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Then I Met You

Giving Essence Brightening & Hydrating Treatment.

Then I Met You Giving Essence Brightening & Hydrating Treatment
Mists & Essences

About this product

A hydrating essence combining 5% niacinamide, galactomyces ferment filtrate (sake derivative), polyglutamic acid, and red algae to prep skin for subsequent skincare layers.

Full ingredients

Guru Score

85%

Yay

4 experts · Moderate agreement
4Gurus
4Yay
0Mixed
0Nay

What they liked

  • Preps skin to absorb other layers better

What they flagged

    Nothing. None of the experts who reviewed it raised a problem.

    What the gurus are saying

    This essence hydrates without irritation despite its 5% niacinamide concentration, which gurus found gentle enough for sensitive skin. The fermented sake ingredient and polyglutamic acid work together to plump skin, even tone, calm breakouts, and soften dark spots, with one expert noting it delivers comparable glow and hydration to pricier alternatives at a lower cost. The formula lands exactly where an essence should in a routine, prepping skin to drink in the rest of your layers.
    Synthesized from 4 expert reviews · most recent take August 2026

    What the gurus are saying.

    Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

    All takes Yay takes Nay takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored
    Yay
    "For brightening ingredients this contains a lot of berries, niacinamide, white mulberry extract which is a really great brightening and antioxidant ingredient, turmeric root which is another great brightening ingredient, and azelaic acid, which is a really great brightening ingredient, I haven't really seen it in a lot of products until this one. It also has licorice fruit and blueberry, blackberry, and cranberry, which are great antioxidants, great to use in the daytime because they protect your skin and they're great for brightening and protecting it."
    Yay
    "I would say that the product that I most recommend from Then I Met You is the Giving Essence. I'm a really big fan of this particular product. It's a really good example of what an essence is in the Korean skincare world because the names, toners, essence, even serums and ampules have all kind of blurred and blended together in a very interesting type of way. But traditionally speaking, an essence really functions as this sort of bridge between a hydrating toner product and a serum or ampule treatment type of product. It lands somewhere in the middle of the hydration that toners can bring to the skin that replenish the skin, kind of prep the skin for the rest of your skincare routine because we know that hydrated, moist skin is going to accept other skincare layers better. They're going to absorb better into your skin just from the hydration levels. But also, if your skin is lacking water, if it is dehydrated, replenishing that with a hydrating toner can make a huge difference. And just hydration itself smooths and plumps the skin and promotes healthier skin."
    Top Pick: essence
    Yay
    "For £44 you can get the giving essence from Then I Met You, all the benefits of galactomyces ferment filtrate, but this one kind of makes my skin feel a lot more hydrated than the SK-II, probably because of the added polyglutamic acid and the red algae."
    All 2 takes from James Welsh
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    "Whenever I use a product from Then I Met You I forget how much I enjoyed using the product, not only that but the good stuff that actually does for my skin. This contains some fermented ingredients as well as 5% niacinamide, which I would usually find quite irritating for my skin, but it just doesn't do that in this. It almost feels like gentle for my skin. Niacinamide being great for helping to even out skin tone, help reduce sebum production, but it's also just generally a good all around ingredient for numerous things. The fermented ingredients is galactomyces ferment filtrate, a derivative of fermented sake, not only helping with the overall glow of your skin, brightness of your skin, but it can also help calm acne, help with dark spots, help reduce the appearance of size of pores. It's one of those key ingredients in a traditional essence that was often known for its anti-aging benefits. And then we also have polyglutamic acid. I do prefer glycerin and polyglutamic acid as my humectant to add that hydration."
    Viral Skincare Products & Their BETTER Alternatives - Tiktok Skincare Compilation
    "For £44 you can get the giving essence from Then I Met You, all the benefits of galactomyces ferment filtrate, but this one kind of makes my skin feel a lot more hydrated than the SK-II, probably because of the added polyglutamic acid and the red algae."
    Yay
    "There's also the Then I Met You Giving Essence, which is a nice niacinamide product that also has a bunch of fermented ingredients."

    What the evidence says.

    Independent of what the gurus think, this is what the published research supports about the main active ingredients here.

    Niacinamide

    Niacinamide has evidence behind it for redness, uneven tone and supporting the skin barrier, and it is usually well tolerated even by skin that reacts to most things.

    Source: DermNet

    Humectants and emollients

    Ingredients like these draw water into the surface layers and slow how fast it leaves. The evidence is for comfort, softness and hydration rather than for changing the structure of the skin.

    Source: DermNet

    Frequently asked.

    What is Then I Met You Giving Essence Brightening & Hydrating Treatment?

    A hydrating essence combining 5% niacinamide, galactomyces ferment filtrate (sake derivative), polyglutamic acid, and red algae to prep skin for subsequent skincare layers.

    Is Then I Met You Giving Essence Brightening & Hydrating Treatment worth it?

    Yes. All 4 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 85%.

    What is Then I Met You Giving Essence Brightening & Hydrating Treatment's Guru Score?

    Then I Met You Giving Essence Brightening & Hydrating Treatment holds a Guru Score of 85%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 4 expert reviewers we have collected. At least one expert has named it a Top Pick in its category.

    Who is Then I Met You Giving Essence Brightening & Hydrating Treatment best for?

    Then I Met You Giving Essence Brightening & Hydrating Treatment is generally suited to oily skin, combination skin and normal skin.

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