Review : SKII Facial Treatment Essence

SKII Facial Treatment Essence Review

Product Description
A moisture booster that restores skin's natural 28-day renewal cycle, making skin smoother and more radiant. With more than 90% pure Pitera, it is often described as SK-II's "miracle water".

Effects :
Balances skin's pH, sebum secretion, moisture and oxygen levels, so the oily areas (usually T-zone) is less oily, while the dry areas are more moisturized. Soothes and refreshes skin from sunburn and burning sensation.

Benefits:
Texture refinement
Firmness power
Wrinkle resilience
Radiance enhancement
Spots control

Best to be used as the 3rd step in a typical skincare regime, this is the famous SKII treatment essence which took the world by storm when it was first launched many years ago.

An essence is typically applied to a clean face to prep skin to effectively absorb subsequent products like serum and moisturiser. The essence provides an additional layer of hydration so skin can better absorb the active ingredients from the rest of your skincare.

More than just softening or hydrating your skin superficially, a good skincare essence packs more nourishment and treatment ingredients to work skin deep and give you the complexion you always desired.

I have tried a small sample size many years ago and other than the sour Piteria smell, I vaguely remembered that it has not done a remarkable improvement to my skin.

Made up of over 90% Pitera – the brand’s key ingredient – the Facial Treatment Essence is said to improve radiance to reveal brighter skin, prevent sun spots, reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, improve skin’s texture, and boost its retention of moisture, ALL in one single product.

This facial essence can be used on all skin types from your 20s, 30s to beyond.  In your 20s, it will help balance skin’s sebum secretion, keeping it shine free. In your 30s, it will even out your skin tone, just when pigmentation becomes a problem. In your 40s, the Pitera essence will help to preserve youth and radiance, and so on.

Fast forward many years later, I took a 2nd chance with this product, for my aging skin.
Almost similar ( but not exactly ) to the Cellumination Mask-In Lotion in texture, this clear essence is more watery and can be a chore when you poured it into your cupped palms. On some unlucky days, I actually spilled some ( either during the pouring process into my palms or during tapping on skin ) and I thought that was such a waste.

I also used it on cotton pads which is easier to use, just swipe all over the face like a toner and let it sit abit longer on my pigmentation spots on the cheeks.
As per the instruction, you can use it both ways - either as a essence directly onto the skin or soaked in a sheet mask and use it like a facial treatment mask.

Since I do not own any paper masks, I poured it on cotton pads, tear it thinly and just layered on my face. Check how the lotion mask pack works here, made famous by Chizu Saeki. So far, I have used it in all 3 ways and all works almost the same, at least on my skin.



The Pitera scent is overpowering, purportly due to the fermentation. It certainly takes some adjusting to. Thankfully the scent does dissipate.

The essence is clear in colour, watery in consistency and sinks into the skin very quickly.
It provides a refreshing feel to the skin, making it feel luxuriously pampered. But I did not reap any significant whitening or hydrating benefits.

Perhaps I need more than a 10ml bottle to see an improvement. For something that is expensive and deemed as a miracle, I expected more from it.

The main ingredient in the product, Pitera, is naturally-occurring liquid from the yeast fementation process, discovered by scientists when they noticed the elderly workers working at a
sake brewery in Japan had wrinkled faces, but soft and youthful hands which led to the birth of this Miracle Water that helps women and celebrities to achieve crystal clear skin.
The single blend of vitamins, amino acids, minerals and organic acids helps to ensure supple, smooth and radiant skin.

My skin does get slightly red after using the product, mainly on the broken capillaries on the sides of my nose. I persisted in using for 2 weeks but failed to see any difference to my skin.
When my skin is dehydrated, this treatment essence did not help to provide the much needed hydration but made it more irritated instead.

I guess its probably a blessing in disguise, an excuse to skip an expensive product purchase!

Surprisingly, it scored only 3.6 from 387 users on Makeupalley.

Recommended Reading : SKII Hacks

Ingredients:
Saccharomycopsis Ferment Filtrate, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Water, Sodium Benzoate, Methylparaben, Sorbic Acid

Update ( 4th Sept 15 ) :

3 years later, I bought the Facial Treatment Essence Crystal Limited Edition 215ml again, still refusing to give up.

I tried the SKII FTE in 3 different ways - on paper sheet masks ( sold in capsule forms ), on cotton pads ( as a lotion mask, read here ) and in a misting bottle ( as a facial mist ).

On paper sheet masks, the FTE dries up pretty quickly so I didn't quite like it. As a lotion mask, where I spread out the cotton pads all over my face, the FTE stings occasionally and my skin turns red and slightly warmer on nose and cheeks. Despite that, my skin feels pampered, nourished and refreshing after each treatment but I have yet to see any significant improvement to my dark spots on cheeks. Skin is just left feeling soft and hydrated and rough edges were gone.

My favourite and last method is to use it in a spray bottle! Just decant it into one of those travel-friendly sized bottle and you are on your way to face-misting whenever your skin needs it. Refresh your skin and replenish any moisture you might have lost throughout the day. Fast and convenient!

Update ( 13th Sept 19 ) :

I realized the effects were more pronounced the older I get and now I can say that it truly works. Recently, I have been using a 30ml bottle on a daily basis, as a lotion mask. My skin is luminous even without any moisturiser. Skin is smooth to the touch and feel soft with all rough ( due to dehydration ) edges all gone. Loving the effects of the FTE.

However do note that, on my skin, right after lotion masking, my skin turns pretty red with all the red patches but they were gone after 5 minutes.

Where To Purchase : Amazon | Amazon SGShopee
SKII Facial Treatment Essence 230ml
SKII Facial Treatment Essence 75ml ( with free shipping )
SKII Facial Treatment Essence 75ml or 230ml ( with free and fast shipping )