Laneige Water Bank Skincare: Banking on water to moisten and hydrate skin

When I last went off to the beach, I took with me a range of skincare for hydration. It was a range of products I’d been using at the time, and to my surprise, I’ve become quite devoted to 2 of the products. I’m almost halfway though the bottles which is why I figured I’d better tell you about them before all I have to show are empty ones 🙂

The products in question are from the Laneige Water Bank range which is targeted at hydration. This is one of Laneige’s bestselling ranges but when I first tried it two years back, I wasn’t terribly impressed. It was only when I picked up a bottle of the Emulsion meant for normal to dry skin in Korea, that I actually found myself liking it. Moral of the story, don’t write off a product at first go because skin can change 😉

I will tell you about 3 products today from the Water Bank range, but I will tell you here that I only like 2 of them. The other one, you could easily do without since I can 😛 Please feel free to let me know if you disagree though.

Laneige Power Essential Skin Refiner* (RM110/200ml)

This is the one I could do without. The product is called a Power Essential Skin Refiner and in Laneige, is used after the lotion to soften skin by removing the dead skin cells and purify the skin. This is to prepare the skin to absorb the essence and emulsion more easily. I personally wasn’t impressed with it.

It must be said that I already use a daily wipe off exfoliator that works, which might explain why I do not see the benefits in this one. This product comes in different formulations for different skin types, and mine is Moisture to add moisture. It also comes in formulations for Sensitive skin. To use, dispense on a piece of cotton pad and wipe over your skin. The moisture one leaves a layer on the skin which I wasn’t too keen on. All in all, I say just skip this one.

Laneige Water Bank Essence* (RM165/50ml)

This is supposed to be a new formulation of a classic fave. I was not too impressed the first time I tried this one, but this round, I liked it. The essence is a light gel like texture that absorbs very quickly and easily into the skin with a light fresh scent. The product seems to melt into my skin on contact which is a nice feeling as it does not leave a sticky residue. I personally do feel that it does do everything it says it does – provide long lasting hydration and leaves skin feeling moist almost immediately.

I like using this in the day because its so light yet hydrating. For a skin hydating product, I think it works and my combination-dry skin actually feels much more comfortable with this on. I must note however, the scent. Although I find the scent light and fresh, it may feel a bit too scented to some people so I would suggest that you take a healthy sniff to see if you like it. I am happy with this one, and am still using it in the day when I think it gives me the most benefit thanks to the heat and the air conditioning at work.

Left: Laneige Water Bank Essence Right: Laneige Water Bank Balancing Emulsion Dry to Normal skin

Laneige Balancing Emulsion Moisture – Dry to Normal skin

Ah this is one of my favourite purchases from my trip to Korea. I picked up various items from various Korean brands but this! This one does all it says on the box without looking cute and silly and crap like that 😛 As you may expect, I found the rest of my purchases pretty much bleh 😛

I tried the Emulsion for normal skin once before but it left no impression on me. When I went to Korea, I picked up a set of products with the Balancing Emulsion for Dry to Normal skin. The texture is still a liquid emulsion, not a cream, and it is thicker and more opaque in texture. Like the Water Bank Essence, I find that when I spread it out in my palms, the heat from my hands seem to melt it a little, so it takes on a slight watery texture.

Absorption is quick and it makes my skin feel very comfortable. Despite the “dry” or “moisture” tag, it does not make my skin oily and I swear, it worked very well to keep my skin feeling hydrated. It helped to balance out the dry parts of my skin vs the not so dry parts, and I liked that! I use it day and night and I use about 2 pumps sometimes if I want a thicker layer on my skin. “Thicker” is relative. Its still very light and it never feels heavy, which is nice. I never had much of an impression of Laneige before, but since I’m already on my way to finishing up 2 products, I can safely say that its been worth a second look 🙂

Oh I should make comment about the packaging of the emulsion and essence. It comes in a pump bottle, but the pump is a narrow nozzle that I somehow really liked. One pump dispenses a good amount of product and it is very easy to control if you want less. I think some other brands could really learn from this.

In a nutshell

The Laneige Water Bank range of products is targeted at skin hydration. The products are scented which can be off putting if you are sensitive to scent. I find that the scent has been reduced as compared with the ones I tried before, but it is worth noting. It would be nice if Laneige eventually becomes unscented although I’m not sure how well that would sit with the Koreans. Product wise, I like the Water Bank Essence and Moisture Balancing Emulsion, both of which I felt did a good job for my skin. They are both light and absorb quickly into the skin without feeling sticky. I used these exclusively for 2 months day and night and I do think it helped my skin a lot (went through a bit of a bad patch) and kept it feeling comfortable even in air conditioned rooms. I didn’t derive any benefits from the Refiner so I’d skip that one.

Pros: Essence and emulsion both have a light texture that almost feels like water, Absorbs quickly, Skin feels hydrated even after prolonged exposure to air conditioning and sun, Not terribly pricey

Cons: Derived no benefits from the Skin Refiner, Scent can be too strong for some

Who will like this: Anyone who wants a hydrating range of skincare that isn’t too pricey

I do not have the ingredient list (its usually in Korean and I can’t tell if its an ingredient list or just a product blurb) but if I ever come across it, I’ll add it in.

Have you tried anything from the Laneige Water Bank hydration range of products? Do you have anything you like?

If you want to try it, I’d say try the Essence and Balancing Emulsion. For me, these are sufficient and you can use it in conjunction with other products. I do. Can’t leave my anti-aging and whitening stuff behind can I? 😉

Paris B

Laneige Power Essential Skin Refiner Price: RM110/200ml Water Bank Essence Price: RM165/50ml Balancing Emulsion Price: RM120+ (unsure) Availability: All Laneige counters