back in my routine."

"I truly could not believe what SK-II did for my skin. I discovered one of the best alternatives to AHAs and to microneedling, a way to help with evening and brightening your skin in a very potent way. The only reason I don't use it is that it's very expensive. I don't think there are real SK-II dupes, and I do think SK-II may be worth the hype."

"I had stopped using SK-II because I've said in the past it's too potent of a product, it makes it hard for me to figure out what other products in my routine are working, and it's super expensive, so it was pretty easy to justify removing it. At the same time, I'm very tempted to bring it back in, and I'm feeling like I really miss it."

"SK-II is a product I swear by even though it's incredibly expensive. In a split face trial I did against a galactomyces dupe, I saw what it did for my hyperpigmentation, and I don't think I can get that kind of result without ingredients that are too much for my sensitive skin. It's potent in a way that's helpful for hyperpigmentation without irritating me the way glycolic acid does. That said, I don't think everyone needs to run out and buy it. If you don't have sensitive skin and you can use AHA, you may not need SK-II at all, but if you're sensitive and dealing with hyperpigmentation, you might fall in love with it like I did."

"The reason I love this so much is that it almost gives me the results of a chemical exfoliant. It's a very brightening product for me. The only con is I have to take it out of my routine quite often because it is so effective for me."

"SK-II is a beloved product for me because I have never seen any product impact hyperpigmentation to the level SK-II did without being an active. I have a more difficult skin type, I'm dry, I have acne, and I'm a little bit sensitive, so it's hard for me to use ingredients like glycolic acid. If you can use glycolic acid you can find much more affordable products than SK-II, but if you also have sensitive skin, especially if you're trying to address hyperpigmentation, that can be difficult. It's expensive, but it stands out for me. The only problem I have with it is that the bottle is so full I feel bad using it, that's how powerful this is, at least in my opinion, on my skin type, in my experience."

"SK-II is expensive, but it's one where I really believe in it and I really saw the results for myself. It's so simple in terms of its ingredients list that people call it a dupeable product, but SK-II owns the patent on Pitera, so I do believe their galactomyces ferment filtrate is different from other galactomyces ferment filtrate options. Using it for five weeks against one of the dupes, I could not believe how much more results I saw for hyperpigmentation. It evened my skin tone, brightened my skin, and faded my spots, even though it doesn't contain any actives. I love it because I've never seen another ingredient give me this kind of results that didn't also come with a list of drawbacks, since my retinoid can already be drying and harsh. It is so expensive, I wish it wasn't, and I don't want to make it sound like it's your only option because it's not, but this is one of very few pricier splurges where I really understand why people swear by it."

"The SK-II Facial Treatment Essence, I love the FTE, I love the FTE. I think that is the product that I would recommend from that brand."

"My pick for best overall toner is SK-II, and I want to say up front that this one is not inexpensive at all, and I don't think all of you need this product, it is in my opinion obviously an excellent product but you may not need it. A lot of people love AHA toners, I struggle with that ingredient as a whole, and it's a shame because it's a great ingredient for hyperpigmentation and even shows some benefit in terms of fine lines and wrinkles, but with my sensitive skin type I have to be really careful. That's why when I tried SK-II and saw what it does for me I was blown away, it almost looked like I had been using an AHA containing product, except I hadn't. There is something truly special in my opinion about the Pitera, they spent a lot of time and energy developing that specific Pitera, and I feel like it shows, the dupes haven't quite compared. I didn't even think this was doing anything for weeks, it took about five weeks for me to realize what it was doing. It's such a gentle product that still fights texture, fights hyperpigmentation, and evens your skin tone, it does so much but in such a gentle way. It's my favorite, but it's expensive, and I think the 2.5 fluid ounce size is the right size to buy. For me the hype is real on this one, I'm calling it my best overall toner, so obviously I think that yes, it's worth it for me."

"This is very hydrating and may help reduce inflammation in the skin, but you know you can get that from basic moisturizing."

"We have SK2 here, Facial Treatment Essence, and it is $219.99. Now, I tried this a long time ago. I didn't think too much of it. Ferments are great in products, so there's that. But these kind of ingredients have become really easy to come by and there's nothing particularly magic in my opinion about their ferment patena. That's just what they've trademarked the name."

"This is an essence, it's very hydrating, but honestly when I tried it I was not the least bit impressed with it, and I have since used many other hydrating essences that I've enjoyed and I've never felt the need to pay the big box again for this. It was not the miracle water in my opinion, for me, not for other people."

"I tried the SK-II Facial Treatment Essence several years ago and reviewed it, two hundred dollars for eleven ounces. Honestly, I was not super impressed with this. I have found less expensive alternatives to this that I find are equally if not more hydrating and improve radiance. I don't think you need to be spending two hundred dollars on this. I was not the least bit impressed by this."

"I tried SK-II a long time ago and I was underwhelmed. I actually kind of found it a little irritating."

"SK-II is a J beauty brand that's also a luxury brand and they are famous for their Facial Treatment Essence. I'm a huge fan of this product. This product has a yeast ferment filtrate with galactomyces that has been found to help brighten the skin. And there's other goodies in there that really nourish the skin. Like it just seems like water, it seems like it does nothing but it does so much. It hydrates, nourishes, helps brighten the skin. I think their treatment essence is where they shine. Super expensive though."

"One of my favorites actually is the SK-II Facial Treatment Essence. It contains enzymes, amino acids, and vitamins that can help improve skin texture, promote a more even complexion, and enhance skin's natural radiance."

"It's got sodium ascorbate, CoQ10, ectoine, carnosine, ginger extract, silver fungus, and centella. All good antioxidants. It's got a really nice pleasing texture to use with it. It's kind of just got a serum texture, which is nice."

"SK-II Facial Treatment Essence retails for $190 for the original size. A little bit of it goes a long way so it lasts a long time, but $200 for a product is expensive."

"It's a very simple yet beloved and legendary product. [...] It's fermented ingredients and a lot of people love it for adding moisture and brightness to their skin but it's also very expensive."

"I really do love this Essence. It definitely transforms your skin very quickly, it's very brightening, and it can actually increase the hydration in your skin. It's also very supportive for your skin barrier, so it's a great prep product. It preps your skin as a first essence so everything that I put on after this is just going to absorb a little bit better, but it's also a great kind of special occasion prep because it does work so fast. It can help smooth out the skin, it can help with makeup application, and it definitely brings that bright complexion. I don't love the price, but the 75ml bottle actually does last quite a while because you don't need a lot."

"It is super expensive. Before I ever tried SK-II, I always liked the ingredient and I always noticed a really beautiful glow up on my skin when I use the ingredient. When I use SK-II though, I have to say it is of a different league. While it is still using the same ingredient, it is so much more concentrated, it is so much more higher quality. You can just tell it works faster, it works bigger. [...] There is a quality difference here. You absolutely are paying for that high concentration of galactomyces ferment that hasn't been cut with a bunch of other stuff. [...] It helps with tone, it can help with texture for sure, and it is an ingredient that is well regarded for anti-aging purposes. It definitely does help to support the health of your skin. It helps to replenish amino acids which help with skin hydration, vitamins, minerals. It is a really great barrier supportive ingredient because it really helps to increase hydration within the skin. But it is not technically a cell communicating ingredient."

"SK-II Facial Treatment Essence, ooh, yeah, bougie skin care. This is definitely a pricey product, it's definitely a cult status product, it has been around for decades, it has been famous for decades, it's been expensive for decades too. This is definitely one of those premier Japanese beauty products that has made its way over to Sephora, and I personally find this product to live up to the hype. I know not everybody does, but I don't really love super expensive skin care, and this is one that I will save up for to purchase, because every time I use this product it reminds me about how high quality it is, how good it is, and how much it can really transform your skin. Just a few uses of this essence you really will see an improvement, especially if you are suffering with dull and uneven skin, if your complexion just isn't quite healthy and lit from within. The main ingredient here is a high quality yeast ferment called pitera. This will absolutely brighten you up, it will light you up from within. It is full of what I call skin nutrition, tons of amino acids, tons of antioxidants, there's actually peptides in this ferment strain."

"SK-II Facial Treatment Essence is quite an experience. I really do enjoy that product. It's a little pricey and I can't keep it in my routine all the time, but it really does transform your skin and it's probably a gold standard example of galactomyces. Galactomyces kind of just helped to enhance hydration on my skin, which was much needed at the time, so definitely one of my favorite fermented ingredients and probably one of the first fermented ingredients that I really tried and was able to really say, hey, this transformed my skin."

"There's a little bit more juicy plumpness to this SK-II Facial Treatment Essence. This works so fast and gives such great results on the skin. It really brings a very beautiful glow to the skin, it really improves the quality and the texture of my skin, it helps to smooth out texture and pores, and it's just really a fantastic product. I use this as an occasional treat for my skin, and quite honestly with this one I think it's okay to do that because it works so well. If you have dry skin but you like a little bit more plumping type of texture to be built into your skincare routine, I think you will like this. I think balanced skin types will enjoy this."

"The price point makes me literally feel a little bit numb inside. [...] The big size is like £80, ridiculous. You don't need to spend money on this. [...] I get why people like the SK-II and genuinely galactomyces works so well at removing hyperpigmentation and hydrating, and I have heard people say they do get slightly better performance against hyperpigmentation with the SK-II. But for like 1/8 the price for so much more product, I just think this is [...] going to be more budget friendly and work better for you in the long term."

"SK2 are super popular and semi viral Japanese skin care brand. They're most famous for their galactomyces based Essence which honestly I got some great results with. Whilst still a little bit more than I personally would pay for skincare when I tried it, it definitely helps to fade hyperpigmentation, boost hydration, and I know a lot of you guys that follow the channel do also really really enjoy that product."

"The SK-II Facial Treatment Essence is an absolute icon and very, very unnecessary, I'm going to say. The [...] secret ingredient is Pitera, which is a fermented yeast filtrate that's over 90% of the formula and it contains more than 50 micronutrients, amino acids, vitamins and minerals. According to them, what makes Pitera so special is that it regulates your skin's renewal cycle, that process that slows down as we age, leading to dullness, uneven texture, and fine lines. It's hydrating, restoring translucency to the skin. It gives you this very healthy glow. Completely unnecessary. You can buy these kind of ingredients at such a budget price nowadays. [...] But for me this just has memories and [...] I do like it. I believe this is one of those well-aging products that have really stood the test of time and is iconic for a reason."

"I love SK-II Treatment Essence. I think it's amazing. It's one of the first essences I ever used [...] and I absolutely loved it. [...] I know it works for me. I have tried alternatives that work absolutely amazing as well, but this brings back memories for me [...] of my first time in Japan, [...] which is my favorite country in the whole world. [...] It costs me £100 and it lasts the whole 12 months that I use it for because it does last a long time, so it's often £100 maximum to £200 a year that I would spend on this, which as a business cost honestly isn't that bad."

"SK-II were supposedly the founders of galactomyces ferment filtrate and they bottled it for £100, it's a bit steep but this product is very nice, like very very nice, if you can afford it get this one, it's great."

"I'm going to be using the SK-II Facial Treatment Essence, just a nice anti-aging product again, just very very moisturizing."

"I can't say no to SK-II Facial Treatment Essence because a full-size bottle is like 200 so this one is just because it's so luxurious I had to get it."

"This is the essence that we think of when we talk about SK-II and certainly it's not cheap, and I feel like this is one time of the year that I would use the sale to buy this product like for my mom or for aunties. This is a famous product and really when we talk about fermented skin care, the first brand that comes to mind that really kind of started it all is SK-II with their Pitera trademark ingredient which basically contains a fermented blend of yeast, particular galactomyces ferment. The story behind SK-II is really interesting but basically sake brewers that immersed their hands in the fermented yeast water that makes sake, doctors and scientists noticed that their skin was visibly brighter, smoother, less wrinkly compared to even their face and rest of their body. And so basically that's how they discovered this yeast fit essentially and made that into SK-II. So this is basically the ultimate toning treatment essence that you apply on your skin and it contains 50 different micronutrients from this ferment including various different blends of vitamins and minerals."

"From my personal experience I feel like it was really nice to use but didn't notice a significant impact on my overall skin health and skin quality. There's so many other skincare products on the market now I feel like this is definitely one option that is pricier but not the only option."

"A very lightweight one like the one by SK-II, or if you need something a bit thicker, then add a hydrating serum underneath that gel moisturizer"

"If we have dry skin, then we have the SK-II Facial Treatment Essence. The SK-II Essence is all about holding on to hydration and making the other products that you apply afterwards work stronger for you. Plus, it has fermented galactomy yeast extract and it really does help to refine that superficial texture."

"If you're looking for something before a serum and you're looking to increase your hydration level, it's the perfect time to stock up on SK-II Facial Treatment Essence. This essence is great to help increase absorption of hydration, especially to hold on to that hydration in your skin once you load up your serums and your moisturizers. I start with this first, especially when it is very, very, very dry outside."

"I personally love the SK-II Facial Treatment Essence because this is actually going to hold on to the water that you just added and it really does help your products that follow work better. I think you can tap this onto your skin. You can just rub it on lightly. If you just splash it on, it might not necessarily be doing the full benefit for you. So, just make sure that you are using it as a cushioning step in your skin, making it more receptive for treatments that are to come."

"This doesn't have actives like [kojic] acid, arbutin, vitamin C, niacinamide, it doesn't have those things. Exfoliating can definitely help minimize the look of unevenness. This peel is good for sensitive skin because it is mandelic acid and glucono lactone, which is a PHA, polyhydroxy acid, which is better for sensitive skin. Mandelic acid is probably the best AHA for sensitive skin because it is the biggest AHA, so it is the least aggressive."

"SK-II is great at helping other products hold on to moisture because it goes in deep and it allows to suck in those humectants holding them into your skin keeping your skin more hydrated longer."

"SK-II is great for this to barrier supporting hydrating serums, essences that [...] hold on to hydration."

"I put the SK-II Essence in a misting spray to try to make sure I'm getting the biggest bang out of my buck when it goes on my face and I'm not going to be wasting any drop this way or on a cotton pad. I use it underneath a serum and a moisturizer to really help hold on to hydration, especially during winter time because it's dry AF with the heaters and buildings or if I travel somewhere like into the mountain area."

"I actually love this product genuinely. [...] The reason why I love SK2 is because it allows your other humectants and your other hydrating products to penetrate deeper. It's a great primer for people with dry skin especially in a dry environment to hold on and to retain moisture. I just think it's bloody expensive. I hate the dropper, it's such a waste, so instead I put it into this little spritzer and I spritz away [...] before I do anything else and the little spritz goes a very long way compared to putting 50 droppers in your hand and wasting like 20 valuable dollars each time you do that."

"SK-II is another example of an essence or a toner. It has an ingredient that makes the other ingredients that are to follow, like glycerin, work better for you."

"Essences are extremely lightweight. This is one by SK-II. I've actually dumped this into this. I usually put it in a misting thing like this because I get way more bang out of it and it's really expensive so I want to get as much bang out of it as I possibly can. You can put a mist or an essence at this step of your routine because it is extremely lightweight and it's not going to affect the rest to come."

"This one by SK-II is purely trying to rehydrate your skin and hold on to hydration better."

"SK-II's Facial Treatment Essence is a very interesting one to have in your beauty cabinet because it allows your other products to hold on to hydration better. It is hella expensive for $245, but I personally open this baby up [...] and drop a few of these very expensive drops into a spritzing thing that I buy off of Amazon [...] and I put two or three spritzes on my face and I feel like it goes a much further away than just trying to get as many drops on my palm splashing it on my face and actually wasting drops into the air or my hair. [...] Layer it underneath your serums and your moisturizers. You can use it twice a day but it's going to allow you to hold on to the hydration from your other products."

"SK-II Facial Treatment Essence, I mean it is the Holy Grail. [...] This essence of theirs allows your hydrating products to hydrate more efficiently when you apply the essence first. The humectants and the other products get absorbed better into your skin and holds on to that hydration longer. So if you are on the dry side, if you are somebody who lives in a very dry environment, I highly recommend you check them out."

"SK-II, this is a beautiful hydrating toner. I do not waste it though and put it just in here. I put it in a spray bottle and I spray it to get the biggest bang out of my buck and it goes much much longer in terms of mileage in your routine. So this was a great one to add into your routine and again you would use it after the misting agent before the serum before the moisturizer."

"SK-II is a very very expensive brand but one I have grown to love, and I have their essence on my vanity. [...] In dry climates I like to apply it first because it lets the rest of my skincare absorb better. It really quenches your skin and helps refine skin texture over time."

"After 30 days of using the Pitera Essence, my skin definitely feels much more hydrated, much more dewy and much more luminescent. I feel my texture is softer, I look more radiant, and my skin has a much better bounce to it. It absorbs incredibly fast into your skin without drying it out, and makes your skin feel nice and plump and bouncy. The essence hydrates effectively and very efficiently without leaving any sort of film or residue, and improves the elasticity and the plasticity of your skin while reducing the appearance of very fine textural discrepancies. In summer when it is so hot and humid outside, it was the perfect product to just deliver the right amount of hydration for my skin without making me feel greasy. I definitely think that in the first 10 days I did not see a difference, but around day 14 or 15 I started to see the differences in my skin, and now at day 30, looking back, it made a very beautiful difference in the appearance and feel of my skin where my skin now looks much more radiant and feels much more bouncy with very minimal effort."

"This is extremely lightweight—it's basically like a light water. I did a campaign for them when I was sponsored by them over a year and a half ago, where I used this for a month because I wanted to see firsthand what it would do, and I was surprised at how it did increase the hydration level of my skin. But I never use it on its own; I always use it with the same exact moisturizer I was using at the time. It's a really nice one to add in winter when you are looking to add hydration without adding oil to your routine."

"This was sent to me and SK-II's Facial Treatment Essence is basically a two-hundred-dollar glass bottle. They say that it's worth the money because it has Pitera from sake in it, which is basically fermented Japanese rice wine, and while I have no doubt that that's wonderful, I don't want to be spending two hundred on this and it's not cruelty free."

"SK-II for acne, the Facial Treatment Essence, why are we doing this? If you have a lot of money which many celebrities do and if you want to spend it on this for 235 dollars, okay fine. I know some derms and doctors love it, and it's antioxidant and skin supportive. But for someone who's acne prone, why are we doing this? Maybe she's using this as a hydrating serum, in which case I would definitely recommend something like the Pyong King Mule or the Papa Recipe instead, but I would not recommend this for the majority of people out there who are struggling with their skin."

"I don't think you should spend your money on the SK-II essence when there are amazing K-beauty essences available at much lower prices."

"SK2 is a very luxurious Japanese beauty brand. They have patera, this fermented extract inside of their products. But is it actually worth $90? If you have that kind of money, feel free. But if you're looking for something that is very comparable, that's even more hydrating to skin, and it's $22 from K beauty, I would recommend the one from Jin Jang instead."

"SK-II is a very expensive product. This is not cruelty free. I purchased this before I was cruelty free. I don't even think it's good anymore, but I have used a bottle and a bit more of this. I keep it because I'm a hoarder. I really don't know why I keep it because it is not that revolutionary in my opinion compared to some other things that you can get for less."

"I will admit Dr. Idris loves it. And I will say it's not a horrible product. It's actually halfway decent. It just smells like a smell. I don't even know what this smells like. It's not overly fermented. But it does have this interesting scent. Do I think it's the best anti-aging thing in the entire world? No. Is it good for skin support? Sure. But is it worth a hundred to 200 bucks for skin support? No."

"SK-II is a Japanese skincare line, but it's made by L'Oreal."

"SK-II is not a complete scam. It has this patented Pitera that comes from sake, which is basically a ferment. But you can get fermented skincare with really good results for much less. While it's not like a complete scam, it's a very expensive product for two hundred dollars and you can get stuff that works better for less."

"I've recommended the SK-II Facial Treatment Essence before during VIB sales in the past, but I want to bring this up again particularly for the size. This is the 75 milliliter bottle, which is empty because I just finished the entire thing in about two months. The reason why I want to recommend it is this is actually the perfect size for someone who's just wanting to use it enough where you can see a change and where this will make a difference to your skin. If you're someone who just wants to use it for a short amount of time and then maybe rotate back eventually or later, which is something I always do, I mean it's always going to be there and always going to be on rotation for me. So instead of committing to a really big bottle, I would say this is enough for a couple of months where you can really get the most benefit out of it and then move on. I personally am going to stick with it now, and I'm already restocked."

"I use this essence right after cleansing day and night before anything else. It has the thinnest consistency and absorbs so quickly into the skin, faster than water even. Around halfway through the bottle I began to notice some very distinct differences. My skin didn't feel the need for extra exfoliation because the texture had already started to feel so much smoother and more refined. My skin also started needing less product over time because it was just very well hydrated. There's undeniably an effect on my skin barrier with not so much transepidermal water loss. Hand in hand with a more refined skin texture, I did notice my skin looking brighter and more even, and the tone just looks more healthy. Every single time I come back to this, it's just in a category of its own. I am not ready to not have it in my routines yet. I take real pleasure always coming back to this to treat my skin when I just want things to be very simple."