Sephora has teamed up with beauty brand MBX to launch a clean Korean skincare line, Otzi Skin. According to Teen Vogue, this is the second collaboration for Sephora and MBX (formerly known as Memebox). The two released a successful Korean makeup brand in 2018 called Kaja and now they've formulated skincare products with Generation Z in mind.
Otzi, pronounced as oat-zee, can mean "us" or "mine" in Korean. The new line, which is part of the Clean at Sephora program, is vegan, cruelty-free, and as Teen Vogue calls it, "proudly gender-neutral." Allure's senior commerce writer Sarah Han has tried all five of Otzi's starting line of products and this is what she has to say.
Crystal Nova Makeup Removing Cleanser
Korean facial cleansers are popular for their mildly cleansing properties that don't leave skin feeling dry and stripped. The Otzi Crystal Nova Makeup Removing Cleanser give you the same experience with a formula that's loaded with Korean hibiscus, chrysanthemum, hyaluronic acid, and sodium PCA. If you're a fan of double cleansing, this is a great second cleanser, but Han says this works well by itself, too.
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C-Drip Vitamin C Brightening Serum
Korean skincare has made serums very popular stateside and vitamin C is one of the most popular ingredients for brightening dark spots and acne marks. According to Han, unlike many vitamin C serums out in the market, the Otzi C-Drip Vitamin C Brightening Serum neither smells strange nor does it take too long to be absorbed. She adds that she has seen visible results on her increased breakouts and likes the serum's non-tacky and watery texture.
Multi-Acid Drip AHA/PHA Resurfacing Serum
For sensitive skin, Otzi has formulated a serum featuring polyhydroxy acid. While the serum also has the stronger alpha hydroxy acid, the content is only 2.6 percent while it's 7 percent for the gentler exfoliant PHA. The serum also has white willow bark with is a natural derivative of salicylic acid and centella asiatica which is a popular soothing and acne-fighting ingredient in Korean skincare. If constant redness is a concern, this one's for you.
Hydro Crystal Lightweight Gel Moisturizer
While heavier moisturizers are ideal in the winter, constant mask-wearing coupled with oilier formulations can results to that dreaded maskne. Han shares that a tiny amount of Hydro Crystal Gel Lightweight Moisturizer leaves her skin "looking dewy and plump without any hint of residue." The moisturizer, just like the facial cleanser, has hyaluronic acid and sodium PCA which makes them a good combo for dry winter skin.
Dough Therapy Pore Treatment Mask
Finally, no Korean skincare collection would be complete without a mask. From sheet and wash-off masks to sleeping masks, Koreans obviously enjoy all forms of masking. Otzi's version is an exfoliating kaolin clay mask with a putty texture that's easily spreadable. With kaolin clay as a natural exfoliator and with rice ceramide, oats and pearl barley combined to soothe, calm, and brighten skin, this mask packs a solid punch in one small jar. Han confirms that this is her favorite product among the five.
Otzi is now available on Sephora.
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