If you have been around K-beauty, you would know about the mugwort and Centella Asiatica plant. They've been dominating the greenery landscape of Korean skincare for a couple of years now. 

Though the hype around these ingredients peaked in 2020 - 2021, time has proved that they aren't just trendy, here today gone tomorrow. Mugwort and Centella Asiatica plants have become the household staple for irritated, sensitive skin. 

Still, like with all the buzzwords in skincare, there's still a lot of confusion around how this ingredient stands out from the rest. Since mugwort is the rock star ingredient of one of Round Lab's essential lines, we think it's only fair that we're the one to tell you about the wonders of mugwort. 

Read on, and you'll find all you need to know about mugwort and how to use it for your skin health and glow. 

What is mugwort? 

Mugwort is a weed plant, also known as Artemisia. While not having much of a fancy title, mugwort is a component widely valued in South Korean culture. Be it in medicinal tonic, tea, soup, pancakes, or bath soak, you'll see mugwort in the mix. 

The healing power cultivated from this plant can help you tackle various health concerns depending on how you consume it. But for the sake of today's topic, we'll focus on the skincare benefits of mugwort. 

Skincare benefits

Anti-inflammatory:

The leaves of mugwort pack a punch when it comes to anti-inflammatory action. A study by a college of medicine in Korea saw that mugwort leaf extract could even help relieve the symptoms of contact dermatitis. So if irritated, red skin is a constant battle for you, mugwort could be the ultimate solution to your problem. 

 

Antioxidant effect: 

Mugwort is potently packed with antioxidant elements that help defend the skin from environmental stressors (UV rays, dust, heat, weather, etc.), making this ingredient an excellent choice for sensitive skincare.

Plus, mugwort has also been proven to aid atopic dry skin treatments. So if you have mild eczema, mugwort is a great addition to your beauty routine. 

Healing properties: 

Alongside its antioxidant power, some biologists believe that Artemisia Vulgaris (a variety of common mugwort) fermented with Bacillus sp (a bacteria) has the potential to heal wounds and promote cell regeneration, which can be a promising component for aging-targeting skincare.

Though more research needs to be done to solidify this notion, one thing for sure is we can certainly count on mugwort to rescue sensitive, eczema skin from redness and irritations.

What Round Lab did with mugwort?

As Round Lab is frequented by sensitive skin friends, it's no surprise that we adore mugwort. While mugwort on its own is amazing enough, we figure adding more soothing ingredients alongside mugwort can only make the solution better, so on top of mugwort, we also add Centella to our creations. 

With exceptional mugwort collected from the breezy sea province of Geomundo and the dynamic active ingredient Madecassoside (from Centella), the Round Lab Mugwort line is a supercharged concoction with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Additionally, in combination with this rockstar base, each product in the Mugwort line has a unique formula that will surely charm you off your feet!

For irritated skin emergency relief, Round Lab Mugwort Calming Toner 

This tea-like toner contains 2 types of mugwort extract (Artemisia Vulgaris and Artemisia Princeps), Madecassoside, and Algae extracts to swiftly alleviate redness and itchiness while also providing hydration. With its low viscosity, you can generously layer up this toner without much stickiness. 

What users are saying

 

K-beauty blogger Kelly Driscoll said she enjoyed the pure, watery hydration and that the consistency makes it very easy to layer. 

For an award-winning soothing experience, Round Lab Mugwort Calming Serum 

Winning the title of Hwahae 2021 Best New Item from the first half of 2021 in the Serum category, Round Lab Mugwort Serum is a force to be reckoned with. 

The serum contains 4-CICA blend (Madecassoside, Asiaticoside, Madecassic Acid, and Asiatic Acid), 2 mugwort extracts, and Allantoin, all working to soothe irritated skin. It also contains Panthenol, Betaine, Sodium Hyaluronate, and Glycerin to keep your skin hydrated at the same time.  

While chock full of goodies, the serum formulation still keeps it fast-absorbing when applied and leaves no tackiness once absorbed. 

What users are saying

 

For stressed, acne-prone skin, Round Lab Mugwort Calming Cream 

Tell us, how many times have you purchased a promising moisturizer that eventually breaks you out? We've certainly had our fair share, trying on different formulations and moisturizers for test and research purposes. 

So you can trust us when we say Mugwort Calming Cream will not be a promise that fails to deliver. 

This gel cream comes with a light, fast-absorbing texture, non-greasy finish, calming, and hydrating ingredients to boot, making sure that irritation stays at bay. 

Oh, and it also comes with a handy spatula for better hygiene when apply.  

What users are saying

"This has been winning for me!" Dr. Dray shared this on her Youtube channel and further showed her love for this cream in the other 4 videos! One of them was titled "The best gel cream for oily, sensitive skin." 

She especially suggested that oily or rosacea skin should try this cream for its light texture and calming effect.

For a skin barrier-friendly cleanse, Round Lab Mugwort Cleanser

With Amino Acid surfactants and a low pH formula, you don't have to worry about stripping your skin barrier dry just because you're taking your time getting every bit of sunscreen and foundation out. The Mugwort Cleanser is a mild cleanser, suitable for daily use to clean off sunscreen residue and all the nasties from the day. 

The Mugwort Cleanser cream is pixie green with a slight herbal scent for a therapeutic experience to accompany your self-care ritual. 

What users are saying

Redditor - Ash_Lestrange ranked the Mugwort Cleanser number 1 for her congested, combination skin among her Round Lab Cleanser collection, as it never fails to make her skin soft and smooth.