Laneige is a Korean skincare and makeup brand. The Radian-C Cream is not the newest release of this brand, but it's one of the most amusing Laneige products, and I will prove to you today why it's worth trying Laneige Radian-C Cream.
About Laneige
2019 was the year of the Laneige - Cream Skin series, new products in the Water Bank series, Laneige in Europe, Glow Makeup Serum and now Cica Mask! 2021 wasn't worse for the brand - retinol series. I expect to see this series in 2022 in Europe since this series got introduced to the US market lately. Laneige is a brand with 27 years of tradition. Laneige was established in 1994. The owner of this company is Amore Pacific. The name Laneige comes from French "La Neige", which means snow. Laneige focuses on water and technology. This brand knows how to make your skin hydrated while fighting other skin problems, but it's not only about skincare! The Two-Tone Bar Lipstick used by actress Song Hye-Kyo in a K-drama Descendants of The Sun sold out quickly. I remember Two Toner Bar Lipstick better from Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo with Lee Sung-Kyung. Both actresses made an appearance in Laneige commercials. Actress Kim Yoo-Jung is currently the face of Laneige and Radian-C Cream. It's quite an affordable brand with sweet but not too sugary packaging. The packaging makes me believe that the main targets are teens and young adults. It's like a transition between Etude House and Sulwhasoo if Etude House is a teenage girl and Sulwhasoo is a mature lady.
Why Vitamin C?
Lots of people forgot about Vitamin C for retinol and retinal. There are plenty of reasons why Vitamin C is one of the top active ingredients.
It's an antioxidant - it fights free radical damage. It stimulates collagen type I and III as well as elastin production. It protects your skin from photoaging. It boosts UV protection of sunscreens (that's why we should apply it during the morning routine). It helps with both PIH & PIE. I feel like PIE is still hard for people to treat because products to fight PIE are not promoted by companies in the right way. We need substances with anti-inflammatory and soothing properties more than tyrosinase inhibitors. These are just a few of the positive effects of vitamin C in skincare. It's good to mix vitamin C with other ingredients like vitamin E, niacinamide or ferulic acid. We shouldn't forget about different forms of vitamin C in skincare.
Laneige Radian C-Cream - Packaging
Laneige Radian C-Cream comes in an orange box with an orange spatula inside. The spatula might be a tiny detail, but it shows how Laneige takes care of every bijou part of the design. I'm aware that not everyone likes products in jars, but the glass jar created by Laneige looks very elegant. The container contains 30ml of the formula. The cap is white, but vitamin C is an ingredient that likes to oxidize. It might turn a bit yellow (at least in some parts of the lid).
Laneige Radian C-Cream - Texture & Scent
The texture of Laneige Radian C-Cream has a smooth cream formula with no feeling of oiliness. The scent reminds me of lemon or orange. Laneige uses fragrance ingredients in this product.
Laneige Radian-C Cream - Ingredients
Water/Aqua/Eau, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Propanediol, Methyl Trimethicone, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Cetearyl Olivate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sorbitan Olivate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Limonene, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Citric Acid, Fragrance/Parfum, Thymol Trimethoxycinnamate, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sorbitan Isostearate, Sodium Citrate, Linalool, Tocopherol, Madecassoside, Citral, Geraniol
Water hides in a cosmetic product under names such as Aqua or Eau. It's a solvent, but it's not your regular drinking water. If we want to use water in skincare products, we need to make sure this water is clean and free from minerals, any microorganisms or other substances. Usually, water makes the majority of the content of the product. 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid or Ethyl Ascorbic Acid is a form of Vitamin C. This form is very stable in both oil and water. It's an antioxidant and skin brightening ingredient. It stimulates collagen (type I and III) and elastin production. 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid helps with PIE & PIH pigmentation - this form shows the best effects on pigmentation and post-UV-exposure skin discolouration. It's better to use Vitamin C during the morning routine because it boosts the efficiency of sunscreen. We consider 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid is the most stable form of vitamin C in skincare, and this version is suitable for sensitive skin. It's good to mix it with niacinamide and vitamin E. This form has weak points - it's the most expensive form of vitamin C. Glycerin or Glycerol is a humectant. Its origin can be natural or synthetic - depending on the product. It protects TEWL (transepidermal water loss) and naturally occurs in the skin. It's one of the NMFs - natural moisturizing factors. It's practical in haircare. Glycerin won't clog your skin or irritate it just the opposite - it protects your skin from irritation. Cetearyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. In the beauty industry, it's an emollient. Many people associate alcohol with something awful for the epidermis, but not every alcohol is nasty. Cetearyl alcohol leaves a moisturizing film on the skin to prevent your skin from transepidermal water loss (TEWL). We use Cetearyl alcohol to create an emulsion. Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride is a combination of coconut oil and glycerin. It's an outstanding emollient, quite common in skincare. It leaves a protective film on the surface of the epidermis to save your cutis from dehydration. Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride has a significant role in skincare products - it makes the application process effortless. Some people might experience pore-clogging after using Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, but pore-clogging and skin reactions to ingredients are individual. What works for you might not work for someone else. Propanediol is also known as natural glycol - an alternative for propylene glycol. Propanediol is a solvent with additional moisturizing properties. It makes the texture of the product smooth in touch, and it can even improve the effectiveness of active ingredients. Methyl Trimethicone is a volatile silicone, a type of silicone that evaporates right after product application. It works as a solvent in the products. Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin) is an emollient. Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate is an emollient. It leaves an airy film on the skin. Olivem 1000 is a combination of Cetearyl Olivate and Sorbitan Olivate. It's a natural emulsifier, and beauty companies use it to create an oil-in-water emulsion. Worth mentioning it's a biodegradable formula.
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate is a surfactant and emulsifier for oil in water formulas. Potassium Cetyl Phosphate is quite common in SPF formulas since it makes sunscreen more water-resistant. 1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic solvent and preservative. It protects products from microorganisms by boosting other preservatives. At the same time, it can moisturize the skin, and it has no unpleasant effects on your epidermis. Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer is a polymer that works as an emulsifier and thickener. Limonene is a scent ingredient, and it makes the product smell like lemon or orange. Limonene can enhance penetration of other substances, but at the same time, it can irritate the skin. Polymethyl Methacrylate creates a film to make skin appear flawless without wrinkles or uneven texture. This effect won't stay forever, and that's why we use it in products like foundation or primers. Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer is an emulsifier for oil in water compositions and a thickener. Citric Acid is an AHA (alpha hydroxy acid). It's a delicate exfoliant and a buffering ingredient. It adjusts the pH of the formula. Fragrance (Parfum) is a scent composition. It can cause allergic reactions. Thymol Trimethoxycinnamate is a patented ingredient by Amore Pacific. It's hidden under the name Melasolv. This substance is supposed to help with blemishes, pigmentation and uneven skin. Amore Pacific wanted to create a safe formula that safely fights pigmentation disorders. That's why Melasolv doesn't inhibit tyrosinase, but it suppresses the expression of tyrosinase. According to the brand, 0,1% of Melasolv has the same effects as 2% of niacinamide. Melasolv can help you with melasma and lentigo. The formula uses technologies like liposomes and encapsulation to provide deeper penetration of the active ingredient. Disodium EDTA neutralizes metal ions in the formula to keep products fresh for a longer time. Ethylhexylglycerin is a preservative with subtle moisturizing and antimicrobial properties. Sorbitan Isostearate is an emulsifier. Sodium Citrate neutralizes metal ions, but it also adjusts the pH. Linalool gives a floral scent to products. It can irritate the skin. Tocopherol is an antioxidant known as Vitamin E. It's an oil-soluble vitamin that fights free radicals, makes UVB protection and natural lipid barrier stronger. It's good to mix it with vitamin C for better effects. Oily skin might react with pore-clogging to vitamin E. It is not true that vitamin E works as a preservative or helps with scars. Madecassoside is a bioactive part of Centella Asiatica. It's an antioxidant and can stimulate collagen and elastin synthesis to promote wound healing. It has soothing effects, and it might have anti-aging properties if we combine it with vitamin C. Citral gives products a lemon scent. It can be sensitizing for the skin. Geraniol makes products smell like geranium. It can be sensitizing.
How does Laneige Radian-C Cream work?
It took me almost two years and over one jar to review Laneige Radian-C Cream. The first jar of Laneige Radian-C Cream came to me from South Korea during the beginning of COVID - March 2019. One day after I ordered this cream from TesterKorea, the flights from South Korea got suspended so did the shipping. Thankfully, TesterKorea upgraded my shipping to DHL, and I got my package in a few days. To this day, I didn't get two parcels from two other shops with moisturizers for my mom, Missha Red Algae essence and Holika Holika glitter. I guess they won't ever arrive, but I can still wish for that.
I feel like Laneige made lots of changes in the last few years. The designs of Laneige products are better - every product from Laneige fits the same aesthetic. Laneige is a part of Amore Pacific - it's supreme information since I had to base this review on research prepared by Amore Pacific. There's a reason why Laneige promotes Radian-C Cream to "avid smartphone users" - they should add office workers, gamers or people addicted to social media in this group. Radian-C Cream's target is stressed people who work for long hours. If you enjoy outdoor activities, you're also in a target group. With this information, you can expect that this product has something to do with blue light and sunlight. It is clever because Vitamin C promotes UV protection if we use it during the morning routine. I'm glad that Laneige has a US website, even if I like to check the Korean website and other versions to see how different marketing in each country is. Laneige shares with us "proofs" or "secrets" why Laneige Radian-C Cream works.
The first secret is "dual vitamin cream". Laneige uses 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid (Ethyl Ascorbic Acid) - a form of Vitamin C and Tocopherol - Vitamin E. We all know that Vitamin C and Vitamin E together works better - both are antioxidants and fight free radicals. We will be back to 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid since the third secret is related to this one. The second secret is in Melasolv. If you didn't read about the ingredients, you can press ctrl+f and search 'Thymol Trimethoxycinnamate', we will wait for you. Melasolv is an ingredient patented by Amore Pacific. It means that you won't find Melasolv in products created by other companies. You can meet Melasolv in Hera's or IOPE's products. The secret number three is madecassoside. This formula should be suitable for sensitive skin. 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid is a form of Vitamin C recommended for sensitive skin.
I had to google if Laneige still promotes Laneige Radian-C Cream with 'Radian-C Super Blend™', and it looks like they decided to remove it from the campaign, but this part seems to be covered by Melasolv already. Radian-C Super Blend™ was supposed to help with micro-dark spots. The cream is free from synthetic colourants, fragrances and animal ingredients (plus a few other chemical substances). Still, you will find 'Parfume' and a few scent ingredients like 'Geraniol' mentioned in INCI. According to Laneige, the effect of brighter skin should be visible in just two weeks. I'm not a fan of using skincare products for only two weeks. I have to admit the first signs of how the products work can be visible after this short period. Still, I prefer to give products at least a month or even half of the year, depending on active ingredients. If you try products with retinol or retinal, 3-6 months might be an optimal time to see results. It should have a non-comedogenic and hypoallergic effect. My skin after retinoid treatment got very sensitive, and Radian-C Cream was one of two vitamin C products I was able to use for about a year. I do have oily skin, but lately, I see that my skin reacts better to Radian-C Cream than one of my favourite moisturizers of all time - Klairs Rich Moist Soothing Cream. The skin doesn't look dull, but I wouldn't say that Laneige Radian-C Cream solves all my problems with pigmentation because pigmentation needs time to disappear - especially post-acne pigmentation and blemishes. It's a brilliant addition to brightening skincare routine - even Laneige thinks so. Laneige has its routine idea on the Laneige website - use White Dew Skin Refiner and Emulsion, follow it with Radian-C Ampoule and Radian-C Cream. If you live in South Korea, you might use Radian-C Sun Cream after Radian-C Cream during the morning routine.
My routine was different, and my skin isn't glowing as Kim Yoo-Jung's skin in the Radian-C Cream commercial, but I repurchased this cream for a reason. It works for me because I see the effects - the blemishes are disappearing from my skin. The redness of acne is gone, and even if next month I can spot another imperfection - it's like a never-ending cycle, but I got tools to fight them off. One of these tools is Laneige Radian-C Cream. I hope Laneige Radian-C Ampoule will be available in Europe soon since I want to try Cream and Ampoule together.
Where to buy Laneige Radian-C Cream?
Right now, Laneige Radian-C Cream is available in all the official Laneige markets. I repurchased my Radian-C Cream at local Sephora, but you can try to buy it at Yesstyle* for around $32 - with promo codes and referral code (you can use my referral code BETWEENDOTS), it might be cheaper than in official sale. A mini version of Laneige Radian-C Cream (10ml) costs $7.57 on Yesstyle*, and here's my pro tip - you can get a set of 3 mini Radian-C Creams (3x10ml) for $17.50 at Yesstyle*, it's the same amount as one full-size Radian-C Cream.
Have you ever tried Laneige Radian-C Cream?
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