I got my hands into the Laneige Cream Skin Refiner finally after hearing rave reviews about it. When I first checked out the product on nykaa I was little confused about the ‘Skin Refiner’ part. As per the product description it was written that it is a “Miraculous skin fortifier, deep hydration repairs and strengthens skin barrier. It is a toner with new formula in which a whole bottle of cream is dissolved with safe ingredients to keep the skin hydrated and healthy. Leave your skin moisturized at the first step of your skin care routine with Cream Skin Refiner.” From the description I felt this is a toner but may have a moisturizing effect as well and decided to give it a try. So here is my review of the product.

Price and Quantity: The product comes in 2 sizes. The 150 ml bottle retails for INR 1850 and the 50 ml bottle retails for INR 750. I bought the 50ml one just to try the product first. It comes in a simple translucent white sturdy plastic bottle with a white cap. You just need to simply pour the product on your palm. There is no pump or anything like that; very standard packaging as expected from a toner.

Features:

• – A two-in-one formula that preps and softens like a toner and moisturizes like a cream
• – With Cream Blending Technology™ exclusive of Laneige, a jar of cream is dissolved in skin toner
• – With White Leaf Tea Water having content of amino acid enriched through the specialized shadow-growing method
• – It strengthens the skin barrier and provides a lasting moisturizing effect
• – Cream Skin Refiner is filled with mild and safe ingredients which provides moisturizing effects for dry and sensitive skin

Ingredients : Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyglyceryl- 10 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Inulin Lauryl Carbamate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Propanediol, Disodium Edta, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Tocopherol.

My take on the product :

• Price point wise I feel the product is pretty reasonably priced if we compare it to other K-beauty toners.
• The packaging is on-point. Whenever I think about Laneige packaging all their products are packaged in a way which is user friendly with high quality material and muted yet beautiful colors. Their lip sleeping mask comes in pink tubs, water sleeping mask comes in blue tubs and hence cream skin refiners come in white bottles. No surprise. They want to visually send a message to the customers of their product’s intended usage. I dig that.
• Now coming to the ingredient list. Obviously I do not have any professional qualification about this but I do check the ingredient list and do my research. The first ingredient is water as this is a water based toner. Their ingredient list mentions Meadowfoam seed oil which acts as an emollient that creates a protective seal over our skin to lock in moisture. It contains butylene glycol which is a Conditioning agent that add a layer of softness or improved texture to our skin. 1,2-hexanediol is used as a synthetic preservative and moisture-binding solvent which creates the clear liquid consistency and also helps to dissolve other substances. This does not contain any nasty chemical like paraben or phthalates.
• When I first pour the product onto my palm I saw a milky white water like/ runny consistency which is what a toner is supposed be like. I simply applied the toner on my face and pat it dry slowly with my fingers. It got absorbed quickly and instantly my skin felt very moisturized and hydrated as well. This is not exactly how we feel after applying a toner right. This is where the cream skin refiner part is coming into play. It looks like a toner and feels featherlight on skin but leaves the effect of a moisturizer. This product is supposed to work great for normal and dry skin. However, it worked really great for my oily skin in relatively cold and dry weather. Not sure how it will feel in a hot and humid weather though. Laneige claimed to use a whole bottle of cream inside a bottle of toner using their trademark cream blending technology. That sounds scary for someone who has oily skin but it felt absolutely nourishing and hydrating for me without having any greasiness or any discomfort to be precise. This is indeed a magic bottle.
• Coming to how I added it to my skincare regime, I firstly washed my skin with a cleanser and then applied this toner and after that applied the Laneige water sleeping mask before going to bed. When I woke up my skin looked super glowing and felt moisturized. This toner works great with a night cream or a light moisturizer and it will not make your skin heavy or greasy for sure.
• Am I going to repurchase this? YES! for sure 🙂 It won my heart.

Hope you found this review useful. Please keep following the blog. Happy Sunday 🙂