Korean beauty (or K-beauty) continues to grow in popularity, with new brands washing up on British shores (aka our social media feeds) every month. One of the most impressive – having successfully broken into the UK market with its viral black rice range – is Haruharu Wonder. And now you can buy it at Boots.
‘Haruharu’ means ‘everyday’ in Korean, and that’s exactly what these formulas are designed for. The brand’s messaging is all about stripping everything back to a routine that’s simple, nourishing and kind to skin, rather than anything too abrasive or harsh – we all know our skin barriers are suffering because of stripping products and complex, 10-step routines.
The Haruharu Wonder £15 taster kit is – in our books – the ideal way to get into the brand (or K-beauty in general), or to introduce a friend or family member to it. Here’s what makes this set so special.
The Haruharu Wonder Best Glow Trial Kit at a glance
What’s included:
- Black Rice Moisture Cleansing Oil, 30ml
- Black Rice Triple AHA Gentle Cleansing Gel, 20ml
- Black Rice Hyaluronic Toner, 30ml
- Black Rice Probiotics Barrier Essence, 30ml
What are the benefits of black rice in skincare?
‘Black rice is full of vitamin E, which has great antioxidant properties,’ explains Juliet Heaton, beauty innovation tester at the Good Housekeeping Institute. ‘Antioxidants are great at reducing free radicals in the skin – the chemical species that can cause various forms of skin damage, including inflammation, pigmentation and even the breakdown of key structural proteins such as collagen and elastin.’
The key ingredients in the Haruharu Wonder Best Glow Trial Kit
Black Rice Moisture Cleansing Oil, 30ml
Korean beauty puts great emphasis on hydration, so oil-based cleansers are often used as a first step in a two-step cleansing routine to properly get rid of any makeup without stripping or drying the skin.
‘This cleanser has boosted antioxidant properties from the added sunflower seed oil, which provides an extra dose of moisturisation,’ says Juliet. ‘Plus, I’ve already sung the praises of black rice for its ability to fight inflammation in the skin.’
Black Rice Triple AHA Gentle Cleansing Gel, 20ml
Again, in order to ensure the cleansing process is thorough but gentle, cleansing gels – which lean on water-based, low-pH formulations, are popular.
‘The triple AHAs in the cleansing gel are citric, tartaric and mandelic acids,’ Juliet explains. ‘As these are quite large molecules for AHAs (eg glycolic and lactic acids are smaller), they exfoliate without penetrating the skin too deeply, which makes them gentle, rather than abrasive.’
Black Rice Hyaluronic Toner, 30ml
Toners are instrumental to K-beauty routines, as they’re designed to restore pH balance after cleansing, soothing and hydrating skin in preparation for serums and essences.
‘This toner contains hyaluronic acid, which works as a humectant,’ Juliet says. ‘Water is attracted from both the environment and deeper layers of the skin and is held in the epidermis (surface layer of skin) as the hyaluronic acid binds to it. Basically, if you’re looking for a clever way to increase hydration in winter without layering on lots of occlusive moisturisers (which form a seal on the skin’s surface), this might be your answer.’
Black Rice Probiotics Barrier Essence, 30ml
Essences – lightweight, water-based formulas designed to drench skin in hydration – are defining features of K-beauty routines, as are probiotics. This formula is designed to keep the skin barrier healthy and robust.
‘There are three probiotics in this barrier essence – aspergillus ferment, bifida ferment filtrate and galactomyces ferment filtrate,’ says Juliet. ‘Together, they can help maintain a healthy skin microbiome (the carefully balanced ecosystem of organisms on the skin), as well as supporting the skin barrier by acting as antioxidants and preventing water loss. Essentially, they help to strengthen the skin, leaving it looking healthier.’
My verdict on Haruharu Wonder’s Best Glow Trial Kit
For £15, this is a good value introduction to a genuinely great skincare range. My gateway into this Korean brand was the Black Rice Moisture Airyfit Daily Sunscreen, which is non-greasy but provides maximum protection (SPF50+/ PA++++). I then tried the Black Rice Moisture 5.5 Soft Cleansing Gel and it replaced my usual cleanser. Each product is worth around £15 each, and although the bottles are bigger than in this gift set, getting to try four separate formulas for £15 is a steal – when skincare is so individual, trying formulations out before you commit to them is a blessing.
Whenever I have friends over and let them choose some beauty products to take home (we get sent a lot on the beauty desk!), this brand is always the first to be snapped up, even though it’s not the most expensive. Either my friends are fools (quite possible) or they now know a good thing when they see it.
I’ve already secured six of these sets to dish out to pals at our annual Christmas dinner, and I can already hear the high-pitched squealing that’ll undoubtedly ensue.
Florence is our Senior Beauty Writer, specialising in expert-tested beauty and grooming reviews — from toothbrushes to the latest skincare launches. She’s committed to sharing recommendations for products that truly work and make people feel confident and healthy. Prior to this she was at Tropic Skincare, where she worked closely with biochemists in the lab, delving into the functions of each fresh, natural ingredient and conveying its efficacy to her audience in easy-to-digest terms.
With over five years’ experience in beauty and health journalism, Florence has written for ELLE, Women’s Fitness, Sister Magazine, National Geographic Traveller and many more, with a strong sustainability angle thread through much of her work.
When she isn’t packing for a trip away, working out, eating out or reading up on retinol serums, you’ll probably find her experimenting with her film camera and building her portfolio of portraits. Florence’s photography can be found at florencereeves-white.com, her Instagram is @florencereeveswhite and her twitter is @floreadsnwrites
