Tag Archives: Skincare blog

Product Review, Skincare

Minimalist 10% Niacinamide Serum – Review

I have been hearing a lot of noise about the brand Minimalist but didn’t get a chance to try them out. I made a rule to use the products first before buying the next one and because I already had tons of serums I had to wait to try this one. So, finally I bought the Minimalist 10% Niacinamide Face Serum with Zinc which is said to be great removing Blemishes, Acne Marks and Dark Spots from Nykaa.

Price and quantity: The 30 ml bottle of this serum costs for INR599 on Nykaa. Sometimes they offer 5% discounts but those are short-lived.

Minimalist 10% Niacinamide + 1% Zinc Serum Review

Packaging: Okay, so there was a lot of controversy regarding the Minimalist copying the Ordinary products and their packaging. However, minimalist now has changed their packaging and most of their serum come in a simple glass bottle with a dropper. They kept it simple. It looks like a typical medicinal packaging but I totally believe in the product quality and packaging does not matter to me much unless they are unhygienic.

Description : This is what is written on the packaging – “Minimalist Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% Face Serum is a nourishing, daily serum packed with pure vitamin B3 and antibacterial mineral zinc that boosts dermal immunity, keeping your skin resilient and healthy. The soothing aloe-based formula contains pure 10% niacinamide that is clinically proven to promote protein synthesis, reduce melanin concentration and improve skin complexion in 2 weeks. This oil-free lightweight serum coupled with zinc balances sebum activity and reduces inflammation, leaving smooth textured skin with no sticky residue.”

Key Ingredients: Aloe Vera Juice, Niacinamide, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Propanediol, Ethoxydiglycol, Zinc PCA, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Pullulan, Xanthan Gum, Sclerotium Gum, Lecithin

My experience with it:

  • So, let me start with why I decided to buy a 10% Niacinamide serum at the first place. I already did a lot of research on the benefits of niacinamide and its different compounds. You can check out my article here for further details. Niacinamide is known to be great for improving skin texture, removing blemishes and acne marks. Recently I had a few ‘mask-ne’ because of double masking in summer and that too in India. Although the acnes disappeared pretty soon it left behind a few dark spots and that is when I decided to try this Niacinamide serum. I have been trying this serum for last 3 weeks now and let me tell you within 1 week of using this product my skin looked a lot more clearer and brighter. I used it in the morning after cleansing and after applying the cream skin refiner from Laneige. This is not a thick serum and gets absorbed pretty quickly. I take 4-5 drops on my palm using the dropper and then blend it in over my entire face. I wait for around 10 minutes and then I apply a sunscreen. I repeated the same routine at night. Except in place of the sunscreen I used a light night time moisturizer.
  • Now coming to the composition and key ingredients. This product contains 10% Niacinamide and 1 % Zinc (The Ordinary also has an exact similar product). Now a lot of research based articles mentioned that 10% Niacinamide may have adverse impacts on people with pre-existing allergies. They can try the 5% version. In general, Niacinamide can be used twice a day and it is well tolerable on skin for most people. Another quick tip is to never use Niacinamide and Vitamin C together. Both of them are great for skin pigmentation and blemishes but should not be mixed or used one after another. Zinc is also another great ingredient which works great for lightening blemishes. If you are not comfortable using 10% Niacinamide you can also try the 5% version from Minimalist. I plan to do so in future as I noticed a grey area there. People have mentioned that 10% Niacinamide can cause redness and irritation although personally I have not experienced that.
  • This product does not contain essential oil, fragrance, paraben, sulfates, silicon nothing. Great!

Overall this product has worked for me pretty well on lightening up my ‘mask-ne’ marks. I will definitely recommend it. As I mentioned earlier, if 10% Niacinamide worries you try their 5% version first. I will try and provide my review 🙂

Have a nice day!

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Favorites, Product Review, Skincare

Laneige Cream Skin Refiner Review

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.

Laneige Cream Skin Refiner
Laneige Cream Skin Refiner

Features:

  • – A two-in-one formula that preps and softens like a toner and moisturizes like a cream
  • – With Cream Blending Technologyâ„¢ 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.

Laneige Cream Skin Refiner

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 🙂

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Product Review, Skincare

Laneige Water Sleeping Mask Review

When I was very young I used to see my mom applying thick night creams before going to bed and sadly there was no product like a feather light sleeping pack in the market in that time. Luckily our generation has plenty of products to choose from. My first sleeping pack was the Collagen mask from the brand Etude House and I am absolutely in love with it. You can check the review here. However, I wanted to test the Laneige Water sleeping mask because I have heard so many good things about it and love their lip sleeping mask. So I kind of knew I am not going to disappointed with this one as well.

Price & Quantity: It comes in 2 sizes 25 ml and 70 ml. I bought the 25 ml version at a base price of INR 700 and got additional 10% discount on it on Nykaa. The 70 ml version retails for INR 1850. I will recommend to buy the 25 ml version first for trial. Most of the time on Nykaa and on Boddess you will find complimentary deluxe samples if you make a certain amount of purchase.

Laneige Water Sleeping Mask -25 ml

Description: Overnight mask that gives the skin the lively well rested appearance the next morning thanks to its sleep-tox purifying effect.

Ingredients: Water, Butylene Glycol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Cyclohexasiloxane, Trehalose, Sodium Hyaluronate, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Root Extract, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Fruit Extract, Beta-Glucan, Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Magnesium Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Calcium Chloride, Potassium Alginate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Polysorbate 20, Dimethicone, Dimethiconol, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Propanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Stearyl Behenate, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, HYDROXYPROPYL BISPALMITAMIDE MEA, Inulin Lauryl Carbamate, Alcohol, 1, 2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance, CI 42090

My take on the product:

Now that I have used the moistfull collagen sleeping pack I will review this product in a comparative mode.

  • Price – Price wise Laneige is definitely more expensive.
  • Packaging – Both of them come in cute sturdy tubs. So extra points for hygiene. I would have preferred a tube like packaging.
  • When I compared the ingredient list atleast the first 6-7 ingredients are totally the same. For the moistfull collagen sleeping pack the second ingredient is hydrolyzed collagen which of course Laneige does not use. The 7 th ingredient for Laneige is sodium hyaluronate which is used for restoring moisture of the skin. After comparing the ingredient list I was little surprised because Laneige is quite expensive and I actually can get more or less the same thing at a cheaper price. I might be wrong but I have heard this so many times that only the first few ingredients matter in a skin care product. Rest of them are used in a minuscule quantity.
  • Now coming to the texture. This product is definitely feather light and looks like a gel. Gets absorbed into the skin like magic. Loved the baby blue glossy color of the mask and the soothing aroma. I used it after cleaning my face and applying the night serum. It was the last step of my night time skin care. When I woke up the next morning my skin felt hydrated and soft even in a cold weather in November.

Am I going to repurchase it? Only if Etude House stops the production of their Moistfull Collagen Sleeping pack. Yeah that is my honest answer.

Hope you found this review helpful. Please let me know in comments if you used this sleeping pack and what is your take on it. Happy Sunday 🙂

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