Etude House Zero Sebum All Day Matte Gel

Here to give you yet another Korean Skincare review, y'all! I've had some time to use this product on and off for the last several weeks, so I can finally tell you how I feel about it. 

I got the Etude House Zero Sebum All Day Matte Gel in my huge RRS haul a few months back for $7.77. It is now currently listed on the site for $6.67. As I have mentioned in previous posts, RRS is the most ideal place to purchase all of your Korean Skincare. I found this product listed for $14.50, or double the size, on Amazon. But sadly, it's one of the few Korean products I will use up, but wasn't overly satisfied with. 

I'll start with the easy stuff, and say that the packaging is appealing. I like the soothing pastel design, which is very easy on the eyes. I also like that the tube is more or less like a hand cream tube, so it holds more product. This primer is actually a larger quantity than any of my other face primers at 2.2 oz/65 mL. So not only is it one of the cheapest primers I've purchased to date, but you also get a ton of product for the affordable price. 

Let's also go over the name of the product. Etude House is a really popular Korean Skincare brand, for those of you who didn't know. And within that brand, they have a product line called "Zero Sebum." The product line includes several different items, including this primer, a drying powder (basically a translucent pressed powder to use for touching up oil spots on the face), and a few other items created to target sebum. Sebum is more or less the oil that our glands secrete to keep our skin and hair follicles from drying out. 

This is also why acne medications or any skincare routine that dries out our skin can cause our faces to become even more oily. The sebaceous glands produce more oil to keep our skin properly lubricated and to compensate for any excessive-dryness we may have. Sometimes, however, it can be a hindrance. Take it from someone with an oil slick for a face! 

The back of the tube is in Korean text, but most of us know that an even coat of primer on a bare face simply preps the skin for a long-lasting and smooth makeup application. We don't need instructions for that. 

And I hate to say it, but I'm not as obsessive over product ingredients as I probably should be. That's not to say that I plan on using products either tested on animals or that contain weird by-products, but I'm not a slave to the label. I do know, however, that the product is 5 Free (No silicon, talc, mineral oil, artificial pigment, or artificial scent added).  

I did do some research on the Etude House website for you, though, and was able to find a good product description, ingredients, instructions, and what the product claims to do. Etude House describes the primer as a "silicon-free matte gel that removes oily and waxy sebum clearly for oil-free matte skin all day." I'll link the product page here for those of you who are interested in a little more info.  

When you uncap the lid, you can see that the tip is fairly small, which offers you more control on how much product that comes out when the tube is squeezed. I like that it's not messy and is easy to keep clean. 

The product looks like your average silicon-based primer, but it's actually not. Surprisingly, the primer formula does not have any silicone. It's just a gel as the title suggests. After skimming through the ingredients on the company's website, I think the cooling sensation I feel when I apply it is heavily due in part to the alcohol in the product. So, if you're sensitive to products with alcohol in them, beware! 

Now, for my opinion on the product's effectiveness..  

I have used this a few times a week for the last three weeks or so, and mostly in conjunction with my Skindinavia: The Makeup Primer Spray. I also use the primer spray for oily skin. I would basically apply the gel all over my t-zone (nose, forehead, chin, and my cheeks on either side of my nose). Then, I'd spritz the primer spray all over my face. I usually always wait about 25 minutes while I do my eye makeup before applying my foundation. This gives the primers time to sink into my pores for better and longer-lasting results. 

Unfortunately, I don't think this primer works better than some of my other primers. I found that I still had to blot my t-zone with an oil-blotting paper at around the same time I would normally. Now, I'm not asking for a miracle. I do realize that there is only so much one can do to suppress the oil. 

I think if you have oily skin, it's both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because you will age well and have less wrinkles, and most likely look several years younger than others your age. But a curse as well, because you'll always be trying to tame it down so you don't look like an oil slick on a daily basis. I know on an average work day, I blot my face about four times a day. I use about half a blotting sheet each time, so I go through two sheets a day to keep my face from looking too shiny. And each time I try a new primer boasting to minimize oil, I hope and pray that it will be the one to end my woes. Unluckily, I have yet to find my miracle product. 

Since I usually give my products grades, I am going to give this primer a B. It wasn't awful, but wasn't my favorite primer ever, either. Unless I wake tomorrow and it turns into my miracle primer, I don't anticipate buying it again. There are so many Korean products out there, and I'd much rather test out the oil reducing primers from other brands. 

As always, leave any questions or suggestions for other Korean products in the comments. 

xx