Hanyul Pure Artemisia Calming Water Cream Review

At a Glance

• Made by Hanyul (Amore Pacific)
• Product Dimensions (Tube): 11 cm x 6.5 cm x 4 cm
• 55ml / 1.86 fl oz.
• Contains Artemisia and Cica extract
• Vegan-certified by Korean Agency of Vegan
• Non-comedogenic, suitable for acne-prone skin
• Dermatologist-tested for allergies and irritation

Packaging & Design

The Hanyul Pure Artemisia Cream comes in a soft pastel green tube with a gradient that fades from darker green at the top to lighter green at the bottom. It’s simple and calming to look at, which fits the whole Artemisia vibe pretty well.

There are two versions available: the classic jar and this tube version. The tube is sold at Olive Young or as part of bundle sets on Hanyul’s Naver store (though the Naver bundles are only for Korea-based Naver Lounge members). If you don’t use a spatula with your skincare, the tube is definitely the more hygienic option. That said, the jar does make it easier to scrape out every last bit of product when you’re running low.

Size-wise, the tube is really travel-friendly at 11 cm (4.3 in) tall and 6.5 cm (2.6 in) wide. The thickest part is 4 cm (1.6 in), so it fits comfortably even in smaller hands. Hanyul does sell a separate travel kit, but this tube is compact enough on its own.

The packaging is fully recyclable and isn’t made from mixed materials, which is a nice touch. The tube has a slightly see-through quality, so if you hold it up to the light, you can check how much cream you have left. Like most tube products, you won’t be able to squeeze out absolutely everything, but this one makes it relatively easy to use up most of the product compared to other cream tubes.

Texture & Consistency

The Hanyul Artemisia Cream is a lightweight gel cream with a bit of body to it, which helps minimize skin-to-skin contact when you’re applying it. It glides smoothly and spreads really easily across the face. The scent is herbal and earthy, kind of like fresh plants after the rain. It’s aromatic with a slight bitterness, somewhat like a mix of sage and rosemary. The fragrance isn’t overpowering, but the artemisia scent is definitely noticeable.

The cream has a somewhat heavier texture than typical water gel creams. The cream contains a lineup of fatty alcohols like cetyl ethylhexanoate, behenyl alcohol, and arachidyl alcohol, plus fatty acids such as palmitic and stearic acid, along with several emollient esters. All of these work together to create a noticeably richer, more emollient texture that sits on the skin with more weight than your standard water gel cream.

The cream absorbs fairly quickly, but right after application, there’s a noticeably oily feel you can’t miss. It leaves a slight sheen and that telltale greasy slip on the skin. The good news is this oily sensation isn’t permanent. Within about an hour and a half, it settles down and that slick feeling disappears, leaving your skin feeling more balanced. Though if you apply multiple layers, the grease might stick around longer.

So despite being labeled a water gel cream, this product leans oilier than expected. If you love that fresh, clean, almost gel-like finish, you might find this one sits a bit heavier and leaves more of an oily residue than you’d prefer. It’s not sticky, just a bit viscous.

Ingredients

The Hanyul Pure Artemisia Cream features Artemisia-Cica™️, one of Hanyul’s proprietary blends. As the name suggests, it combines artemisia (mugwort) and cica (centella asiatica), two powerhouse ingredients in Korean skincare. Both offer anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties while helping to soothe and calm the skin. The complex also includes panthenol, which adds moisture, soothes irritation, and helps strengthen the skin barrier.

Artemisia and cica are usually found in very watery or water-based products because they deliver strong soothing, hydrating, and barrier-repairing benefits in a non-greasy, fast-absorbing format. Hanyul found this particular blend offers a soothing effect that’s 4 times more powerful than cica extract alone.

Beyond artemisia and cica, the formula includes niacinamide, tocopherol, and probiotic ferment. These further support moisturizing, soothing, barrier repair, and reducing irritation.

The cream doesn’t contain parabens, sulfates, harsh alcohols, or common irritants, and uses mild preservatives. It does contain fragrance, but the product has been tested for skin irritation and allergies, plus it’s passed dermatologist testing, making it a safe and reputable choice overall.

Performance

My first impression of the gel cream was that it gives this really cool, hydrating burst to the skin, and I was pretty excited about it. But that fresh feeling didn’t last long, maybe 3 hours max for me. This moisturizer definitely doesn’t make it through the night if you have dry skin. That said, it makes sense since Hanyul recommends the Red Rice Cream for dry skin and this one for combo or oily skin types.

Contrary to what I expected, this cream works better as a surface-level moisturizer rather than something that hydrates deeply. As someone with dry to extremely dry skin, my skin sometimes gets sensitive from internal dryness, and I was hoping this would help ease that discomfort. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite deliver. While it did quickly reduce redness, the hydration didn’t feel like it sank in deep enough to tackle the underlying dryness.

The cream also caused some stinging in the driest areas of my cheeks. Nothing too uncomfortable, but not exactly pleasant either. Over the course of using this product, I felt that tingling sensation probably 7 out of 10 times. If your skin tends to be reactive, this cream might cause some discomfort.

The best part of the Hanyul Artemisia Cream is how cooling it feels. It helps with facial heat, not in a minty way, but more like the sensation you get from applying a sheet mask that was chilled in the fridge for 5-10 minutes. This cooling effect lasts pretty long, so it’s genuinely refreshing on hot days.

Overall, this is the type of cooling, soothing gel cream that oily skin and combo skin will appreciate most.

Value for Money

The Hanyul Artemisia Cream sits in the mid-range price bracket compared to other water gel creams. At 55ml, the product feels on the smaller side, which made me think it’s a bit pricier than what it offers, especially since there are similar products out there at lower price points. I’d say it performs decently and is worth considering for most people, but it becomes a much stronger choice if you can snag it on sale. During summer, the cream is honestly hard to replace since it covers a broad range of skin concerns. There isn’t a bulk pack version available, so your best bet for value would be looking at duo sets or other bundled packages.

Who Is It For?

Hanyul’s Artemisia-Cica Cream works best for:

• Combination skin in most seasons
• Oily skin for nighttime use during summer, and generally during spring or fall
• Mild to moderate dry skin users during summer
• Anyone dealing with facial heat and redness
• Those who love herbal, earthy scents

Verdict

The Hanyul Pure Artemisia Calming Water Cream is a lightweight gel cream that offers a decent balance of moisture for oily, combo, and mildly dry skin types. It leans toward the heavier side for a gel cream, which means it might not be hydrating enough for dry skin overall, and could feel slightly heavy for oily skin during summer, especially if you’re layering sunscreen on top.

This moisturizer really shines in warm weather and is perfect if you love herbal scents. Oily skin types will get the most out of it as part of a nighttime routine during hot days or anytime during spring and fall. Combo skin will find it strikes a nice balance that works for both oily and dry areas in summer, and it layers well with a slightly heavier cream on the cheeks during drier seasons. Dry skin types, however, might find it lacks the deep hydration they need.