Whoo lip products review
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| Whoo Lip Cerin box (the top half is rose gold and the bottom half is pearly white) Whoo Gongjinhyang Glow box (gold with a oval holographic section). |
Reviewed: The History of Whoo Royal Essential Golden Lip Cerin and Gongjinhyang: Mi Glow Lip Balm (SPF 10). Lip Cerin used for 3 months and Glow for 2 months at this point. I'm going to refer to these as Lip Cerin and Glow as a short hand.
Lip product demands
As a minimum, I want to treat rough textured dry lips. Not only is that uncomfortable but it also means lipstick doesn't apply very well and that is annoying.
I'd also like to reduce the purple edges, which looks like I've been drinking red wine or using a smudgy gothy lip liner.
But like most skincare things, the dry discomfort is what drew me in and lack of effective products kept the search going. And, of course, if something claims to treat the signs of aging, I'm all in.
I've tried lots of lip balms in the past and at best they've treated the dryness superficially, meaning multiple reapplications.
I haven't found long lasting relief: it feels ok at first and then an hour or so later you need more. Repeat with diminishing results.
It's a bit like putting vaseline on my skin, it may keep water in but it doesn't really do much else to improve the condition or feel of my skin. And it just rubs off. If vaseline works for you, that is amazing because it's so cheap! It doesn't work for me and sometimes I skip my routine or do it later in the day and you just can't do that with vaseline.
Whoo lip products are a game changer - rather than just a meagre attempt at managing the symptoms, these give my lips the long lasting level of moisturising comfort I'm looking for and it means I can forget about my lips (rather than having to think how uncomfortable they are).
Also read this: link to AB Muse's review of Lip Cerin (much better swatches than mine!)
I think of it like a skincare routine for my lips: both products work in harmony and I do notice a drop in efficacy if I don't use both. Plus the Glow has a little SPF so it's wise to use it regularly in the day.
Here's a bit of background in what LG are looking to achieve with this product and more info on the fact that they've released the lip cerin ingredient across all of their brands: link to information on LG's Lip Cerin release.
On Instagram, Odile made the point that the complex is the same across the brands so you could choose what suits your budget. This is from memory, I hope I haven't misquoted Odile here!
However, initially Whoo was the only available so I went with Whoo! Other options are far more available now at cheaper prices but I'm wedded to the Whoo version, unless the price goes up significantly. Plus if you read the AB Muse, the Whoo was better than the others.
It cost about $15 from TesterKorea and KoreaDepart. It's still $15 from TK but it's gone up to $20 at KD now.
Texture and application
Smooooooth for both products!
The Lip Cerin is a gel type texture and it looks like it would be gloopy-sticky with its glycerin complex but it isn't!
It's light and protective feeling plus it feels nice on the lips.
Some lip balms of this kind of texture don't adhere well to lips and so I have to reapply often. The Lip Cerin texture is significantly better as it lasts for hours with not too much transfer onto cups etc hence why I use the term protective.
The Glow is different because it's in a stick format (convenient) and looks like jelly in a stick. It has a soft melting texture, no chalkiness like some stick balms. It melts on contact with the lips and properly glides as you apply it.
Some stick lip balms apply OK but don't really melt on application which means they end up just feeling chalky.
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| Swatch showing the Glow lip balm (pink) and the Lip Cerin (serum type with gold flakes) |
Packaging
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| Side view of: Lip Cerin which has gold and pearl squat cylinder packaging and the Glow has a gold lipstick style tube |
According to the article I linked above, the Air Fit container for the Lip Cerin is designed to reassure customers that the product won't degrade and so it dispenses the right amount.
Agreed, it really does dispense the right amount.
However, following AB Muse: don't panic when you have to turn it loads to get the first bit of product out. It's not broken!
Also it's pretty.
The Gongjinhyang Glow is really fancy looking and has a magnetic tube so it clicks back together very satisfyingly.
I actually carry this in the box because I'd be sad if the case got scratched.
As always, the Whoo branding with the lotus flower makes me happy:
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| Top view of both lip products showing the lotus flower design on the lids |
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| On the left, the Glow is light pink and glossy like a lipstick and the Lip Cerin has solid packaging with a hole in the middle to dispense the product |
Ingredients
This is a bit of a random section for me, I'm usually quite focused on ingredients although less so these days. I just trust that Sooryehan and Whoo formulations will be good and I buy what I like the look of, taking budget into account!
As usual, the ingredients list is done via Google Translate, please do your own research, especially if you have allergies or sensitivities.
From the packaging insert:
Effect: Helps improve skin wrinkles.
Directions/Dosage: Take an appropriate amount of this product and spread evenly on the skin.
Royal Essential Golden Lip Serin
Ingredients:
Phytosteryl/isostearyl/cetyl/stearyl/behenyl dimer dilinoleum bis-diglyceryl polyacyl adipate-2, dextrin palmitate, polytetra, diisostearyl maleate, hydrogenated polyisobu Ten, glyceryl-2isostearate/dimer dilinoleate copolymer, purified water, silica dimethyl silylate, glyceryl behenate/eicosadioate, 1,2-hexanediol, glycerin, gluconolactone , Sorbitan Stearate, Cedrol, Dimethicone, Serine, Fragrance, Sunflower Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Liglyceride, gold, butylene glycol, tocopherol, protease, stone bean oil, aspen root extract, cholesterol, hydrogenated lecithin, shea butter, pearl powder, squalane, talc, glyceryl glucoside, beta-carotene, carrot extract, carrot seed oil, denatured alcohol, arginine glutamate, cetearyl alcohol, stearic acid, cornelian fruit extract, angelica root extract, thyme extract, reishi mushroom extract, angelica root extract, safflower extract, goji berry extract, ginseng extract , Mud Mushroom Extract, Sichuan Root Extract, Bokryeong Mycorrhiza Core Extract, Rehmannia Root Root Extract, Sky Tari Root Extract, Vitamin Tree Fruit Extract, Honeysuckle Flower Extract, Bellflower Root Extract, White Western Truffle Extract, Peony Branch/Flower/Leaf Extract, Arginine, peony root extract, glycoprotein, acetyltetrapeptide-9, ceramide NP, caprylyl glycol, ethylhexylglycerin, ceramide NS, phytosphingosine, acetylhexapeptide-8, ceramide AP. Ceramide AS, pumpkin powder, desamido collagen, ceramide EOP. Limonene, linalool, geraniol, benzyl benzoate, hexylcinnamal, citronellol *Contains 300ppm of pure gold
KoreaDepart calls out:
Gold 24K cerin, Vitamin E, Royal Jelly, PHA, Cedrol, Peptide, Collagen, Shea Butter and Ceramide.
The marketing pictures on the KoreaDepart site have this text:
LIPCERIN PENTA CARE to solve the top 5 lip problems:
Wrinkle: Cedrol, a wrinkle-improving functional ingredient
Corneous: Dead skin care triple complex (serine + proteinase + PHA)
Elasticity: Dual Peptide + Collagen
Moisturizing: Pentaceramide + Glyceryl Glucoside
Shine: shea butter, vegetable squalane.
I've never heard of cedrol but I found this study: link to a study on cedrol.
You can tell how much trust I place in these my favourite brands because I saw LG referenced on this study and went, ooh LG, rather than thinking manufacturer bias. Lol.
The study says that cedrol improves collagen production. Win.
And also, this study is from 2012, so it's over 10 years old! Where is this ingredient in other LG brands?? And surely other companies would want to use it?
A very cursory google says that cedrol is patented by LG and looks like it's in quite a few products across their brands. Side note: it's also listed in non-LG brands on Incidecoder.
And, it turns out that I had heard of this ingredient before: a year ago, someone kindly found me the ingredient lists of the Sooryehan Micro Ginseng line, which lists cedrol. But I hadn't registered the cedrol at all. Interesting.
There's a variety of emollients in the Glow and plant extracts, such as you would expect from a Whoo product.
It's hard to draw conclusions from ingredients lists - what I can say is there there's no oils or butters in the Glow and I'd have thought those were necessary for keeping lips in good condition. But then again, all the lip balms I've tried previously were chock full of oils and butters and results were not great. Go figure!
I imagine that, as usual with luxe stuff, formulation matters and that's part of what you're paying for.
Experience
The only overnight product I've used before is the wildly popular Laniege lip mask which I'm pushed to remember if it helped. I certainly didn't stick with it nightly for months, as I have with the Whoo.
For me, the Lip Cerin is an overnight treatment. It works well as a lip balm during the day and last ages on the lips even with eating and drinking. Not that much comes off but I feel like I'm wasting any that rubs off!
Plus the Glow has SPF so it's an obvious day time option. I purchased it specifically for this reason and that I was impressed by the Lip Cerin.
Between the two, I don't actually need to worry too much about topping up my lip balm endlessly throughout the day.
Colour On The Lips
Comfort
It's a weird thing I get with skincare something: you know something is working because you haven't thought about it, you just get on with your day and then all of a sudden, you notice you haven't had an issue and therefore the thing is probably working!
It is a blissful feeling that isn't always available to us, after all, most of us start using skincare because there's something that requires treatment. First and foremost for me, it's how my skin feels. All the other reasons are important (signs of aging and so on) but it's that comfort thing that grabs me.
Consequently, I consider it a real luxury when I don't notice the prickly feeling that suggests something in my routine isn't quite right. And for lips, it's when there's friction between them.
I now have lots of days where my attention isn't drawn to my lips at all. I Given it's winter and windy, this is highly impressive. For best results, I find that applying the Lip Cerin Gongjinhyang Glow first thing in the morning when I leave the house. If I don't, I notice my lips do feel a bit drier.
This makes sense, ideally we do our routine early before getting on with our day, right? Just because my skin and lips can handle it if I don't bother, I know I'm decreasing my comfort levels.
If you have very dry lips, you may just want to stick with the Lip Cerin. It feels more substantial and it's more moisturising. However, any lip products with SPF do tend to be a little less moisturising than ones without SPF. Saying that, the Glow is very decently moisturising and I personally prefer it for day time.
Plumping
Both AsianBeauty Muse and I have been wondering if our lips are a bit plumper. I think mine are, although it's relatively subtle. Who cares! These things don't happen overnight and I think 2 weeks (which I saw on the marketing for one of the lip cerins) is a stretch. 2 months is more realistic.
I keep wondering if it's confirmation bias but I don't think so. It's had a reasonable amount of time to work: I got my first one early December so it's been three months.
I had been noticing loss of volume in my lips over the last few years. It's not a big deal but anything that helps replump is positive.
Effects On Lip Colour
What bothers me more significantly than deplumping is the purpley outline on the corners of my lips. I can't even pass it off as 90s dark lip liner because it doesn't go all the way round!
Again, it's a subtle difference but noticeable to me.
There's a definite softening of the colour, I look less like the edges of my bottom lip are bruised.
This is significant as I'd been thinking about getting the vastly more expensive NIOD lip treatment for ages but the price had absolutely put me off despite hearing good things from someone I trust. The NIOD is more than three times the price of the Whoo. It looks to last ages but I'm still going strong with my first Whoo after three moneth.
The NIOD lists a lot of other key anti-aging benefits so it might work to help the comfort aspect too as an overnight treatment. But it says don't get it on the surrounding skin and wash your hands after using it. Blargh. I want convenience in my products and I can apply the Whoo whenever I want plus put any excess on the back of my hand for extra benefits (why not share the love!)
What I want now is this technology in an eye cream because if the purple lip is to do with thinning lip skin showing the veins, maybe that would help my eye area too.
Obviously I know this is a lip product but if it's ok for lips, maybe it's ok for the eye area. I'm strongly tempted to try a little of it around my eye bag area at night.
I'll report back in three more months anyway and maybe I'll have eye benefits at that point too, if I do try it on my eye area.
Clearly, cedrol appears in other products but I'm wondering if there's something special about this complex of ingredients that has the effects on appearance of pigment. This is speculation and I have an eye cream that I'm particularly happy with so I don't really want to go chasing down cedrol products.
Let's clarify that: I do want to go chasing down cedrol products but I'm thinking that it may not simply be the cedrol so it could lead to a lot of trial and error and the AHC is soooo well priced. Link to my AHC review.
And what if the pigmentation in my eye area is simply less than ideal sleep (which I definitely suffer from).
And and and I just looked up cedrol products: I'm using one!!!! I knew I loved the Bichup Ja Yoon cream and now I'm annoyed that I gave away a load of samples of it because the fragrance is a bit strong. Grump.
I may have to treat my remaining samples as an eye cream and see how it does... I've definitely got some left so I could probably trial this for month.
SPF as a confounding factor?
You might also think using SPF could be the cause of the improvements - I'm sure it would contribute but keep in mind that the UV level been 0-1 most days and only recently has there been 2.
Plus I don't always use the Gongjinhyang Glow in the middle of the day when the UV is highest (still under 3). I will of course make an effort to use it in the middle of the day when the UV is higher.
I also started the Lip Cerin a month before using the Gongjinhyang Glow so it had a head start!
Summing up
A winning combination that I'm totally happy with, even at the price for lip balms.
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