[ENG] Review: Vegreen Alcohol-Free Mucin Essence Toner – Vegan Hydration Bomb

*Anzeige/Ad One of my favourite hydrating K-beauty toners of all time is finally getting a review! In honour of Vegreen’s new packaging design, I am sharing my love for the Vegreen Alcohol-Free Mucin Essence Toner with you.

Vegreen Alcohol-Free Mucin Essence Toner – Welcome back, Friend!

The first time I tried the Vegreen Alcohol-Free Mucin Essence Toner was in 2021, and it was pretty much love at first use. Vegreen is a small Korean indie brand specialising in eco-friendly, vegan skincare made for sensitive, reactive skin. I didn’t know much about them before I tried their products, but both their toner and the equally excellent Daily Moisture Cream won me over fast.

The minimalist, alcohol- and fragrance-free formulas really work so well for a variety of skin types, and I always find myself reaching for their products when my skin is having a “freakout” or just needs a particularly calming routine. I was happy to receive the newly repackaged version of the Alcohol-Free Mucin Essence Toner recently, and it felt like the perfect opportunity to finally dedicate a full review to what I consider to be the brand’s best product, and one of my all time favourite K-beauty toners.

Vegreen Alcohol-Free Mucin Essence Toner: So, what Exactly Is “Nature Mucin”?

If you’ve always been curious about products with snail mucin, but the thought of them kind of makes you feel iffy, or you simply prefer a vegan alternative, “nature mucin” products are really your go-to alternative. It is a similarly “stringy”, slightly gooey skincare ingredient made from wild yams, so it is entirely plant-based. Wild yams extract has strong humectant qualities, so it hydrates the skin and makes it more supple and plump-looking.

But that’s not all wild yams mucin can do! The extract contains so-called diosgenin, a compound of the root vegetable that has a positive effect on wrinkle depth, plus it may help gently lighten hyperpigmentation. Incidentally, snail mucin is often credited with helping with dark spots, while actually not really containing anything specifically that would warrant this claim.

Apart from 68% wild yams mucin extract, the Vegreen Alcohol-Free Mucin Essence Toner contains a host of other skincare goodies great for sensitive, dehydrated skin.

Here is the full list of ingredients for the Vegreen Alcohol-Free Mucin Essence Toner:

“Dioscorea Villosa (Wild Yam) Root Extract (68%), Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Panthenol, 1,2- Hexanediol, Carbomer, Arginine, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Cross polymer, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid,Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Centella Asiatica Leaf Water, Ethylhexylglycerin.”

You can see that it is a relatively short, compact list of ingredients, which means this is a great product for sensitive skin types. Minimalist formulations are always a better choice if you often react to products, since it is much easier to spot potentially triggering ingredients. In the case of the Vegreen Alcohol-Free Mucin Essence Toner, there is little risk for a negative reaction (personal ingredient triggers of course are always possible): the toner is alcohol- and fragrance-free and contains no essential oils.

In addition to the hydrating yams extract, the Vegreen Mucin Essence Toner also contains humectant glycerin and 5 types of hyaluronic acid, so it is deeply hydrating. Panthenol and Centella Asiatica water help to soothe and calm down redness-prone, reactive skin.

Vegreen Alcohol-Free Mucin Essence Toner: Surprisingly Lightweight?!

I remember the first time I used the Vegreen Alcohol-Free Mucin Essence Toner, I was surprised at how light this felt once it’s applied to the skin! The toner has quite a viscous texture, thick and gooey-looking, really quite similar to snail essences. However, unlike snail products, which have this tendency to sit on the skin for a bit and feel uncomfortably sticky, this toner instantly transforms into a more watery consistency once it comes in contact with the skin. The Mucin Essence Toner spreads nicely all over my face and sinks in super fast, leaving neither stickiness nor any product residue behind.

My skin always feels so plump and very soft after using the Vegreen toner, and it does such a good job replenishing hydration. I remember this was my only toner throughout that super humid summer of 2021, simply because it was the only hydrating toner that didn’t make my skin break out or feel stifling.

I feel this is a great hydrating toner for pretty much any skin type, even acne-prone skin, since it just delivers this intense wash of hydration without overpowering the skin.

If you have reactive, easily triggered skin prone to dehydration, this is a great toner choice. I’m glad to have this back in my routine, and I find myself reaching for it consistently.

Thanks to the alcohol-free and fragrance-free formula, this is such a gentle and skin-friendly product, a real lifesaver when my skin won’t tolerate many products due to just being super reactive (thanks pollen season!). I especially love the softening and plumping effect of the Vegreen Alcohol-Free Mucin Essence Toner, it really has few equals in that regard!

So, where can you buy the Vegreen Alcohol-Free Mucin Essence Toner?

The Vegreen Alcohol-Free Mucin Essence Toner is available at a number of shops that ship worldwide: the 150ml toner bottle is available at Stylevana* for $11.09, at Amazon* for $13.99, and at Jolse* for $11.90. If you live in the EU, Germany-based K-beauty shop Skincation also sells this toner for currently only €8.95.

Make sure to also check out Vegreen’s brand website for purchasing sources and more information on all of their products! They just brought out a new cleansing oil that is also chef’s kiss! It contains 86% natural ingredients, including 42% rice bran oil and a number of brightening, antioxidant fruit extracts. It rinses off like a dream too!

Share in the comments: Have you tried any Vegreen products yet? Is vegan skincare important to you?

Take care guys, and stay safe – remember to follow me on Instagram and Facebook for all the latest K-Beauty and skincare news!

*Ad/Anzeige, in collaboration with Vegreen – all views in this article are entirely my own! Links marked with an * are affiliate links, meaning I earn a small commission when you use them, and a tracking cookie is placed. This does not increase the amount you pay when you purchase via these links. Products were provided by the brand.