Hey there! Today I’m going to be talking about a new addition to my nightly Asian skincare routine, the Su:m37 Water-Full Aqua Sleeping Pack! Su:m37 is a mid-luxury skincare and makeup brand based in Korea. They specialize in naturally fermented skincare free of fragrances, artificial colors, and synthetic preservatives. While their products are generally pretty solid with great ingredients, they can get pricey and give you a run for your money. When this sleeping pack first hit the market, I purposely looked the other way, because I did NOT want to shell out $45-$50 for a sleeping pack, no matter how pretty and how luxurious. Just…no. Must. Protect. Wallet.

I mean, seriously, though. The packaging on this is so gorgeous, and the top so shiny that I could barely take a good photo. It’s packaged in a heavy glass jar that looks gorgeous on my dresser. I believe I spent around $50 on this, with free shipping. So not great, but also not terrible. It was an investment, and since I’m a self-proclaimed queen of cheap ass skincare, I decided I wanted to splurge a little, because that ingredient list looks pretty sweet (You can check out Fanserviced-b’s listing and translation of the ingredients here, as I unfortunately don’t speak Korean). For a product with such a extensive ingredients list, the CosDNA analysis came through pretty clean. You can check that out here.

What is it?

Sleeping packs are pretty popular amongst Asian and western skincare fanatics alike, and are used as a last step at night to seal in moisture and offer some deep hydration. This is one of the first Asian sleeping packs I have used aside from the Laneige Water sleeping mask, and before making the switch to AB, I would generally just use any cheap, western moisturizer that I could find if my skin was feeling dry. Even now, I can usually get away with just a light moisturizer since I have oily/combo skin, but I decided that since my skin is also dehydrated, I could use the extra moisture a sleeping pack has to offer.

The thing that drew me to this shiny, hefty little glass jar was the fermented ingredients inside. Oh, those sweet, sweet ferments. While there aren’t heaps of evidence to support the claim that fermented ingredients are good for your face, my skin seems to love them. Rice extract, aloe, soy/natto, my skin loves them all (so far). I’m pretty sure we’re all familiar with the process of fermentation from that one high school science class where we kinda payed attention, where carbohydrates and sugars are broken down and converted into amino acids and enzymes. The idea is that when ingredients are fermented, they break down into smaller, simpler molecules that are more easily absorbed to hydrate, moisturize, and nourish the skin better. Fermented skincare takes a bit longer to process than traditional cosmetic means, but the result is a gentler, nutrient-dense formula chocked full of antioxidant-y goodness that is a god send for dry, sensitive, or irritated skin. Or any skin type really, since the way fermented ingredients are processed, fewer preservatives are needed, meaning less harsh additives that can potentially irritate skin. Yum. Gimmie all da ferments.

Thoughts:

So far I’ve been using this pack every night during my PM routine for about 2 weeks. I use it at as a last step to seal in the previous moisturizing steps. I usually put on a pretty thick layer, and wash off with warm water in the morning. This is the second Su:m37 product I’ve used (check out my review of their Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick) and so far, I haven’t found anything to not love about their products (Stillllll, I’ve only used two. But they were a successful two!). As far as instant results go, my face feels much more plump and hydrated in the morning, and hydration is what my skin needs the most. As for long term results, my skin has been looking less dull and grey and much more bouncy and hydrated. While I don’t think that this sleeping pack is a game changer, I think it is better than a lot of other sleeping packs out there. Just, for the price, I think that there are other products out there with similar ingredients that can achieve similar results for wayyy less $$$. One thing I love about Asian skincare is that it’s so affordable; a $16 Korean moisturizer can bring the same results to the table as an $80 western moisturizer, and that affordability is what drew me to Asian skincare in the first place. ‘Cause, you know, ya girl cheap.

Repurchase?
Overall, I really enjoy this sleeping pack. Its moisturizing ferments and light, almost watery feel on my skin makes the huge wad o’ cash that I blew on this worth it. Using it is an experience, man. I don’t know that I’d repurchase this though, simply because of the price point. Okay, maybe I will. I really do like it. Let’s just hope for the sake of my wallet that there’s a sale on this by the time I finish the jar.

Su:m 37, a mid-luxury skincare and base makeup brand from Korean chaebol (super-conglomerate) LG (yes, the people who make phones, too), recently released a new sleeping pack in their Water-full line.

I usually don’t go diving after new products while having almost zero information about them since my skin is typically so oily and troubled (although able to tolerate most ingredients used in quality skincare products after the tricky water-soluble cleansing step), but sleeping packs are a different story. Since they’re used at night as the final step in one’s routine (well, other than spot treatments), I slap whatever on as a sleeping pack. Super rich cream meant for 60-year-olds with dry skin? Why not. Experimental gel that could flood the Sahara? Sure, let’s try it. I mean, if I wake up an oily mess in the morning, I’ll just wash my face and wear a light cream during the day, no crisis.

Also, let’s be real, packaging. OMG. The heavy glass jar. The lid so shiny I can’t take a decent photo of it. The magnetized spatula that lives on top like a jaunty feather in my skincare cap–it’s total skincaretainment and I LOVE IT.

My jar arrived Friday from 11ST (without a Su:m 37 product box, but sealed–EEEP! not sure if the seller or 11ST’s international shipping department made that decision). I bought from the raonpartners listing for 46,800 won ($41.16) plus 2,500 won for domestic delivery. I was charged just a bit for international lightning-fast EMS shipping because I used a 30,000 international EMS shipping coupon that 11ST offers new account-holders. Check out Snow White and the Asian Pear’s post on how to shop on 11ST and use that dead useful coupon.

In total, I spent about $45 on this sleeping pack including shipping, which is a bit less than one would spend buying it elsewhere, I suspect. At this point, few shops offer the product, which is why I certainly needed to use 11ST. Since placing my order, one full-size jar seller and some sellers offering samples have popped up on eBayand there’s an Amazon listing, but this doesn’t seem to have hit the major international sellers’ offerings just yet.

My first impression is…that this is a sleeping pack. It’s a sleeping pack that smells good (a bit more subtle than the Laneige pack), has an interestingly watery but robust feel on my skin, and doesn’t seem to leave my skin overly oily in the morning.