Carrying on the theme of uneven skin tone, in this post I am sharing my experience on Elucent Even Tone skincare range, made by Ego Pharmaceuticals (the same company that makes QV).
These products were sent to me by beautyheaven for trial and review. As pigmentation is my persisting concern, I was delighted to have been invited. The trial period was 4 weeks.
I believe that understanding ingredients will empower us to know exactly what we are putting onto our skin. In most cases, it can give a pretty good indication of whether the product is effective or not. At the same time, by just reading ingredients does not always tell us how well or how badly something works. The Elucent Even Tone range is a perfect example of the latter.
Main ingredients in the range
The range features the use of:
lactic acid: chemical exfoliant and skin polisher. The gentle exfoliation reveals brighter skin.
ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate: a vitamin C derivative. This form of vitamin C is oil-soluble, and as such is believed to penetrate skin better due to its ability to get through the skin's protective lipid layer. All forms of vitamin C are widely used to lighten pigmentation.
niacinamide (vitamin B3): the ability of niacinamide to lighten pigmentation has been widely documented (see an example here). For it to be effective, the minimum concentration is 5%.
safflower seed oil: emollient for skin conditioning; high in linoleic acid meaning that it is unlikely to cause skin congestion.
tocopherol (vitamin E): antioxidant and skin conditioner. Works synergistically with vitamin C.
Ego has really put together all the right things in this range.
Elucent Even Tone Dark Spot Corrector
The Dark Spot Corrector is designed to target confined areas of dark spots.
User experience: the first thing I noticed was alcohol (listed as the third ingredient) - for my skin, that's a red flag. The smell is very chemical and alcohol-heavy, but luckily it dissipates rather quickly on my skin. Strangely, it leaves a very glossy finish on my skin. While I had tried to use it as a spot corrector, it made my face looking rather odd with parts of it glossy and parts of it "normal". I ended up using this on most parts of my face so that the finish looked more even.
I used it religiously twice a day, before moisturiser, in generous amounts, for 4 weeks.
Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Sodium Lactate, Alcohol, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Propylene Glycol, Cyclomethicone, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate (Vitamin C), Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Niacinamide (Vitamin B3), Lactic Acid, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Xanthan Gum.
Elucent Even Tone Day Cream SPF 30
The day moisturiser is big. It comes in a 95mL airless pump bottle.
User experience: I cannot recall any other product that is more unpleasant to use. The cream is thick and greasy. It also looks grainy. It took me forever to spread and blend the cream on skin. It pilled with almost all my serums. It smells like a thick sunscreen.
Initially I applied about 2-3 pumps each time as it appeared to pill less when I applied more product (strange, I know). Part of me was also trying to apply the correct amount so to get the full SPF30 protection. However, after a few days my face became itchy - usually for the first few hours after applying the day cream - so I immediately lowered the amount to 1 pump. Interestingly, I was not the only reviewer who experienced itchiness.
Even being thick and greasy, my makeup could go on top of the day cream without it becoming shiny or oily throughout the day. This cream gave my skin good hydration.
I am almost certain the day cream made my skin congested (see below), although it could be a combination of both day and night cream. Despite all of that, I used it religiously once a day for 4 weeks.
Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Cyclomethicone, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Niacinamide (Vitamin B3), Sodium Lactate, Isostearic Acid, PEG-100 Stearate (and) Glyceryl Stearate, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Magnesium Aluminium Silicate, Butylene Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract, Tocopheryl (Vitamin E), Decyl Glucoside, Dimethicone, Lactic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Parfum, Disodium Edta, Propylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, LinaloolBemotrizinol 2.15, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3.5, Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol 5.0, Octyl Methoxycinnamate 8.0.Hydroxybenzoates.
Elucent Even Tone Night Moisturiser
The night cream comes in an oversized jar. Out of all three, I dislike the night cream the least.
User experience: The cream has an unusual texture. The cream feels very viscous (solid) - but it isn't exactly "dense". It is light but solid. I am not sure what causes this but I assume that it is from the amount or texture of silicones (2nd, 6th and 7th ingredients). The smell is subtle but agin chemical-like. It does dissipate quickly so I didn't mind it too much. Strangely, even though it felt so viscous, it absorbed very well into my skin overnight, and the next morning I would wake up with beautifully supple and hydrated skin.
Again, it was used religiously every evening for 4 weeks.
Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Cyclomethicone, Sodium Lactate, Niacinamide (Vitamin B3), Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Dimethicone (and) Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium PCA, Glyceryl Stearate, Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate (Vitamin C), Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Lactic Acid, PEG-100 Stearate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Xanthan Gum, Methylparaben, Parfum, Propylparaben, Disodium EDTA.
Results
After 4 weeks, there was no improvement on pigmentation.
But the real problem was that the products gave me white heads and pimples - a total of 18 in the 4 weeks, whereas I usually have 1 or 2 spots every 4-8 weeks. As I trialed the products simultaneously, I can't be sure which one caused this, but my gut feeling tells me it was the day cream because of its texture and the itchiness I got from it.
Not only there was no improvement on existing pigmentation, my skin also had new scars from pimples and congestion - so I was left with additional pigmentation to deal with.
Unfortunately, on my skin, Elucent Even Tone was a complete failure. Particularly on the user experience front, such as smell, texture and usability, it was surprisingly disappointing, especially from a reputable manufacturer like Ego. My feedback has been passed on to the organiser of the trial so hopefully there will be some improvements on the formulations.
Summary
Pros
The night cream is a good moisturiser
Cons
No visible lightening of pigmentation spots
Day cream is thick, makes skin itchy and pills with other products
Serious skin congestion
Additional scaring from breakout
This review was written based on my opinion after 4 weeks of continuous use. The products were given to me for the purpose of trial and review. My opinion is honest.
See other reviews on skin tone evening products:
About me
Makeup artist and hair stylist based in Sydney. Founder of the well-known award-winning bridal specialist team Faces Makeup & Hair. Beauty junkie with an obsession for skincare.