Mixsoon Bean Essence Review

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Korean skincare brand Mixsoon is a relative newcomer to the beauty scene. Founded in 2020, it wasn’t until recently that their products started gaining global attention.

Their viral Bean Essence is the product that really launched the brand into the spotlight and, of course, this was the one I was most excited to try.

This was essentially touted as a vegan alternative to the COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence. Similar textures, similar ‘glass skin glow’ and similar hydrating power – but how much of that was just good PR?

Don’t get me wrong, I love a viral skincare product as much as the next person, but when something new pops up every week, it can be hard to figure out what’s actually worth buying.

The Mixsoon Bean Essence isn’t cheap, so I wanted to give it a good test before writing my thoughts down.

After trialling it for a few weeks, here’s the full lowdown on the texture, the ingredients and how my skin reacted to it.

What is the Mixsoon Bean Essence?

Mixsoon’s Bean Essence is undoubtedly the brand’s most-known product. It’s described as a ‘multifunctional essence’ which is meant to moisturise the skin and improve elasticity, while at the same time gently exfoliating the skin and sloughing off dead skin cells.

I actually didn’t realise this had exfoliating properties when I bought it so that was a nice surprise!

With a texture that’s reminiscent of snail mucin, it’s no wonder that this has often been suggested as a vegan alternative. It’s also cruelty-free and completely free from fragrance – ideal for sensitive skin types.

Key ingredients

What’s perhaps most surprising about this product is that it only contains four ingredients. That’s the shortest ingredients list I’ve seen in a while!

These ingredients are all fermented, which allows them to better absorb into the skin.

We’ve got:

• Soybean Ferment Extract – Has antioxidant properties and helps nourish the skin. Some evidence points to it even being able to fade dark spots.
• Pomegranate Fruit Ferment Extract – An enzyme which mildly exfoliates the skin.
• Barley Seed Ferment Filtrate – A humectant which delivers moisture to the skin.
• Pear Juice Ferment Filtrate – Another humectant which is packed with antioxidants. It helps soothe the skin and supports the moisture barrier.

Packaging

This essence comes in a small plastic bottle with a frosted plastic lid. It has a white pump dispenser, and there are instructions for use on the back of the bottle.

The packaging’s pretty basic – nothing to write home about but it does the job!

Texture and finish

As you can see in the photo above, the Mixsoon Bean Essence is very runny. It’s only a tad more viscous than water, which means you can spread it into the skin very easily.

I generally find that one or two pumps of product are enough to cover my whole face. I wouldn’t advise using much more as you already need to work pretty quickly to stop the essence dripping everywhere.

As with the COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence, this has that stringy, stretchy consistency which is characteristic of snail-based skincare (as I write this, I realise how unappealing that sounds 😆).

Despite the stretchiness, it’s not sticky or gloopy. It does have a slight oiliness to it though, which is what I also found with the another vegan snail mucin alternative: Byoma’s Phyto-Mucin Glow Serum.

This is not massively off-putting for me, as someone with combination skin. But I don’t know how it would wear on those who already have fairly oily skin.

My experience with the Mixsoon Bean Essence

As I mentioned in Byoma Phyto-Mucin Glow Serum review, you can’t expect products like these to bring about immediate results. It does take some time for your skin to fully get used to and benefit from hydrating essences. One application is not enough to tell if it works.

Using this nightly for a few weeks, though, I did find that my skin felt plumper and more supple.

I’m not sure I noticed much evidence of exfoliation (in all honesty I haven’t really used it for that purpose), but I do like how hydrating and nourishing this essence is. It feels like it really helps soften dehydration lines and reduce texture.

When I wake up in the morning, I’m constantly surprised by just how glowy and healthy my skin looks. And the oiliness of the essence does tend to dissipate as you wear it, so you don’t look super shiny after a few hours!

Price & where to buy it

At £28 / $35, the Mixsoon Bean Essence certainly isn’t cheap. In fact, it’s actually pricier than most snail mucin essences on the market.

But, if you look hard enough, you can often find good savings. I bought this from TK Maxx (which actually has an amazing K-beauty offering) for £19.99.

You can also order this from YesStyle, Sephora and Stylevana.

Final verdict: Is the Mixsoon Bean Essence worth it?

I know fermented skincare can be a bit divisive. Some people find it really works for them, and others (especially those with fungal acne) may find it breaks them out.

Having tried other fermented skincare products in the past, I felt confident jumping in and using this right away. But if you’re not sure, I would recommend patch testing this before applying it all over your face.

For my skin type, I think the Mixsoon Bean Essence worked really well. My skin drank up the fermented ingredients, and I found it really helped moisturise my skin without causing any congestion.

I do still think it’s pretty expensive for an everyday essence. Something around £20 / $25 would make more sense – especially since this isn’t a skincare essential!

But I’m certainly not disappointed by the results I’ve seen. I’m definitely going to keep this in my skincare routine for the foreseeable.

If you are looking for a cheaper plant-based option, though, the Byoma Phyto-Mucin Glow Serum is half the price and a really good swap.

Thanks for checking out my Mixsoon Bean Essence Review. Are there any other snail mucin alternatives you want me to try? Leave a comment down below!