I’m not usually one to buy a product solely for its packaging, but I have to admit that the bottle design did play a large role in why I chose to buy the Skinfood Royal Honey Propolis Essence. I mean, look at that bottle. It’s so…regal. This is really an example of great packaging design. It’s luxurious (gold! heavy, solid glass!), reflects the contents (the honeycomb shape!), and at least in my opinion, looks very classy and elegant.

I kind of feel like Cleopatra every time I use it. Just…so…royal…

But product packaging gushing aside, the Skinfood Royal Honey Propolis Essence (boy that’s a mouthful) really is a solid product as well.

So let’s unpack that a little bit.

Skinfood Royal Honey Propolis Essence Ingredients (via Cosdna):

Propolis Extract (50%), Royal Jelly Extract (20%), Honey (10%), Glycerol, Dipropylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Arginine, Beta-Glucan, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol

That’s really a pretty solid list of ingredients. 80% of the product is awesome propolis, royal jelly, and honey extracts, and the rest are mostly moisturizers, hydrators, skin conditioners, and a small amount of emulsifiers and preservatives. It doesn’t have many other hard-hitting active ingredients, but if you’re looking for just a solid, soothing honey/propolis product, this is it.

Of course, if your main goal is to have LOTS of propolis in particular, there are other essences/ampoules out there with more (Tosowoong Propolis Brightening Essence has 75% propolis, for example).

Irritants

Cosdna didn’t flag any major irritants, other than the common ingredients butylene glycol and carbomer (which only got rated a 1). Of course, if you’re allergic to bees, you may want to approach this product with a certain amount of caution.

Speaking of which, what IS propolis?

Propolis is a natural resin that is found in coniferous trees. It’s used by bees to build their honeycombs, and that’s generally where we humans extract it from. It has natural antibacterial and healing properties, and is sometimes used to treat sores, infections, and cancer.

The Skinfood Royal Honey Propolis Essence is a clear liquid (50ml) dispensed with a dropper. I love the design of the dropper — it automatically picks up the product when you twist the lid. Then, you press down on the button in the lid to dispense the product (this can get a little difficult if you have slippery hands from your other products, but it’s so pretty!).

It may be silly, but a major factor in whether I like a product is how enjoyable it is to put on, and the dispensing mechanism plays a big part in that.

As you can see, the liquid is quite thick for an essence, which is why I usually incorporate this after my thinner serums and essences. However, on rushed days, I can JUST apply the Skinfood Propolis Essence after cleansing and before cream, and it does a great job of moisturizing and giving me that glow. One or two drops is usually enough.

It takes a little while to rub or pat in.

But once it’s fully absorbed, it leaves your skin soft and hydrated, with a hint of a dewy glow.

The Skinfood Propolis Essence doesn’t feel greasy at all, but it does leave a tiny bit of stickiness, which I’ve found is true of most bee/honey cosmetic products. It doesn’t bother me because after I put on my moisturizing cream, the stickiness is gone. You can also mitigate the stickiness by mixing the propolis essence into your emulsion, which is what I also do sometimes.

It’s no miracle worker in terms of making blemishes disappear overnight, but I do think that it helps to soothe irritated skin. My main problem is dryness on my cheeks, and it does a good job of moisturizing my cheeks without clogging my pores.

Plus, PRETTY.

The Bottom Line

Likes: Bottle! Dewy, glowy, moisturizing, non-irritating, good and relatively simple ingredient list.

Dislikes: Could have more actives, a tiny bit sticky.

8/10. Would I repurchase? Maybe, but there are so many other propolis essences/ampoules to try, I may try others first (and decant them into this bottle).

Buy It At

Amazon for $17.88 (affiliate link) free shipping

RoseRoseShop for $18.27 plus shipping

Jolse for $29.98 free shipping

I hope you enjoyed my first review on this blog and come back soon for more!