Dr Wu Ageversal Repairing System

Long time ago, in a far distant land, I fell in love with a doctor. We had some good times, and some bad times. Memories I will always treasure.

Earlier this year I fell in love again. With a doctor. This time the love affair is still going strong.

Dear readers, let me introduce my new prince charming - Dr Wu.

Our meeting was purely accidental.
While visiting Taiwan earlier this year, I was on the hunt for the ceramide series from For My Beloved - a well-known Taiwanese skincare brand.
For My Beloved was running a major promo, where if you bought two items, they showered you with additional goodness (while quantities last). I was trekking across Taipei for days looking for the still lasting quantities. They were sold out everywhere.

Finally, at some random store, the sales woman took pity on me and made a few phone calls. Turned out there was still stock at the For My Beloved counter at Taipei 101 Mall. Before she could complete the sentence I was hopping on the subway.

I made it to the mall in record time. I raced to the For My Beloved counter. And yes... you guessed it right. It just got sold out. The quantities didn't last long enough. That was the last day of the promo. And the next day I was flying back to Japan.

In utter disbelief and frustration I looked around for an alternate place to spend my hard earned cash. Sure as hell I wasn't gonna give any to For My Beloved now.
Right next door there was a Dr Wu counter. I resolutely walked over and said "give me your best stuff!".

Yes, I actually said that.
I knew nothing about Dr Wu. All I had researched before was For My Beloved.

The sales woman didn't speak a word of English and I used a pen and paper to write "number 1" in three different languages. Surrounded by a flock of hearts and smiley faces.

She made a smiley face of her own, poked at MY face with her finger (yes, she actually did that!) and selected some stuff. She said the magic words "duty free".

And the rest is history...

The Wu woman selected for me these:

• Dr Wu Ageversal Youth Repairing Set
• Dr Wu Repairing System Intensive Repairing Serum with Squalane - 35ml
• Dr Wu Repairing System Advanced AntiWrinkle Eye Cream with Botolift™ - 15ml

Dr Wu Ageversal Youth Repairing Set contained:

• 5 ml of Dr Wu Repairing System Intensive Repairing Serum with Squalane
• 15 ml of Dr Wu Repairing System Extreme Micro-Lifting Cream With Ageversal
• 50 ml of Dr Wu Repairing System Intensive Firming Essence With Ageversal
• 30 pieces of facial cotton pads.

And don't you just LOVE the fact that Dr Wu has a website in English? And an online store?
This doctor just keeps getting better and better!


As you can see, the sales lady chose an anti-ageing series for me. And she chose wisely.
I didn't know it at the time, but the squalane serum is considered one of Dr Wu's legendary products.

And let me tell you, I completely understand now why.

But first things first.

Dr Wu is a Taiwanese brand of dermo-cosmetics founded by a real-life dermatologist - one doctor Ying-Chin Wu (Yes! there's a real Dr Wu behind the brand but sadly, he's not handsome) in 1996. Or 2003, depending on who you ask.
You can read about the history of Dr Wu brand on their website.

To make a long story short, Dr Wu is now Taiwan's number 1 clinical skincare brand, has won numerous beauty awards and is endorsed by many Taiwanese celebrities.

One reason for its success is this way of formulating products:

image source: Dr Wu

The principle? It's really simple:

"No Additives, No Alcohol, High Concentration of High Grade Actives that are safe and effective, even for use on sensitive skin."

So, let's take a closer look at these Taiwanese cosmeceutical wonders.


First up is Dr Wu Repairing System Intensive Firming Essence With Ageversal.

This is the starter size of 50ml. It's a simple, plastic bottle. There is no pump in this size.

The instructions say this is to be used as the first step after cleansing.
It has a pleasant consistency and while initially may appear somewhat greasy, it dries completely very fast. In the time it takes me to floss my teeth, it's completely dry on my face.
I don't use a cotton pad, as too much of the product goes to waste that way. I pour some into my hand and then gently pat my face until all liquid is fully absorbed.

And like this:

But what the heck is this mysterious "Ageversal"?
To be honest, even after reading everything on Dr Wu's website, I'm still not sure.
But this handy graphic aims to explain the "Ageversal" concept:

So, basically, an anti-ageing skin soup.
I liked this essence a lot. It was very basic but did exactly what it was supposed to do. It got my face ready for the next step in this Dr Wu routine.

Ingredients of Dr Wu Repairing System Intensive Firming Essence With Ageversal:

The disappointing part is that out of the three main ingredients in "Ageversal", the first one - Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide - 7 is the second to last item on the product's ingredient list.
Sodium Hyaluronate is number 11. And maybe I'm blind, but I couldn't find any algae extract.

The confusing ingredient on this list is Chlorphenesin, which is NOT the muscle relaxant drug Chlorphenesin carbamate. Chlorphenesin carbamate, confusingly also known as "chlorphenesin" is NOT a cosmetic ingredient.
This Chlorphenesin here is something different entirely and functions as a mild preservative. And yes, it is approved for use in the EU. No worries.


And if you are interested, here's this:

There is no discernible scent, the texture is light, the application is problem-free.
Nothing to complain about here.


Step 2 in this routine is Dr Wu Repairing System Intensive Repairing Serum With Squalane

There was a 5ml sample in the starter set, but the Wu lady, very wisely, decided to sell me a full size bottle as well. Smart woman.

This is the star of the show, no doubt about it.

Let me just say that much - all the hype is true. This serum is gold.
It's an oil based formula that is surprisingly light. It takes more than a few minutes to absorb, so normally, I put it on and then clean the cat litter boxes, change the water for my babies, water the plants, that sort of stuff. When I come back to the bathroom to wash my hands, the serum has been magically absorbed leaving my skin feeling so velvety soft it's ridiculous.

Dr Wu loves the airless pump system! Yay and hurray!

The bottle is all shiny plastic. Simple and functional. Zero embellishments, bells and whistles.
The shiny caps are a pain to keep clean, but otherwise the design is very practical.
And it's an airless pump - I just love saying that. Makes most Japanese brands look like relics from the 20th century with their squeeze tubes and screw-on caps.

While this serum is oil based, it's not greasy greasy, if you know what I mean.

It's deliciously soft and instead of feeling oily on the skin, it feels hydrating.
Just pat it in and let your thirsty skin absorb it all. And trust me, it will.
There is no noticeable scent or fragrance.

I have used squalane products before, amongst others - from HABA. But none felt as light and fluffy as this one.

Squalane is the one beauty oil that rules them all. Squalane is a hydrogenated form of squalene, but unlike squalene, which is sourced from shark liver oil, no sharks are hurt in the production of squalane. Squalane is a plant-based oil (yep, save the sharks!), and the experts say this about it:

"Squalane occurs naturally in the lipidic layers of the skin and prevents moisture loss while restoring the skin's suppleness and flexibility. Squalane is highly resistant to oxidation and has a high affinity to skin cells due to its skin-identical structure."

The blurb on the package tells us this:

I am almost done with the bottle, and yes, I can definitely agree. It gave me softer and smoother skin.
And despite having a pile of other skincare products, I am seriously considering ditching them, and reordering this serum ASAP.

Here's the ingredient list of Dr Wu Repairing System Intensive Repairing Serum With Squalane:

Interestingly enough, as you can see, this serum contains both squalane (from plants) and squalene (poor sharks). But while squalane is number 2 on the list, squalene is number 12.

The directions for use suggest to use it twice daily, however with our current temperatures I've been using it at night only. It's still managing to work its magic.

And if you're interested, here's this:

The next step, according to the helpful graphics on Dr Wu website, should be an eye cream.


And yes, here it is!

Step 3 is Dr Wu Repairing System Advanced Anti-Wrinkle Eye Cream With Botolift™.

Again, we have the same functional silver bottle. And as before, because it's Dr Wu's style, we have an airless pump.

OK, just for that alone I love this doctor.

This eye cream was a bit of a surprise. It's a lot lighter than a typical anti-wrinkle eye cream. Next to it, my favorite su:m37º Flawless Regenerating Eye Cream feels like a tub of margarine.

Due to the lighter texture, I was quite skeptical whether this cream was going to work at all. It took time to get into the swing of things, but once it did - it really keeps the under eye area in check.

This is what they say:

I have used Lirikos Marine Botoxin cream before, but it did absolutely nothing for me. So it was a pleasant surprise that Dr Wu actually delivered, and for a lot less money.
The droopy eyelid bit interested me the most.
My left eyelid is definitely past its prime. It needed some lift. Not sure whether this cream took care of it (as the peptides are at the very end of the ingredient list), but the eyelid is now noticeably less droopy.


It absorbs fast! Unlike the essence (so so fast) and the serum (not fast at all), this one is gone in a flash.

See? It even looks very fluffy.
Again, there is no noticeable smell. Kudos to the doctor for realizing that many people are sensitive to and dislike perfumed skincare.

While this cream might not be sufficient for night time use in winter (especially if used alone, without the serum), it's perfect for the summer.

Here are the ingredients of Dr Wu Repairing System Advanced Anti-Wrinkle Eye Cream With Botolift™:

According to the ingredient list, the famed Botolift™ seems to be nothing more than a marketing gimmick. So maybe the positive results after using this cream are nothing more than a placebo effect?
Anything is possible...

And if you are interested, here it is:

The final step, according to Dr Wu, should be a face cream.
And here it is!

Step 4 is Dr Wu Repairing System Extreme Micro-Lifting Cream With Ageversal.

As my version came with the set, it has only half of the standard volume of 30ml. It's still less than the traditional 50 g we came to expect from Western brands.

The cream is very similar in texture to the eye cream. It doesn't smell.

It absorbs fast. Doesn't leave a greasy layer. Feels comfortable and light on the face, especially considering this is the fourth layer.

I usually use it at night. However lately, despite the ridiculous temperatures during the day, I started to use it in the morning. I suppose, because Taiwan is also a hot and humid country, this cream had been tested in such conditions. Let's just say, it works like a charm. It moisturizes without stickiness and greasiness.

Where I am ambivalent are its anti-wrinkle properties. I honestly have not noticed any. Maybe it's my wrinkles, or maybe I have to use it much longer to see noticeable results. Or maybe this cream simply doesn't work. The jury is still out.

Here are the ingredients of Dr Wu Repairing System Extreme Micro-Lifting Cream With Ageversal:

And if you are interested, here is this:

Are you still with me? Or did you fall asleep 15 paragraphs back?

In conclusion:

This is a very effective anti-ageing / repairing line that while not exactly cheap, doesn't cost an arm and a leg and a firstborn. I don't remember how much I paid for all the items, but it wasn't heart attack inducing.

This is solid skincare that, for the most part, delivers good results.
It's worth mentioning that with my sensitive skin, nothing, and let me repeat it once again - nothing in today's lineup broke me out. That in itself is already a huge accomplishment and a reason enough to try other products by Dr Wu.

(Now... if he were only more handsome, I'd have my skincare knight in a shining airless pump container).

Speaking of airless pumps, what I also liked was that all relevant info was printed (in two languages!) on the packaging. There were no extra leaflets inside. Yay for saving paper!

What I also liked was that individual boxes were sealed in foil. Yay for security!

What I also liked was that every product had its expiration date printed on the bottom of the container:

Again, how come Japanese companies are unwilling (or unable) to do it?


Final verdict:

So, will I buy again?
You betcha!

The End!

O Hui The First Cell Revolution Source, Soft Cream and Eye Cream

I don't know what it is with Korean skincare brands that makes them want to be "first" and "the first".
Is this some intricate plot involving subliminal messages?
There's Missha First Treatment Essence, which aspires to be a dupe for SK-II's Treatment Essence, and which is, at least in my personal opinion, probably the most overpriced, worthless piece of kaka I've put on my face. And it rewarded me with zitness galore.
With SK-II you pay for a fancy name and can expect, at the very least, some sort of a placebo effect.
And with Missha? You don't even get what you pay for. (Some bloggers claim that the two are "identical", which is a bunch of baloney, because their ingredients are quite different).
And no, regardless of what you may think, Missha is not fancy.

And then you have O Hui (or Ohui) The First Cell Revolution.
Ohui is fancy, alright. And it's not just any old "first", either.
It's THE First.
Cell Revolution.

Nie wiem dlaczego koreanskie marki kosmetyczne tak bardzo uwielbiaja slowo "first", albo nawet "the first". Pierwszy i najpierwszy. Czy to ich sposob na wysylanie tajnych sygnalow bezposrednio do naszej podswiadomosci?
No bo jest Missha First Treatment Essence, ktora stara sie byc zamiennikiem dla SK-II Treatment Essence, a ktora, niestety, przynajmniej wedlug mojej opinii, jest niczym specjalnym o wygorowanej cenie. Dostalam od niej w prezencie wysyp syfow.
Przy SK-II placi sie za luksusowa nazwe i mozna oczekiwac przynajmniej luksusowego efektu placebo. A z Missha? Missha nie jest luksusowa marka, choc wiem, ze wiele polskich blogerek ja za taka uwaza. Wiele blogerek, polskich i niepolskich, rowniez uwaza, ze esencja Misshy jest identyczna do esencji SK-II. To oczywscie bzdura, bo ich sklady znacznie sie roznia.

No i mamy jeszcze O Hui (lub Ohui, jak niektorzy wola) The First Cell Revolution.
O Hui jest luksusowy, nie ma watpliwosci. I nie jest tez byle jakim "pierwszym", ale luksusowo "najpierwszym".
Najpierwsza rewolucja komorkowa.

O Hui. What a beautiful name. It makes me smile every time. If you speak Polish, you know why. If you don't speak Polish, hmmm... imagine that a name of a high-end cosmetic brand is a homophone of a slang term for a certain part of male anatomy. Yep, you got it. That's O Hui!

O Hui. Co za piekna nazwa. Zawsze wywoluje usmiech na mej pieknej twarzy. Jesli mowisz po polsku, to wiesz dlaczego.

On the LG website (because O Hui is one of the many skincare brands from LG Home and Health Care) you can read that:

Ohui is a premium cosmetic brand that promotes the beauty of modern people by bringing together the principles of the cosmos and nature and modern science and technology.

Don't worry, I don't know either. That cosmos throws me off and my mind gets lost in space.
But hey, even lost in space, I'll be beautiful as long as I have some O Hui with me, right?

Anyway, where was I?
Back here on earth, we don't need cosmic skincare. We just want skincare that works.

So, how did this Ohui (O Hui?) The First work? And did it work at all?

Long story...

Na stronie LG (bo O Hui nalezy do stajni LG Home and Health Care, tak samo jak su:m37º i wiele innych marek), mozna przeczytac (mniej wiecej) to:

Ohui to ekskluzywna marka kosmetyczna, ktora promuje piekno nowoczesnych ludzi przez polaczenie regul (praw, skladnikow, whatever) kosmosu, natury oraz nowoczesnej wiedzy i technologii.

Noooo... ja tez nie mam pojecia. Ten kosmos zbija mnie z tropu za kazdym razem.

Ale tutaj na ziemi, kosmiczna pielegnacja nie jest mi potrzebna. Ja bede zadowolona z pielegnacji, ktora dziala na mojej bardzo nowoczesnej, ale niezbyt pieknej, twarzy.

Wiec jak sie tutaj nasz O Hujowy bohater sprawdzil? I czy w ogole sie sprawdzil?

To dluga historia...

The series was highly recommended to me by multiple fans of Korean beauty. 

O Hui The First Cell Revolution Eye Cream, enriched with recombinant Human Stem Cell Protein (rHSCP), was supposed to perform miracles equal to, if not better than, su:m37º Flawless Regenerating Eye Cream (review here).


Ta seria byla mi polecana przez wiele fanek koreanskich kosmetykow.

O Hui The First Cell Revolution Eye Cream (krem pod oczy), zawierajacy recombinant Human Stem Cell Protein (rekombinowane bialko ludzkich komorek macierzystych? nie mam pojecia jak to po polskiemu), czyli rHSCP, mialo czynic cuda na miare su:m37º Flawless Regenerating Eye Cream (recenzja tutaj).

O Hui The First Cell Revolution Source claims to contain 90.3% of Cell Source™, a fancy stem cell medium developed by LG for The First line. It was supposed to do everything but the dishes, but mainly improve my skin's look and texture in just 4 weeks.

O Hui The First Cell Revolution Source (co to za glupia nazwa!) ponoc zawiera 90.3% Cell Source™, magicznego medium komorek macierzystych, specjalnie wyczarowanego przez LG na potrzeby linii The First.

O Hui The First Cell Revolution Source ma robic niemal wszystko oprocz dostarczania przyjemnosci seksualnych, ale przede wszystkim ma poprawic wyglad i teksture (?) cery w ciagu 4 tygodni.

And the new and improved O Hui The First Cell Revolution Cream Soft, packed with FGF (fibroblast growth factor), EGF (epidermal growth factor) and synthetic Human Stem Cell Protein (sh-SCP) was supposed to increase skin regeneration process and make me look younger. Hopefully, a lot younger.

Now, those were some mighty claims up there. With a mighty price tag to match.

A nowy i ulepszony O Hui The First Cell Revolution Cream Soft, pelen cudow typu FGF (czynniki wzrostu fibroblastow), EGF (czynniki wzrostu naskorka? epidermy?, szlag mnie trafia szukajac polskich odpowiednikow tej terminologii), oraz syntetyczne bialko ludzkich komorek macierzystych (???) czyli sh-SCP, mial wspomoc procesy regeneracji skory i sprawic, ze bede wygladac mlodziej. Najlepiej duzo mlodziej.

~~~

I heard so much good about The First Cell Revolution that it sat at the very top of my shopping list when I visited Korea last year. So much good, that instead of trying samples first, I just went and bought a whole sent. Sight unseen.
Even the O Hui counter lady was surprised. I marched up, pointed at the line, and said "one of each, please."
To her credit, she tried to steer me away from individual products, and suggested a boxed set, instead.
I vaguely remembered her mentioning words such as "new formula" and "improved", but they didn't ring any alarm bells.

Tyle sie nasluchalam o magii The First Cell Revolution, ze siedziala ona na samym czele mojej listy zakupowej podczas zeszlorocznej wizyty do Korei. Linia ta miala byc tak magiczna, ze nie bawilam sie w probki, ale po prostu podeszlam do stoiska O Hui w Lotte Department Store, pokazalam paluchem co chcialam, i powiedzialam "kazdego po jednym prosze".
O Hujowa pani byla w lekkim szoku, ale miala na tyle przytomnosci umyslu, ze starala sie mnie odwiesc od moich planowanych zakupow. W zamian zaproponowala zestaw w pudelku, o duzo bardziej okazyjnej cenie.
Cos tam pamietalam, kiedy w mieszance angielsko-japonskiej uzywala takich slow jak "nowa formula" i "ulepszone", ale bylam w takim transie zakupowym, ze zaden alarm w mozgu mi sie nie wlaczyl.

Once back home, I had to wait for a few months to finish other skincare products before I could start using it.
The expectation bar was set rather high.
At first I was convinced that the trifecta of O Hui The First Cell Revolution Source, Soft Cream and Eye Cream was doing its job. But the longer I used these products, the worse my skin was beginning to look. What was happening here? My skin, which had been so lovingly cared for by the exquisite su:m37 goodies, was becoming dull, tired and wrinkly again.


Kiedy dotarlam do domu, musialam poczekac kilka miesiecy zanim zaczelam uzywac O Hujowego zestawu.
Poprzeczka ustawiona byla dosyc wysoko.

Na poczatku bylam przekonana, ze trojca O Hui The First Cell Revolution Source i Soft Cream i Eye Cream robila co miala robic. Ale im dluzej uzywalam tych produktow, tym gorzej moja skora wygladala. Co sie dzialo, do jasnej anielki?
Moja cera, tak pieczolowicie wychuchana przez su:m37 zaczela wygladac na szara, bura, zmeczona i pomarszczona.

Oh yeah, The First moisturized. But that was all that it would do. With all its fancy recombinant human stem cells and mysterious proteins, all it could was moisturize. So so moisturize. Nothing that a cheap, drugstore moisturizer and lotion couldn't do.

Oddly enough, I wasn't even terribly disappointed. Somehow, deep down inside, I knew all along that it was going to end like that.



The First nawilzal. Ale wlasciwie to bylo jedyne co robil. Przy tych wszystkich komorkach macierzystych i innych cudach wiankach, jedyne na co bylo go stac to nawilzanie. I nawet nie porzadne nawilzanie, ale takie sobie, na odczep sie. Nic, czego tani moisturizer z drogerii nie potrafilby zrobic.

I najdziwniejsze, ze wcale nie bylam tym nawet specjalnie zaskoczona, lub rozczarowana. Bo, tak jakos, gdzies w glebi duszy (a raczej rozumu), dobrze wiedzialam od samego poczatku, ze tak sie ta o hujowa historia skonczy.

But at least the packaging was pretty.

Ale przynajmniej opakowania byly ladne.

~~~

Here are the ingredients (courtesy of Agathblog - thank you so much!):
Tutaj sklady, za ktore bardzo dziekuje Agathblog:


O Hui The First Cell Revolution Source (new version) ingredients:

Defined Cell Culture Media 7, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycereth-26, Panthenol, sh-Polypeptide-44, sh-Oligopeptide-16, sh-Polypeptide-46, sh-Polypeptide-6, sh-Polypeptide-25, sh-polypeptide-29, sh-Polypeptide-41, sh-Polypeptide-43, sh-Polypeptide-18, sh-Oligopeptide-10, sh-Polypeptide-1, sh-Oligopeptide-1, sh-Polypeptide-9, sh-Polypeptide-59, sh-Polypeptide-26, sh-Polypeptide-17, sh-Oligopeptide-14, sh-Polypeptide-8, sh-Polypeptide-8, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Peptide, Saccharomyces/Imperata Cylindrica Root Ferment Extract, Saccharomyces/Viscum Album (Mistletoe) Ferment Extract, Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Alanyl Glutamine, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Hydrogenated Lecithin, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, PEG-8 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Butylene Glycol, Polysorbate 20, Fragrance 

 O Hui The First Cell Revolution Eye Cream (new version) ingredients:

Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dipropylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, C14-22 Alcohols, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, PEG-100 Stearate, Poncirus Trifoliata Fruit Extract, Phytosteryl/Isostearyl/Cetyl/Stearyl/Behenyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Silica, Bees Wax, Dimethicone, Sorbitan Stearate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Butylene Glycol, Cholesterol, Lecithin, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Alcohol, RH-Oligopeptide-17, RH-Polypeptide-8, RH-Polypeptide-26, RH-Polypeptide-17, RH-Oligopeptide - 14, RH-Polypeptide-18, RH-Polypeptide-36, Hydrolyzed Algin, Glucosyl Hesperidin, Orchid Extract, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Phosphate Buffered Saline, RH-Oligopeptide-9, Sodium Phosphate, Sodium Chloride, Disodium EDTA, Triethanolamine, Tocopheryl Acetate, Trisodium EDTA, Stearic Acid, Cholesteryl Hydroxystearate, Ceramide 3, Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben, Fragrance, CI 19140, CI 15985, Benzyl Salicylate, Citronellol, Limonene, Geraniol, Linalool

O Hui The First Cell Revolution Soft Cream (new version) ingredients:

Water, Butylene Glycol, Squalane, Glycerin, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, 1,2-Hexanediol, Diheptyl Succinate, Panthenol, Cetearyl Olivate, Defined Cell Culture Media 7, Sorbitan Olivate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, PEG-60 Glyceryl Diisostearate, C14-22 Alcohols, Dimethicone, Tromethamine, Carbomer, Hydrogenated Lecithin, C14-28 Alkyl Acid, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, PEG-8 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Cetearyl Alcohol, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Polysorbate 60, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Xanthan Gum, Myristoyl Tetrapeptide-6, Behenyl Alcohol, Trisodium EDTA, Polysorbate 20, Oligopeptide-107 sh-Oligopeptide-1, Oligopeptide-107 sh-Polypeptide-7, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, sh-Oligopeptide-1, sh-Polypeptide-36, sh-Polypeptide-43, sh-Polypeptide-9, sh-Oligopeptide-16, sh-Polypeptide-1, sh-Polypeptide-44, sh-Oligopeptide-10, sh-Polypeptide-26, sh-Polypeptide-25, sh-Polypeptide-6, sh-Polypeptide-18, sh-Polypeptide-17, sh-Oligopeptide-14, sh-Polypeptide-59, sh-Polypeptide-46, sh-Polypeptide-29, sh-Polypeptide-41, sh-Polypeptide-8, Phenoxyethanol, CI 15985, CI 19140, Fragrance, Benzyl Alcohol, Citronellol, Limonene, Geraniol, Limonene

Laneige White Plus Renew Original Essence and Eye Cream

While laser treatments got rid of the most visible splotches of melasma and hyper-pigmentation on my face, my complexion is still very uneven and probably will stay that way (that's what them folks in white lab coats said). It's not tragically uneven, nothing that a couple of pat-pats of my favorite cushion foundation wouldn't fix.

But, of course, that's not going to stop me from searching for the best and most effective skin brightening cosmetic product out there. Unfortunately, my skin is rather stubborn, and what works wonders for other people, does diddly squat for me, like Shiseido White Lucent, for example. Or SK-II Spot Specialist treatment. DiorSnow does seem to work, with "seem" being the operative word here. But since I'm not independently rich, buying DiorSnow on a regular basis is out of the question. I needed something cheaper. Something cheaper that would also "seem" to work.

Najwieksze plamy melasmy i przebarwienia na mojej twarzy zostaly mniej wiecej skutecznie usuniete laserem. Ale moja cera nadal jest "plamista" i ponoc juz taka pozostanie (tak znachorzy skorni twierdza). Nie jest to jakas tragiczna plamistosc, kilka pacniec podkladem poduszkowym i po klopocie.

Ale, oczywiscie, to wcale nie znaczy, ze przestalam szukac kolejnego magicznego produktu, ktory obiecuje rowny koloryt cery. Niestety, to co dziala dla wiekszosci ludzi, u mnie robi absolutnie wielkie nic, jak na przyklad Shiseido White Lucent, czy SK-II Spot Specialist. DiorSnow wydaje sie robic cos tam, ale "wydaje sie" jest tu najwazniejszym okresleniem. Jako ze nie jestem niezaleznie bogata, a jeny na drzewach nie rosna, kupowanie DiorSnow na okraglo nie wchodzi w ogole w rachube. Wiec poszukiwania czegos tanszego, co wydawaloby sie dzialac, byly moim priorytetem.

And that's how one wonderful sunny day, against my better judgment, I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, said a quick prayer and ordered the very famous and universally acclaimed Laneige White Plus Renew Original Essence. I was ordering it from W2Beauty, and Alice very kindly added the equally famous Laneige White Plus Renew Eye Cream for me to review, as well.

Laneige and I have a very stormy and difficult relationship.
Why?
Their products break me out like there's no tomorrow.
I don't mean a small zit here and there. No. I mean huge, red, painful cysts filled with evil looking puss. That's what Laneige Sleeping Pack does to me. That's what Laneige Water Bank gel does to me.

So needless to say, I was more than just a little worried when putting the White Plus Renew stuff on my face.

I've been using both of these products for almost two months now, and I'm ready to give you my honest and unbiased opinion.

I tak to pewnego pieknego dnia, wbrew logice i samej sobie, wzielam gleboki oddech i kliknelam na oslawiony w Azji Laneige White Plus Renew Original Essence. Kupowalam w W2Beauty i Alice bardzo uprzejmie dodala Laneige White Plus Renew Eye Cream dla mnie do zrecenzowania.

Laneige i ja nie bardzo sie lubimy.
Dlaczego?
Bo Laneige'owskie kosmetyki strasznie mnie wysypuja.
Nie jakis tam pryszcz czy dwa, ale wielkie, bolesne, czerwone gule wypelnione zielonym swinstwem.
Takie sa efekty uzywania Laneige Sleeping Pack na mojej twarzy. Takie sa efekty uzywania Laneige Water Bank gel.

Wiec, teraz juz jasne dlaczego bylam pelna obaw wklepujac White Plus Renew na twarz.

Mam oba te produkty juz dwa miesiace i czas teraz na moja bardzo szczera i nie zawsze zachwycajaca opinie.

I admit that I was convinced to give Laneige a try after reading a glowing review on Agathblog. The author is probably *the most*, trustworthy Polish language blogger reviewing Korean cosmetics.
So if it worked for her, and she also has somewhat problematic skin, it should work for me, too. Right?

The Essence, or rather, Laneige White Plus Renew Original Essence is the stuff of Asian legends. It boasts an impressive list of ingredients (you can find them in English over at Agathblog, just scroll down a bit), and those who are interested in such things, can get a lot more excited about it than me. I stopped at "Silybum Marianum", which is simply milk thistle. I knew it was supposed to be good for your liver, but skin? You learn something new every day.

In addition to powerful plant extracts, it features Laneige's patented whitening technology - Melacrusher™.


Przyznaje sie, ze do sprobowania Laneige zachecila mnie recenzja u Agathblog. Jako ze jest to chyba najlepszy polski blog o koreanskich kosmetykach i autorka naprawde zna sie na rzeczy (w przeciwienstwie do mnie), postanowilam jej zaufac. Czytam tego bloga juz od dluzszego czasu i autorka i ja niezaleznie od siebie bardzo czesto wybieramy takie same, lub bardzo podobne kosmetyki. Wiec skoro Laneige zadzialal dla niej, to pomyslalam, ze mozliwe, ze i u mnie beda dobre efekty.

Ta esencja, a raczej Laneige White Plus Renew Original Essence to legendarny produkt w Azji (z wyjatkiem Japonii, oczywiscie, bo my to takie galapagos jestesmy). Ma imponujacy sklad (do wgladu w tym wpisie na Agathblog) pelen ekstraktow o ktorych ja nie mam zielonego pojecia. Dodatkowo chwali sie opatentowana technologia Melacrusher™.

The magical essence came in a 40ml glass bottle with an eye dropper applicator (or a Pasteur pipette, if you want to sound fancy).

Owa magiczna esencja przychodzi do nas w 40ml szklanej butelce z pipetka.

The essence is white, light (and according to my dear friend - it looks just like sperm, please forgive her, she works at a fertility clinic) and it absorbs easily without leaving a sticky residue. One pump gives you enough essence for the entire face.
As most Korean cosmetic products, this essence has a quite strong, vaguely floral scent ("smells a lot better than sperm," my friend said). It drives me up the wall and makes me sneeze. But 99.99% of people are not as sensitive to certain smells as I am.

Esencja jest biala, leciutka i wyglada jak cos, hmmm... jak cos. Wchlania sie latwo, nie zostawia klejacej warstwy. Jedna pompka, a raczej pipetka, wystarczy na cala twarz.
Jak w wiekszosci koreanskich kosmetykow, tak i ten ma dosyc silny zapach. Jakis taki kosmetyczno-florystyczny. Irytuje mnie on strasznie i kicham po nim niesamowicie. Ale 99,99% ludzi nie jest tak wrazliwych na zapachy w kosmetykach jak ja.

The leaflet that was in the box was the same for both products, it just explained step by step the entire Laneige White Plus Renew line.
This is what it had to say about the Original Essence:


Ulotki w pudelkach byly takie same w obu przypadkach, wyjasnialy cala linie Laneige White Plus Renew. Tutaj opis Original Essence:

It claims to brighten your complexion and even your skin tone. Simple enough, right?

I've been using it for 6 weeks now. And?

Hmmm...
My skin does look a bit brighter and while maybe not whiter, it's definitely more glowing. Though, in all honesty, that might be due to the fact that I've been sleeping a bit longer recently and look more rested in general.

That's the good part.

And the bad part?
It broke me out. Not as severely as the sleeping pack, but enough to make me want to toss this damn essence out the window.

So what to do now? I've developed this routine. One week of Laneige White Plus Renew Original Essence, and one week of rest. Using it that way, I only got one zit on my forehead and could stop before any more appeared. During my week off, I'm hoping that the bump will disappear, and then I can start anew. I'm aiming for zero zits and a brighter face. Wish me luck.

And what about the eye cream?

Wiec, ulotka twierdzi, ze esencja rozjasnia cere i wyrowna jej koloryt. Proste, prawda?
Uzywam obu kosmetykow od ponad 6 tygodni. No i jak?

No mozliwe, ze faktycznie moja cera wyglada ciut bardziej jednolicie (choc rownie prawdopodobne jest to, ze spie teraz ciut dluzej i generalnie wygladam na bardziej wypoczeta).

A minusy?
Ano takie, ze mnie po owej magicznej esencji wysypalo. Nie az tak tragicznie jak np po Sleeping packu. Ale jednak na tyle, ze w chwilach slabosci chcialam po prostu wywalic to za okno.

Wiec co robic teraz? Ano, mam taka rutyne - jeden tydzien Laneige White Plus Renew Original Essence, i drugi tydzien bez niczego na twarzy. W ten sposob jakiekolwiek wypryski beda mialy czas aby sie zagoic.

A jak sie miewa krem pod oczy?

While this Laneige White Plus Renew Eye Cream was provided to me by W2Beauty for review purposes, the opinions below are mine, and Alice has no idea what I am going to write.
And hey, this is my very first official affiliate product review! Wow!

The cream, all 15ml of it, comes in a handy plastic tube with a metal applicator tip.

Dostalam ten krem w ramach wspolpracy z W2Beauty. Jednak wszystkie opinie tutaj przedstawione sa moje wlasne.
Moja najpierwsza sponsorowana recenzja. Yay!

Kremik ten przychodzi do nas w plastikowej tubce o pojemnosci 15ml z bardzo upierdliwym aplikatorem.

The fun part is watching the cream change its color.
How?
Like this:

Najbardziej interesujacym punktem programu jest obserwowanie jak ten krem zmienia kolorek po rozsmarowaniu.
Jak tutaj:

It comes out of the tube white, but when you spread it out, it becomes luminescent beige. It's very soft, very silky and again - absorbs very quickly. And again - the annoying floral scent is here.

I didn't expect much from it. I hoped it would do something magical with the area under my eyes. I just wanted to look more awake and rested.

The leaflet promised this:


Wychodzi z tubki na bialo, potem zamienia sie w opalizujacy bez. Znowu mamy silny zapach.
Nie oczekiwalam od tego kremu cudow. Mialam nadzieje, ze moze zrobic cos z moimi sincami, bo chcialam wygladac na rzeska i wypoczeta.

Ulotka obiecywala to:

To be honest I didn't notice any significant moisturizing effects. However, my skin is very dry and needs loads of moisture.
Easy application? I don't think so. I ended up using my fingers.
Lighter complexion? Hmmm... I'd have to say "yes".

It's not "lighter" in the Michael Jackson sense of the word, but lighter as in "brighter", "glowing", "fresh" and "rested". That's the good part.

The bad part is that while it didn't significantly break me out (I'm using it following the same "one week on and off" routine as the essence), the results of "brighter, glowing, fresh and rested" are only temporary. Maybe they will become longer-lasting with time? I certainly hope so.

Tak szczerze, to nie widzialam jakichkolwiek wlasciwosci nawilzajacych. Moja cera potrzebuje duzo nawilzenia. Ten krem niestety tego nie daje.

Latwa aplikacja - nie sadze. Ta metalowa koncowka do niczego sie nie nadaje, smarowalam w koncu paluchami.
Jasniejsza cera pod oczami? Tutaj musze powiedziec, ze "tak".

Szkoda jednak, ze efekty sa tak krotkotrwale. Mam nadzieje, ze kiedy uzywam tych cudakow systematycznie, moje skora rowniez bedzie bardzo systematycznie wyrownana kolorystycznie.

I am not an ingredient expert, but if you're into that sort of stuff, here is the Laneige White Plus Renew Eye Cream ingredient list courtesy of Agata from Agathblog.

Sklad Laneige White Plus Renew Eye Cream (dzieki uprzejmosci Agathblog):

Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Polysilicone-11, Squalane, Niacinamide, Mica, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Silybum Marianum Fruit Extract, Yeast Extract, Broussonetia Kazinoki Root Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Silica, Titanium Dioxide, Polysorbate 20, Glycerin, Polyacrylate-13, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Propanediol, Alcohol, Polyisobutene, Glyceryl Caprylate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Polyacrylate, Tin Oxide, Caprylyl Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance

It's time to start thinking whether or not I am going to repurchase these two. Right now, I am still undecided. I want to finish both products first and I'll make a decision then.

Of the two, I must say I am happier with the eye cream. I like the healthy glow it creates. I just wish it was more of a longer lasting, if not permanent, effect.

I'm also happy that this eye cream doesn't irritate my under eye area and does not cause any allergic reactions, what with a semi-permanent case of allergic conjunctivitis is a very good thing.

Czas zaczac sie zastanawiac czy kupie te specyfiki ponownie. Na razie nie wiem. Najpierw musze wykonczyc to co mam, i wtedy podejme ostateczna decyzje.

Z tych dwoch, jestem bardziej zadowolona z kremu pod oczy. Podoba mi sie taki bardzo stonowany, delikatny blask. Szkoda tylko, ze efekt jest tak krotkotrwaly.

Podoba mi sie rowniez to, ze krem pod oczy nie irytuje moich slepiow. A przy niemal chronicznym zapaleniu spojowek to bardzo wazna rzecz.

Overall, if your skin is not overly sensitive and you're not prone to hideous breakouts, it should work for you like a charm.
I have very dry skin, and though it says "for all skin types" on the packaging, in my opinion, I think these two are better suited for normal to combination skin types.

W podsumowaniu...
Jesli twoja cera nie jest super wrazliwa i nie ma sklonnosci do wypryskow, i esencja i krem pod oczy powinny dzialac bez najmniejszych problemow.

Ja mam bardzo sucha skore i choc na opakowaniu stoi, ze "dla kazdego rodzaju cery", jak dla mnie, to oba te produkty nadaja sie o wiele lepiej dla cer mieszanych, normalnych i tlustych.

Both of these products are available from all major internet retailers selling Korean skin care. Laneige is a mid-price brand, so expect to spend anywhere from 40 to 50 dollars for the essence (40ml) and from 30 to 40 dollars for the eye cream (15ml).

Oba te produkty sa bardzo latwe do nabycia w byle sklepie internetowym sprzedajacym koreanskie kosmetyki. Laneige to marka srednio-polkowa, wiec trzeba sie przygotowac na wydatek rzedu 40 do 50 dolarow za esencje (40ml) i od 30 do 40 dolarow za krem pod oczy (15ml).

If you are interested in purchasing this essence or eye cream, or any other Korean beauty product, you can order it online from Alice of W2Beauty. By clicking on the link, or the banner in the sidebar and using this registration code: 182991708, you can receive $5.00 off your first order (above $30.00). Free worldwide shipping directly from Korea, and lots of samples and other freebies with every order. Enjoy!!! 

Jesli chcecie kupic ta esencje lub krem, lub inne koreanskie kosmetyki z wiarygodnego zrodla, mozna to zrobic zamawiajac od Alice z W2Beauty.
Klikajac na ten link, lub w banner w pasku obok i wpisujac ten kod przy rejestracji: 182991708, otrzymacie $5.00 znizki przy pierwszym zamowieniu (powyzej $30.00).
Wysylka darmowa, prosto z Korei, na caly swiat, a w kazdym zamowieniu duzo probek.
Milych zakupow!

This blog entry takes part in the weekly K-Beauty Blog Hop series.