Biome Vegan Balance Essence

I like this essence and it works well on my very dry and sensitive skin. I have other skin care products from this brand that I have been using for over a year and I find them to be effective and of high quality. I like that the full list of ingredients is provided in the product description (so many brands do not show this information). However, the product description for this particular product is a bit of a jumble. There is some good background as well as other aspects that are a mix of overly technical to just downright nonsensical (especially the part relating to microbial fermentation). Perhaps some of the "science by nature" is just poorly translated from Korean. All at the expense of relaying more information regarding the actual benefits of using this product...This essence is a clear, thick fluid that goes on easily and is readily absorbed by my skin. It doesn't feel tacky or leave a dry residue on my skin (I do follow up with a serum (sometimes) and a moisturizer (always). The product causes no irritation and helps to keep my skin hydrated, which is especially helpful to me in the winter. My skin does feel smoother when using this and it is mild enough to use every day. I initially thought an essence was just one more unnecessary added step in my skin care routine, but now I that I have tried several, I find that I use them all of the time. So, I'm happy to have found this reasonably priced version (current cost is $19.00 for a little over 5 ounces). I only need to use a small amount, a dollop about the size of a nickel, to cover my face, so the bottle will last quite a while. The essence arrived nicely boxed and properly sealed (both bottle and box).

This review is for LALUCELL Biome Vegan Balance EssenceThis is my second Lalucell product. This brand apparently makes clean safe products that is even marketed toward expectant mothers. Their website states that they do not conduct testing on animals and they use sustainable plant stem cell extracts and cultivatable crops.This comes in a nice big bottle approximately 5 oz. This is an essence so it is thicker than watery toners but is a thinner than most serums I'm used to. This product, similar to the repair cream, is lightly scented. It's a pleasant scent, but isn't really noticeable unless you put your nose up to it or you put it around your nose. This absorbs pretty quickly and doesn't feel sticky on the skin. I think this is a pretty good essence for hydration.After cleansing the face with cleanser, I put on toner, and then this essence, next would be the serum, and then lastly I always finish up with a moisturizer. Sometimes I leave out either the essence or the serum, and only use one product in between toner and moisturizer. If I feel that my skin needs extra pampering or if it feels more dry that day I will use both.

I received this LALUCELL Biome Vegan Balance Essence through the Amazon Vine program.I got this for my girlfriend to test and try out. Here's what she had to say:"I have used this several times but not sure what I'm supposed to be noticing, because nothing is different and I don't know what I'm looking for. I would say, for one thing, the box should be more descriptive as to what your expectation should be.""I see no difference in my skin. It is very easy to apply. It is not too thick. Nothing comes off on the round gauze pad I am using to put it on, so I'm not sure if it's supposed to be cleaning my skin. If so, I must have extremely clean skin. LOL""I asked my best friend and daughters to look at it. None of us could figure out what exactly this product is supposed to do. The description of this product needs to be better because you have no idea what you would buy this product for. There is nothing descriptive about this product that would make me want to buy it.""To add, not knowing why I was using this product, I tried it on my face a few times when fresh out of the shower. I didn't notice anything better or worse and again, not sure what I was looking for."She said she would not buy this product.

So many words that it took me a while to figure out exactly what a Balance Essence is supposed to do and at what point in my skin care routine it should be used.My research on Tarax II first brought up a fleece sailing jacket made in Germany, then an Australian soft drink. Pretty sure neither of those things is in this product, so by process of elimination and the fact that taraxcum officinale is the botanical name for "dandelion" I conclude that Tarax II is Lalucell's name for the dandelion & barley extract they're using in place of water. Or maybe the microorganisms in the galactomyces are wearing tiny German sailing jackets. I don't know.What I do know is, this product is delightful when used after cleansing & toning, and before moisturizing if your skin is older or on the drier side. It will provide light moisture on its own, but my 53-year-old face wants more than light moisturizing, particularly in winter.It soothes. It calms. It does not have an overpowering fragrance. It's just thick enough that you can pour some into the palm of your hand and apply it with your fingertips, rather than needing a cotton ball. It sets feeling a bit dewy but not at all sticky.I've been using this for 3 days and my face feels very balanced, and not at all like it's housing a bunch of microorganisms that could at any moment go sailing off to a biergarten.