The Most Underrated K-Beauty Skincare Brand: LAGOM

My exposure to K-beauty skincare brand Lagom started in 2021, when they were timidly trying to expand out of South Korea. Back then, they were barely making a sound in the U.S. market. I suspected that it’s because their brand identity confused U.S. consumers in the midst of a rise in K-beauty popularity in the early 2020s. This confusion, I suspect, came from their brand identity: minimalistic, pure-white, and no trace of Korean influence. The term “lagom” came from a Swedish term that encompasses the complex feeling of moderation and balance. In English, we can safely connect to this term as “harmony.” Despite my effort in trying to cover this brand’s products on my YouTube channel, focusing on K-beauty brands and products, these videos underperformed due to their lack of searchability (no one really knew to search this brand).

After spending a few more years, developing and fortifying their skincare range and collection, they are back and better than ever. This year, Lagom aims to globalize, starting with influencer marketing. I was fortunate to be chosen as their U.S. reviewer to spearhead this effort. While Lagom did not sponsor this blog post, they did sponsor a video on my channel — supplying me with their latest and greatest skincare products to try. I’d like to share with you my thoughts on some of their new products, as well as products that I’ve loved for the last three years. And if you’re more interested in listening/watching my review, you can always stream my latest review video of Lagom.

 

White Kaolin Mud Mask

When I first tried Lagom’s newest addition to their Cellus collection, the White Kaolin Mud Mask, I was surprised by the texture. Typically, with mud masks or clay masks, the texture is usually much thicker, denser, and solid. That is not the case of Lagom’s new mud mask. Though it is still dense, it is also very creamy — compared to most other clay masks in the market. It’s very spreadable, reminding me of the texture of cream cheese!

 The bentonite and kaolin are what gives this product its thick texture, of course — much like all other mud masks. But this product is also packed with nourishing ingredients that I personally love: niacinamide, salicylic acid, prebiotics, Centella Asiatica, lactic acid, and heartleaf extract.

The goal, like most clay masks, is to take care of our pores. And this kaolin mud mask makes pore care easy, providing substantial exfoliating properties through strategic formulation. With the exfoliating acids in this mud mask, it offers our skin gentle exfoliation while extracting the pollutants from our pores, along with excessive sebum. I should point out that the fragrance is a bit strong with this mud mask, so if you’re someone who is not a fan of heavy fragrances in your skincare, then you may want to sit this one out.

Cellus Mist Toner

I’ve been a fan of Lagom’s Cellus Mist Toner for three years now, keeping it steadily in my skincare routine and rotation. If you’re into mist toners for that convenient hydration throughout the day, this mist toner might be a pleasant discovery for you. The first time I ever used this toner, I noticed how fine and even the spray is from this mist applicator (or mister). Mist toners, for me, need to have a fine, even spray — otherwise, the experience is just not right! And Lagom’s Cellus Mist Toner is a prime example of what it means to have a good mist toner experience.

Ingredients-wise, this mist toner has the usual hydrators that we typically find in most toners these days: panthenol, sugarcane extract, and glycerin. Unfortunately, this toner does have some essential oils that can be triggers for some folks who have super-sensitive skin. I personally do not mind these essentials at all, because they’re not too noticeable during the application process of the toner. I know a lot of my subscribers prefer not to have essential oils in their skincare products, so that’s why I wanted to point that out.

In terms of hydration, I loved using this mist toner as my first step after coming out of the shower. It’s super convenient and applies so easily and quickly on my skin (my skin also absorbs this toner so well). I can see this toner being a great option for combination skin types. Overall, I had a great experience with this toner (never broke me out), but the only thing I would change about this toner is the number of essential oils that are in the formula.

Cellus Revive Essence Toner

Now, if you — for whatever reason — decide that mist toners are not for you, then you might want to check out Lagom’s Cellus Revive Essence Toner. This toner leans more toward the traditional types of toners: watery. It’s also a bit foggy in appearance. I love that this toner sinks so quickly into my skin, and I barely feel it on my skin once it is set.

• Good news: no fragrance!
• Bad news: lots of essential oils!

Lagom has tested and is able to claim that this toner is hypoallergenic — but of course, you should double check the essential oils in the ingredients list to be sure that you are not allergic to any of these oils.

I love applying this toner directly on my skin — or by using a cotton pad. This toner is so gentle on my skin, but more importantly, this toner is twice as hydrating as the mist toner. I would personally choose this toner over the mist toner in the colder months of the year, and I find this toner to be great for dry and dehydrated skin types. I love that this toner has adenosine and peptides to give my skin that first-step boost in restoring my skin barrier. I can’t determine if this toner is pH-balancing, so if you happen to know, please leave a comment to let me know! It also has multi-weighted hyaluronic acid for deep hydration, thanks to Lagom’s patented ingredient, Aqualicia ™ . Pairing Aqualicia ™ with peptides really helps smoothen the skin from wrinkles and texture. Overall, I am pleased with this toner (such a surprising find for more)! The only thing I would ask Lagom to do about this toner is to reduce the number of essential oils.

Cellus Mild Moisture Cream

Just like the Cellus Mist Toner, I have been using this Cellus Mild Moisture Cream for three years now, and my love for this moisturizer has not changed at all. This moisturizer has been my favorite Lagom product, ever, but this year, my opinion might change (keep reading). Shea butter is one of the key ingredients (or at least my favorite) in this cream. I love Shea butter for its occlusive properties to really lock in the moisture in our skin. But this moisturizer also contains some ingredients that I do not particularly like (witch hazel and essential oils), but I am willing to overlook this slight flaw because of how beautiful this moisturizer was formulated.

Long-time subscribers of mine probably already know: I love skincare in pump bottles or tubes because of hygiene. And this moisturizer comes in a pump bottle! A hygienic and effective moisturizer? Yes, please! Years later, this moisturizer is still a grade-A moisturizer for me. The texture is so velvety and blendable — definitely on the creamier side of moisturizers. I find this cream to be great for combination skin types, and I will repurchase this cream over and over again.

Cellus Sensitive Cica Cream

Lagom’s Cellus Sensitive Cica Cream single-handedly knocked the Cellus Mild Moisture Cream off the throne this year (because I discovered it this year). At first, I was very confused by the texture. I was expecting a gel or light cream texture, because that’s how typical sensitive creams are formulated. This cream is almost like a balm; it’s on the thicker side of creams, and I actually love it this way! If you are looking for an occlusive cream that really seals everything in, then I would urge you to check out this moisturizer.

What I love most about this moisturizer — in addition to its tube packaging — is that there are no essential oils! This is truly a no-fuss cream that you can pair with any of your active-ingredient products (i.e., serums and toners) in your skincare routine. My acne-prone and oily skin loved this cream; even though it is thick, it is still very breathable. Overall, I have no notes. This is a solid moisturizer that I can see many people loving — I have nothing to complain about. I love this moisturizer, and this might be my most-favorite moisturizer this year; no competition.

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