Better Than Botox? My Skin After Two Weeks on Hanacure
After seeing the rave reviews, I had to give it a try.
Editor’s Note: This Hanacure review was originally written by Jamie Duncan after 4 weeks of testing. The latest update includes before and after photos after two weeks of testing by another one of our editors Sara Novak.
I love facials as much as the next girl, but with COVID-19, there’s just no way I’m taking the risk. In addition to my massage habit, in-person yoga class ritual, and monthly acupuncture tune-up, my beloved spa facials rapidly became a no-no over a year ago. (And frankly, even in Normal Times, they were starting to get pricey.)
I was drawn to Hanacure because it’s not your run-of-the-mill face mask. Its high consumer rating drew me in, and I was pretty darn impressed with my first experience. And with COVID-19 stress, my skin definitely needed a reboot.
Here’s my experience of using Hanacure twice weekly for two weeks. The company was kind enough to supply what I needed for this review, but the opinions are completely my own! Jamie Duncan, another Organic Authority writer, also provides her experience with Hanucure for her redness and hyperpigmentation.
Hanacure 101
Get the All-In-One Facial Set by Hanacure for $110.
Originating in South Korea, this K-beauty product is marketed as being a standout. Promising results after just 30 minutes, this cruelty-free, dermatologist tested, hypoallergenic product is formulated without parabens, phthalates, and sulfates. In short, it ticked all of the boxes on my beauty product checklist. It also contains the patented CO2 OctoLift™ technology partly responsible for the dramatic skin transformation.
The makers of Hanacure recommend using this product twice per week for a month until you see your desired results. After that, all you need to do is use it for maintenance. The cost for a single treatment (one gelling solution, one lifting serum, and one brush) will run you $29 and a month’s supply (four gelling solutions, four lifting serums, and one brush) is $110.
My Skin
So you have an idea of what I’m working with here, I’ll give you a little background on my skin and the other products I used throughout this trial. I have the occasional breakout on my face, and I have a few wrinkles on my forehead. As well as freckles (I hated them as a child but have grown to love them as an adult), I also have some itchy redness around my nostrils. I normally rely on Drunk Elephant’s natural skincare line to keep my skin in tip-top condition, combined with ample filtered water and a whole foods diet loaded with organic fruits and vegetables.
Jamie Duncan has some redness and hyperpigmentation around her nasolabial folds, chin, and sometimes forehead. That redness can turn itchy and get out of control, so her derm prescribed a face wash with ketoconazole in it that she uses as needed. She also relies on rosehip seed oil and Andalou Naturals cleansers and moisturizers. As far as wrinkles, she has some faint fine lines (the “elevens”) between her brows as well as smile lines. While she didn’t try Hanacure primarily for wrinkle reduction, it is aimed at helping in that area.
I purchased a single-use Hanacure facial for myself around Christmas of 2017. After seeing all the rave reviews and before and after pics, how could I not? Without giving too much away, I’ll admit that I was impressed with my first experience. But then, it dawned on me that we’ve been seeing results from single uses of this all-in-one facial on other sites, rather than regular, prolonged treatments.
It’s like this: we all know that a topical beauty treatment is usually not worth using if it’s only applied once (unless you already have amazing skin, of course) so why not go all in and try the recommended amount of facials, which according to Hanacure and the controlled trials, is twice per week, for an entire month. Hanacure was kind enough to supply what I needed for this review, but the opinions are completely my own!
First Impressions
Hanacure arrives in clean, minimal black and white packaging. I love the less-is-more modern look, so it was really visually pleasing to me. The set of four comes with a single brush to use with the four gelling solutions and lifting serums, as well as a nano emulsion sample.
To create the solution that will be applied to your face, ever so slightly peel back the corner of the gelling solution, and pour in the lifting serum from the little glass bottle. Hold the corner back down to create a seal and shake the covered tray for 20 seconds. Next, you’ll use the brush to swipe the gel all over your face.
Being that this was my second experience with the product, I knew what to expect regarding the mask’s notorious tightening, so I went ahead and applied it all the way down my neck without fear of being strangled to death during my at-home facial. But be forewarned if this is, indeed, your first rodeo: While the product dries it sort of makes you question where the hell this is all going, but once you’re over your sudden, uncanny resemblance to the Crypt Keeper, you get to reveal some seriously baby soft skin. After about 30 minutes, you’ll wash off the mask – a piece of cake, unlike clay treatments and the like. It will leave your skin very red for about an hour or two after. In addition to tightening, I also noticed a hot, tingling sensation while the mask was drying, a feeling Duncan echoed. That feeling carries over for a couple hours after the mask is removed, as well.
First Treatment (Before & After)
The first treatment made my skin very smooth to the touch but left a lot to be desired in terms of dramatic initial results. Hyperpigmentation remained, and the texture appeared to be about the same as before. Looks like I’ll be the type who actually needs several treatments before seeing desired results, if any.
Final Results (Before & After)
I definitely saw a breakthrough around the third-treatment mark. My skin looked like I had gotten Botox (and I swear I never have). My redness was much improved, and the overall texture and pigmentation on my face was more even.
I seriously wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this all-in-one mask to everyone I know – in spite of the up-there price. In fact, I’ll be placing an order again in the near future for the maintenance treatments the beauty biz recommends once you get your skin to the desired state.
Duncan agrees, noting she definitely saw a breakthrough around the fourth-treatment mark. “This is when my skin started changing for the better. It’s like I had layers of dull skin that needed exfoliating and the deep treatments that Hanacure provided helped reveal what was really underneath. I noticed that I could go longer without the need for my prescribed face wash, my redness was much improved and the overall texture and pigmentation on my face was more even. Breakouts, aside from menses-related blemishes, were gone.”
For your convenience, here’s a little breakdown of the Hanacure pros and cons I noticed along the way.
Hanacure Cons
- A lot of people might find a single treatment a bit pricey at $29 per application
- There’s so much product in one treatment, I feel I could’ve gotten two facials from a single application
- Though I appreciate the airtight seal, it was nearly impossible for me to pop the lids off the bottles at times. I had some choice words for the packaging.
- The effects don’t last that long, so you have to keep using the product
- Plastic packaging waste
- Takes some coaxing to get the serum out of the bottles
- Skin is red for hours post-treatment
- If anyone comes to the door, you look ridiculous
Hanacure Pros
- Feels cool and refreshing when applied
- Very easy to wash off – water is all you need to remove the mask
- Although it’s intimidating at first, steps for mixing the treatment are super easy
- Very generous amount of product
- Applicator brushes can be washed and reused for other things
Post-Treatment
My skin is oilier now, and the blemishes and redness are creeping back in, despite my usual cleansing regimen, which means the Hanacure mask was really doing wonders for my skin. As with everything, consistency and maintenance are key, making this little, power-packed facial a new mainstay in my routine.
Products in this Review
Here are the Hanucure products mentioned in this review.
The All-In-One Facial Set
Get the Hanacure All-In-One Facial Set, for $110.
The All-In-One Facial – Starter Kit
Get Hanacure Starter Kit, for $29.
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Nano Emulsion Moisturizer
Get the Hanacure Nano Emulsifier, for $49.
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