The Mixsoon 3-Layering Essence Routine gave me baby smooth skin without exfoliation

Once upon a time, I talked about how exfoliation wasn’t always necessary. But then I hit my 30s, and my skin cell turnover rates weren’t what they used to be, so I started using gentle exfoliants again.

But what if I said I’ve stopped exfoliating, again, yet my skin is as smooth as ever? And no irritations whatsoever?

Obviously the post title gave it away, but I’ve been using the Mixsoon’s 3-Layering Essence Routine for Glass Skin twice a day, every day for more than a month now.

As the routine suggests, it consists of layering 3 different essences:

Mixsoon Galactomyces Ferment Essence

You may know this ingredient better by its trademarked name, Pitera. Yep, this is the same ingredient in the famous SK-II essence which I’ve loved for years. Benefits include:

• Helps protect the skin against oxidative damage^1,2
• Helps increase hyaluronan production¹
• Helps maintain a healthy skin barrier³
• May help improve skin pigmentation, wrinkles, and texture⁴

Based on the ingredient benefits, I can definitively say that the Mixsoon Galactomyces Ferment Essence has improved my skin texture and barrier health. On the other hand, I’m not really noticing changes in my dark spots or fine lines.

And if we’re comparing this to the SK-II, I also don’t notice any changes in radiance nor pore appearances. Could be the source of the Galactomyces Ferment Extract or its %, but SK-II is still the winner in my book.

But, SK-II is also a lot more expensive, and if you like mixing and matching essences (something the brand clearly encourages with their offering of 12 different options), Mixsoon may be the way to go.

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Mixsoon Bifida Ferment Essence

Another popular fermented extract, and it also happens to be the star ingredient in another one of my beloved products: the Lancome Advanced Genefique Serum. Bifida Ferment is also considered a probiotic, and has the following skin benefits:

• Help with wound healing, inflammations, and improve the skin barrier⁵
• At 10% it can help decrease skin sensitivity and dryness while increasing skin resilience6

While we don’t know the exact % of Bifida Ferment in this essence, as a “single ingredient” product I sure hope it’s higher than 10%! But since using this religiously in my routine twice a day, I’ve noticed that my skin tolerates tretinoin better. Usually I need a 2-day break in between, but lately I’ve been able to alternate tretinoin with a regular retinol, no issues at all!

This result is very similar to using the Lancome Genefique, but at a fraction of the price. The Genefique contains a lot more beneficial ingredients, but none that makes it a must have. I can definitely see myself using the Mixsoon Bifida Ferment Essence in place of the Genefique from now on!

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Mixsoon Soondy Centella Asiatica Essence

I can argue that centella asiatica is probably one of, if not the most popular K-beauty ingredient, and it’s a great one if you have fussy skin. It contains active compounds that help:

• increase collagen, hyaluronic acid, and glycosaminoglycans (also a humectant) production7,9
• inhibit melanin production from UV damage⁸
• increase antioxidant activity⁷
• improve wound healing and provide anti-inflammatory benefits¹⁰

While I do love this ingredient when my skin is on the sensitive side (*cough* too much retinol or acids *cough*), it’s not something I personally use everyday. It’s a star ingredient, just not my star ingredient.

But seeing as how my skin has become more resilient and less prone to redness since sticking to this Mixsoon 3-layering routine, maybe centella asiatica should be a daily staple? Though it’s also hard to say if the resilience is from the Bifida Essence or this, or both.

Of the 3 essence though, this was the one that least wowed me, only because there are so many better centella products out there. It’s not bad, it’s just not great either, and one I definitely wouldn’t repurchase.

One thing I do love about this essence though is how cute the packaging is. Look at the bear on the bottle! No we don’t buy skincare just because it’s cute, but it certainly makes the product more appealing to the eyes!

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No glass skin, but still great results

For me biggest changes I noticed were:

• how smooth my skin is
• how much better my skin got at handling tretinoin

I wouldn’t exactly call the results glass skin (try the Medicube Booster H instead), but still great improvements nonetheless.

Now I do think given my results, it’s most likely the Galactomyces and Bifida essences doing the heavy lifting, but the good news is the Mixsoon offers 9 other single ingredient essences if you want to switch out the centella asiatica. Maybe you’re looking to improve skin elasticity (hello Panax Ginseng Essence!) or brighten your skin tone (Daisy Essence anyone?) instead. I haven’t tried the rest so I can’t speak to their efficacy but I do like the variety available.

On the other hand, with 3 bottles at $22 each, you’re looking at $66 total, which isn’t too far off from a bottle of SK-II ($64 for 75ml). I get that they want to give people the option to mix and match, but I feel like the Galactomyces and Bifida essences can be combined into one, which brings me to…

Baby smooth skin alternatives

Surprisingly very few products combine these two fermented extracts, maybe they don’t play well together in the same formula? But here are some you could check out:

🌱 numbuzin No. 3 Skin Softening Serum
With 42% Bifida and 21% Galactomyces, this is probably your closest dupe to combining the two essences. In addition you get some other great ingredients like hyaluronic acid, squalane, niacinamide, and panthenol. Reviewers rave about how this gives them super soft and smooth skin.

🌱 Missha Time Revolution First Treatment Essence Rx Pro Ferment
One of the many versions of Missha’s famous essence that’s supposedly a dupe for SK-II. It’s not, and the version I had tried worked best when paired with their ampoule, but this specific iteration does contain both Galactomyces and Bifida ferment extracts, along with ceramides, niacinamide, and adenosine.

🌱 Benton Fermentation Essence
In addition to the two fermented extracts, the biggest draw to this essence is that it contains both copper peptides and growth factors! And if your skin doesn’t agree with niacinamide, you’re in luck because it’s not included in the formula. A bit under-the-radar product but well rated nonetheless.

🌱 Haruharu WONDER Black Rice Probiotics Barrier Essence
A new milky essence that’s been getting a lot of buzz, it’s star ingredients are actually ceramides, cholesterol, and fatty acids to strengthen your skin’s barrier. Though it contains Bifida and Galactomyces fermented extracts, the % is super low, like 0.1% low so I question if they’ll make any impact.

I haven’t tried any of these myself, but I already have the numbuzin on my list to try, and that would be my recommendation for a “dupe” as well.

Also none of these contain centella asiatica, but this ingredient is so prevalent that it’s probably already in your routine. But if I had to recommend a centella product, it would without a doubt be the La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Balm B5. Still a holy grail to this day.

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Final Thoughts

While I did get great results from layering the 3 essences, the total cost is quite high and I’d rather just pay for a bottle of SK-II at that point. Or if I want similar results, I may try one of the above similarly-priced alternatives instead, AND I get more beneficial ingredients. Or I could just use an exfoliant once a week like I’ve always done.

It’s one of those rare times where yes, I get results (though not the claimed ones), but unless you absolutely cannot use acids, the cost and extra effort just don’t wow me enough to recommend the whole setup. My suggestion would be to pick just one essence that fits your needs, and for me, it definitely be the Bifida Essence. That I would recommend highly by itself!

Jenny Wu

Passionate about science-based skincare. Tested hundreds if not thousands of products since my 20's. Working regularly with brands like iHerb, Ulta, CurrentBody, and MedStar Health to share my knowledge and experience in all things beauty. Learn more.

Skin profile: 35+, dry/combination, focused on well-aging, hydration, and a healthy glow ✨