When to use Melano CC Reddit

Morning routine:

Rinse with water only

Melano CC 4-5 drops all over face, wait 5 mins

PKY essence toner 2-3 layers

Krave GBR (looking for dupes - welcome to suggestions!)

PKY intensive repair cream or Tatcha dewy cream

Missha Sun Milk SPF 50+

Would highly recommend this vit C for dry skin - I've heard others say the texture is too greasy but on my skin, it sinks in almost instantly and I can't even tell I put any on that area a few seconds later.

Disclaimer: I’ve only used Melano CC toner & essence so far, haven’t tried any other vitamin c serums, so can’t compare.

My experience: It definitely takes a while for the effects to be visible. I used the essence in the AM daily (water rinse, essence as first step, wait 10-15 mins, do rest of routine) for about 16 days before my mum commented that my skin looked ‘translucent’ (yuuuussss!!).

It’s lightened a few sun spots/freckles - I wish I’d taken before and after photos - and finally gave me that really nice glow that we see on Kpop stars :D :D the only make up I really use nowadays is my eyebrow pencil. You defo have to be a bit heavy handed on the application. I was really stingy with it in the beginning and only used two or three drops for my entire face. I really only saw a significant effect when I increased my application to five or six drops.

I got the accompanying toner on a whim when my AM toner ran out and find it okay. It feels watery and oily at the same time if you know what i mean? I don’t see any additional effects after adding it into my routine (does vit c stack??) but it does its job... to tone, lol.

Now on my second tube on Melano CC essence and plan on using it forever :P

Hello!

I wanted to fade my acne scars/hyperpigmentation and decided to try out the Melano CC Vitamin C Essence after seeing a lot of people recommending it. I hope this review can be helpful.

Pictures: https://imgur.com/a/AOsRgQN

Skin type: Combination with oily t-zone and dry cheeks, acne-prone, sensitive eye area

Climate: Scandinavian - cold, dry winter and rainy, slightly humid summers

I incorporated it into my morning routine as I prefer to use exfoliators (BHA/AHA) in my evening routine. I used 6-7 drops and tapped them into my cheeks and chin, which were my main areas of concern. From November to February I only used it 2-3 times a week as it was my first Vitamin C serum and I didn't want to overwhelm my skin. From February to May I used it every single day.

Morning routine

- Wash face with water

- I'm from Rice toner / Haruharu Black rice toner

- Melano CC

- Iunik Beta-glucan moisturiser

- Cosrx Aloe Soothing sunscreen/Beauty of Joseon Relief sun

The tube it comes in makes it easy to disperse the exact amount you want. The consistency is a very light, almost waterlike oil, which absorbed quickly into my skin and didn't leave a residue on my fingers. It smells vaguely of citrus right out of the tube but fades almost instantly. I'm still on my first tube, which has about 1/3 left in it, so it will last a long time.

As you can see from the pictures it did help fade the redness on my left side and some of the red marks on my right side from November to February. That's when I decided to use it daily to see if it could help fade the rest on my right side. Almost all the red marks on my right side are now gone and my complexion has overall had an improvement.

I would definitely recommend this product to help fade acne scars/hyperpigmentation but be aware that results will take some time.

NB - All pictures are taken without makeup and after finishing my morning routine with my phone camera. The lighting is slightly different and I do apologise for that.

Edit: Forgot to add picture link, so sorry

Remember that Melano CC is intended to be an acne spot treatment, to prevent and treat dark spots. It contains acne-fighting ingredients as well.

Now IDK about you, but in my opinion, if I use a product other from the intended purpose, then there's an even higher chance the product doesn't work. I'm not saying it's impossible for Melano CC to fix other skin concerns, but it's not what the product is intended to do. Unpopular opinion, but isn't it unfair to judge a product based on something other than product claims?

For melasma, my friends have better luck with high strength peeling solutions like Babyfacial and The Ordinary.

Mentholatum Melano CC Serum

My chin suffers from hormonal acne: red, painful pimples that thankfully remain small and usually die down quickly. The problem is not the pimples, but the month-long red spots they leave, which in turn become seemingly permanent blue-brown marks. My chin looked perpetually bruised, which annoyed me to no end because I love wearing lipsticks, and lipsticks inevitably highlight my chin area.

In the Asian Beauty subreddit, vitamin C is one of the oft-recommended ingredients for post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. So off I went to the neighbourhood store for some vitamin C shopping. The most obvious vitamin C serum choices in a Japanese pharmacy are Obagi (approx. JPY 4,000 and above) and Mentholatum Melano CC (JPY 988). The Obagi display had a very bombastic display of a rotting vanilla bean in water and a preserved vanilla bean in what is supposedly Obagi vitamin C serum. The Melano CC had a sad, rolled up tester tube, its exterior encrusted with brown, rust-like crud -- a clear sign of oxidation. I squeezed some out warily, but I did not have to worry: the dispensed liquid was as clear as water, with a lightly oily texture. At the very least, this cheap product clearly has anti-oxidative properties and awesome packaging to protect that ability. I made appreciative noises at the metallic squeeze tube and the nozzle all the way to the cashier (1).

General Information

Mentholatum Melano CC Serum has a much longer name that makes me despair every time I try to translate it. JPY 988 gets you 18 g of product. Mentholatum is produced by Rohto.

Ingredients

As seen on the packaging:

Active Ingredients: Ascorbic acid (vitamin C variant), tocopherol acetate (vitamin E variant), dipotassium glycyrrhizinate (licorice root extract), isopropylmethyl phenol (thymol).

Brief Analysis

• Vitamin C is an anti-oxidant and may stimulate collagen production. Do note that (L-)ascorbic acid seems to require a pH of around 3.5 to efficiently enter the skin (2).

• Vitamin E is another antioxidant and a common preservative.

• Licorice root extract has soothing properties and may have some ability to inhibit melanin production.

• Thymol is an anti-bacterial and anti-fungal agent.

Other Ingredients: Vitamin C tetraisopalmitate, ethoxydiglycol, Alpinia katsumadae extract, butylene glycol, EDTA, viscosity modifier, perfume.

Melano CC is an oil-based serum. It has the appearance of a clear liquid, with a viscosity marginally higher than water. It has the distinctive scent of yuzu. Upon application, the oil seems to sit on the skin for a few minutes, before being absorbed completely; you can see how, immediately upon application, the oil leaves a thin film of residue on my hand.

I usually apply Melano CC straight after cleansing, on dry face, and I give it 15 minutes or so before moving on to the next step in my routine. Although some people have reported using it for their entire face, I mostly stick to spot-treating with the Melano CC, applying it on the under-eye regions, the chin, and any active acne. Since my cheeks are rather sensitive, too many days of Melano CC in a row do cause redness; therefore, I have limited myself to about twice a week of full-face application.

For me, here is the thing about Melano CC: it works. In fact, it works so well that I am unable to justify the time, effort, and money required to search for another vitamin C product. I generally do not like to settle on a certain product before trying at least two or three competing products, but my skin's success with Melano CC leaves me stumped. Maybe I could have found something that my cheeks would tolerate better, but maybe not -- Melano CC is one of the gentler formulations of vitamin C out there.

Here is a list of the magic that Melano CC has worked on my face:

• The old PIH on my chin has mostly disappeared, after a month of daily use.

• Active pimples do not stay red for a month; it packs up after a week or so.

• New PIH spots are not stark blue-brown bruises; instead, they are pale brown, and disappear after one or two weeks.

• Regarding my under-eye regions, there has been significant reduction in my dark circles.

All for JPY 988. Also, even though I have been using it daily for more than a month, twice a day, I still have more than half of a tube.

I love trying new products; I like designing their testing layouts and schedules, I like observing their effects on my skin, and I like changing the parameters to optimise my routine. It appeals to the researcher in me. If we use a research analogy, Melano CC's effects can be represented by a single bright PCR band: it is as clear as the day. And, just like any experiment, although it is difficult to close an inquiry, one should know when to close the case; sometimes, a positive result is a positive result.

(1) Working in a biology lab, it is hard to not be happy at good packaging techniques.

(2) Pinnell SR et al. Topical L-ascorbic acid: percutaneous absorption studies. Dermatologic Surgery 2001;27:137-142

Important Edit: Accidentally deleted the entire review while I was replying to a comment half-asleep. This is exactly why I made a blog in the first place. This review -- well, it was crossposted to and now simply copied from Lost Duck Inc., where I review Japanese skincare products and the occasional fragrance (neither Japanese nor skincare). In no particular order, I will be reviewing Kuramoto Bijin’s products and a couple of oil cleansers in the near future.

How often should I use Melano CC?

Can I use Melano CC in the morning?

Can I use Melano CC for the whole face?

Is Melano CC a moisturizer?