Aqua-Filling Is the New K-Beauty Trend That Will Transform Your Crazy-Dry Winter Skin
Meet the good kind of water weight.
A wise male-model-cum-merman once said: "Moisture is the essence of wetness, and wetness is the essence of beauty." He wasn't wrong—H2O has always been the not-so-secret secret to glowing skin 💦.
When skin doesn't get enough of it, complexions become dry, sallow, droopy, and just kind of sad. And unless you are superwoman drinking all the water and piling on heaps of moisturizer this winter (freak!), chances are your skin needs more hydration.
A 20-something crypt keeper myself, I definitely needed it. Thankfully, Christine Chang, co-founder of K-beauty mecca Glow Recipe, introduced me to aqua-filling: a breakthrough in the art of not looking dry as a bone.
Aqua-filling: a breakthrough in the art of not looking dry as a bone.
Like so many K-beauty trends, aqua-filling was born straight out of dermatology clinics in Korea. The inspiration was a procedure that injects hydration into the skin for a youthfully plumped appearance, but fear not—this approach involves zero needles 💉 .
"Volumizing the face was a trend a couple of years ago, but what women want now is not volume for the face, but youthful, supple, plumped, and hydration-filled skin, described as 'taeng taeng' or 'zzon zzon' in Korean," Chang explains.
This desire yielded a slew of moisture-binding, "anti-deflate" products that deliver bouncy, young-looking skin with new hydration technology. One of the key ingredients is Tremella, a fungus mushroom that possesses polysaccharides, which can hold up to 500 times its own water weight. It's one of the few ingredients in nature that has this capacity and is said to be even more effective than hyaluronic acid in repairing dry skin.
"When dry Tremella is resoaked, it blossoms almost instantly to its original, supple state," says Chang. Watch this madness unfold before your eyes:
Stay In The Know
Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.
Are you a believer now?
A powerful antioxidant and anti-aging ingredient, Tremella can be found in a handful of K-beauty creams, but most popularly Earth Recipe's Moisture Bound Cream. "It anchors hydration in the deepest layers for luminously plumped skin," says Chang.
Another major player is Primary Raw's Doyou Azulene Gel Cream, which, believe it or not, is actually water-free. "It's able to aqua-fill the skin with raw bamboo sap, which mimics natural moisturizing factors found in skin," she says, adding that sap is what powers the growth of bamboo—you know, that grassy stuff that can grow up to 23 inches a day.
Teamed with skin-soothing azulene (steam distilled from chamomile plants) and encapsulated vitamin E, the formula is fast absorbing and your-skin-will-never-be-the-same hydrating. Also, it comes in the coolest apothecary-like bottle.
So, dear decrepit readers, give 'em a try.
1. Earth's Recipe Moisture Bound Cream, $43; glowrecipe.com.
2. Primary Raw DoYou Azulene Gel Cream, $46; glowrecipe.com.
Follow Marie Claire on Instagram for the latest celeb news, pretty pics, funny stuff, and an insider POV.
Lauren Valenti is Vogue’s former senior beauty editor. Her work has also appeared on ELLE.com, MarieClaire.com, and in In Style. She graduated with a liberal arts degree from Eugene Lang College, The New School for Liberal Arts, with a concentration on Culture and Media Studies and a minor in Journalism.
-
Meghan Shares Photos of Archie and Lilibet's Vibrant Red Hair
The little royals most definitely take after dad Prince Harry.
By Amy Mackelden
-
Former Royal Nanny Opens Up About George, Charlotte, and Louis
"You see how grounded they really are."
By Amy Mackelden
-
Travis Kelce Emerges in Las Vegas Without Taylor Swift
The "Blank Space" singer was nowhere to be seen.
By Amy Mackelden
-
Here's the Skinny on Fat Grafting Skincare Treatments
Here's the skinny on the cosmetic treatment taking over plastic surgeons' offices from coast-to-coast.
By Fiorella Valdesolo
-
Everything You Need to Know About Marie Claire’s Skin and Hair Awards
Could your brand survive an editor testing session?
By Ariel Baker
-
People Always Compliment My Flawless Skin—These 6 Steps Are Why
From sunscreen and essences to moisturizers, it's all here.
By Hannah Baxter
-
The 11 Best Spring Makeup Trends Are Sexy, Sensual, and Perfectly Luminous
It's dew or die time.
By Jamie Wilson
-
Simone Ashley’s Indie Sleaze Glam Is a Cool-Toned Dream
The actor was spotted in New York City looking like the epitome of cool-toned beauty.
By Ariel Baker
-
Sulwhasoo’s New Concentrated Ginseng Cream Is a Wrinkle-Erasing Time Machine for My Skin
This Seoul-based brand is the key to plump skin.
By Samantha Holender
-
The 10 Best Hair Growth Shampoos of 2025, Tested by Editors
Expensive and healthy-looking hair on lock.
By Marisa Petrarca
-
New York Fashion Week’s Fall/Winter 2025 Best Beauty Moments Are a Lesson in Juxtaposition
The week's best beauty looks were a maximalism master class.
By Ariel Baker