SKIN WIN
I tried the K-beauty ‘wonder balm’ that replaces 13 products to save you £50 a month – it was slimy but worked wonders
One balmy experiment resulted in lipstick bleeding all over Senior Fabulous Writer Josie O'Brien's face
MY bathroom cupboard is a graveyard of half-used beauty products that I’ve spent a fortune on.
So when I heard about a new balm that’s designed to replace 13 skincare products in one, I was intrigued.
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Could this be the secret to curbing my skincare shopping habit?
I’m a firm believer that all your skin needs is a good cleanser, serum and moisturiser for the day, and a retinol for the night.
But in an attempt to simplify my beauty routine and save some cash, I ditched all of my beloved products for two weeks in favour of this new magic-potion-in-a-pot called the “wonder balm”.
The K-Beauty (the nickname for Korean beauty) brand Wonderbalm sells one product of the same name, which costs £29 for a 50g tub.
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The brains behind the balm claim it is a serious multitasker - a moisturiser, serum, face mask and natural first aid kit for cuts, burns and scrapes, AND a hair mask and shaving balm... all in one single pot.
They even recommend using it as a lip balm, hand cream, cuticle moisturiser, make-up primer, make-up remover and eye cream.
But does it live up to the wondrous claims - and does it have the potential to save me thousands of pounds every year?
For the first few days, I was using it as a face moisturiser, eye cream, lip balm and to even soothe a few small scrapes.
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I felt so greasy - but I soon realised that I was applying far too much.
In fact, the balm is even better value for money than I initially anticipated because you really do require so little of it.
As a lip balm, it worked a treat. It worked just as well as the viral £19 Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask, but for a fraction of the price.
The texture is rich, but absorbs surprisingly quickly, meaning I always woke up with a supple pout without balmy residue on my pillow case.
By day five, I had started using Wonderbalm for more purposes.
As I suffer from eczema, I had to ensure my skin wouldn’t react with the balm before putting it on flare-up patches.
What exactly IS K-beauty?
K-Beauty describes skincare products created with a Korean beauty philosophy in mind, according to .
A standard Korean skincare routine focuses on prevention and protection to keep the natural complexion thriving.
The number of steps in daily beauty routines can vary but 10 is the most common.
From cleansers, toners, and serums, to moisturizers, K-beauty avoids the use of harsh ingredients that can damage the skin.
Glass skin is commonly used in Korean beauty to describe an appearance that's "smooth, clear, and intensely hydrated."
When I did, they felt instantly soothed with zero irritation - and were significantly less inflamed after a day or so.
I soon figured out that the excess worked great as a hand cream, and even my nail technician noted that my cuticles were more hydrated when I saw her during the experiment.
One week in, I was feeling over confident… and made a grave error.
I used the Wonderbalm as a primer and ended up looking like a sticky toddler who’d gone to town on my mum’s make-up bag.
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It caused my foundation to separate and my lipstick to bleed past my lip border, so I ended up having to wash my whole face off and start again - this time, without a balmy base.
After seven days, it was also time for my weekly hair mask - and that was a total flop, too.
I typically use the £8.99 Garnier Ultimate Blends Hair Food 3-in-1 Dry Hair Mask Treatment to keep my tresses shiny.
This product comes in a huge tub and is super easy to spread evenly throughout the hair.
I ended up looking like a sticky toddler who’d gone to town on my mum’s make-up bag
Josie O'Brien
Unfortunately, trying to spread Wonderbalm throughout my hair felt as tedious as coating every stand individually, as it didn’t spread as well through hair as it does on the face.
By the two-week mark, I had found a solid rhythm with my Wonderbalm.
Skincare, bodycare and hand cream? Yes.
Make-up primer and haircare? Big no.
The Verdict
Wonderbalm really deserves all its kudos when used for skincare purposes.
It's super hydrating and locks in any hydration, which I reckon is thanks to the candelilla wax's excellent moisture-locking abilities.
And while I think I’ll still stick to my trusty Byoma cleanser, serum and moisturiser, I’m not planning to purchase any new cuticle oils, face masks or overnight lip balms.
Instead, I'm going to keep a tub of Wonderbalm at the front-and-centre of my beauty cabinet.
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In terms of money, I have to admit that I don't think it will save my bank account totally.
But I do reckon it’ll save me at least £20 a month for the rest of this year.
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