Product Review

I have been dying to share this product review with everyone! One amazing thing to come out of 2018 was the Then I Met You skincare line by Charlotte Cho. Charlotte Cho is a licensed esthetician. She is the author of The Little Book of Skincare: Korean Beauty Secrets for Healthy, Glowing Skin, from which I can attribute a lot of my skincare knowledge. She also co-founded Soko Glam with her husband Dave Cho, to curate popular Korean skincare products that weren’t easily accessible in the U.S.

With all her knowledge and success, it was a matter of time that she branched out to create her own line of skincare. There is so much to say about Then I Met You because Cho really took her time with creating something more than skincare. Just in the name alone, this line really stands out. Using these products is an experience that engages all your senses and your brain. I truly have fallen in love with this brand, so let’s get into why.

The Cleansing Duo

$68

The Cleansing Duo comes in the iconic periwinkle box. There is a ton of copy describing the products and instructing how to use them, which I love. The more information, the merrier. It also comes with a postcard that is very adorable. While the packaging is dazzling, this line really delivers more than just skincare.

The brands focal point is “jeong,” which translates to “a deep and emotional connection.” Cho explains that Then I Met you is meant to represent a positive turning point in your life. Like jeong, the line’s goal is to introduce a positive change to your life.

Then I Met you is a cruelty free brand with products free of artificial coloring, parabens, and synthetic fragrances.

Cho worked to make these products a sensory experience and she succeeded. Through sight, smell, touch, and sound (you might think taste, but please don’t), the Cleansing Duo is truly unique.

I was lucky enough to receive the duo for Christmas, and have been using it morning and night ever since. Right off the bat, you will notice the duo is expensive. Even though you can purchase them separately, the items are still on the pricier side. But once you discover what’s inside, you’ll understand why.

Then I Met You, Living Cleansing Balm

$38

I have tried a few different oil cleansers, and this is by far the best one! I love balms because they are a bit cleaner for travel, in that they aren’t liquid oil. The jar is a nice size and it comes with the most stylish and functionally efficient spatula out there. I almost over use the product because the spatula does such a great job at scooping up the product.

The sunset gradient on this jar is very unique and fun as well.

The orange color of this cleansing balm is so beautiful, and unlike any other balm out there. It comes from a high concentration of seaberry/seabuckthorn oil. I had never heard of this ingredient being used in skincare, but the seaberry/seabuckthorn provides magnificent antioxidants. Due to natural oxidation, the color may fade and become lighter through continued use. That will not affect your skin at all.

The ingredients in this product are strongly rooted in what’s natural. They include persimmon extract, olive oil, grape seed oil, vitamin E, rosewood oil, grapefruit peel oil, and rosemary oil. I’ve never seen persimmon in a skincare product either, but it only makes sense now. Persimmon extract (dispyros kaki) provides anti-aging properties, brightens the skin, and helps control oil production. What a star!

The scent is very herbal, but not in an overwhelming way. The persimmon really comes through and truly tricks your mind into thinking it’s sorbet. I can’t forget to mention the sound of the product when it’s scooped up. It’s so satisfying and may have been the thing to pique my interest in ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response).

The texture of this cleansing balm is like butter! Once you massage it into the skin it just melts, and feels so luxurious. It’s an other-worldly experience every time I use it. I absolutely love how it melts all my makeup, sunscreen, and excess oil away while softening the skin.

Once you’ve taken the time to give your skin some TLC and massage in the product, you simply add water to emulsify into a milky liquid. Massage a tad more and then rinse off. After using this cleansing balm, I find my skin to be extremely soft, hydrated, and happy. Ugh, I don’t think I could use any other oil cleansers now! The Living Cleansing Balm has become my ride or die.

Then I Met You, Soothing Tea Cleansing Gel

$36

The Soothing Tea Cleansing Gel is another game changer. If you read my post on water cleansers, you know that I’m partial to a gentle foam cleanser. This one is gel and I think it’s made a believer out of me. The packaging is pretty standard and super easy to squeeze product out of.

The brown color of the cleanser is very unique, and reminds me of the natural ingredients it’s made of. It’s full of gentle brightening, exfoliating, antibacterial, and hydrating ingredients like licorice root extract, rice ferment filtrate (sake), willow bark extract, tea tree extract, green tea, hyaluronic acid, centella asiatica extract, and gluconolactone (PHAs). I just need a moment of silence… Cho took a power house of ingredients and wrapped them up in this beautiful, periwinkle tube. Read that list one more time to let it soak in.

The product doesn’t lather up into a foam, but rather a lotion texture that feels very rich. Smelling this product while it glides around your face is incredible. The best way I can describe the scent is an earthy, citrus marshmallow smell. It sounds bizarre, but I’ve grown to find it very comforting. I guess it kind of is like rubbing decadent tea on your face. It’s not remotely related to the cleansing balm, yet they work together so nicely. This cleanser sounds like cream when it’s massaged into your hands and face.

The Soothing Tea Cleansing Gel also wins the award for most interesting texture. It’s very bouncy, and almost sticky. Cho has mentioned this, but I have often experienced water cleansers running down my arms as I wash my face. That doesn’t happen with this cleanser. It “lathers” up very easily and stays put as you cleanse your wet skin. Once this cleanser washes away sweat and grime, you are left with smooth and hydrated, squeaky clean skin (without the squeak). The PHAs definitely contribute to the smoothness as well. While this cleanser might not be ride or die, I do love using it.

I am clearly hooked on this brand and these products! I’ve been using the Then I Met You Cleansing Duo for nearly a month, and I have noticed such an improvement in my skin. By the time I get to my toner, my skin is already so soft, clean, and refreshed. The products really work to calm irritation as well. Over the past few weeks I’ve noticed my skin is softer, brighter, and I’ve had a decrease in breakouts which is a huge plus.

I think Charlotte Cho did an amazing job taking her time with the concept, the packaging, and the formulation of these products. A double cleanse is the first and possibly the most important part of a Korean Skincare routine. It only makes sense that she would start with it. I can’t wait to see what’s released next!

While I understand that they might be out of your price range, I would definitely consider saving up for both products. They’re so worth a try and I guarantee you’ll fall in love. Like I said, the soothing tea cleansing gel is very original and lovely to use, but I can 100% say I’ve experienced jeong with the Living Cleansing Balm.

Have you tried Then I Met You? Let me know if you’ve experienced jeong with these products.