IUNIK
If a beta-glucan serum, a centella gel cream or a calendula cleansing oil brought you here: what beta-glucan does, how it compares to hyaluronic acid, and the steps we send.
About
IUNIK is a Korean skincare brand run from Gangnam-gu, Seoul by IUNIK Co. Ltd. It builds each line around a single key ingredient — Centella and Tea Tree, Beta-Glucan, Calendula, Propolis Vitamin, Black Snail and Rose Galactomyces — and describes what it sells as unique solutions for sensitive skin.
Short ingredient lists with the count printed run through the range. The Beta-Glucan Power Moisture Serum is sold on just ten essential ingredients, with mushroom-derived beta-glucan at 160,000ppb and a formula the brand calls fungal-acne safe. The Calendula Complete Cleansing Oil is built on eight, at 94% plant-based content.
The Centella Calming Gel Cream goes the other way and prints concentrations instead: centella asiatica leaf water at 68.5%, tea tree leaf water at 9.7%, and free from 26 common allergens.
One line on the serum page is a larger claim: beta-glucan, it says, is proven to outperform hyaluronic acid.
Three things worth unpacking: what a short list buys you, what a ppb figure means, and how beta-glucan differs from hyaluronic acid.
Worth it?
A short list is a real design choice, not only marketing: fewer ingredients means fewer things to react to, and a fungal-acne-safe formula means someone checked the esters and oils against a specific problem. A short list is also easy to read: you can see what you are buying, and know which ingredient to look for next time. The calming gel below is the short-list pick here, and genuinely fragrance-free.
The ppb figure converts cleanly: 160,000 parts per billion is 0.016 percent. Beta-glucan is active at low concentrations, so that is a working level. The centella pad below has beta-glucan confirmed in its list.
Beta-glucan and hyaluronic acid work differently. Beta-glucan is the larger molecule: it sits on the surface and soothes, while hyaluronic acid pulls water toward itself. The ampoule below runs on hyaluronic acid, so between it and the pad you can have both.
Worth knowing: propolis turns up across Korean soothing formulas and is bee-derived, useful to know if you keep your routine vegan.
We don't carry IUNIK itself. For each of these jobs, though, we send an alternative we rate highly — the five picks below.
Recommended
Yuja Pore Refresh Cleansing Oil
Umbraphil$244.6 (19)
The cleansing oil job, and an unusually watery one. LHA and niacinamide handle sebum, blackheads and waterproof makeup, with jojoba, grape seed oil and squalane keeping it from stripping. Two or three pumps onto a dry face, then do not skip emulsifying: add water and massage until it turns milky before rinsing.
CICAVITA Soothing Pad
AIPPO$364.5 (171)
The centella job, and the closest thing we send to a multi-purpose calming step: centella, madecassoside, tea tree leaf extract, niacinamide and beta-glucan are all confirmed in the list. Sweep it on after cleansing as a toner step, or press a pad onto a patch that needs more.
Hyalcica Total Moisture 10D Ampoule
theralogic$55.655.0 (2)
The hydrating serum job, and a generous one: ten forms of hyaluronic acid over a centella base, with madecassoside, asiaticoside, panthenol, allantoin and adenosine. The spread of molecular sizes gives it a layered feel, light and quick to absorb. Two or three drops after toner, patted in, then a cream over it.
Artemisia Ultra - Calming Gel
Earnest Mom$24.874.4 (191)
The calming gel cream job, and the lightest thing here. A short, simple list built on fermented artemisia with centella, aloe ferment, hyaluronic acid and green tea. Genuinely fragrance-free, which the list bears out. Absorbs fast with no tack, and a cream over it suits drier skin.
Cica Redness Solution Sunscreen
MEEBAK$303.6 (85)
The centella sunscreen job. SPF 50 with mineral filters — zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, confirmed in the list — and a green tint that neutralises redness as it blends. Centella and ceramide NP are in there too. It settles into fair to medium tones once you work it in.
How to use
For IUNIK's Calendula Complete Cleansing Oil: massage over dry skin to dissolve makeup, then add a little water and keep massaging for about thirty seconds until it turns milky, and rinse with lukewarm water. For the Beta-Glucan Power Moisture Serum: after toner, apply along the skin's texture and pat gently to help it absorb. The Centella Calming Gel Cream goes on the same way, evenly over the whole face. Run the picks above in this order: oil, pad, ampoule, gel, sunscreen last.
The box
Five full-size Korean products, matched to your skin, every month.
Questions
What is beta-glucan, and what does it do?
A polysaccharide from the cell walls of yeast, fungi, oats and seaweed. It holds water at the surface, with research support for soothing and barrier work.
Is beta-glucan better than hyaluronic acid?
They work differently. Beta-glucan is larger and sits and soothes; hyaluronic acid draws water in. Which suits you depends on the formula.
What does a figure like 160,000ppb actually mean?
Parts per billion, so 160,000ppb is 0.016 percent. Beta-glucan is active at low concentrations, so that is a working level.
What is the difference between a humectant, an emollient and an occlusive?
Humectants pull water in, emollients soften, occlusives slow water escaping. A hydrating serum is usually only the first.
What does propolis do in a soothing formula?
It is a bee-derived resin used for its calming, antioxidant character, which is why it turns up across Korean soothing serums and ampoules.
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