Review: Melano CC Intensive Anti Spot Essence

Vitamin C is a useful ingredient in skincare and has been known to combat ageing, provides photoprotection, is a depigmenting agent and has anti-inflammatory properties. Vitamin C is a super ingredient and is an important staple for people interested in protecting their skin from signs of early ageing and improving PIH.

One famous vitamin C product is the Melano CC. Rohto released the Melano CC line comprising of essence, lotion (remember that in Japanese skincare, lotion is basically moisturizing toner), and face masks. I only got the essence to review since I already have Rohto's Hada Labo Gokujyun Premium in my routine and I think I have plenty moisturizing stuff already.

The Melano CC Essence

The Melano CC essence has a squeeze tube container in shiny silver colour. The screwed cap is plastic, and it has a tiny pointy applicator so you can use it as a spot treatment easily. It's hygienic, I think even more hygienic than using a pipette/dropper since I suck and sometimes I put pipettes directly against my skin. It releases enough product for spot treatments, but you can use it for your whole face like I do. It does feel like the top dispenses too little product for a whole face application, but it was meant to be a spot treatment in the first place so I'm not complaining.

                                     

The applicator is useful for spot treatment

The ingredient list is:

Ascorbic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Thymol, Water, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Ethoxydiglicol, Alipinia katsumadai seed extract, Butylene Glycol, Disodium Edetate, EDTA, Viscosity Modifiers, Fragrance

They claim that the form of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) they use is more stable, so you don't need to worry about your serum oxydizing as quickly as other vitamin C products, but they did not specify which one it is that they use and just put ascorbic acid there. It's true that vitamin C serum is a bitch to store since they oxydize so quickly and once they do you can only cry and say bye-bye to them. I know a lot of people, especially in tropical Indonesia where I live, keep their vitamin C products in the fridge to keep them from oxydizing too soon. Apparently Melano CC doesn't need that kind of treatment so that's a huge plus.

                                     

The essence is runny and colourless

The essence itself has no colour. It smells like lemon and has the typical chlorine-y vitamin C scent beneath it. It has a very thin consistency and feels like oil as you spread it all over, which was surprising and annoying at first but it does absorb into your skin after a few minutes.

It costs 180 000 IDR, which is around US$13, so the price is great for a 20 ml tube. I've had it for 3 weeks and I have to say that I do notice a bit of brightening on my face. My PIHs haven't disappeared, but the minor ones on my right cheek did become less noticeable. I have no idea whether the face brightening is due to this product or all the niacinamide I put on my face, but since I often put it as a spot treatment too during my PM routine (whole face AMs, spot treatment PMs) I think the PIH fading is thanks to this product.

Would 8/10 buy again. This is a great product and highly recommended. Some people did comment that it did not work to fade PIHs for their face, but I suggest giving it at least a few months to see any effects. If it truly didn't fade your PIH, then you can try other products but I think this is a great starting point for novices since it doesn't take a lot of hassle to keep.