Are you familiar with the term hanbang? If you're a K-beauty or Asian skincare addict like me, chances are you've seen or heard this term at least once. The word "hanbang" refers to traditional Korean medicine, and hanbang cosmetics are cosmetic products scientifically formulated with multiple herbs based on the old wisdom of traditional Korean herbal medicine. Today, I'll be reviewing my very first hanbang skincare item – RIN Bi-gyeol Yun Cream* from Hansaeng Cosmetics!
Hansaeng Cosmetics is a hanbang cosmetics manufacturer that was established in May 1990. Using high-standard herb medicine technology, Hansaeng Cosmetics researches and develops cosmetics that contain natural plant materials and herbal pharmaceutical materials that are stable and appropriate for the entire body, as well as the skin.
Hansaeng Cosmetics RIN Bi-gyeol Yun Cream
50 ml
₩44,000
50 ml
₩44,000
HANSAENG COSMETICS RIN BI-GYEON YUN CREAM
Hansaeng Cosmetics claims: "Present a smooth and refined skin tone through six-year-old fermented ginseng extract and oriental medicine flower complex Danhwayeon. A brightening and anti-wrinkle functional product with niacinamide for bright skin tone and adenosine for refining wrinkles. With Phellinus Linteus, mulberry root, and Scutellaria baicalensis root to strengthen the skin barrier zone which makes it smooth."Ever since I started dabbling into Asian skincare, I've always been curious of hanbang products. Koreans are known for having great skin, and while doing some research I found out that some of the more hardcore K-beauty people actually use things like traditional roots and herbs in their everyday routines. I'm not at a level where I'm willing to go as far as grinding roots and herbs for my morning routine, so I'll just try out hanbang skincare for now!
PACKAGING
First of all, the box is GORGEOUS. I think this was the first time that I've ever wanted to keep a box so much. The floral design is so pretty. Of course, the container itself is also beautiful – an amber jar with a gold cap. Inside the cap is a plastic lid to keep the cream from getting dirt or other things inside. Sadly though, this doesn't come with its own spatula. I feel a bit iffy about dipping my fingers, no matter how clean, into cream products that aren't for cleansing, so that was disappointing. Right now, I'm using a tiny spoon that I got from chocolate to scoop out product, lol.
INGREDIENTS
Water, Glycerin, Octyldodecyl Myristate, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Petrolatum, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Synthetic Wax, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Dimethicone, Lactobacillus/Panax Ginseng Root Ferment Filtrate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cercis Chinensis Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Uncaria Sinensis Extract, Paeonia Lactiflora Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Polygonum Multiflorum Root Extract, Phellinus Linteus Extract, Morus Alba, Bark Extract, Sophora Angustifolia Root Extract, Cimicifuga Racemosa Root Extract, Sesamum Indicum (sesame seed extract), Angelica Root Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Extract, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) flower extract, Trifolium Pratense (Clover) flower extract, Papaver Rhoeas Petal Extract, Pueraria Thunbergiana Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract, Squalane, Chrysanthemum Indicum Flower Extract, Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract, Codonopsis Lanceolata Root Extract, Magnolia Liliflora Bud Extract, Astragalus Membranaceus Root Extract, Betaine, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, C14-22 Alcohols, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glyceryl Caprylate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Adenosine, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Disodium ETA, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance, CI 19140, CI 15985Look at that ingredients list! So many extracts!! I'm personally not familiar with most of the plants on this list, so I can't tell you what their extracts are good for, but the fact that I see niacinamide on the list is enough for me to want to try it. I also see licorice root extract in the ingredients, which I've heard is also great for brightening!
There are a few ingredients that are possible acne or allergy triggers, but they're marked fairly low (~2 out of 5). I've also read about some people's skin not reacting well to licorice extracts, so please remember, YMMV! COSDNA analysis here.
PERFORMANCE
I tested this product for more than 15 days, using it only at night. I'm not sure if it's because it works well with the other products in my routine, but I saw visible brightening after just a few days. It's not like I got paler or anything, just that my skin looked brighter overall. As for wrinkles, I've also been using this on the fine lines under my eyes and my laugh lines, but I haven't seen much improvement. Maybe I'll need to use this continuously for a few months to see a difference. After 15 days though, my skin felt much brighter, softer, and more moist.The only downside is that this cream is way too thick for my oily skin, so waiting for my skin to absorb everything feels like forever. On days that I used too much of this on my face, I woke up with little bumps on my face the next day. I thought that this was breaking me out, but the bumps only ever appeared in the same areas, so I figured it was just that this product was too thick and was clogging my pores. This might work better for people with dry skin, or living in a place with a dry climate.
SCENT
I'll be completely honest here – before trying this cream out, the number one thing I was worried about was the scent. I received a sample of an emulsion from Sulwhasoo a few months back, and I was.. so shocked by the musky smell that I didn't even use it. I've heard that hanbang cosmetics usually only have two scents – it's either going to smell strongly of herbs, or smell super floral. This product is the latter, although it's not super strong. Still, I associate floral scents to old lady smell or tita smell, so I find it quite bothersome. It goes away after a while though (or maybe I just stop noticing it?), so I just suck it up and wait until then.PRICE & AVAILABILITY
This product is ₩44,000 – roughly P1,800. Normally I would complain that it's way too expensive for a 50ml cream, but since it's a hanbang item and is chock full of herb and flower extracts that are good for you, this is definitely worth it. Plus, since you only need a teeny-tiny amount to cover your whole face, this cream will last you a long time.Hansaeng Cosmetics isn't available in the Philippines, so you'll have to look for this item online.
FINAL THOUGHTS
With this being my very first hanbang skincare item, I'm surprised that I actually found myself liking it. My only problem is that this feels a bit greasy, especially for an oily-skinned girl living in perpetually-humid Manila. Not to mention that this gives me clogged pores if I pile on too much. Right now, using it on just my cheeks (where I need the most brightening) seems to work, and I haven't been getting clogged pores anymore. But the fact that this was able to give me brighter skin in just a few days – I don't think I can just ignore that! For the brightening effect alone, I'm willing to ignore the old lady smell, haha!DISCLAIMER: This product was sent to me by bntnews for review, but the opinions expressed here are 100% my own. Financial compensation was not received for this post. Please see my full disclaimer for more information.