Top Essence Brands: Elevating Skincare to New Heights

In the realm of skincare, essences have emerged as a vital component for achieving a radiant and hydrated complexion. These lightweight formulations boost the effectiveness of your serums and moisturizers while providing essential nutrients directly to the skin. With numerous brands offering their unique take on essences, it can be challenging to discern which ones truly deliver the promised results. To help guide your skincare journey, we invite you to explore our curated list of the best brands for essences below.

Illustration of essence

Best brands of essence in 2025

SK-II

SK-II is renowned as one of the best producers of essence in the luxury beauty market, particularly with its iconic Facial Treatment Essence, which contains over 90% PITERA™, a proprietary natural bio-ingredient derived from yeast fermentation. Introduced in 1980, this essence has remained SK-II's international bestseller, credited with numerous skin benefits such as brightness, softness, and anti-aging. It is notable for its minimal ingredient list, aligning with Japanese ideals of beauty and minimalism. The essence is so popular that a bottle is sold every two seconds. Despite its high price, it remains a critical component of Asian skincare routines and is increasingly popular among Western consumers.

Estée Lauder

Estee Lauder is a leading producer of prestige skin care products, including essences, with a significant global market presence. In 2024, the company generated nearly $16 billion in sales, with skincare products accounting for approximately $7.9 billion of that total. Estee Lauder holds a substantial share of the global skin care market, with a market share of 10.2% in 2021. The company's skincare category has consistently shown strong growth, contributing to its overall revenue increase from $10.8 billion in 2015. Brands like La Mer and Clinique, part of the Estee Lauder portfolio, are highly popular and contribute to the company's success in the skincare segment. For more detailed insights into Estee Lauder's market performance, you may explore additional resources.

Missha

Missha, established in 2000, has emerged as a leading global beauty brand, particularly renowned for its essence products. The brand's Time Revolution The First Essence Enriched, formulated with 97% Extreme Cica Ferment, is clinically proven to provide eight key skincare benefits, including intensive brightening, wrinkle-repair, and hydration. Missha's essences are part of the broader K-beauty market, which saw significant growth, with Missha's sales in Europe increasing by 143% in the third quarter of the previous year, driven by strong interest from millennials and Generation Z.

Tatcha

Tatcha is renowned as one of the best producers of essence in the skincare industry, particularly with its flagship product, The Essence Healthy Aging Firming Treatment. This treatment, formulated with 100% Hadasei-3, a proprietary fermented complex of rice, algae, and green tea, has shown significant results, including a +621% improvement in skin moisturization and 100% of panelists demonstrating improvements in skin softness, suppleness, and smoothness in studies conducted in 2021 and 2022. The essence boosts the efficacy of daily moisturizers, with 93% of panelists agreeing that their skincare worked better after using it. Tatcha's commitment to using Japanese botanicals and gentle, efficacious formulations has made it a trusted brand for various skin types. The brand's expertise in Japanese skincare ingredients has been recognized globally.

Shiseido

Shiseido, a pioneering cosmetics company since 1872, is renowned for its high-quality and innovative beauty products, particularly in the essence category. The company has seen significant growth in its prestige skin care segment, with e-commerce sales increasing by over 30% in Q2 of 2023, driven by successful promotions like the "618" event in China. Shiseido's core brands, such as Cle de Peau Beaute and SHISEIDO, have maintained strong growth, with Cle de Peau Beaute achieving year-on-year growth in consolidated sales, especially in the high prestige and luxury markets. The company's focus on innovation and brand enhancement has led to a 60% year-on-year increase in core operating profit in the first half of 2023. Shiseido's commitment to Japanese aesthetics and cutting-edge technology ensures its essences are highly regarded globally.

Sulwhasoo

Sulwhasoo, renowned as one of the best producers of essence, has been at the forefront of skincare innovation for over five decades. The brand's iconic First Care Activating Serum, backed by 23 years of research and advanced data mining technology, improves skin elasticity by 5.9%, strengthens the moisture barrier by 9.9%, and increases hydration by 14.5% after just four weeks of use. With 96% of users agreeing that their skin looks smoother and more refined, and 92% noting radiant skin the next morning, Sulwhasoo's products are clinically proven to deliver exceptional results. The brand's commitment to sustainability is evident in its use of 94% natural resin formula and recyclable packaging. Sulwhasoo's ginseng-based products, such as the Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Emulsion, leverage cutting-edge technology like Ginsenomics to maximize the efficacy of ginseng extracts.

Lancôme

Lancome is renowned as one of the leading luxury cosmetics brands, particularly excelling in the production of high-quality essences and perfumes. The brand's target audience consists of middle-aged women who value luxury and are willing to invest in premium products, with Lancome holding a significant market share of 21.3% in the US premium beauty market as of May 2022. Lancome's marketing strategy focuses on offering exclusive products, maintaining a strong online presence, and leveraging influencer marketing. The brand's commitment to delivering exceptional results and luxurious experiences has enabled it to capture a substantial share of the premium beauty market. In the skincare sector, Lancome benefits from the growing demand, allowing it to expand its product portfolio and reinforce its position as a go-to brand for high-quality skincare solutions.

Biotherm

Biotherm stands out as a leading producer of essence products, renowned for its commitment to sustainability and innovative biotechnology. The brand's flagship ingredient, Life Plankton, is produced using a 100% renewable biotechnology method, yielding 10 billion micro-organisms in a single drop since its introduction in 1994. Biotherm's skincare formulas aim for high biodegradability, targeting over 90% natural origin and biodegradability above 90% in new launches. The brand has also achieved the Nordic Swan Ecolabel for its Waterlover Sun Milk, highlighting its eco-friendly approach. Biotherm's research collaborations with institutions like Stanford University further enhance its bioscience expertise.

CosRx

COSRX stands out as a leading producer of essence products, particularly with its Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence, which has maintained its position as the #1 Best Seller in its category during the 2023 Amazon Prime Day, showcasing a remarkable 297% growth in sales compared to the previous year. This product has dominated the Best Seller Rankings for four consecutive weeks and is a key contributor to COSRX's impressive 138% year-on-year revenue growth in the first half of 2023. The brand's success is also highlighted by its 2.1 billion cumulative views on TikTok, demonstrating its strong global influence. COSRX's products are widely available at major retailers such as Amazon, ULTA, and Target. The brand's commitment to quality and innovation has solidified its position as a favorite among dermatologists and consumers alike. For more information, you can read about COSRX's Snail Essence's remarkable growth.

Fresh

Fresh, a renowned skincare brand owned by LVMH, stands out as a leading producer of essence, particularly with its revamped Kombucha Facial Treatment Essence. This product, made through a double fermentation process, contains antioxidant-rich Kombucha tea, Artemisia flower extract, and hyaluronic acid, offering deep skin penetration and visible repair. The brand's partnership with Basao led to a successful omnichannel campaign, generating hundreds of authentic feedback and boosting brand awareness with 18 million impressions on Chinese social media. Fresh's use of user-generated content and Retail Syndication tools resulted in a 7,702% increase in review volume and a $1.48 million revenue impact. The brand's commitment to natural ingredients and innovative formulations has made it a favorite among consumers seeking high-quality skincare products.