Ideal Balancing and Calming Toner at an Affordable Price

If you’re a kbeauty aficionado, then you’ve probably already heard of Mugwort. Highly recommended for oily and sensitive skin, we recently received this toner from the newly launched kbeauty brand Selenus and put it through its paces. Here’s our honest review.

If you have oily, sensitive and acne-prone skin, and you haven’t heard of Mugwort, maybe it’s time for you to get in the know. Mugwort, sometimes referred to as Wormwood, is actually a common perennial plant that’s native to Europe, Asia and North Africa, it has long been used in local cuisines and traditional medicine and even in one of Harry Potter’s magic potions!

In recent years, Mugwort has grown in popularity in kbeauty products and even amongst some western skincare brands. Rich in various antioxidants, particularly Vitamin E, Mugwort is suitable for the treatment of skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. It can also help protect the skin against UV damage and stimulate collagen production which reduces the appearance of fine lines.

Often overshadowed by the another popular kbeauty ingredient, Centella Asiatica or Cica, Mugwort possesses many of the same anti-ageing and skin soothing benefits that make it a great ingredient to have in your regular skincare rotation. Read on for our full review of the Selenus Artemisia Calming Us Toner.

TL;DR

About My Skin: Combination & Sensitive

So, some skin context first. My skin’s a combination with dry cheeks and a particularly oily T-zone where I occasionally get acne breakouts. Depending on my environment (and time of the month), the difference between the dry and oily zones can vary from mild to pretty drastic. This can make it challenging at times and requires that I compromise at times or rotate my products in order to get the best results. 

My skin can also be quite temperamental - sensitive - with reactions ranging from mild inflammation to full blown acne breakouts. I try to manage this by staying away from known allergens and to use soothing products that are as natural as possible. But if you suffer from sensitive skin like me, then you know how maddening it can be not knowing what around you might cause a reaction.

Artemisia Calming Us Toner: Appearance, Texture and Fragrance

The Artemisia Calming Us Toner came in a simple but sturdy, clear plastic bottle that had a surprisingly heft to it. It comes only in a single size, 155ml/5.24fl oz, and at $25 for a bottle, it is affordable yet has a premium feel to it. The packaging was decent but pretty much run-of-the-mill kbeauty stuff.

The toner itself is a clear and colourless liquid with a light watery texture that makes it a breeze to apply evenly either with your hands or a cotton pad, if that’s what you prefer. It’s listed as fragrance-free - no artificial fragrance - which is great for sensitive skin but it isn’t totally scentless. It has a very slight fresh scent that reminded me of baby powder and once applied to the skin, the scent was virtually undetectable.

Application: Easy, Cooling and Calming

The light watery texture, typical of most toners, makes it easy to apply either with your hands or a cotton pad. Because I’m such an eager beaver, I usually just use my hands but I also tried it with a cotton pad and it works just fine. If you’re using your hands though, make sure that you wash them thoroughly before you start your routine.

Besides application being a breeze, this toner felt really cooling and calming on my skin and it has excellent absorption. I tried using the Artemisia Calming Us Toner in the Korean “7 Skin” method and my skin lapped it up with ease and ended up feeling smooth and super hydrated. If you’re into the 7-Skin routine, I would recommend using this toner and because it’s inexpensive, you can use it liberally without hurting your wallet!

Simple Formulation With Tried and Tested Actives

The formulation on this toner is quite simple with not too many ingredients which is something I look for in products for my sensitive skin. The hero ingredient is of course Mugwort but it also has a combination of a few other tried and tested ingredients like:

• Glycerin - A common humectant and emollient, Glycerin helps the skin retain moisture and soften and conditions it for the soft, smooth and supple feel.
• Panthenol - Another name for Vitamin B5, Panthenol is a common ingredient in skincare with a proven track record. Besides helping moisturise your skin it is also a soothing agent.
• Allantoin - In addition to being a moisturising agent, Allantoin also has soothing and anti-ageing properties that complement those of Mugwort.
• Butylene Glycol - This helps to hydrate by raising moisture levels in your skin. It also helps to smooth and improve the texture of dry and rough skin.

Apart from its hero ingredient, Mugwort, the formulation of this toner is pretty simple and straightforward utilising tried and tested ingredients that can be found in many other skincare products. While it is decidedly “un-exciting”, simple formulations are great for those with sensitive skin like myself. They work and you know that you aren’t going to get any unexpected results from using it.

The Final Word

Using this toner over a couple of weeks as part of my skincare routine and on its own using the 7-Skin routine, I found this toner to be sufficiently hydrating and calming on my skin. I liked that it worked well on both my dry areas as well as my oily T-zone and I’m happy to report that I haven’t noticed any adverse reactions to using this toner.

I particularly liked using this toner in the 7-Skin routine as I felt it left my skin feeling more balanced (oil-moisture) and the gulf between my dry zones and oily T-zone did not feel as huge. While I haven’t used it long enough to report on its acne clearing capabilities, I have not had a break out ever since I started using this toner. 

Overall, I really like the Artemisia Calming Us Toner from Selenus. Even though the brand is quite new on the market, the product itself is very good. From the texture, absorption and results to its affordability, this is one of the best toners in its price range and I would recommend the product to those with sensitive, oily and/or acne prone skin.