Moisturiser

Onto the night regime for the Kanebo Blanchir series of skincare. I use the Blanchir Whitening Night Conditioner. The picture below shows the Moisture version which is for dry skin and maybe more suitable for those in colder climates where the air is drier. Here in Malaysia, its hot and humid so I go with the normal one (the packaging is the same, just that it doesn’t say “Moisture” on the front).

The Whitening Night Conditioner comes in a tub. I don’t usually like creams that come in a tub because of the hygiene factor. Realising this perhaps, Kanebo has included a little spatula with the tub. A flexible plastic ring is included, that you can slip over the top of the tub, with a little slit for the spatula to sit in. Quite ingenious.

The texture of this night conditioner is similar to that of the milky conditioner, except that its thicker. Its almost a gel texture and has a translucent cream shade. This runnier texture means that you end up using less on your face, thereby stretching your dollar. I found that if I put too much, my face felt a bit sticky. So, I only use a tiny little dollop from the spatula, and its more than sufficient to cover my whole face.

What I like about this Night Conditioner is that is makes my face feel so soft after application. It sinks into the skin almost immediately. The next morning when I get up, my face looks dewy and fresh. Its awesome that way!

As for the whitening properties, I have stated before that there are less “whitening” than “brightening” properties. I have been using the entire line for a couple of weeks, and I find it works but I can’t vouch for the brightening qualities of each individual product. However, I love this cream simply because it makes my face feel fresh, moisturised, not oily, soft and dewy. You couldn’t ask for more in a night cream.

A tub retails for RM168 for 40g. It sounds expensive but it will last, simply because of its light texture. You don’t use a lot of it at all. For me, this is a keeper!

Update April 2008: I’m no longer using this as a night cream because I found it too light. I was recommended to layer it over the day moisturiser but I felt it would defeat the purpose. Maybe my skin is getting drier now. I’ve reflected this update in the rating.

Here is the ingredient list collected from this link:

Ingredients:
Ascorbyl Glucoside??Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate??Water, Dimethicone, Butylene glycol, Dipropylene glycol, Octyldodecyl myristate, Rehmannia Chinensis Root Extract, Glycerin, Polyacrylamide, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Isoparaffin, C12-13 Isoalkyl Acid Cholesterol Esters, Cholesterol, Potassium hydroxide, Xanthan gum, POE Laureth, Sambucus nigra flower extract, Carbomer, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Germ Oil, Suik Kazura Ekisu (JTN), Ethylparaben, Saxifraga Sarmentosa Extract, Coix Seed Extract, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Juice, Magnolia Obovata Bark Extract, Alcohol, EDTA, Methyl Serine, Pyracantha fortuneana extract, Licorice(glycyrrhiza glabra) extract
? active ingredients

Pros: Light, lasts a long time, leaves face feeling fresh and dewy

Cons: Quite expensive

[rating:3.5/5]

After using the first step in double-moisturising, comes the second step, which is the normal moisturiser. Under the Kanebo Blanchir line, it is called the Milky Conditioner.

I like the texture of this milky conditioner which is like that of a liquid gel. The moisturiser is an opaque creamy colour, like condensed milk, that spreads very easily. I like that because it means you don’t have to use very much to cover your whole face.

There is a light scent but it doesn’t bother me. I like that it is light and soaks right into my skin nearly immediately. My skin feels hydrated and comfortable and it stays that way the whole day after I apply it in the morning. I’m not quite sure of its ingredients but I don’t think it has oil as a base. Usually, oil based products are heavier in texture but this one is light and does not leave a residue on my hands.

It can be used both day and night, and I usually just pour a bit into my palm, rub both my palms together then spread it on my face. So far, I’m only using it in the day because I use the Night Conditioner for night use.

This milky conditioner comes in 2 formulations – normal and moisture. Moisture is for those with dry skin. I use the normal one and I have not experienced any problems with it so far. In fact, my skin seems to look and feel better. I don’t know about the whitening properties, but I do experience a brightening of the skin texture. As I am using nearly the whole line so far, I don’t know if it is attributable to just one item in the line.

One thing I don’t like about it though, is the packaging. The bottle is hard plastic and you have to pour the emulsion out through a hole in the top. Its hard to control the amount that comes out, and there is a risk of pouring out too much. Also, when it finishes, it’ll be hard to get the residue out, which is a bit of a waste.

This retails for about RM168 for 100ml. Compared to many other department store brands, I wouldn’t say its very expensive, but if you are used to using something from the pharmacy/drugstore then it does seem expensive. For me, this one works so I will be sticking to it for now.

Pros: Light, Hydrating, Brightening

Cons: Expensive

Here are the ingredients based on this link:

KANEBO Blanchir
Whitening Milky Conditioner (Emulsion)

Ingredients:
ascorbyl glucoside……….2.0%
water.cyclomethicone.dipropylene glycol.octyldodecyl myristate.butylene glycol.glycerin.hydrogenated lecithin.potassium hydroxide.amino hydroxybutyric acid.cholesterol.carbomer.methylparaben.dipotassium glycyrrhizate.xanthan gum.acrylates/c10-30 alkyl acrylate.crosspolymer.rehmaninia chinensis(rehmannia glutinosa) extract alcohol.disodium edta.wheat(triticum vulgare) germ extract. methylserine.pyracantha fortuneana fruit extract.saxifraga sarmentosa extract. carrot (daucus carota) extract.licorice(glycyrrhiza glabra) extract. honeysuckle(lonicera caprifolium) extract.diisopropanolamine.cinnamomum cassia bark extract.sambucus nigra extract.job’s tears(coix lacryma-jobi) extract.phenoxyethanol.butylparaben.ethylparaben.propylparaben.

[rating:4/5]