While there are a few internally-acclaimed serums out there in the market, I found out that many of Korea’s bestsellers in drugstore Olive Young are actually brands that not many outside of Korea would have heard before.
The iSOi Bulgarian Rose Blemish Care Serum II was one such product. It is widely raved about in the K-beauty world. However, iSOi does not officially retail in as many markets as, say, Etude and Innisfree. Thus, it has pretty much gone under the radar outside of Korea.
I picked this up in Korea and to see if it could live up to expectations of being a holy grail for blemishes and pigmentation. Read on to see what I thought of it!
Product Description
This brightening serum refines skin texture by improving blemishes and evening out uneven pigmentation.
Vitamin-rich Bulgarian Rose Oil and Centella Asiatica Extract soothe sensitive skin while restoring its inherent energy.
Its gel texture nourishes acne-prone skin for a lightweight, non-sticky finish.
Dermatologically tested and gives a natural rosy fragrance.
Official Retail Price in Singapore: SGD 59.58 (Amazon)
Ingredient List
Water, Glycerin, Alcohol*, Arbutin, Betaine, Trehalose, Salix Nigra (Willow) Bark Extract, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Xanthan Gum, Castanea Crenata (Chestnut) Shell Extract, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Allantoin, Panthenol, Rhus Semialata Gall Extract, Olea Europaea (Olive) Leaf Extract, Chrysanthemum Indicum Flower Extract, Sophora Japonica Bud Extract, Prunella Vulgaris Leaf Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract
*plant-based fermented ethanol
The high concentration of alcohol is pretty worrying. It potentially breaks down your skin barrier and cause your skin to become potentially dry and irritated. In contrast, the concentrations of rose oil and centella asiatica extract are lower than the alcohol.
This raises questions of exactly how beneficial this product will be for sensitive skin.
Review
Packaging
The pink frosted glass (yes, glass!) bottle is actually very pretty, and I think it’s made to resemble the Bulgarian rose, which is the serum’s key ingredient.
The cap and pump are made of plastic, but they don’t feel cheap or tacky, so you feel that you’re using a premium skincare product – priced at nearly SGD 60, I would say this is rather reasonable.
Texture
The texture of this serum is actually on the thicker side – a bit like jelly, but you can easily spread and rub it into your skin so that it gets absorbed. It is a tad sticky but not oily at all, so it doesn’t feel too uncomfortable even if you have oily skin and easily-congested pores.
What really hits you first, however, is not the thick texture of this serum. As I have experienced firsthand with other rose skincare products, the rose scent is always very strong and highly distinctive.
Some people strongly dislike the smell. And to be honest, this fragrance disturbs me because it usually means that my skin will break out in no time.
Effectiveness
Despite my initial wariness, I was surprised to find that my skin actually didn’t react to it as badly as I had feared.
In fact, I did notice that some of my blemishes were getting lighter, and my overall skin tone actually became brighter. And I wasn’t the only one who noticed the difference in my skin!
That being said, I do have to point out that this only works with non-active acne e.g. acne scars and sun spots. You won’t find much success using this serum to try and cure that zit that just popped out.
Final Verdict
Is this an expensive serum? For me, yes.
Is this an effective serum? From what I’ve seen so far, I’ll give it a yes.
Is it worth the money? Well...
Personally, I feel that the results that I’ve seen so far are not significant and not exactly groundbreaking. Some other serums and essences are able to give similar results at much lower prices, sans the strong rose fragrance.
For now, I would say that this is not quite worth the investment or repurchase. But let’s see if I will change my mind after I finish using the whole bottle.
Individual Rating
Ease of use: ????
Effectiveness: ????
Value for money: ???
Leave a Reply