SK-II Dupe?! Missha Time Revolution First Treatment Essence

One thing I find the Koreans do it really well are their dupes of best selling cosmetics in the western market. It’s not necessarily a bad thing. It gives people more choice and save on a few bucks (this is also how I first got into K-beauty).

Of course, how would they not recreate the best seller from SK-II for decades and sworn by many young and old – the treatment essence.

When I first used SK-II years ago, the concept of “first treatment essence” was not very widely known. As a result, I used it as a “serum”, and found not much benefit from it. The Koreans have really raised the awareness of the concept of these essences. They are designed to be used as the first step of skincare after cleansing. This allows them to penetrate deeply into the skin and treating the skin’s inner layers.

Missha’s Time Revolution First Treatment Essence is Missha’s creation of the “SK-II Treatment Essence”. They are both based on fermented yeast extracts, but SK-II’s pitera is derived from rice sake and Missha’s “miracle ingredient” is derived from gemmule. And you would see this trend throughout the Korean first treatment essences, where each brand has their own “miracle ingredient”.

Missha claims that the Time Revolution First Treatment Essence is able to improve the skin’s hydration, texture and tone with 2 weeks of use. I couldn’t remember exactly when I started to see results from this product, but I’ve finished about 1/2 a bottle now and can definitely concur with these claims.

It is worth noting that Missha Time Revolution First Treatment Essence has been through several revisions, and the current version is the THIRD GENERATION. I believe it is these updates and refinements that makes it a worthwhile product. It would have incorporated a lot of feedbacks from its users.

Packaging

Missha Time Revolution First Treatment Essence comes in a matte oval shaped glass bottle with a silver lid, very reminiscent of the SK-II.

It has a pour-out type opening, similar to many toners.

There’s nothing special about this packaging, but sturdy and quality.

Texture

The texture of this product is very much like water. There is absolutely no tackiness or thickness to it. This texture is ideal for a first treatment essence and makes it perfect for skincare layering. I use another serum on top and it doesn’t feel heavy at all.

Scent

If you’ve used SK-II, you would know its distinctive scent, not too pleasant. However, there are almost no scent to the Missha Time Revolution First Treatment Essence.

Results

When I first started using the Missha Time Revolution First Treatment Essence, I felt it was just a toner, and too expensive for a toner.

But as I go through the bottle, I started to see noticeable improvements in my skin’s hydration level, texture and tone – just as promised by Missha. My skin feels soft, plump and moist from within. It also means that my face is a lot less oily during the day because it is in a better state of oil and water balance. My skin tone has been a lot more even, to a point where I would go out without any make up. Overall, I feel it has done a lot more than the SK-II Essence for me.

Price

The Missha Time Revolution First Treatment Essence retails for 37,800 Won for 150 ml of product, which equates to $44 AUD, about 1/3 or 1/4 the price of SK-II, and pretty reasonably priced compared with other “first treatment essences” in the market.

Purchase it from The Sesame Shop for $44 AUD here.

Summary

This is a great product that can be easily incorporated into anyone’s skincare routine. It delivers noticeable results with continued use. If you are looking to improve your skin’s state, give this one a go.