Review + Ingredient Analysis | Hansaegee Nature Aqua Whitening Cream

Hansaegee Nature Aqua Whitening Cream is a great moisturiser for all skin type and if you are anything like me, who enjoy using APieu Madecassoside Cream, there's a good chance that you will like this too.

Hansaegee Nature [official website] isn't a new Malaysian brand in the market, in fact, they have been around in the beauty industry since 2011. Since then, they have been launching a lot of in-house skincare products following the success of their ever popular Gold Nano CC Cream which I've reviewed in the past. This time around, I've been lucky to have been chosen by them as one of the reviewers for Aqua Whitening Cream Moisturiser. It took me literally 2 months to test this out. Two months! So I hope this review would give you enough insight into why you should try this cream moisturiser. Just a disclaimer, I'm not being paid for this (as always) but the brand does give me the product for free in exchange for honest opinions.


Details:
Full Product Name: Hansaegee Nature Aqua Whitening Cream
Type: Moisturiser
Net Content: 50ml
Where To Buy: Hansaegee Nature's official web store [HERE], you will get free shipping and free gifts.
Price: RM148.30
Suitable for: All Skin Types.

Description
-formulated with herbal extracts that would be able to improve skin condition from within.
-moisturized and nourished the skin by retaining the water.



How To Use
1. After cleansing, gently massage an adequate amount onto your face and neck, water drops form will appear on your skin within seconds.
2. Pat your skin until the moisturiser is fully absorbed into the skin.



Ingredients
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Pinus Densiflora Leaf Extract, Sodium Chloride, Angelica Acutiloba Root Extract, Cnidium Officinale Root Extract, Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract, Rehmannia Chinensis Root Extract, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Betaine, Cetyl/ PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, DMDM Hydantoin, Perfume, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract.



Key ingredients:
[1] Skin brightener: Niacinamide
[2] Cell-Communicating ingredient: Niacinamide
[3] Anti-Acne: Niacinamide
[4] Antioxidant: Pinus Densiflora Leaf Extract
[5] Skin-identical ingredient: Glycerin

[✅] Alcohol-free
[✅] Vegan
[✅] Sulfate-free
[✅] Paraben-free
[❎] Silicone-free
[❎] Fungal Acne Safe

Ingredient Analysis
The first two ingredients after water are simply different types of silicones and since they are both volatile (evaporate faster), they are the ingredients responsible for making the formulation feels lighter. Cyclopentasiloxane and Cyclohexasiloxane also give the cream smoother and silky appearance. Next, we have glycerin, which is a humectant. It's commonly safe, often used in a lot of skincare products including moisturisers. 

Niacinamide is the alleged key active ingredient and it's not hard to see why it is included. This particular A-list ingredient is often used in skin brightening product but did you guys know that it has a lot more to offer?

Niacinamide chemical structure.

Niacinamide is a great moisturiser. If you read [this] study done in 2005, it showed that niacinamide is more effective as a topical moisturiser compared to white petroleum (vaseline) on atopic dry skin patients by decreasing the TEWL and increasing stratum corneum hydration. It is well researched that this ingredient would stimulate ceramides and other skin barrier lipids and proteins which results in the improvement of the skin barrier and moisturising level.

Niacinamide is also a gentle yet effective anti-acne treatment that comes in minimal side effects compared to other topical treatments. In 2008, there was a research done on 38 patients with mild and moderate acne vulgaris and nearly all of them had shown a decreasing number of acne lesions after being treated with a topical gel containing 4% of Niacinamide for 8 weeks. There was also another study [here] done in 1995 that showed the effectiveness of 4% Niacinamide Gel. This also showed that this ingredient poses a potent anti-inflammatory effect. 

And, if there is one important thing Hansaegee Nature would like to highlight is the brightening effect, hence the cream is called as 'Aqua Whitening Cream'. I've seen a lot of journals on this but let me linked you one here. In [this] study, researches noticed a significant amount of reduction on hyperpigmentation spot after four weeks of treatment with a cream containing  Niacinamide, Peptide and Retinyl Propionate a compared to the traditional over-the-counter Benzoyl Peroxide.

Credit: [ten-korea.com]

Texture, Consistency and Finish
It's a cream moisturiser with thick texture but surprisingly feel extremely lightweight upon using. It just melts like water! and just for comparison, here are some of the moisturisers I've tried and reviewed in the past;
Consistency ranking from the 'thinnest [1] to thickest [4].
[1] L'Occitane Angelica Hydra Vital Gel
[2] Muji Moisturising Milk Moisture
[3] A'Pieu Madecassoside Cream
[4] Hansaegee Nature Aqua Whitening Cream
[5] J.One Hana Cream
[6] Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream

I'd say Hansaegee Nature Aqua Whitening Cream is comparable to A'Pieu Madecassoside cream although the latter is more fluid. However, Hansaegee Nature Cream definitely feels much lightweight on the skin when applied, thanks to the two silicones ingredients inside. A'Pieu also has silicones, but the overall finish feels a little heavier and if you read my previous detailed review on A'Pieu cream, you would know that I complained about how the cream can be a little tricky to use in our hot Malaysia's climate. Meanwhile, this Hansaegee Nature moisturiser doesn't make me feel suffocated at all.



Scent
This is another part where the cream reminds me of A'Pieu Madecassoside Cream, I believe the scents are very similar to each other, they are sweet like candy with a hint of citrusy note.

Overall Experiences
What I like;
I like how this cream moisturiser has a cooling effect on the skin which is very much appreciated in the hot and humid weather conditions like here in Malaysia. It appears to be cool and refreshing even without putting it inside the refrigerator.

It's hydrating and moisturising to the skin. I use this on my PM routine following a retinol treatment and a sheet mask. If I would to include a serum, I'd use it before the Hansaegee Nature Aqua Whitening Cream. Since it's lightweight, I have no idea if it's going to relieve the dry patches on dry skin, however, it's perfect to use on hot, sunny weather since, in my long period of testing this product, I didn't notice any excessive amount of sweat beads after using. It sinks into the skin rapidly, leaving a mattifying finish behind with no left-over residue. Also, having some silicons isn't necessarily bad to the skin since it helps in water retaining.



Hansaegee Nature decided to print out the expiring date onto the jar packaging itself which is gladly appreciated! It may sound like a little, smaller thing to point out but I know brands who only put the date on its cardboard packaging and let's be honest, most of us here would probably throw it after we opened up the product. There are also brands like The Ordinary and The Inkey List who decided to completely ditch their expiry dates for all of the products and I'm seriously mad about it. 


The Downsides;
If there are any whitening or brightening effects, I would be unable to comment. Perhaps I should use this for a much longer period and only do it on half of my face to see if there is any different. 

Next, hygienic issue but it can be easily solved. I like its jar packaging. Actually, I just realised that I like jar packaging for a moisturiser because I can use every single cream inside without wasting any but I won't deny the negativity of it, since you would need to unscrew the lid often, the cream could have spoiled in a faster rate when it's exposed to air and light. It would be great if Hansaegee Nature could provide a little spatula inside the packaging like what most brands would do these days.



Buy the moisturiser here; 
https://hansaegee.com/shop/skin-care/aqua-whitening-cream-1/aqua-whitening-cream.html

I hope this review is helpful to you guys. As always, feel free to follow on my Instagram, @ieyrahm and my Bloglovin.



References:
[1] Soma, Y., Kashima M., Imaizumi, A., Takahama H., Kawakami, T., & Mizoguchi, M. (2005). Moisturizing effects of topical nicotinamide on atopic dry skin. International Journal of Dermatology, 44(3), 197-202. doi:10.111/j.1365-46322004.02375.x

[2] Kaymak, Y., Onder, M., (2008). An Investigation of Efficacy of Topical Niacinamide for the Treatment of Mild and Moderade Acne Vulgaris. Journal of the Turkish Academy of  Dermatology, 2(4):jtad82402a

[3] Berson, D.S., Osborne, R., Oblong, J.E. Hakozaki, T., Johnson, M.B. and Bissett, D.L. (2013). Niacinamide in Cosmeceuticals and Cosmetic Practice, P.K. Farris (Ed.). doi 10.1002/9781118384824

[4] Kim, H., Lee, B., Kyeong, W.Y., (2013). Evaluation of antimicrobial activity and total phenolic content of three Pinus species. Jornal of Ecology and Environment, 36.10.5141/ecoenv.2013.007.