How we vet a Korean label before it reaches the shelf

Every label we stock begins with paperwork: the full INCI, the clinical dossier if one exists, and the manufacturing site's certifications.

Then it goes on skin. Our founder and two independent testers run the product for twelve weeks — long enough for cell turnover to reveal whether anything has actually changed.

Roughly one in twelve products makes it through. The rejections are rarely dramatic; most simply fail to do anything measurable.

We buy direct and in small batches, which means occasional sell-outs. We'd rather that than warehouse a formula for two years while its actives degrade.