If beauty reviews have taken over your social-media feed, then you may be in need of a reality check. Meet Javon Ford, a cosmetic chemist who cuts through the drama, the bluster, and the completely wacky with a good dose of legitimate science. His research-rich TikTok videos on makeup, skin care, and hair care are a happy marriage of entertainment and accuracy. This month, for Air Mail Look, he analyzes the mysterious watery liquids called “essences.”
An essence is a Korean concept. The idea is that it helps increase the penetration of the active ingredients in your skin-care products by wetting the face before you apply a serum.
