Non-comedogenic, medical-grade, all natural skincare? Sounds alluring, but what does this actually mean? #PressReset on all marketing claims The beauty industry is flourishing with extravagant claims of providing “the best, most natural” ingredients that will revolutionize your skin, “fix” all of your concerns, and yet -- how many of them actually do? Let us be frank - the beauty industry is highly unregulated and unfortunately brands can claim a lot of things that have not been tested properly. Take the claim of something being “non-comedogenic” as an example. This term is being thrown around left and right, even on products that end up breaking you out more. Guaranteeing that a product won’t clog your pores is the same as saying that a person lives inside your skin and checks on it daily. It’s just ridiculous! Everyone’s skin is different, and no brand, including KraveBeauty, can predict how your skin will react to a certain formula. We don’t know your skin’s physiology, hormone levels, genetics, environmental factors and lifestyle -- we wish we did -- but there is NO ONE who can know and understand your skin better than YOU. All you need is to learn to listen to it. This is why here at KraveBeauty we make products that work with your skin, not against it. There will never be a skincare product that can outshine your skin’s natural functionality, yet there are many that aggressively “treat” one issue without telling you the toll it takes on your skin’s overall health. We create products that are non-irritating, non-sensitizing, and fragrance-free, and blended with a chock-full of antioxidants and nutrients in their best forms so that your skin has what it needs to perform at its best. We try to eliminate most ingredients that have history of allergic reaction or sensitization to minimize the chances of potential irritation. We’re passionate about skin, not skincare. This simple switch in perspective makes a pretty big difference. We want to optimize your skin’s health so it does its job without relying on products. And, who knows, maybe one day, you’ll graduate from those fancy serums because your skin is finally working the way it’s supposed to :)   We’re not minimal, we’re purposeful. We don’t believe in the conventional skincare routine. And you shouldn’t aim to just check off all the product categories because some blog told you to, but rather to create a routine with products that work for your individual skin needs and help you achieve healthy skin. With us, you may eventually realize that you don’t need that toner or that eye cream because, now, your skin is kicking ass on its own. And as an added bonus? Our formulas are vegan-friendly and cruelty free! We love our furry friends and believe that scientific approach should not come at a cost of hurting others. We also believe that plant-based formulas are as effective as any others and this is why we keep all of our formulations vegan. Skincare doesn’t have to be complicated. Give your skin what it craves and nothing it doesn’t!

For those of you who need to see it to believe it, here are some more before & after pictures of people who used Great Barrier Relief!  SOHYUNHow long she used GBR for: 3-4 days on her neck, 1 month on her skinHer experience: “I was given the opportunity to test out the serum KraveBeauty was developing (now known as Great Barrier Relief) and I was shocked that it subsided the red and itchy sensation in just three days. Not only did it get rid of eczema on the folds of my neck, but the acne scars and hyperpigmentation on my cheeks got so much lighter. Overall, I fell in love with this product not only because it solved my skin issues but it made my skin feel nourished and bouncier than it ever was before.” LIAH'S DADHow long he used GBR for: 6 monthsHis experience: "Dad had a scar that developed into a huge sunspot since he didn't properly take care of it. After being my guinea pig for 6 months, we started seeing the spot fading away slowly but surely! It was more dramatic since the scar/spot was fairly newer than other sunspots he had all over his face. Now he's convicted to use the Great Barrier Relief all over his face every day." – Liah RACHEL How long she used GBR for: 2 weeksHer experience: “I’ve been getting these weird bumps and rashes that come and go for awhile now, usually in the winter. I didn’t (and still don’t) know what it was and tried Vaseline and other creams to treat them but none of them really got the job done. It’s not the most conventional use of Great Barrier Relief but I figured I’d give it a shot since it’s supposed to “restorative” and I’m happy to say I was very pleasantly surprised. HMU if you know what these rashes are!”

Meet Sohyun. A fellow skincare enthusiast who’s suffered from eczema for most of her life but wasn’t going to take “no” for an answer. Follow her skincare journey and how she #Press(ed)Reset on her skin-detrimental relationship with junk food and learned to listen to what her body truly craves. Full Name: Sohyun MoonOccupation: Registered Nurse in South Korea and New YorkLocation: Seoul, KoreaAge: 25Skin Type or Concerns: Hyperpigmentation, dehydration, eczema, acneLife Motto: “Stay forever young”Fun Fact: I dance whenever the food that I am having tastes amazing. My Skin Journey | Let’s start from the beginning. “Ever since I was a baby, I suffered from eczema. It was all over my body and face and I could never stop scratching it. I tried everything from high-dose steroid treatments to Chinese herbal medicine and even some folk remedies, like applying vinegar directly onto my eczema. This obviously irritated my skin and made the condition even worse, but I was so desperate that I just tried everything out there. After years and years of high-dose steroid treatments, my skin barrier was completely destroyed and my skin would react to every single product that I tried. The only thing that didn’t was a moisturizer that was prescribed by my dermatologist. Then as a teenager, I started to get hormonal acne while still suffering from eczema. My skin condition dropped my self-esteem right down to the bottom, and I lost all hope in “fixing” my skin problems because nothing - no treatments, no products - were working for me. But one day I thought, maybe I’ve been going about this the wrong way? That’s when I started paying attention to what I put in my body and how that triggered my conditions. I cut out junk food and (thanks to Liah’s channel) began paying attention to the ingredients in my skincare products. By treating that inflammation from the inside out, I noticed a significant change. Now, 4-5 years later, my skin is much clearer and healthier. I make it a habit to eat healthy, reduce my sugar intake (despite how good it tastes), and pay attention to what my skin is going through. I still remember how happy I felt when I could finally look straight into the mirror at myself and not be frustrated with my skin.” The Eczema Remedy I Cannot Live Without | My Experience with Great Barrier Relief “Although my skin is in a much healthier condition today, I still suffer from hyperpigmentation, acne scars, and the occasional eczema flare-ups. Last summer, I was really stressed out by all the uncertainties that I had to face after quitting my very first job. It was an upsetting time and the stress was showing on my skin -- I had an eczema flare up for two whole months! Ugh. Would I ever be free from my eczema? Thankfully, I was given the opportunity to test out the serum KraveBeauty was developing (now known as Great Barrier Relief) and I was shocked that it subsided the red and itchy sensation in just three days. Not only did it get rid of eczema on the folds of my neck, but the acne scars and hyperpigmentation on my cheeks got so much lighter. Overall, I fell in love with this product not only because it solved my skin issues but it made my skin feel nourished and bouncier than it ever was before.” My Current Skincare Routine Morning: Right after I get up, I wash my face with lukewarm water. After it, I apply Pyunkang Yul's Essence Toner on my face. I got it because it has a simple ingredient list and though it doesn’t feel super hydrating, it does the job. Then I apply Physiogel's Daily Moisture Therapy Facial Lotion on my face and neck and wait a while for it to be absorbed. Physiogel's moisturizer is the only moisturizer that doesn’t break me out when my skin is feeling stripped and raw (other than the lotion that my dermatologist prescribed). After moisturizing, I put on KraveBeauty's Beet The Sun SPF 50 PA++++ to protect my skin from the UV rays. Night: After I get back home, I wash my face off with Matcha Hemp Hydrating Cleanser. The jelly-like texture feels so good on the face! If I have makeup on, I use Bioderma's Micellar Water before cleansing. Just like in the morning, I dab in Pyunkang Yul's Essence Toner right after cleansing my face and, occasionally, (usually about 2~3 times a week) I apply Kale-Lalu-yAHA on the spots that need exfoliation. As my last step, I mix rosehip seed oil or grapeseed oil with Physiogel's Daily Moisture Therapy Facial Cream and lock everything in. What #PressReset Means to Me “#PressReset means going back to the beginning and thinking about why I started things that I am doing now - especially when the going gets tough. I am always looking to develop myself and a couple years ago I decided to learn a foreign language. I loved the idea of being able to connect with more people from different cultures, outside of my home country, but learning a new language at 25 with a full-time job was hard to say the least. I found myself getting frustrated and wanting to give up, but when I took a moment  to think about why I started in the first place, it always brought that initial excitement back to me. Sometimes, you just have to #PressReset on the self-doubt and negativity and get back on track. How I #PressReset Beyond Beauty “For me, I MUST spend some time completely on my own at least once a week. When I’m feeling overwhelmed or stressed, I like to get all of my thoughts out onto paper because it often makes things much more simple for me. It helps me see why I started what I did and whatever is stressing me out at the moment. When writing things down doesn't work out, I go out for a movie or even take a nap to stop myself from overthinking.” What I’ve Been Loving Makeup ‘Brow Contour Pro’ from Benefit. The texture is so smooth and the color stays in place throughout the day. Books “I am currently reading ‘I Wasn’t Strong Like This When I Started Out’ by Lee Gutkind. This book is a compilation of stories by veteran nurses and nurses-in-training, and, being a nurse myself, I get very inspired by learning about their interactions with patients and reading about their transformation into strong-willed and skilled professionals. This book brings me back to the mindset that I had when I just started to work as a nurse after graduation. I cared about putting my patients above anything else, and becoming a nurse whom everyone can trust. I believe that constantly reminding myself about this will help me become a nurse that I always dreamed about, and this book surely does that!” Music “Aah... I could talk about music all day long! There are tons of tracks that I love, but my favorite track at the moment is ‘Valentino’ by Years & Years and MNEK. It makes me want to dance whenever I listen to this song!” Places “I visited Jongmyo (a shrine dedicated for the deceased kings and queens of the Korean Joseon dynasty) for the very first time this month. I was so amazed by the fact that we had a place with such a peaceful and quiet atmosphere right in the center of Seoul. I am planning on revisiting the place when it gets warmer!”   Want to learn more about Sohyun? Follow her on social media: Instagram: @sohyun.moonbow #PressReset Diaries is a monthly series on KraveBeauty’s blog that spills the tea on the all too real skincare journeys of members in our community. Tune in to learn about their experiences, routines, and what #PressReset means to them.

Hey friend! It’s Liah here. I’m so excited to finally share KraveBeauty’s newest baby, Great Barrier Relief– the product for pressing reset on your damaged skin barrier. It’s really hard to pick a favorite child when you’re a mom of four, but Great Barrier Relief definitely holds a special place in my heart. The Inspiration Great Barrier Relief was inspired by my aunt’s very own formula that she’s been using for a decade. My aunt is a practitioner of holistic medicine who, on the side, creates cosmetic products using natural ingredients and medicinal herbs. One fateful day, she discovered tamanu oil and its amazing regenerative properties, and promptly began to develop a face cream with it. This was the incidental beginning of a whole new skincare adventure. As she tested out the product, she noticed some very significant changes in her skin: the huge, stubborn sunspot on her left cheek was finally fading and her skin was firmer than ever! It was almost like… magic. Witnessing these unbelievable results, she just had to spread the magic of her formula with others. She shared it with her friends, family, and eventually me. At this point, I had a ton of acne marks and sunspots scattered across my face that didn’t show any signs of fading. Being a skincare enthusiast, I thought I tried everything– retinol, niacinamide, vitamin C, arbutin and basically every other skin brightening ingredient that was supposed to fade my spots away, but nothing worked better than my aunt’s tamanu oil cream. That’s when I knew that I needed to share this with the rest of the world, because everyone deserves to know about this. Inspired by her formula, I created Great Barrier Relief, which has faded a lot of my skin discoloration, strengthened my skin-barrier, and nurtured my skin to be the healthiest it’s ever been. An added bonus, Great Barrier Relief’s infused tamanu oil also promotes collagen production, making it a kickass anti-aging product that your mom will love too. #PressReset on Instant GratificationAnother reason why Great Barrier Relief takes up such a big space in my heart? Because it’s the product that best represents KraveBeauty’s philosophy. We’re over the "next best thing," and Great Barrier Relief is all about combating the potentially negative side effects to over consumption of skincare by replenishing your skin barrier so that it can function at its best. We are a generation that’s addicted to instant gratification, and we’re constantly reminded of that in the realm of skincare. We find satisfaction in seeing our skincare products give us immediate results, thus promoting conventional products to try and become more “effective” with harsher formulas that further inflame and sensitize our skin. And when your skin is freaking out like that? We tend to find ourselves reaching for even more products to try and “fix the problem.” Vicious cycle, huh? You guys know that I am the number one advocate for keeping the skin barrier intact, so it only made sense for us to create this skin barrier restoring formula and help repair your skin from its foundation. A poor functioning skin barrier is the culprit of nearly every skin problem, including dehydration, dryness, inflammatory acne, rosacea, eczema, and so much more. It’s time we stop placing all of our hope on some short-term fix that in reality is damaging our skin even more, and time we start nurturing our skin for the long-term. We hope that Great Barrier Relief can stand strong on your vanity to remind you to slow down when you’re trying to sprint with skincare. Skincare is a marathon, and your skin can do a amazing things if you let it :)

Legend has it that there exists a magical oil that supposedly heals scars, wounds, dry skin, burns, and basically any other skin condition you can think of. Nature and science prove that this oil does indeed exist! And guess what? It’s going to be the star ingredient in our upcoming product release. We’re excited to shine the spotlight on our upcoming product’s most vital ingredient that will #PressReset on your damaged skin barrier, TAMANU OIL. Originating from sunny places like Madagascar (where we happen to source our Tamanu Oil from), Tahiti, Vietnam, and other Polynesian islands, Tamanu Oil has remarkable skin-regenerative properties that led it to be traditionally used to heal wounds and cure various skin conditions. Our founder Liah is personally OBSESSED with this oil as it helped to eliminate most of her hyperpigmentation (sunspots, acne scars, other discoloration) far more effectively than any other retinol or vitamin C ingredient she has used before. Now, we know that’s a pretty bold statement to make – but it definitely left an impression.BEFORE:  AFTER: Image Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrpLcYCePqw History Tamanu Oil, also known as Green Gold, has a century-long history of being used in topical remedies for various skin problems, infections, and ailments among Polynesians. Not only was it an MVP for soothing cuts, burns, blisters, scars, bites, dry skin, psoriasis, acne, eczema, and sores (yes, basically EVERYTHING), it has also traditionally been used to address body odors, as well as, nerve irritation. In other words, we have the Polynesians to thank for discovering Tamanu Oil’s magic-like skin-regenerating properties. Tamanu Oil was all the rage in other parts of the world too. In the early 1900s, French scientists revealed their findings on the healing and regenerative properties of using Tamanu Oil topically. This helped the French people realize that Tamanu Oil was amazing for addressing pain and soothing ailments such as leprosy. In other areas of Europe, it was used to address not only cuts, wounds, burns, and rashes, but to also soothe chapped and cracked skin, topical allergies, bedsores, nail infections, and Athlete’s Foot. It was even used cosmetically to diminish the appearance of dark and puffy under-eye circles. With everything this bad boy can do, it’s no wonder it was loved internationally. Cicatrising Property AKA Wound Healing Powers: So just how does this seemingly mythical potion do the most for our skin? In multiple studies, Tamanu Oil has demonstrated capabilities in cell proliferation, glycosaminoglycan and collagen production, and wound healing. To put it simply, it heals scars and regenerates/rejuvenates skin. One study showed that applying Tamanu Oil to the skin dramatically reduced the visual appearance of six subjects’ scars, which explains our founder’s obsession for using the GBR serum for fading her post-acne marks. And just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, Tamanu Oil can even be used for anti-aging purposes. Can I get a hallelujah? At this point, you might be thinking ‘alright, now what’s the catch’? There is – slightly. The downside to Tamanu Oil is that in its natural form, it can feel pretty greasy and thick on the skin. To combat that, we infused it into a light-weight lotion type formula for you to experience the benefits of Tamanu Oil with less chance of clogged pores. We’re super excited to make this oil more approachable with this important decision, and we look forward to hearing your experiences with our GBR release! If you’ve got any other questions on Tamanu Oil, ask away in the comments!