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This article contains affiliate links* If I could only pick one product to help with redness issues, it would be the All Natural Houttuynia Cordata Care Serum, so it’s high time I give it a full review here on the blog!
Houttuynia Cordata – Korea’s It Ingredient for Inflammation-Prone Skin
Houttuynia Cordata has been quite the “it ingredient” in Korean beauty since the pandemic, and even now, at the beginning of 2023, it’s still a popular addition to many a hyped product. Just like its close bffs, Centella Asiatica and Mugwort, Houttuynia Cordata or “heartleaf” has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and skin soothing properties. For me, heartleaf has been a godsend during last year’s intense hay-fever season, with my allergies giving me constantly inflamed, bright red patches all over my face.
The All Natural Houttuynia Cordata Care Serum had been on my wishlist for a while before I finally snatched it up during an Olive Young Global* sale, and it fully lived up to its promises. All Natural rose to fame in Korea during the pandemic, thanks to their Houttuynia Cordata Sheet Mask* being crowned the best sheet mask for sensitised skin affected by maskne on Hwahae, Korea’s number one beauty app. The Houttuynia Cordata Care Serum is basically the sheet mask’s essence in a more concentrated, eco-friendly format, where you get all the goodness of the mask without the mess or the extra waste.
I’ve been using the All Natural serum for a while now, and finally found the time to give it a full review. Which it absolutely deserves, because this has quickly become a big “forever fave” of mine!
All Natural Houttuynia Cordata Care Serum – Simple in a Good Way!
I don’t know about you but sometimes I try hyped up, “minimalist” or “clean” beauty products and then end up feeling like I’m somehow missing something? Take the Torriden Dive-In Serum, for instance: yes, it’s a nice, basic hyaluronic acid serum, it hydrates well and is overall fine, but… Is it really the most incredible hydrating serum I’ve ever tried? Eh – I don’t know about that. Or The Ordinary product: they’re kind of ok, and I understand that the brand pioneered the “one ingredient product” trend, but many of the formulas leave me just wanting a bit more, you know (their Mandelic Acid Serum is amazing though!).
But then there are these simple, yet elegant skincare products that turn minimalist formulations into an art form! Products that seem simplistic, but somehow they just make my skin so happy, so relaxed and free from any stressors, that it’s a damn miracle. I would name many a Klairs product here, and of course my beloved Geek & Gorgeous products. They don’t need long lists of ingredients to impress, because every single ingredient actually does what it’s supposed to do. They just work, you know. I can always tell if a product has watered-down ingredients or the raw ingredients just don’t have the quality that is needed for them to do their job (looking at you there, Beauty of Joseon serums…), especially when it comes to overhyped “minimalist” products that end up being mostly water and a bit of a humectant thrown in there to seem “hydrating.”
What I’m trying to say with this little rant of mine is: All Natural gets it just right with their Houttuynia Cordata Care Serum. This is a hydrating, antioxidant formula with lots of soothing ingredients as well, with a simple gel texture that works for a variety of skin types.
Here is the full list of ingredients for the All Natural Houttuynia Cordata Care Serum:
“Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Purified Water, Aloe Vera Leaf Extract, Glycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Betaine, Centella Asiatica Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Prunus Persica (Peach) Kernel Extract, Angelica Gigas Root Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Leaf Extract, Rosemary Leaf Extract, Lavender Extract, Xanthan Gum, Panthenol, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Argan Kernel Oil, Evening Primrose Oil, Matricaria Flower Extract, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Pulsatilla Koreana Extract, Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract, Usnea Barbata (Lichen) Extract.”
The main ingredient here is, of course, the Houttuynia Cordata extract, working in tandem with good old panthenol to soothe skin and calm down redness. Glycerin, hyaluronic acid and hydrolised collagen are the main humectants in the formula, making skin look smooth, plump and well-hydrated. The serum also contains argan and evening primrose oil, two great emollients. A couple of antioxidant and potentially soothing plant extracts are also added into the mix, mainly chamomile, rosemary (also a great anti-inflammatory), and Japanese red pepper. The serum is alcohol-free, but it does contain one fragrant essential oil, geranium. I don’t detect much of a scent when using the serum, so I’d say the concentration is likely minimal, but be careful and patch test the product if fragrance is an issue for your skin.
All Natural Houttuynia Cordata Care Serum – Reasons to Love It!
The All Natural Houttuynia Cordata Care Serum has a syrupy gel texture that may feel a little sticky at first when you apply it to the skin. It sinks in nicely though and doesn’t leave a tacky feeling once it’s absorbed into the skin. As I said earlier, I can’t say that I detected any sort of scent, to me it smells pretty much neutral despite the geranium flower oil.
The main reason I love the All Natural Houttuynia Cordata Care Serum so much is because of its redness-combatting qualities. I have so much trouble with redness, all day every day, and very few things truly make a difference. Now, the redness on my face never fully goes away, due to already being pink toned anyway and having all these annoying allergies. However, using this serum on particularly bad redness days always makes a noticeable difference. My skin just looks and feels less angry and inflamed overall, and the redness may not be fully gone, but tends to be more muted overall.
This is also a great skin soother when I have sensitivity issues and can’t tolerate many products at all. If your skin barrier is damaged, this can be a great serum choice, since Houttuynia Cordata acts similarly to Centella Asiatica in being a mild wound repairer and anti-inflammatory extract. For me, heartleaf has actually worked better than both Mugwort or Centella when it comes to calming down inflamed skin!
As for its hydrating properties: I do find this very hydrating, though it may not be rich enough for very dry skin. The Houttuynia Cordata Care Serum has a nicely plumping and smoothing effect on my skin, I would recommend it for mature skin as long as you don’t expect any exceptional anti aging effects. The antioxidants in the formula certainly help combat free radicals, but this won’t give you any extra skin firming or wrinkle smoothing benefits. But then, it doesn’t claim to do that, so it’s not a negative point for me at all! Just managing expectations here, ya know. And younger skin surely will love this, it’s the sort of serum I would have been obsessed with in my teens and 20s.
Overall this is a wonderful serum for anyone with redness-prone, dehydrated, easily upset skin, as long as that tiny bit of essential oil content isn’t an issue for you. It wasn’t for me, in all truth, but do double check if your skin is very allergic/sensitive to this particular oil. I would recommend the All Natural Houttuynia Cordata Care Serum especially for oily, combo, dehydrated and slightly dry skin. It works well for an acne-combatting routine and will help take down inflammation, soothing any acne breakouts and supporting your skin barrier.
So, where can you buy the All Natural Houttuynia Cordata Care Serum?
The All Natural Houttuynia Cordata Care Serum is available at Olive Young Global*, currently retailing at $23.72 for the 55ml bottle. If you live in the EU, you can also find the serum at MIIN Cosmetics* for currently €29.95!
Let me know in the comments: Have you tried any All Natural products? What is your go-to product to soothe redness?
Take care guys, and stay safe – don’t forget to follow me on Instagram and Facebook for all the latest K-Beauty and skincare news, and check out my other work, e.g. my article about My skincare routine with Olive Young Global products! And guys – I have a YouTube channel now, I’d love for you to check it out and subscribe!
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