What Do Bubble Tea And Your Face Have In Common?

First off, they’re both totally sweet and loveable, obviously.

But aside from that, the bubble tea trend has now found its way into skincare, bringing the sippable treat and the best of K-beauty together for a delicious match made in skincare heaven.

And to be honest, I’m not mad about it.

Bubble tea, for anyone who’s been hanging out under a rock, is the milky tea-flavoured drink packed with floating tapioca pearls that has reached cult status here and around the world. Trust me, if you think you haven’t seen it, you have – Google it, you’ll see.

Now K-beauty brand Jelly Ko have linked up with South Korea’s top cosmetic chemists to treat your skin to the foodie fad, with their Jelly Ko Bubble Tea Steam Cream ($48) – a super-smooth, ultra-hydrating moisturiser that will give you the glow-up you’ve been gunning for.

Bonus points for the cute packaging

What do I love about this cream?

One of the best bits about this pot of ultra-hydrating goodness is that it delivers all the juicy skin benefits without being too thick (the last thing we wants going into summer, even if we do have dry skin – which I do). But be warned: a little goes a long way.

It’s rich and creamy, but surprisingly light – I found my skin soaked up all the goodness, leaving me glowing but never greasy and making it a perfect moisturiser for day and night. (Just don’t forget the SPF after you put in on in the morning.)

Another thing I particularly loved this little pot of goodness when I gave it a trial run was the scent. Now, I’m not usually one for fragrance in my face creams – she’s a sensitive little complexion and anything too perfumed tends to cause a reaction. But Bubble Tea Cream was different, and the delicate milk-tea scent whisked me away to memories of my visit to a luxe day spa in Thailand in February, without breaking me out. Winner.

What makes Jelly Ko Bubble Tea Steam Cream so good?

Packed with all kinds of face-loving ingredients, including niacinamide, vitamin E, grapeseed oil, squalane, beta glucans and pearl extract (we’ll get to what’s so darn good about these in a minute), and free from the usual nasties – sulfates, mineral oils, parabens, PEGs (polyethylene glycol) and EDTA (ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid) – Bubble Tea Steam Cream is a recipe for glowing summer skin.

Let’s talk about some of these ingredients and what they do for a dime.

Niacinamide

AKA a form of vitamin B3, this is one of my favourite beauty boosters, and it really packs a punch. Niacinamide goes to work on uneven skin tone, reduces fine lines and wrinkles, boosts hydration, helps minimise enlarged pores, reduces skin discolouration and brightens dullness. Basically, it’s your skincare superhero.

Vitamin E

This one’s an oldie, but a goodie. Vitamin E’s been used in cosmetic products for more than 50 years, and boasts a bunch of antioxidant, skin-protecting qualities, acting as a “free radical scavenger”. (Cheat sheet: antioxidants work to prevent oxidative damage to cells by helping remove free radicals, which cause damage to cells, proteins and DNA. Yuck.)

Grapeseed oil

Don’t be put off by the addition of oil to your skincare – this little beauty has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, and can even help battle blemishes. Yes – oil to fight acne! Plus, it helps old mate vitamin E do its job even better. What a trooper!

Squalane

Another moisturising must-have, squalane is a serious multitasker. It softens and hydrates like a boss, but it’s non-comedogenic (ie. won’t clog your pores) and antibacterial, so a good ingredient for acne-prone skin.

Beta glucans

Skincare’s MVPs, beta glucans are humectants, meaning they draw moisture to the skin’s surface and lock it in, giving you a dose of delicious hydration. But they’re so much more, with skin-plumping, anti-ageing, damage-preventing properties. They also help boost the skin’s natural barrier, protecting against environmental stressors and potentially helping heal ouchies like eczema, dermatitis and burns.

Pearl extract

With amino acids, calcium and antioxidant boosters, pearl helps brighten the skin – and, well, just makes you feel a bit fancy (which you so deserve).

So, do I rate Jelly Ko Bubble Tea Steam Cream? I sure do! It’s a potent little pot of nourishing, brightening, anti-ageing, skin-barrier boosting magic … that smells as sweet as your favourite treat in a cup. 🍵

(Just don’t try to drink it…)