Althea's Bare Essentials Range Full Breakdown & Review

Alright you guys, looks like we have some exciting news! Now over the past few months or so, Althea has been teasing us with upcoming snippets that they have something splendid brewing; and lo and behold a couple of weeks later, here we have their first ever skincare line called Bare Essentials.

Althea Korea Bare Essential | The Details

Now as many of you already know, Althea Korea is an online e-commerce site that has a huge range of Korean beauty brands under its belt and thus with this release, many were anticipating it because it was Althea's first release in terms of skincare; so with this the range for Bare Essentials consists of 3 essential products which is a Contour Cleanser, Primer Water and finally a Fixer Cream.

However before we get into what each product is about, let's talk about the packaging and the aesthetics first. Now as you can see, each of these products are quite pleasing to the eye; for they are simple yet classic, minimalistic yet functional. It sorts of reminds us of the products you would get at Muji where the concept is very clean and simple.

Also props to Althea for including a stopper for its Primer Water, for it is much appreciated, especially when you were to consider taking the product with you on travels. Plus its good to note that each of the product's formulations are contained in a high grade frosted plastic container, which at the end of the day would be easy to take with you wherever you go, without the fear of the product getting dented of broken.

Althea's Bare Essentials Contour Cleanser | 150g at RM23

So with that, let's start off with our first product which is the Bare Essentials Contour Cleanser. Now the first thing we usually do, especially when it comes to skincare is to look at its full ingredients list. It's a form of transparency that we appreciate, however since Althea is a Korean brand, it would make sense that its description is all in Korean. But in the long run, we do wish that there would be an English translation later on but no worries, if you would like to have a look at the full ingredients list, Althea did list it down on their website, so for easier reference, we will list it down here for reference as well.

Full Ingredients List:

Glycerin,Water,Myristic Acid,Stearic Acid,Potassium Hydroxide,Palmitic Acid,Lauric Acid,PEG-32,Glyceryl Stearate,PEG-100 Stearate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine,Glyceryl Stearate SE,Microcrystalline Cellulose,Zea Mays (Corn) Starch,Lactose,Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Polyquaternium-67,Sodium Chloride,Disodium EDTA,Menthol,Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Polyquaternium-7,Fructooligosaccharides,Saccharide Hydrolysate,Pullulan,1,2-Hexanediol,Tocopheryl Acetate, Mesembryanthemum Crystallinum Extract,Sodium Benzoate,Sodium Acetate,Butylene Glycol, Lippia Citriodora Leaf Extract,Ethylhexylglycerin,Fragrance

So in terms to its description, the Bare Essentials Contour Cleanser is a foam cleanser that has the key ingredients of Ice Plant (to calm any redness on the skin) and Lemon Verbena Leaf (softens and strengthens the skin). Now these two are pretty great ingredients to have in a cleansing product, but we did detect quite a strong fragrance while using it. Its not something overpowering per se, but it wasn't much to our preference.

Now from utilising this product, what we have gathered is that this cleanser does a 3 in 1; where it richly cleanses, gently exfoliates and depuffs the skin for a more defined face shape. What we can say is that yes it does cleanse well (though it can be a little drying for those who have dry skin), and it does do gentle exfoliation on the skin due to its Mirror Capsules but in terms to it doing contouring for the face, we have not seen much of a difference. However at RM23 for a 150g bottle, it is definitely worth giving it a go, especially if you have combination to oily skin.

Althea's Bare Essentials Primer Water | 200ml for RM43

As for Althea's Primer Water, this is sort of like a duo that works as a toner and a primer at one go. It is formulated using a patented dewdrop technology which is quite interesting and this is suppose to revitalise the skin with immediate and effective moisture. It also has the core ingredient of Snow Lotus which we really like because this brightens and combats dark spots with anti-aging properties.

Full Ingredients List:

Water,Propanediol,Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone,Alcohol,1,2-Hexanediol,Salvia Hispanica Seed Extract,Centella Asiatica Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract,Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer,Tromethamine,Betaine,Fructooligosaccharides, Saccharide Hydrolysate,Xanthan Gum,Ethylhexylglycerin,Pullulan,Butylene Glycol,Dipropylene Glycol,Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract, Saussurea Involucrata Extract,Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract,Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Origanum Vulgare Extract,Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Extract,Thymus Vulgaris (Thyme) Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Sclerotium Gum,Agar,Polysorbate 20,PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil,Fragrance

Now we really enjoyed using this Primer Water. Its texture is a mixture between water and gel and the scent is very earthy and light.A small amount does go a long way in terms of it hydrating the skin and it does make the skin really soft as well. So far, a two thumbs up for this one and going by its price point of RM43, we have to say it is worth every cent.

Althea's Bare Essentials Fixer Cream | 50g for RM50

As for the final one which is Althea's Bare Essentials Fixer Cream, this is basically a moisturiser that keeps the skin hydrated for up to 24 hours. Its core ingredients are Trehalose (to retain moisture), Baobab Tree (rich in antioxidants) and Wild Green Tea (anti-aging properties).

Full Ingredients List:

Water,Glycerin,Methylpropanediol,Dimethicone,Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil,Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin),Cyclopentasiloxane,Glyceryl Stearate, 1,2-Hexanediol,Cetearyl Alcohol,Polysorbate 60,PEG-100 Stearate,Cyclohexasiloxane,Salvia Hispanica Seed Extract,Centella Asiatica Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract,Carbomer,Tromethamine,Polyacrylate-13,Fructooligosaccharides, Saccharide Hydrolysate,Polyisobutene,Propanediol,Ethylhexylglycerin,Pullulan,Disodium EDTA,Polysorbate 20,Butylene Glycol, Sorbitan Isostearate,Trehalose,Sodium Hyaluronate,Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract,Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract,Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract,Adansonia Digitata Seed Extract,Fragrance

With regards to the product, we are not completely sure why it is called a cream because its texture is more gel-like, but we do love how the formulation gives a sort of water activation upon contact which in turn transforms the texture into mini water droplets after blending it it. It is a rather rich moisturiser so keep in mind that a little does go a long way and its best applied on targeted areas and not too much. If you have dry skin, this is how we would recommend going about it as too much may cause a slight breakout, so do keep in mind of that. 

Now on overall, what do we think about Althea's Bare Essentials Range? Well simply put, we found this collection to be a great start for the brand; for bringing in good and solid skincare for the masses especially at an affordable price point could actually be quite tricky as most of it could be a hit or a miss. However with this range, we found that it did hit several vital points which we are very happy about but with that being said, it does cater more towards those who have combination to oily skin with the exception of the Prime Water. 

We have also included the consistencies for all three of the products above for reference as well, but if you would like to know more about Althea's Bare Essentials range, then do log on to their Official Website to know more. In the meantime, for more updates, you can also head on over to their Official Instagram Handle as well.