The Plant Base
Saying the name of this brand ‘The Plant Base’ aloud, one could be forgiven for thinking it related to some trendy new vegan pop up or delivery service specialising in organic, leafy deliverables. However, that assumption would be wrong, for ‘The Plant Base’ is in fact a rather cleverly named Korean skincare company. Created far earlier than the point at which ‘clean beauty’ became a thing, it has pioneered the way when it comes to the production of skin-care products containing only plant-based ingredients and without mineral oil, parabens, and artificial fragrance. How they managed to licence the name ‘The Plant Base’, a moniker I can only imagine is worth millions now, I’ll never know. But it certainly pays to be ahead of the curve! Style Korean, kindly sent over a number of their products, so for the past few weeks I’ve been immersing myself in all things ‘The Plant Base’, and now I’m ready to give you my thoughts!
‘Since the beginning, THE PLANT BASE insists only hypoallergenic and high-performance products formulated with only natural plants and certified organic ingredients’
- From The Plant Base website
About the brand
After an in depth look at the brand, it becomes clear that they’re a company with a very clear message: producing high quality cosmetics leaning entirely upon ‘naturally’ produced ingredients. Now, if you’ve watched any of my YouTube videos, or glanced at my Instagram, you’ll know I’m not so enamoured with the idea of ‘clean beauty’. I don’t subscribe to the idea that just because something is synthetic, it’s automatically bad. All I worry about is: are the products doing what they’re supposed to do well, are the ingredients produced in an ethical manner and are they irritating my skin? If the answer is yes and no respectively, I’m not too fussed about the origin of the ingredients.
That being said, I think The Plant Base’s approach to clean beauty is very interesting. Rather than focusing on water, for example as a vehicle for soluble compounds, they replace it with plant extract. This is to enable their formulations to be highly potent and concentrated. Indeed, one of the key calling cards of the brand is their dedication to ensuring their products contain exceptionally high concentrations of their key ingredients. As Charlotte Cho of Soko Glam wrote for Allure: ‘It's rare to find a brand that is so committed to high concentrations of their hero ingredient, and The Plant Base is one of those rare brands that has done this well at an affordable price’. This is definitely evidenced in the products I’m reviewing today.
The company also invests significantly in research and development, which is an important aspect of any skincare company’s ability to survive the often harsh landscape of the south Korean cosmetic market. It also stands strong against any form of animal testing, which I applaud, appreciate and is a major factor in brands I actively seek out and repurchase.
Experience of the ‘Time Stop’ line
In the package I received were products from two separate product lines: the ‘Time Stop’ line, and the ‘AC Clear’ Line, a range dedicated to sensitive skin dealing with blemishes or acne. I’m going to first talk about the ‘Time Stop’ line.
I was actually already aware of this range of products, because I’ve been using their Time Stop Ampoule for years, however I’d never tried their eye cream. Both of these products have acquired some what of a cult favourite status in the K-Beauty world. Particularly the ampoule that sold out within days when it first arrived in the US back in 2018. Being in desperate need of a new eye cream having developed some super fun and attractive dark eye circles due to late nights on the production I’m currently working on, I tried the Time Stop Peptide Eye Cream first.
The main ingredients in this formulation are 36% Rosa Hybrid Flower Extract and 10% Honey Extract, whilst also containing a high percentage of 10ppb peptides too. To be totally honest with you all, I usually steer clear of anything rose derived, because I’m a little bit allergic (the most ironic, I know!), however I was pleasantly surprised by this eye cream. I did a lot testing processes, numerous patch tests before I tried it on my eyes, but I had no reaction at all. I have a hunch that it’s formulated in a very specific way, devoid of the irritants that usually cause me mild irritation. Rosa Damascena contains skin-soothing and antioxidant compounds, which is why you often find it included in a lot of skincare today, and if formulated in a certain way can be used to naturally fragrance products. Honey on the other hand is something I know my skin THRIVES on, and I was right! The cream has a fairly thick consistency, and comes out of the easy to handle tube a quite alarming shade of yellow, however it absorbs almost like a fluid on contact with the skin, which I really liked because I sometimes find eye creams a little too cloying around the eye cream, and dries completely clear. Over time I noticed a definite reduction in the dark circles around my eyes, and my under eye area looks much more even toned than it had done previously. Although this product worked for me, and didn’t irritate my skin, I certainly won’t be jumping to try out more Rose-containing products, and I’d definitely patch test this product if you’re at all irritated by that ingredient.
Next I moved on to the Time Stop Collagen Ampoule, a product that has become a true Holy Grail product for me. This ampule is formulated with 76.52% mushroom extract to stimulate collagen production (thanks to the Hericium Erinaceus mushroom) and to reduce the appearance of wrinkles (this time thanks to the Snow Mushroom extract). Although I’ve tried other products containing mushroom extract, a highly underrated ingredient in my option, and one that I absolutely love using on my skin, this formulation certainly has an extraordinary high concentration, feeding in to the brand’s dedication to getting as higher potency of ingredients into their skincare as possible. The ampoule also contains lots of lovey humectants to lock in the moisture, as well as Centella Asiatica to soothe the skin and Liquorice to even out the skin tone. Consistency-wise, it’s that perfect middle ground between being thick and luxurious, whilst never being too heavy on my skin. I tend to use this ampoule in a very targeted manner, due to having what people describe as a baby face (and what I refer to as more closely resembling a perfectly spherical egg). Either way, I haven’t really experienced ay major wrinkles yet- so I used this around my eyes, my forehead and neck, where I expect my age will eventually begin to show! The packaging is something I’ve spoken about on the blog before too. I think it’s a really intuitive and interesting design- one I might go as far to call the perfect ampoule tube, if such a thing exists! Its twist cap is easy to open and dispense, and keeps the actual handling of the packaging to a minimum, which I appreciate because I hate my products getting greasy.
Experience of the ‘AC Clear’ line
What I found intriguing about the AC Clear line was its mission statement to be gentle enough for sensitive skin, whilst also being able to adequately diminish or keep acne and other blemishes at bay. As someone who used to suffer very badly with acne, and who occasionally experiences flare ups, who also has very sensitive skin, this sounded like something I’d definitely want to experiment with. The issue with having acne in addition to sensitive skin, is that you’re constantly balancing this seemingly impossible tightrope of needing to use products that are high powered enough to tackle the acne, despite most of those products setting off your skin, increasing inflammation and therefore running the risk of worsening your blemishes.
First up in this range is their AC Clear Magic Foam, which claims to give your skin a deep yet gentle cleanse, effectively washing away bacteria and other acne-inducing compounds, whilst not being too stripping. What I immediately liked about this product was the high concentrations of Centella Asiatica, one of my all time favourite ingredients for keeping my sensitive skin happy! It also contains Althaea Root extract, another naturally derived soothing ingredient, along with some actives such as Glycolic Acid, an AHA, great for exfoliating. On the other hand, however, it does contain a couple of ingredients I would be wary of if you have particularly sensitive skin, such as stearic acid which can be an irritant. This cleanser foamed up really beautifully in my hands, and felt incredibly light on my skin, which is perfect as I generally prefer a lighter texture to my clearers (think more similar to a whip formula than a gel). Due to the ease with which it develops a good foam, I would suggest using only a small amount when you use it, otherwise you end up with it everywhere! It washed off really easily, and didn’t leave any residue. After use, I definitely felt my face was very clean, although not like all the moisture had been zapped from my face, as has often been the case with my acne reducing cleansers. My cheeks felt springy and overall my skin was very refreshed. Although I’m not experiencing acne right now, and therefore will probably stick to my super neutral and non-irritant cleanser from Be Plain, I definitely think I’ll keep this around for when I need a more powerful cleanser, that’s not going to over-strip my skin.
Their AC Clear Pure N Skin is, to begin with, a very good toner. Containing over 90% Centella Asiatica, this is a perfect accompaniment to a routine for someone who’s dealing with some pretty intense formulations, but still needs those calming and soothing ingredients to keep their skin from freaking out! It also contains some lovely humectants, such as Glycerin, to maintain the skin’s moisture levels. However, that’s just the first half of the ingredients list. From then on, I really feel The Plant Base is doing itself a bit of a disservice, because we move into this long list of perfumed ingredients and essential oils, that I’m not sure actually do anything for the formula other than make it inaccessible to those with sensitive skin. Ingredients such as Lemon Peel Oil, Lavender Oil, Rosemary Leaf Oil, amongst others, unnecessarily crowd what would otherwise be quite a nice toner. Indeed, the smell of this product is pretty overwhelming, and confirmed I probably didn’t want to be putting in on my face. So, I tried it on my arm, and offered it to my brother, who has very hardy, insensitive skin, which can also be acne prone. He really liked it, my arm not so much. The one thing I did like about this toner was the consistency, super light and hydrating- without those dreaded oils, we’d be on to a winner! Overall I’d recommend it to those suffering with acne, who need a bit of respite and pampering in their toner, but only if they know their skin isn’t sensitive, or easily set off by botanical oils.
The AC Clear Magic Cica Cream can be seen as a topical cream for those experiencing acne. This was one of the products I was most excited to try because do get the occasional acne flare up, and the odd single blemish here and there, and have been on the look out for an effective topic treatment that isn’t too harsh. Like the rest of the line, the star ingredient is Centella Asiatica, which makes up 54% of the formula. It also contains green tea powder and tea tree, two of my all time skin clearing, brightness-inducing superstars that are brilliant antioxidants. Consistency-wise, it’s pretty thick and waxy, which produces a occlusive layer over the blemish area, locking in any treatment you’ve put on underneath, and ensuring no bacteria gets on to the area, which I really liked. Although it does absorb nicely, you’re definitely left with a matte film on that area. I have had a very stubborn breakout that’s been around for a while on my chin (another victim to maskne!), and I’ve noticed this cream has been able to reduce the redness and size of the breakout dramatically. I wouldn’t use this all over my face, because it doesn’t need it, and I don’t like to over-treat my skin, however, I definitely think it’s a useful and effective product to have in your arsenal, for when you do experience the odd breakout.
The AC Clear Moisture Pure N Cream was probably my favourite out of the entire AC Clear line. I believe this product comes in two types of packaging, the first being a jar, and the second being the tube which I received. I think the tube is definitely the best option, if you’re given it. The texture is hybrid between a cream and a gel, which I think works best being squeezed out rather than scooped (it’s also more hygienic). When using, I found it super moisturising and comfortable to wear throughout the day. I was a little nervous due to it being slightly thicker than what I usually gravitate towards, however, I was pleasantly surprised, and it absorbed into the skin beautifully. I used in predominantly during the night, but on a few cold days too and it stood up well! Ingredients wise, again Centella Asiatica is key to the formula, making up 76%, closely followed by a number of ingredients I have found worked well with my skin such as Glycerin and Niacinamide. Definitely a product I’d recommend for someone struggling with acne, who wants to protect and maintain a healthy skin barrier by locking in as much moisture as they can!
Overall, I think this is a bit if a mixed bag for me. I love the Time Stop line. The collagen ampoule will continue to be one of my favourite ampoules of all time. It’s well formulated and delivers brilliant results. The eye cream, I also really enjoyed and can see myself using for a long time. The AC Clear line on the other hand, had so much promise, and although I did enjoy using some of the products, I feel some of them missed the mark.
If you’d like to pick up any of these products, you can find them here at Style Korean! https://bit.ly/3dBBK4s
