Laneige Power Essential Skin Refiner (Moisture) Review

The last of my Laneige products to review! I've been using this product for over 3 months now and I'm excited to finally review it. It is a nice light moisturizing toner, but does it really do anything else besides that? More after the jump.

Where to buy:

testerkorea.com - $37.00 for 400ml
koreadepart.com - $24.30 for 200ml
roseroseshop.com - $15 for 200ml
beautykat.com - $29.99 for 200ml
sasa.com - $20.70 for 200ml

Description: LANEIGE Power Essential Skin Refiner Moisture removes dried keratin and purifies the skin for clear and transparent skin. Bio Dusali, extracted from fermented seaweed with strong energy of life, supplies energy to the skin and promotes keratin turnover, while the Hyacinth extracts purify the skin from heavy metal, smog, and other harmful materials to leave the skin moist and transparent. Exfoliating enzymes gently remove the dead skin cells with less irritation. Skin-nourishing royal jelly extracts and sugar cane extracts refine dry and rough skin for moist and healthy skin.

Claims
 leaves skin moist and translparent
gently exfoliates
nourishes skin

Ingredients: Water, Glycereth-26, Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, PEG/PPG-17/6 copolymer, Glycerin, Beta-Glucan, Betaine, DL-Panthenol, Algae Extract, Glycogen, Lactobacillus, Salicornia Herbacea Extract, Royal Jelly Extract, Glutamic Acid, Lysine HCL, Serine, Citrulline, Alanine, Arginine, Threonine, Histidine HCL, Protease, Magnesium sulgate, Manganese Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, PCA; Mannitol, Sucrose, Hydrolyzed wheat protein, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Phenyl Trimethicone, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Propanediol, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Fragrance

Some interesting ingredients I noticed:

Alcohol- I'm unsure of my opinion on this. Some blogs and experts (whose name starts with a P) adamantly state that this kind of alcohol is very drying and kills off cells, prematurely ageing you. Others say that it's fine in well formulated products as well as helping other actives absorb better. It definitely helps things dry a bit faster, but I'm also a bit wary.

Lactobacillus- the bacteria you find in yogurt and your digestive tract (amongst other places)! According to WebMD it is used to treat skindisorders like acne and eczema.

Royal Jelly Extract- tons of amino acids, helps moisturize and calm inflamed skin

Overall it seems to be packed full of little ingredients to help moisturize and improve your skin, save for the controversial alcohol.

Scent: This is definitely a moderate to strongly scented product! Unfortunately, those sensitive to fragrances will definitely want to steer clear of this toner. It's a very nice scent that I find relaxing, but it sticks around for a few minutes after application :(

Packaging: The packaging is nice and classy, just like most Laneige products. It's very clear that their target market is different from Etude House's haha. The top is screwed on, and I have not had a problem with it leaking or becoming unscrewed. When you first start using it, it can be a bit hard to get much product out, but that changes after a couple of weeks. The bottle and cap are made of sturdy plastic, so you don't have to worry about it breaking at all. No complaints :)

Swatch: Its consistency is very similar to water, though a bit more 'slippery' if that makes sense. I generally pour some into the palm of my hand and pat it in. It absorbs quickly and leaves my skin feeling a bit more moisturized afterwards.

Results: I'm a bit conflicted about this product. It absorbs quickly and serves as a light moisturizer in its own right, but I saw no exfoliation or improvement in my skin texture as a result of using it. I do like it, but I can't say that I really love it. The packaging is nice, the bottle is big enough to last awhile, and the price is OK- I love that it has tons of nice ingredients, but I did't see any long term improvement in my skin despite using it for 3 months twice a day.

I could imagine longer term use (two years maybe?) of this being beneficial, but for now there are cheaper toners out there that do a better job of moisturizing and improving the texture of my skin. I won't be repurchasing :(

Conclusion: Final Score: 4/5

Pros:

• nice packaging
• hydrating
• absorbs quickly
• nice smell
• you get a lot of product (probably 4 or so months worth of twice a day)

Cons:

• very strong smell
• no improvement in the texture of my skin
• alcohol is high up in the ingredients list :/