Purlisse Review

There are a few brands that have really brought the skincare secrets and trends from the Asian market and popularized them in western markets, Purlisse being one of them. The popularity of Asian skincare in western markets isn’t just a passing trend, but a changing ideology. And Purlisse is right there, passing down these skincare techniques that have been practiced by generations. So today we’re giving you a quick look into this Asian-american brand, some of their best selling products and the philosophy and formulas behind them.

Behind the Brand

As a young actress, Jennifer Yen saw first hand the detrimental effects that heavy, theatrical makeup had on her skin. After a number of desperate attempts to regain her confidence in her complexion, Yen rediscovered her grandmother’s Asian beauty secrets. After seeing how quickly these ingredients worked on her own troubled skin, she found Purlisse in order to bring these solutions to others.

Today, the brand still uses most of the traditional ingredients that Yen’s grandmother used on her own complexion. This includes soy, green and white tea and more importantly, blue lotus. These ingredients make up the backbone of all Purlisse products, which combine the best of both worlds to bring customers excellent products.

Purlisse Blue Lotus
Within all of the products in the Purlisse line, almost every single one of them contains blue lotus extract. This ingredient has been praised for its ability to effectively moisturize and soothe the skin. Along with this ingredient, most of the Purlisse line also features a unique Asian Herb Complex, that is designed to improve the appearance of your skin with continuous use. On their bestsellers list, there are quite a few products that include one or both of these ingredients in their formula.

Purlisse BB Cream
Makeup and skincare collide in this innovative, multi-tasker. BB creams, or ‘beauty balms’ originated in Asia and have since taken over beauty markets around the world. There have been so many tinted moisturizers, BB and CC creams that have been made available to consumers in the last several years, but each one offers something a little different. For example, when comparing Asian BB creams with more Western style BB creams, you’ll notice a few slight variations. Asian BB creams are typically focused on provided a lot of skincare benefits and a little bit of coverage, and are almost never formulated without a SPF. Western BB and CC creams by comparison are more focused on the makeup aspect, opting for additional coverage and several more shades instead of adding in additional skincare benefits and SPF. While you can definitely find western BB creams that do offer some of these factors, they’re rare.

The Purlisse BB Tinted Moist Cream definitely falls into the category of Asian BB creams more so than Western, but it does combine a little bit from both sides. With beneficial extracts like chamomile, artemisia and sugar maple, this formula soothes and improves radiance throughout the day. Along with the skin-loving ingredients, this formula also contains mineral sunscreens, which are better suited for those with sensitive skin. This product is offered in five different shades, which is where this cream really blends the Asian with Western. Most Asian BB creams only offer 1-2 shades for each product, and they are typically very light. This BB cream from purlisse offers all of the benefits from Asian skincare with the shade availability more similar to what you would see in Western beauty.

Purlisse Mud Mask + Exfoliant
Part pore vacuum, part brightening treatment, part exfoliator, this mud mask from Purlisse does a little bit of everything. This particular product is packed with so many beneficial extracts and antioxidants, so one product can give you a handful of different results. The main ingredients in this formula include blue lotus seed extract of course, as well as white clay, ginger, mushroom extract, white tea and rice bran water.

These ingredients work at every angle to improve the look of your skin. There are radiance boosted ingredients, anti-inflammatory properties, and ingredients that promote less noticeable skin texture, pore purification, and more even skin tone.

Investigating Ingredients

Within the Purlisse line there are three hero ingredients that are featured predominantly in so many of their products: blue lotus extract, white tea and rice bran water. These ingredients have been the focal point of the range since the beginning, as the founder, Jennifer Yen, was inspired by her grandmother’s skincare secrets. Of these three ingredients, there are two that are suited specifically for anti-aging, which includes: blue lotus extract and white tea.

Blue Lotus Extract
This flower has a rich history a thousand years old, all the way back to the ancient egyptians. In Asian skincare though, this extract is quite popular in many different products. One of the biggest benefits from blue lotus is the instant soothing and hydrating effect. Additionally, the plant itself is incredibly rich in skin-loving compounds. This includes antioxidants, vitamin C, vitamin B and iron. This combination is exceptionally great for those with dry or mature skin. The antioxidants within this ingredient protect against free radicals and the vitamin C helps to diminish the appearance of hyperpigmentation, acne scars, and age spots over time with continuous use.

White Tea
White tea is another powerful, antioxidant rich ingredient. Like blue lotus extract, this is a great ingredient to look out for if you have dry, aging or sensitive skin. The antioxidant properties, again protect the skin from free radicals, but also, as scientists now believe, may reduce the oxidative stress on the skin. Researchers believe that this type of stress could promote wrinkles and uneven pigmentation.

Along with protecting the skin from damage, white tea extract inhibits the production of MMP. Now, MMP is an enzyme that eliminates the collagen and elastin in our skin. Unfortunately, the amount of MMP in the body increases as we age, making it harder to maintain the optimum level of collagen and elastin. But, good news is, with the white tea extract, you can minimize the effect that MMP has on your skin, making it an effective option for anti-aging regimins.

Review Recap

While most of the reviews for this brand are positive, there aren’t a whole lot of them. Most products within this range have less than 50 reviews, and several have less than ten. With that said, reviewers with drier, more sensitive skin specifically loved these products from Purlisse. Most of the ingredients in these products are very gentle, yet effective, so you can see results without irritation or breakouts.

Additionally, there are several products from this range that have been featured in publications like People, Allure Magazine, Ok!, Essence, New Beauty and Byrdie.

With all that said, Purlisse may be a great option for you if you’d like to dip your toes into the Asian/K-beauty trend. Have you tried anything from this range? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!