Review of Panacea Skincare 3-step Korean Kit // DNAMAG

Have you ever taken a step back to look at everything you’ve bought in search of clear, glowing skin and thought do I need all of this? Scrubs, acids, sheet masks, novelty products with nice packaging (or is that just me?)--all of these are great and definitely do their part in making your skin healthier, but there’s something to be said about a simple, consistent routine.

Panacea Skincare takes the 10-step Korean beauty routine and condenses it into just 3 incredibly efficient products, collectively called The Aegis Kit. Founded by Terry Lee to combat his own cystic acne, Panacea’s highly curated product range (a cleanser, moisturizer, and SPF) is well-thought out in all aspects and even went through over 12 revisions in their South Korean lab to get where it is now. Each product is travel-sized, cruelty-free, the formulas utilize quality ingredients that work well with every skin-type, and they’re all about making skincare and beauty accessible to everyone through gender-neutral marketing.

The Aegis Kit is comprised of a 3 step routine--cleansing, replenishing, and protecting. Step 1 kicks off with the Daily Facial Cleanser, which aims to pull out impurities from your pores and facilitate skin repair. To use, squeeze a quarter sized amount onto wet hands, lather, apply, then wash off with warm water. This is actually my favorite product in the range because it’s lightweight yet effective. The cleanser I’d been using up to this point could be pretty harsh on my face, but the buttery consistency of Panacea’s Daily Facial Cleanser is so gentle and leaves my skin looking radiant. Because it’s sulfate-free and derived from coconut oil, it leaves skin clean and taut without feeling dried out. Other stand-out ingredients include Hyaluronic Acid to keep your skin hydrated, fig extract to tighten pores, and Laminaria japonica to give you a subtle glow and fight toxins on your epidermis.

Step 2 focuses on replenishing skin. Beyond rehydrating skin, the Daily Facial Moisturizer helps balance the water and oil in your skin. Keeping these two in check helps facilitate healthy skin that can start protecting itself from all the residue that builds up during the day and maintain a vibrant complexion. If your skin doesn’t have enough water, it’s dehydrated. If there’s not enough oil, your skin becomes dry. Something I found really interesting is that our skin actually produces excessive amounts of oil if there’s not enough water. That means you could be buying products to reduce the oiliness of your skin, when your skin is actually just parched.

With that cleared up (pun not intended, but I’m gonna roll with it), Panacea’s moisturizer is pretty good! Again, the formula is super lightweight and you don’t need to use a lot to reap the benefits. I was a bit skeptical at first because the formula is so watery once it touches your skin and it gets absorbed instantly. Like, literally...instantly. I almost felt like I didn’t use enough (1 to 2 pumps is recommended), but then again that could just be me being a moisturizer freak. It didn’t take long though to show that it really was doing its job. Within a couple hours of my first use, my face felt satiny, supple, and all glowy. This is a mattifying moisturizer as well so you’re not left with a super shiny look, just the right amount of radiance.

Korean Skincare in just 3 steps, here's our review of Panacea Skincare // DNAMAG

The third and final step is to protect all the work the last couple products did with the Daily Facial SPF. I’m not sure if it’s the same for anyone else, but living in a city void of seasons like San Francisco makes SPF the last thing on my mind when it comes to my skin care regime. The truth is, SPF is just as important when it’s overcast. The Skin Cancer Foundation reports that only 20% of harmful UV Rays are blocked by clouds, so that’s still 80% left you need to protect your skin from. Panacea’s sunscreen is very light and intended for daily use. Scent was one thing I was kind of critical on because of that mental association of old dudes in Hawaiian shirts, but it definitely lives up to my expectations. It does have an SPF scent upon first application, but it’s super faint and fades away quickly. It’s not really sunny here in SF so I can’t speak to how well it protects against prolonged sun exposure, but I feel like it does protect me from the pollution of city-living.

These three products work so well together, I’d definitely recommend you to get the whole Aegis Kit. Each product is formulated to prep your skin for and amplify the effects of the next. It’s like a domino effect of wellness. In the two weeks that I’ve replaced my old routine with Panacea’s pared back one, the overall health of my skin has visibly improved. My face can tend to get oily by the end of the day, but with these products the shine was replaced with a healthy glow and my skin maintained that nice matte finish thanks to the Daily Facial Moisturizer even after more than 12 hours. Pore visibility is something else that I’ve noticed an improvement in after using Panacea’s products. Pores can’t physically shrink, but you can reduce their appearance by making sure they’re clean. As a whole, the Aegis Kit has gotten my moody face under control. It’s not a 1 or 2 week miracle worker, but it never claims to be. Panacea is all about setting the intention of taking care of your skin each and every day. Over consistent use, these powerful products will definitely make your skin look and feel much stronger, softer, and radiant.