Review: Cream Skin Refiner (Laneige)

This product was sent to me for review purposes.

As someone who has combination skin, it can be pretty difficult to balance the oil production on my skin. My t-zone tends to get very oily whilst the rest of my face is fairly normal. Because of this, I gravitate towards lightweight textures and formulas, but struggle to find something that is still going to hydrate properly during drier seasons.

Of course, who else would answer my needs but Laneige!

They are one of my favourite skincare brands and I use a lot of their products religiously. A few months ago (some time last year), they released their Cream Skin Refiner which was incredibly popular and has since developed into a complete line! I was fairly late to this bandwagon because it took a while for the product to finally reach Australia, but here it is!

Rebranded for the Australian market as the Cream Skin Toner & Moisturizer, this is essentially the Skin Refiner with a new name (which makes more sense for the Western market). It is currently available at Sephora Australia for AUD$41 or, of course, you can also search which ever stockist is relevant to your country (and, if you’re lucky, then you might have access to even more from the Cream Skin line).

Before you do though, let’s get into this review because I have been testing this out very thoroughly and have some great things to say!

Product Description

The Australian Sephora website describes this as “[a] 2-in-1 hybrid that softens like a toner and hydrates like a moisturiser.” It uses the trademarked Cream Blending Technology™ to combine cream with toner by “micronising the molecules for stabilisation in a water-based formula.” The result is a multi-purpose product that is able to replace both toner and moisturiser steps in your skincare routine. It’s super hydrating but also thin enough that you can layer to suit your skin condition too.

This formula uses White Leaf Tea Water (“obtained in small amounts through shade cultivation and a cold brew process”) and is also rich in amino acids to aid in strengthening the natural skin barrier – especially important for people with dry or damaged skin.

In addition to all of this, the Cream Skin Toner & Moisturizer is also:

• Dermatologist tested
• Hypoallergenic tested
• Free of PEG, animal-derived ingredients, triethanolamine, artificial colourants and fragrance

Packaging

The unit carton quality and design is fairly standard to all of Laneige products; it comes in a simple white and blue matte finish cardboard box. If you’ve used anything from the brand before, then you will be very familiar with this. They have a modern and elegant style that is suitable for their high end audience.

Opening it up, this product comes in a 150mL plastic bottle. The majority of the bottle is made of a frosted semi-opaque plastic, which maintains the luxury aesthetic. I like that you can quickly see the product inside. Whether it is to check how much is left or to ensure that nothing’s gone off – it’s always helpful.

The quality of the bottle is great too – it’s sturdy but isn’t overly heavy (nor too flimsy). The lid also ‘clicks’ shut as you twist it for extra security. I have no issues with leakage or spill so I could confidently bring this travelling.

The only thing that I can add is that I would prefer this to be in a mist form (which exists but isn’t available here yet), as I find them a lot easier and fuss free – especially in the morning. For application of the original Cream Skin Toner & Moisturizer, the product is dispensed directly onto your hands or onto a cotton pad. I think that I would enjoy the Cream Skin Refiner Mist even more – please bring it to Australia!

Personal Experiences

The ‘cream’ and ‘toner’ parts are very well combined and essentially combines the best of both worlds – the easy absorption of toner and the intense hydration of a cream. There’s no residue after application but you do notice how moisturising the formula is – it doesn’t fully dissipate like a regular toner.

Because of that though, this is a really great product if you want an instant boost of hydration. It’s effective and has long lasting benefits too. I liked using this underneath my make up, as it’s lightweight enough that it doesn’t affect my foundation. It also worked as as part of my evening skincare routine, especially on ‘lazy’ nights.

I also brought the Cream Skin Toner & Moisturizer with me to Europe (because I knew that it would be super cold and dry there); it kept my skin feeling supple and hydrated even with all of the travelling and late nights. While I was there, I managed to shrink my skincare routine to a mere three steps because I didn’t even need to use a face cream in addition to this!

I enjoy using this toner though don’t reach for this as much now that I am back in the Australian heat. I still like to use in underneath my makeup though and I would be interested to try the mist (which works better for my personal routine). Once summer leaves and it gets a bit drier here, I think that I will be re-introducing this to my skincare.

The main benefit of this product is that it really is multi-purpose. If you want a quick and easy skincare routine, then this can replace two crucial steps. It’s definitely a handy one to have on hand but will probably be best suited for dry to normal skin.

The Cream Skin Toner & Moisturizer is a great product and I would recommend for people to check it out! It’s a pretty innovative release in the skincare industry and I don’t think that I have come across a similar formulation before. However, I do have to admit that it hasn’t become an irreplaceable part of my routine – it’s more of a seasonal product for me than one I would use all year.

Here’s the verdict!

SO WHAT IS IT?

A cream infused toner for long-lasting and strong hydration effects

THE GOOD

• Brilliant quality packaging
• Elegant and practical design
• Minimal to no scent
• Absorbs well with no residue
• Instant and long-lasting hydration effects
• Works well underneath makeup
• Suitable for combination skin

THE BAD

• A bit expensive – Laneige is a high end brand after all
• Not irreplaceable in my routine

RATINGS

• PRICE POINT | 3/5
• PACKAGING | 4/5 (Would prefer the mist)
• ABSORPTION | 5/5
• HYDRATION | 5/5

OVERALL RATING? 9.5/10

WOULD I RECOMMEND?

I would recommend for people to check out this formula – I think that this formula would work for the majority of skin types but will be extra beneficial for dry to normal skin, as well as those who want to simplify their skincare routine.

WHERE TO GET IT FROM

For us Australians, the Cream Skin Toner & Moisturizer is available at Sephora Australia for AUD$41. Otherwise, check out the Laneige website.

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