MELIXIR

MELIXIR is a Korean brand of face, lip and hand care, with sunscreens too. Its Korean website presents a company, 주식회사 멜릭서, based in Seoul. According to the brand, it was founded by Hana Lee, with a plant-based approach inspired by Korean traditions and made for sensitive skin.

If you are discovering MELIXIR, the easiest way in is to start from your daily routine: cleansing, moisturizing, sun protection, or looking after your lips and hands. The Ma Petite Coree selection covers those four steps, and the product names already say a lot.

Here, the families are groupings by product name, not a ranking made by the brand. From the titles and labels, this is what you will find:

• Green Tea: the Green Tea Balancing Toner, the Green Tea pH Balanced Foam Cleanser and the Green Tea PDRN Repair Serum. The toner label mentions Korean green tea, the cleanser label a low pH and salicylic acid.
• Mandarin: the Mandarin Morning Face Cleanser, the Mandarin Vitamin CE Hydration Cream and the Mandarin Vitamin C5 Dark Spot Serum. The labels mention Korean mandarin, vitamins C and E, pure vitamin C at 5% for the serum, and hyaluronic acid and salicylic acid for the cleanser.
• Sunscreens: the Vegan Airfit Sunscreen and the Daily Skin Tint Sunscreen, both SPF50+ PA++++.
• Lips: the Vegan Lip Butter and the Vegan Lip Treatment.
• Hands: the Vegan Hand Cream Hinoki and the Bare Hand Wash, combined in a Vegan Hand Cream & Hand Wash Set.

PDRN stands for polydeoxyribonucleotide. For every product, the ingredient list on the product page remains the reference.

For a basic routine, chain a cleanser, a toner, a cream and a sunscreen. With MELIXIR, that could be the Mandarin Morning Face Cleanser or the Green Tea pH Balanced Foam Cleanser, then the Green Tea Balancing Toner, the Mandarin Vitamin CE Hydration Cream and the Vegan Airfit Sunscreen. If you like short routines, start with two products and add the rest later.

If you want a light veil of colour, the Daily Skin Tint Sunscreen mentions light coverage on its label. For dry lips or a quick touch-up in your bag, the Vegan Lip Butter slips into a pocket. For hands, the Vegan Hand Cream Hinoki and the Bare Hand Wash make a coherent pair.

If your skin is sensitive, read the ingredient list and patch test a small area before adopting a new product. Cosmetic advice, not medical advice. According to the brand, its care is made for sensitive skin, which is a good reason to compare the labels of the Green Tea family.

For lips, look at the lips collection; for body and hands, the body collection.

For more delicate skin, the sensitive skin selection can help you compare with other Korean brands.

A few things stand out. First, the brand claims the word vegan: according to MELIXIR, its formulas are vegan and PETA and EVE VEGAN certified. Second, the product names are clear: a plant or fruit (Green Tea, Mandarin), then the format (toner, cleanser, serum, cream).

Finally, the catalogue goes beyond the face. You will find SPF50+ PA++++ sunscreens, lip care in stick or tube form, and hand care. The packaging is understated: clear text on a neutral background, with the melixir name easy to read.

Here are a few easy-to-spot products in the MELIXIR selection, in no particular order. For a morning cleanse, look at the Mandarin Morning Face Cleanser. For a toner step, the Green Tea Balancing Toner. For a cream, the Mandarin Vitamin CE Hydration Cream. For a serum, the Mandarin Vitamin C5 Dark Spot Serum or the Green Tea PDRN Repair Serum.

On the sun side, the Vegan Airfit Sunscreen and the Daily Skin Tint Sunscreen complement each other. For lips, the Vegan Lip Butter or the Vegan Lip Treatment. Several items also exist as a Duo, such as the Green Tea pH Balanced Foam Cleanser Duo or the Mandarin Vitamin CE Hydration Cream Duo, and as a set, such as the Vegan Lip Butter & Sun Care Set.