Krave: Kale-Lalu-yAHA & Matcha Hemp Hydrating Cleanser

Krave Beauty is a new line of skincare created by influencer Liah Yoo. While the brand is just in it’s beginning stages it’s already a major hit in the Instagram world. The two products sold out after it’s initial launch, though don’t worry they’re back in stock now. I love the philosophy behind the brand. Created to help skincare be less confusing and easy. Great skincare doesn’t have to be complicated. We all know we’re constantly inundated with new releases by brands to buy the latest and greatest. Plus the instructions coming out with some skincare can be quite confusing. I’m sure most of you on here reading this post are my fellow skincare obsessed friends (and maybe some new friends to be) and we all, myself included feel overwhelmed sometimes by the new launches and complexity of skincare products.

Press reset.

Skincare should be easy,
Skincare should be a stress-free zone,
Skincare should be a supplement to our lifestyle.
And most of all, skincare basics should be, basic.

And that’s what we, KraveBeauty, believe in. We believe in the power of simplicity by urging every women and men to step back, press reset, and listen to your skin’s true needs. And we’re born in this industry to offer truly Krave-able skincare essentials that respect the skin and restore it to health.

It’s time to #pressreset.

There are two products right now in the Krave line. The Core Series Matcha Hemp Hydrating Cleanser & the Supplement Series Kale-Lalu-yAHA. I have seen Liah Yoo talk about formulating a new sunscreen which I’m sure will be amazing. The Krave Beauty line is formulated in Korea. I’m a huge Korean skincare fan as the products and ingredients are very innovative and cutting edge.

Matcha Hemp Hydrating Cleanser An antioxidant cleanser that doesn’t mess up your skin barrier, lifting everything your skin doesn’t want while leaving what it needs—healthy pH, hydration, antioxidants and no irritation. Matcha and hemp seeds are here to boost the skin’s intake of antioxidants and essential fatty acids. Your skin and this cleanser might be a matcha made in heaven! Details per Krave:

Directions Morning and night, apply Matcha Hemp Hydrating Cleanser on a wet face and neck, and gently massage into skin. Never be aggressive! Rinse with lukewarm water. Splashing cold or hot water can do more harm than good, so let’s not shock our skin. If makeup is present, using a suitable makeup remover before would be a skin-friendlier option.

Key Nutrients:

• Matcha One of the most antioxidant-dense sources on the planet. Basically, we thought it’d be awesome to splash matcha every day on our skin.
• Hemp seed oil HIGH in essential amino acids, HIGH in linoleic acid, oh yeah, it’s so HIGH-drating! Great for all skin types, even for oily skin peeps. Hemp seed oil has a natural antibacterial property that helps to relieve inflamed skin conditions.
• Coco-betaine, Coco-glucoside, Decyl glucoside A group of mild and gentle cleaning agents. These surfactants are less likely to compromise your skin barrier whereas harsh surfactants (like SLS) can strip away everything including your natural lipids. And these, you don’t want to surrender.
• Vitamin B5 & Sodium PCA Skin-barrier strengthening ingredients replenishing hydration.

Cleansers should cleanse. But what many people neglect is choosing a cleanser that also protects the skin barrier. Harsh cleansers that are alkaline, strip away everything and leave your skin tight do more harm than good. It weakens the skin barrier—which is the best moisturizer you’re naturally born with. In other words, your skin becomes drier, more sensitive and reactive. So choosing a cleanser that’s close to the skin’s natural pH and doesn’t mess up your skin barrier is essential for maintaining the skin’s health. And if you’re feeling lazy in the morning? Just skip cleansing. Respect mother nature by eating real foods and listening to what your skin craves.

This jelly textured cleanser is a joy to use. It’s never drying nor strips the skin which I love. I like to use this cleanser as the second cleanse part of a double cleanse, or as a single morning cleanse. I prefer to use an oil based cleanser to remove makeup at night, then follow with this for cleaning out my pores without being harsh. I love that this is SLS free. This cleanser is very much part of the new generation of SLS free cleansers that have some kind of gel to jelly texture. You see them all over now and I will be doing a comparison post of the ones I have tried in the near future.

These cleansers start as a gel to jelly texture, jelly in this ones case, and you can either mix them with water then apply or apply then add water to lather and remove. If you rub these type cleansers on dry skin they almost ‘foam’ lightly by themselves as you can see in the photo below. Once you mix water in they lather lightly for a non-stripping clean.

My skin never feels tight after using this cleanser. Just clean, hydrated and soft. This cleanser contains antioxidant powerhouse matcha. Matcha is a form of green tea with an exponential number of antioxidants like polyphenols such as EGCG in comparison to regular green tea. Matcha is a finely ground powder of special green tea leaves. The green tea plants are grown in the shade for a few weeks prior to processing which increases the chlorophyll levels.

This cleanser also contains sweet almond oil, hemp seed oil and oat kernel extract which is soothing. B5 and sodium PCA help with extra soothing and hydrating properties. Hemp seed oil is rich in fatty acid omega 6 or linoleic acid. It also contains omega 3 or a-linolenic acid. Hemp seed oil also contains polyunsaturated fatty acids gamma-linolenic acid, oleic acid and stearidonic acid. It’s also rich in vitamin E & A, phytosterols, phospholipids & minerals. There’s been some talk that acne prone skins are low in linoleic acid so adding more of this in can help problem skin types.

As you can see this cleanser is perfect if you want a gentle cleanser packed full of antioxidants that won’t dry your skin out. Plus the texture is just plain fun.

Ingredients

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water, Water, Glycerin, Coco-Betaine, Methyl Gluceth-10, Ethoxydiglycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Methylpropanediol, Sodium Chloride, Butoxydiglycol, Diglycerin, Glycereth-26, Xanthan Gum, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Powder, Quillaja Saponaria Bark Extract, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Cannabis Sativa (Hemp) Seed Oil, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract, Diethoxydiglycol, Coco-Glucoside, Caprylyl Glycol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Decyl Glucoside, Pentylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Butylene Glycol, Octanediol, Panthenol (Vitamin B5), Citric Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium PCA, Disodium EDTA

* Matcha Hemp Hydrating Cleanser contains 40% of Matcha and is formulated with pH of 5.0-6.0 (pH may vary by batch). All KraveBeauty products are vegan-friendly, cruelty-free, and formulated without fragrance, essential oil, colorant. The color of the product might vary by batch or even change over time. Rest assured, this will not affect the product’s effectiveness; it remains completely safe for your skin.

Kale-Lalu-yAHA Skin resurfacing exfoliator that kicks your dead skin cells to the curb, revealing youthful, healthier skin while also feeding it delicious antioxidants from dark, leafy greens. Kiss good-bye to the appearance of discoloration, sun damage, and fine lines with regular use. Details per Krave:

Directions:

• By book 2-3 times a week before bed, soak a cotton pad with Kale-lalu-yAHA and swipe over clean face, avoiding the eye area. No rinse needed.
• In real life There are no rules. Slide Kale-lalu-yAHA into your routine based on your skin’s cravings. Liah uses Kale-lalu-yAHA 2 to 3 times a week while her mom uses it every night 🙂 Pay attention to your skin’s resiliency as everyone’s skin is unique.
• If you’re a beginner AHA 5.25% is a great concentration to start if you’re a AHA beginner. At first, you can mix Kale-lalu-yAHA into your favorite moisturizer. This concoction would act as a buffer slightly interfering AHA with fully absorbing into your skin. Then move it up to your first step in your evening skincare routine. Try it once a week then build it up to the frequency that your skin is most comfortable with.

Key Nutrients:

• Glycolic Acid (Sugar cane derived) 5.25% A real game changer in your skincare routine! Glycolic acid is an effective chemical exfoliant that gently resurfaces skin texture and prevents clogged pores. With regular use, this nudges your skin’s cellular turnover slowly, fading the appearance of hyperpigmentation, sun damage, and fine lines.
• Dark, leafy greens (kale, spinach, parsley) A vital energy booster for the skin, the antioxidants packed in these greens are the best thing you can treat your skin with—and that’s why we call it Kale-lalu-yaha! Not just that, it’s also chock-full of vitamins and minerals too. What more could you ask for?
• Aloe + Hyaluronic acid + Vitamin B5 These are all natural hydrators which replenish, hydrate and soothe skin. Once you apply, you’ll feel instant hydration, especially if you pair this with a moisturizer that locks down it all down.
• Allantoin Allantoin soothes skin while buffering any possible irritation from the chemical exfoliation process. This is an absolutely wonderful ingredient which brings both moisturizing and soothing relief to a sensitive, inflamed skin.

AHA is the most effective in the pH range of 3.0-4.0, so you might feel a slight tingling sensation at first, but don’t stress — that’s a good sign! It means the formula is giving your skin love! We do not recommend using the product on days your skin is sensitive. AHA may increase your skin’s photosensitivity, so apply broad-spectrum sunscreen liberally (which we hope you are doing nonetheless!).

This comes packaged in a glass bottle with a splash style applicator. I love the brands overall minimal and clean packaging look. Not to mention Krave is actually quite affordable for skincare. Acid toners have really become quite the rage these last few years. Almost all skincare lines are now releasing one. I love both acid toners and serums. I much prefer chemical exfoliation. As long as it’s done responsibly. Don’t over-exfoliate.

Glycolic acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA). AHA helps with sun damage, adds moisture by binding water to skin, removes upper layer of skin revealing more even, smoother skin, promotes cell turnover. This helps with pigmentation, fine lines and wrinkles as well as reducing pore size. Overall, AHA are your anti-aging acids. Glycolic acid commonly comes in 5, 10, 15 or 20% concentrations and is OK to use during pregnancy. Glycolic acid is the strongest of the AHA and most likely to cause irritation & side effects such as being drying to sensitive skin and burning, stinging & tingling. People with sensitive skin may want to test out the product containing it first.

My skin tolerates glycolic acid fine & this is only a 5.25% concentration of so it’s on the milder but still effective end. I like my acid toners in the morning. I can use them daily without irritation or side effects most of the time. I do listen to my skin and skip a day when needed. I didn’t need chemical exfoliation that much when I was in my 20s and early 30s. 2-3 times a week was enough. The closer I got to forty the more I needed it everyday to maintain that radiant look. Using this daily is also easier to tolerate on my “maturing” skin. I find I’m less sensitive to it now than when I was younger.

I love that this acid toner also contains antioxidant packed dark leafy greens like kale, spinach and parsley. This acid toner is also well rounded as it’s combined with soothers and hydrators like hyaluronic acid, aloe, allantoin and B5. This toner also contains a few extras like chlorella minutissima extract an antioxidant packed algae, green apple extract, licorice root extract, coptis japonica root extract is anti-inflammatory and an anti-oxidant. Malachite extract is a powerful anti-oxidant that seeks out free radicals. There’s two fermented extracts. Usually the fermented extracts have some kind of anti-oxidant/anti-aging purpose. This one-Pseudozyma Epicola/Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil/Glucose/Yeast Extract Ferment Filtrate is a green tea seed oil ferment. Fermented products are supposed to be more powerful plus easier for the skin to absorb. This one-Bacillus/Folic acid/Soybean ferment extract is interesting. Folic acid naturally fermented from soy is absorbed by the skin to repair and renew old UV damage, increasing firmness and reducing the appearance of wrinkles and spots. Sounds great to me.

Overall this was a well thought out toner with a mild yet effective glycolic acid percentage combined with hydrating and soothing elements, as well as antioxidants and fermented extracts. I never found this acid toner too harsh which I loved. It’s effective which is also important. Add in a reasonable price and you have a winner. This one will be a staple in my stash from now on. I look forward to see what else Krave Beauty comes up with.

Ingredients

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water, Water, Butylene glycol, Brassica Oleracea Acephala Leaf (Kale) Extract, Glycolic acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Potassium Hydroxide, Glycerin, Spinacia Oleracea (Spinach) Leaf Extract, Carum Petroselinum (Parsley) Extract, Chlorella Minutissima Extract, Malus Domestica Fruit (Green apple) Extract, Panthenol (Vitamin B5), Betaine Salicylate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Allantoin, Pseudozyma Epicola/Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil/Glucose/Yeast Extract Ferment Filtrate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Bacillus/Folic acid/Soybean ferment extract, Coptis Japonica Root Extract, Malachite Extract, Polysorbate80, Disodium EDTA

* Kale-lalu-yAHA contains 5.25% of glycolic acid and is formulated with pH of 3.5-4.0 (pH may vary by batch). All KraveBeauty products are vegan-friendly, cruelty-free, and formulated without fragrance, essential oil, colorant. The color of the product might vary by batch or even change over time. Rest assured, this will not affect the product’s effectiveness; it remains completely safe for your skin.