First Impressions: Missha Chogongjin Youngan Jin Cream

 

Slightly blurry photo of the front of the Missha Chogongjin Youngan Jin Cream box

Introduction

I saw this recommended as a cheaper and reasonable alternative to a Whoo cream by a trusted sub member.

I don't think I'd actually tried that Whoo cream but I like a recommendation for a good value product that works fine as an alternative to a Whoo product.

It was great timing as I wanted something I could easily order (and reorder) that wasn't from LG.

Link to AB Muse about the not-LG and now not-AP: https://www.abmuse.net/2024/11/lg-h-using-ai-for-marketing-and-why-i.html

Review

Cost: $29~ for 60ml

Packaging

It's a deep red oval jar, with a wide top, tapering to a narrower base with a gold lid. It has the classic removable plastic disc over the opening of the jar and comes with a spatula. It looks nice on my dressing table and is satisfying to hold because all of the edges are nicely rounded.

Looking at Missha US/EN site, there's been a change to the packaging and the ingredients are shown in a slightly different order. Worth noting, if you're not familiar with Missha, that they certainly reformulate their Time Revolution First Treatment Essence on a regular basis so it may be reformulated but it could just be the usual regional differences in ingredients order.

Texture

Category: gel to oil

I made up moisturiser texture categories: https://commercialpoemferments.blogspot.com/2024/08/categorising-cream-textures-and-texture.html

I wonder if this is a dupe of the Whoo Jinyulhyang cream. I wouldn't normally suggest something like this but Missha's Time Revolution First Treatment Essence is usually considered a dupe for SK-II Facial Treatment Essence.

The texture, feel and appearance is super similar to the Jinyulhyang (apart from the glitter, see below).

I was hoping for a much stiffer cream texture, rather than a gel to oil but I don't dislike it, it simply means it might not be as versatile for me - more on this below.

Ingredients

Slightly blurry photo of the ingredients list

Close up shot of the cream itself. It looks like glittery caramel.

Why is my moisturiser glittery? I presume this is the "gold" noted at the end of the ingredient list, which - as far as I can tell - is simply a colourant, CI 77480. 

Some products, however, do contain actual gold, like the Whoo Royal Essential Golden Lipcerin

Link to Odile's blog post on the Whoo Lipcerin: https://themonodist.com/the-history-of-whoo-royal-essential-golden-lipcerin/

Link to my review of the Whoo Lipcerin:

https://commercialpoemferments.blogspot.com/2024/03/whoo-lip-products-review.html

Fragrance

Complexity: 2 out of 5

Perfumey: low

Strength: low-mid

Floral: low

Spice: low

Herbal: mid

Earthiness: mid

Citrus: nil

Fruit: nil

Impression: A kind of light hanbang scent - herbal, hints of sweetness, earthy. It reminds me a bit of the Jinyulhyang here as well.

I don't have anything more exciting to say about it - it's noticeable on application but not heavily fragranced and it doesn't linger.

Experience

As a gel to oil texture, it's easy to apply and spreads very smoothly over my skin, straight out of the jar - no warming required.

Link to where a recent post about about warning creams: https://commercialpoemferments.blogspot.com/2025/01/micro-first-impressions-whoo-hwanyu.html

On the one hand, if I'm feeling a bit lazy, the fact that the Missha spreads well is a bonus because I know I can just apply it quickly and be done.

On the other hand, it's a jar and that adds some mental fatigue because of knowing it'll add to my dirty spatula pile. But I'm trying to get better about washing my spatulas before I run out completely so that less of an issue.

It also plays very nicely with the Isa Knox Age Focus Prime Polynoid Wrinkle Cream but not super well without some kind of other cream if I'm using chemical exfoliation, ie drying out my skin more than it's usual level of dryness.

Link to my Isa Knox review: https://commercialpoemferments.blogspot.com/2024/08/first-impressions-isa-knox-age-focus.html

And it's also worth noting that I'll tend to pare my routine back a bit if I'm trying new serum so I can see how they perform. So I may use less products than usual, meaning I miss out on layers that would usually cushion my skin against the dryness from exfoliation.

It's definitely a PM cream. Whilst I don't mind it AM, it takes a while to dry because of the gel to oil formulation.

It's not really an issue from that perspective as I tend to apply sunscreen after breakfast whereas I do my routine before breakfast. Although if I want to apply sunscreen right away, I'd need something else.

However, I don't really love the feel of this kind of cream AM, regardless of the general non-issue of drying times. I prefer my products to feel dry on my skin as quickly as possible and oily feeling products don't do that.

I also strongly suspect the Missha wouldn't work well on warmer mornings because of the oily feel. I like something that dries really quick and doesn't feel oily when it's sweatier weather.

With that in mind, I've got a few alternatives lined up which I'll trying out over the next few months.

I am, however, generally settled with using the Missha for my PM routine. I say settled because I do feel like I'm settling: this moisturiser is a does the job, works fine to moisturise and lock in my other steps.

I'm not ecstatic about it, we're not having a whirlwind romance but it's fine.

It's really quite well priced, there are cheaper things out there but they pale in comparison to the luxe stuff whereas the Missha does a good enough job at being a stand-in that I can see it as a long-term product.

I don't really expect mega effects on my skin from this moisturiser, although this does appear to follow a hanbang recipe according to Missha EN. This may make a difference over the longer term if I use it consistently, although the claims they make is for using the whole line and I'm unlikely to do that.

Why it's changed how I think about skincare

It kinda has changed how I think about skincare a bit.

I appreciate it's aimed at the hanbang market but I'm impressed that something so cheap could come close enough to the likes of LG's top of the range stuff for me to consider it viable.

I'm impressed even as I'm somewhat underwhelmed. Impressed that it does a good enough job, underwhelmed because it's not perfect for me and I'm sort of surprised it hits good enough.

If it had that silicone slurp of instantly forming a second skin and drying without feeling oily, it would be perfect.

I've got two other gel to oil creams available to me right now (Whoo Jinyulhyang and Sooryehan Chunsam Radiant White cream). Whilst both of these others dry better than the Missha, and actually the Sooryehan is surprisingly moisturising, I wouldn't choose either for AM. Not even if you gave it to me for free.

It's far from bad, just not at all what I want in the morning.

The Missha isn't HG, there should be a new category, which would be GE: Good Enough.

The Missha absolutely is GE for a PM product (although subpar for AM).

If it wasn't gel to oil but was siliconey and dried quick, it would be HG.

It would do everything I want but as it isn't that, GE. And that's fine.

The reason that it's sort of changed how I think about skincare is because getting a Good Enough product is actually a win.

Usually I'm after perfection and the drying time aspect of it is important but it really doesn't matter that much for a PM cream.

And as I said, I've got alternatives on the way!

Final thoughts 

I have a mug that my partner bought me and it is emblazoned with the legend: "You'll do, I suppose".

It's part of our ongoing joke that we don't believe in "The One", romantically speaking, we believe in "The One For Right Now". 

It's true of the Missha: you'll do, you're good enough.

(I see that I make it sound like my partner and I are settling. Lol!)