Review: Laneige Radian-C Cream

Where to purchase: Available on Yesstyle: HERE

And Stylevana (UK): HERE / (US): HERE / (CA): HERE / (FR): HERE / (AUS): HERE / (EU): HERE

Price: £22.50 (for the 30ml version).

Volume: 30ml

Made in: South Korea

What is it?: Moisturising Cream containing a Vitamin C Derivative (3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid).

What does it do?: Meant to firm, reduce skin redness and improve the skin’s tone. Laneige also state this brightens the skin in 2 weeks. As this has a high % of 3-O- Ethyl Ascorbic Acid (the vitamin C derivative).

Supposedly Good for: All Skin Types (Especially dull skin tones as this aims to brighten the skin mainly)

What I think: Those who like the feel of silicone. Skins that aren’t particularly dehydrated, but are more on the dry side.

Packaging: I had the sample, so it’s just a tube with a screw top lid. The but actual jar itself I believe comes with a hygiene tab and is a plastic screw tub (obviously bad for preventing oxidation BUT this doesn’t contain pure L-Ascorbic acid so it won’t oxidise quick.

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Directions: Can be used in the AM + PM. Laneige state this should be applied after using their ampoule.
3. Apply an adequate amount of Radian-C Cream and gently absorb it across the entire face” – From the Laneige Website.

NOTE: ”Layer on the cream after using the ampoule to feel Vitamin C effects deep inside your skin” – Is what Laneige recommend. This feels like a way to get you to buy both products when you should really just go for the ampoule (contains actual Ascorbic Acid and more skin-beneficial ingredients).

How I use it: I applied this in both the AM and PM to try it out under SPF and on top of my PM routine where I use more lotions and potions. It ended badly for both (balled up on me. I know that it’s due to the other skincare products I was wearing, but I’m not going to change or swap those out for this).

Key Ingredients: 8.5% 3-O-ETHYL ASCORBIC ACID (etherified derivative of ascorbic ) + Madecassoside (Skin Soothing).

What is 3-O- Ethyl Ascorbic Acid?: This is a Vitamin C Derivative. Vitamin C helps stimulate collagen, protect the skin from oxidation (ageing) and helps brighten the skin. This ingredient is a derivative (modified form). Derivatives of Vitamin C usually aren’t as potent/efficacious as the original; Ascorbic Acid. Similar with retinol, derivatives don’t get absorbed/converted to Ascorbic Acid and used as efficiently as pure Ascorbic acid does. Source: HERE / HERE

The company that manufactured/created this derivative has tested this on animals and have said it provides antioxidant/collagen stimulating properties. However animal studies differ from humans so take this with a pinch of salt (more research needs to be done independently from the people who CREATED the ingredient). The manufacturer also tested this on HUMAN skin and it was shown to provide some good brightening effects at 2%. This cream contains 8.5% so it does contain a lot of a vitamin C derivative. I’m guessing that’s why Laneige are pretty confident at stating this cream is meant to BRIGHTEN the skin and put a lot more emphasis on that property, even promising that this will brighten the skin in 2 weeks.

The overall consensus of this derivative is that it can be used if one wants to brighten the skin. But not so dependable on the other properties (hence why I think the Vitamin C ampoule is encouraged to be used with this as that actually contains Ascorbic acid and not a derivative).

Full 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, THYMOLTRIMETHOXYCINNAMATE, DISODIUM EDTA, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN,SORBITAN ISOSTEARATE, SODIUM CITRATE, LINALOOL,TOCOPHEROL, MADECASSOSIDE, CITRAL, GERANIOL

NOTE: The Incidecoder have a full ingredient breakdown HERE

Note: Really not a fan of how much fragrance + or essential oils there are here as it makes the scent of this very potent. Also would have been nice to see more skin-beneficial ingredients in here like Niacinamide, Hyaluronic acid or some other skin brightening ingredients e.g. Arbutin. I find it very interesting that the Ampoule is the item with the pure Ascorbic Acid in it as well as other skin-beneficial ingredients HERE. Almost as if you HAVE to buy them as a pair, hmmm.

Texture: As this is quite a silicone-heavy product (nothing dangerous about silicone at all, it just influences the texture), it is lightweight. As you can see this product is not milky or watery. It adheres to the skin almost instantly and doesn’t drip down my hand. This isn’t sticky or tacky. It doesn’t feel oily or greasy on the skin and feels velvety.

As you can see, this is translucent and has a typical silicone-like look to it. It’s not very opaque which shows this isn’t as emollient as a milkier cream that contains silicone, like the ordinary’s moisturising cream.

Eventually after rubbing, this does settle into the skin. It does help physically fill in those fine lines, and the skin is left feeling light, soft and smooth like velvet!

Video Swatch:

Fragrance?: Yes. Very potent. Smells like Candied Orange. Fragrant ingredients: Limonene, Fragrance/​Parfum, Linalool, Citral, Geraniol.

Good Under Makeup?: No. It balled up under my SPF as well (as this is silicone-based, it needs to work with that texture and the products I use don’t seem to play nice with this cream.

Layerable?: Not for me. I think this is better to use in a very minimal skincare routine. Because the less product on top/under this, the less chance this has to start pilling/balling up.

How long have I been using this?: I only tried this for 2 weeks and had to stop, it was not worth continuing for me as it kept balling up and I really didn’t like how potent the scent was.

The Effect?: Moisturised skin. I did have to stop using this after 2 weeks, but Laneige state that this should yield results within two weeks. I didn’t really notice any difference.

What I like:

• Lightweight
• Feels soft
• Lightly Moisturising

What I don’t like:

• Silicone heavy which means it kept balling up/ pilling under everything (Bad layerability for me).
• Wish it contained pure L-AA rather than a derivative.
• Didn’t notice much brightening of the skin.
• Fragrance and essential oil heavy.
• Wish it had more skin-beneficial ingredients (like the Ampoule does) i.e. Hyaluronic acid, Niacinamide, Arbutin etc etc.

Overall Rating and Conclusion: 2/5 – I can’t stand the intense orange/citrus scent of this and I don’t like the layering issues I’ve had with this product.. I know that it is to do with the other products I use in my routine which are fighting with this cream, but I just don’t think this product is worth stopping using my other products, just for this to layer well. Also I find it really annoying that this cream doesn’t stand on its own to do anything that Vitamin C is supposed to do. To me this feels insidious as it’s marketed to be paired up with the Vitamin C Ampoule, AND the ampoule actually contains pure vitamin C (already more efficacious) and contains additional skin-beneficial ingredients whereas this is a derivative and contains Madecassoside as an extra. I shouldn’t have to depend on two products to do one job. If I had to pick, I would choose the ampoule over this cream. It doesn’t really feel that moisturising to me, doesn’t feel hydrating either, and I’m not quite sure who would enjoy this.

Would I repurchase?: No. I’m glad this came as a sample as I would have been very upset wasting money on purchasing.

Dupe?: If you like citral fragrance and/or prefer a derivative Vitamin C, then the Sunday Riley Vitamin C Serum was much more pleasant to use (Review HERE). An Ascorbic Acid containing Vitamin C product that works better is from: Geek&Gorgeous Vitamin C (Review HERE). Even the Ampoule Version Laneige sell, to me, seems better. It contains pure Ascorbic Acid as well as other skin-beneficial ingredients (however it is scented) – Info HERE + available on Stylevana (UK): HERE / (US): HERE / (AU): HERE / (EU): HERE / (FR): HERE / (CA): HERE

My Skin Type: I am acne prone and have slightly dehydrated combo skin. My skin is usually tight where the cheeks and eye area is and the outer parts of my face. My T zone is oily. My skin isn’t a fan of thick/heavy formulas so I opt for lightweight formulas to prevent it from clogging up. My skin doesn’t like essential oils either and I try to avoid fragrance when I can.

Disclaimer: I am a skincare enthusiast and not a skin expert. I am not qualified to give out dermatological advice. This type of advice should only be given by a medical practitioner. Upon trying / using any of the reviewed products on the blog, please follow the manufacturer’s instructions and warnings and please seek medical advice if needed.

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