Charlotte Cho’s skin care brand Then I Met You has launched two new products: The Birch Milk Refining Toner and The Giving Essence. Read on for everything you need to know about the must-have duo.
Then I Met You is officially one! On this anniversary month, there are so many things to reflect on related to the rollercoaster journey of launching our first two products, The Cleansing Duo. It has been a true labor of love, and thankfully we were rewarded for it! Within a year, we won over six industry awards, we met you in real life in NY and LA (TIMYs mango ice cream FTW!), and received rave reviews and photos from many of you detailing your journey with the double cleanse!
Most importantly, we have started to build a community of fellow skin care lovers that connect with our concept of jeong, and who want to go deeper with their friends, family, city and skin. Our favorite moments with you: sharing #TIMYblue sunsets and manicures, seeing your first scoop of the Living Cleansing Balm, and hearing how you practice the concept of jeong in your life.
Now we’re ready to unveil the next chapter of Then I Met You. It’s an understatement to say that we’re SO excited to introduce you to our next act: The Skin Balancing Duo ($78). It includes the Birch Milk Refining Toner ($32) and The Giving Essence ($50), available as a set or individually.
After a decade of living and breathing skin care, my biggest takeaway is that you need to strike the right balance of time, energy, and ingredients to go deeper and see positive, life-changing results. This philosophy not only applies to what you put on your skin and in your body, but also in life, as I strive to achieve a healthy work-life balance and I know many around me struggle with it, too.
That’s why for the next phase of Then I Met You, my mission was to create a balanced duo, marrying Western and Korean skin philosophies, from which you can reap the skin-benefiting results with consistent use.
My hope is that the duo will seamlessly fit into your skin care routine so that you can achieve the most optimal, healthy complexion and skin that looks and feels firmer, brighter, and softer than ever before.
What Ingredients You’ll Find in the Birch Milk Refining Toner
I decided that for Then I Met You’s toner, I would marry the concept of a traditional Korean toner and a Western acid treatment to create a gentle and hydrating formula that preps the skin with the perfect blend of chemical exfoliants so that it can be used daily.
The milky base contains over 70% birch juice, squalane, glycerin and sodium hyaluronate to hydrate and retain moisture in the skin, with an optimal 1% balance of AHAs and PHA (glycolic, lactic acid, and gluconolactone) to refine pores to prevent breakouts and improve skin texture and the appearance of fine lines.
Why 1%? There are so many products on the Western market that have such a high blend of acids that can exfoliate your skin faster in one sitting, but is faster necessarily better? If used incorrectly, it can be damaging to your skin to the point that it is so dry that it starts flaking and is red and irritated.
You will see that with the Birch Milk Refining Toner, you can use it every day, without worrying about over-exfoliation. With consistent daily use, your pores and breakouts will also be minimized, and your skin will feel smooth and soft to the touch.
I have personally struggled with hormonal acne for the past four years. I didn’t intend the Birch Milk Refining Toner to “fix” the issue because I know hormonal acne is also an internal imbalance and can be affected by stress, diet, and genetics. But within four weeks of daily use (and without any other changes to my diet), I’m excited to report that I have seen my hormonal acne disappear while using this acid toner.
What Sets The Giving Essence Apart From Other Essences You’ve Tried
Most Korean essences are known for their watery textures and fermented ingredients like yeast. It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of products like the Neogen Micro Ferment Essence and the Missha First Treatment Essence that work well to deeply hydrate and nourish the skin. But when I set out to create my own essence for Then I Met You, I knew I wanted to give my skin even more than that.
Among my skin goals is a bright and luminous complexion. I searched for ingredients that would perfectly complement the fermented base of galactomyces ferment filtrate, asperigillus ferment filtrate and saccharomcyces ferment filtrate, and give my skin the radiance and even tone I craved.
I found ellagic acid, which is naturally produced in berries such as raspberry, blackberries, and black chokeberries (a main ingredient in the Triple C Lightning Liquid that I created with COSRX). There are many studies that have been done on ellagic acid that show the positive brightening impact on skin.
I also infused the formula with polyglutamic acid, which is an ingredient that is considered similar to hyaluronic acid, but that studies show is even more effective at retaining moisture in the skin. Hydration was a key consideration for this essence and you’ll even notice this in the essence’s velvety texture.
Lastly, because I wanted my essence to have the necessary antioxidants to help ward off damaging free radicals, I infused red algae and licorice extract into the base. With the right quality and high concentration of the extracts, a product can prevent premature aging. I put such a focus on these potent antioxidants, the natural magenta coloring from them shines through in the formulation.
Use this every day, both morning and night, and reap the benefits of a perfectly balanced cocktail of rich fermented ingredients, for an envious luminous and dewy complexion.
I personally love how after using both the toner and essence, my hormonal acne has ceased and my dark spots have faded faster. I feel that the balance of Western and Korean skin care philosophies has created such an effective essence that is unlike any other others out there.
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Most Korean essences are known for their watery textures and fermented ingredients like yeast. It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of products like the Neogen Micro Ferment Essence and the Missha First Treatment Essence that work well to deeply hydrate and nourish the skin. But when I set out to create my own essence for Then I Met You, I knew I wanted to give my skin even more than that.
Among my skin goals is a bright and luminous complexion. I searched for ingredients that would perfectly complement the fermented base of galactomyces ferment filtrate, asperigillus ferment filtrate and saccharomcyces ferment filtrate, and give my skin the radiance and even tone I craved.
I found ellagic acid, which is naturally produced in berries such as raspberry, blackberries, and black chokeberries (a main ingredient in the Triple C Lightning Liquid that I created with COSRX). There are many studies that have been done on ellagic acid that show the positive brightening impact on skin.
I also infused the formula with polyglutamic acid, which is an ingredient that is considered similar to hyaluronic acid, but that studies show is even more effective at retaining moisture in the skin. Hydration was a key consideration for this essence and you’ll even notice this in the essence’s velvety texture.
Lastly, because I wanted my essence to have the necessary antioxidants to help ward off damaging free radicals, I infused red algae and licorice extract into the base. With the right quality and high concentration of the extracts, a product can prevent premature aging. I put such a focus on these potent antioxidants, the natural magenta coloring from them shines through in the formulation.
Use this every day, both morning and night, and reap the benefits of a perfectly balanced cocktail of rich fermented ingredients, for an envious luminous and dewy complexion.
I personally love how after using both the toner and essence, my hormonal acne has ceased and my dark spots have faded faster. I feel that the balance of Western and Korean skin care philosophies has created such an effective essence that is unlike any other others out there.
