Weirdest skincare product that you must try – Pyunkang Yul Balancing Gel Review

This winter has been the most drying for my skin, it was constantly feeling dry and deflated. I had to incorporate a 10-step skincare routine to keep it moist, but the moisture quickly dissipated overnight, until I started incorporating Pyunkang Yul Balancing Gel in my routine. It has now become a staple that I cannot live without. I highly recommend to anyone who’s feeling dry, especially those who are already applying a load of hydrating products but still feeling not quite enough.

Packaging

Pyunkang Yul Balancing Gel comes in two sizes. I have the 100ml glass jar version, which is the original version they came out with. They have recently come out with a 60ml tube version, which I believe should be a lot more easier and hygienic to use.

The glass jar packaging is ok to use but not ideal. Due to the stickiness of the product, when you take the product using the spatula, it would attract whatever is in the air, including dust or air bubbles, which then gets trapped in the product, so it’s not the most hygienic to use.

The blue glass jar is pretty to look at but not travel-friendly. In fact, I wouldn’t risk taking it for travel – my one leaked.

I’m glad that Pyunkang Yul has realised the issues with the glass jar and have come out with the tube version.

Ingredients

Astragalus Membranaceus Root Extract, Polysorbate 80, PEG-150 Distearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polysorbate 20, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Glyceryl Caprylate

This product has 7 ingredients in total. That’s the beauty of Pyunkang Yul products. They contain only the absolute minimum that’s required for the product to work. The main ingredient is Astragalus Membranaceus Root Extract (Huang Qi), which is a Ginseng-like Oriental medicine that’s used to treat weakness in human. It is anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, full of vitamins and antioxidants that boosts the skin’s immune system and fights against free radicals.

Polysorbate 80 and 20 are binders and PEG-150 Distearate is a thickener, which I believe is the ingredient that gives its texture.

Colour

This product is clear.

Scent

This product is fragrance-free.

It smells like glue, though very lightly.

Texture

This is the interesting part. This product has the weirdest texture for skincare. It looks, smells, and feels like GLUE. It’s extremely sticky. It drips down when you hold the spatula, so there is some fluidity to it. If you press it in between your finger, you’ll get strings.

This makes the application interesting.

Application

It took me a while to find the way to apply it. When I first tried it 1 year ago, I couldn’t work out how to use it. The texture is so sticky that it wouldn’t spread on the skin at all.

Later I learned that you have to press the product in between your fingertips, then press it on the skin.

I use the Balancing Gel at the very last step of my skincare routine, after moisturiser, much like a sleeping pack. By this time, my fingers and face would have both gained some warmth due to the massaging and patting motion I had with the previous steps.

I take a little spoonful of the product, wipe the product on my middle three fingertips, then press the middle three fingertips of both my hands together to warm up and spread the product to my fingertips. I then press the fingertips all over my face. Then spread the product out using my fingertips as if I was doing a slow-motion massage.

Once I finish spreading the product all over my skin, I just leave it. My skin would appear shiny and feel tacky for 3-5 minutes. I could go to bed without trouble. After the product sinks in, the stickiness goes away, my face would feel moisturised and protected.

Results

I was surprised. My skin was very well hydrated and plump the next morning.

It ended my frustration of moisture loss overnight due to the dry weather, something that I wasn’t able to fix even with the thickest cream or sleeping packs.

I notice a big difference on days when I skipped using this product.

Price

Pyunkang Yul Balancing Gel retails for 20,000 Won (~$24 AUD) for 60ml of product or 32,000 Won (~$39 AUD) for 100ml. There’s really not much price differences between the two packagings, but the 60ml tube version is so much better in my opinion. The 60ml should last around 3 months with daily use – which is just right for the winter season. For $24 AUD, I think it’s very well priced.

Verdict

If you were hesitant to try this, just do it.

Pyunkang Yul Balancing Gel is not your usual skincare. It’s the weirdest product I’ve ever used, but it’s one of the few that works wonders.

It’s a must-have for anyone who’s into skincare. Moisture retention is so important that when you get it right, your skin will love you. It’ll save you loads of money and effort for treating wrinkles, damaged skin barrier or dehydrated skins, all of which are associated with not properly hydrating the skin.

Where to purchase Pyunkang Yul Balancing Gel?