K-beauty
21 June 2024
Have you found the perfect lipcare product that’s moisturising, treats signs of aging and hygienic all at the same time? I’d be hard pressed to name you one that checks all these boxes; but it seems a new category of lip products in Korea may be the ONE lip product that’s mastered the art of giving plump, moist lips that’s more than lip service.
Enter Lipcerin, the 3rd generation of lip care products in K-beauty; that seems poised to be the next big thing in Korea and beyond. If there’s a new product that will catapult to popularity the way cushion foundations elevated the K-beauty industry to new heights (and had Western beauty brands releasing similar products), my prediction is that lipcerin, the 3rd generation of lip care products will be the next big thing to watch in the beauty scene.
Lipcerin is a “new” category of lip care products that is a portmanteau of “lips” and “glycerin”. It is considered to be the 3rd generation of lip care products; and debuted in Korean beauty brands in late 2023. Developed by Korean beauty conglomerate, LG Household and Health (which owns brands like CNP, The Face Shop and The History of Whoo), lipcerin was created to “meet the needs of customers who want to maintain the best lip condition”.
According to LG Household and Health, researchers at the company developed lipcerinn over 5 years using research on images of lips and signs of ageing in 57 000 East Asians with deep learning algorithms. Based on this data, the researchers found that ageing in the lips was associated with thinner lips; increased lip wrinkles and reduced vibrance of lip colours. Lipcerin was developed to address some of these research findings.
Related blogposts:
Lip Care: Do’s and Don’ts for Healthy Lips
LG Household & Health has hailed lipcerin as the “next-generation functional lip care product”. Lipcerin is formulated with glycerin, and LG Lipcerin Penta Turnover Recovery ComplexTM to address wrinkles, dead skin, and loss of gloss, elasticity, and moisture in the lips.
How does glycerin work in cosmetics? Glycerin is an ingredient commonly used in cosmetics products mainly as a humectant and skin and hair conditioning agent. Glycerin is naturally present in plants and animals; typically in combination with lipids. Glycerin skincare and cosmetics can be obtained from plant and animal sources; or it can be synthesised.
Humectants are powerful moisturisers that attract water to its surroundings. In skincare, humectants draw moisture from the dermis towards the stratum corneum, to keep the skin hydrated. This moisturising effect of humectants can also plump up the skin and reduce the appearance of fine lines. Some common examples of humectants in skincare include glycerin, hyaluronic acid and panthenol.
Related blogposts:
Everything You Need to Know About Hyaluronic Acid
5 Cult Favourite Hyaluronic Acid Serums and Moisturisers Reviewed
Is lipcerin the first lip care product to contain glycerin? Of course not. Sulwhasoo Perfecting Lip Color and L’occitane Rose Lip Balm are examples of lip care products containing glycerin and were released before 2023. So what else makes lipcerin unique?
According to LG Household & Health, there are two other aspects that define lipcerin. The first is LG Lipcerin Penta Turnover Recovery Complex; and its proprietary Air-fit container.
This “LG Lipcerin Penta Turnover Recovery Complex” has been hyped as LG Household & Health as “a unique blend” to address signs of aging in the lips. However, the company has been secretive about what exactly makes up this “complex” and how it works. I searched and translated LG’s PR materials and Korean magazines and newspapers for answers- but LG Household & Health has remained tight-lipped about its LG Lipcerin Penta Turnover Recovery Complex.
Solving this mystery didn’t hit a roadblock- I turned to the ingredient lists of the lipcerin products produced by brands under the LG Househould and Health and found a few ingredients that were common in the lipcerin products. I’d make an educated guess that these ingredients make up the “unique blend” in LG Lipcerin Penta Turnover Recovery Complex; as the name “penta” and wording in the LG Household and Health’s PR materials do not suggest a single proprietary ingredient.
These were the ingredients that were common to the lipcerin products I searched:
• Gluconolactone: A type of polyhydroxy acid (PHA) for gentle exfoliation. The science of PHAs and chemical exfoliation have been discussed in A Complete Guide to Acids in Skincare & Chemical Exfoliation
• Acetyl Tetrapeptide-9: A type of peptide that firms the skin. All the details about the different peptides and the skincare science in Why Are Peptide Skincare Products So Expensive?
• A combination of ceramides and essential lipids that strengthen the skin barrier. Ceramides and skin barrier have been discussed in How to Repair Your Skin Barrier.
This combination of ingredients can help to reduce the appearance of fine lines, exfoliate dead skin and moisturise the lips. If and when LG Household and Health shares more information about this LG Lipcerin Penta Turnover Recovery Complex, I’ll update this blogpost.
Lipcerin’s proprietary Air-fit container
Another aspect of Lipcerin that’s said by LG Household and Health to overcome the problems of contamination of lip products like lip balms and lip masks is its proprietary air fit container. This air-fit container is said to “minimise contact with the external environment to prevent oxidation and contamination of the formula” and “protect the active ingredients”. To use the air-fit container, turn the dial at the bottom to dispense the product.
Again, information beyond this description is lacking. This description of the proprietary air-fit container sounds like an airless pump with a dispensing dial. When I first saw these containers, Fenty Beauty’s Plush Puddin’ Intensive Recovery Lip Mask came to my mind. Fenty Beauty’s version looks similar; and it also has a dial at the bottom that dispenses the product. Nonetheless, this move by LG Household and Health to improve the hygiene and stability of its product gets a thumbs up from me.
Lipcerin is currently available in beauty brands under the LG Household and Health including:
• Belif
• CNP
• Beyond
• Glint
• The History of Whoo
• O Hui
• Freshian Beauty
• The Face Shop
Freshian is a relatively new skincare brand launched by LG Household and Health Care in 2022. Freshian’s lipcerin range was launched in 2024. Currently, Freshian carries one non-tinted and one tinted (pink) lipcerin products. For this review, I bought the non-tinted lipcerin from Freshian. It cost me approximately SGD$19.
Pros of Freshian Vita Ampoule Lipcerin 01 Enriched
• Ingredients contain a mix of humectants, emollients and occlusives that moisturise and soften the skin
• Contains gluconolactone for exfoliation
• Moisturises my lips well
• Leaves a film that lasts 3-4 hours, even after drinking and gentle wiping of my lips
• Masks appearance of fine lines
• Layers well with most lipsticks I used as a base
• Faint citrus scent that is refreshing
• Lipcerin dispenses easily from container
Cons of Freshian Vita Ampoule Lipcerin 01 Enriched
• Ingredients contain tangerine peel extract and lemon juice. Both of these ingredients may cause phytophotodermatitis, a type of rash. I did not experience this side effect though.
• Applying Freshian Vita Ampoule Lipcerin 01 Enriched was messy in my opinion. After turning the dial, I had to use my finger to transfer the lipcerin to my lips. I needed to wash my hands each time I used Freshian Vita Ampoule Lipcerin 01 Enriched. This made reapplication inconvenient vis a vis a lip balm.
Verdict on Freshian Vita Ampoule Lipcerin 01 Enriched
Overall, the Freshian Vita Ampoule Lipcerin 01 Enriched lives up to its promises as a moisturising lipcare product. It also reduced the appearance of lines; and the dead skin that sometimes accumulates around my lip at the end of the day. I particularly like using this as an overnight lip mask- my lips look visibly more moist and plump; as compared to nights when I forget to use it.
However, Freshian Vita Ampoule Lipcerin 01 Enriched does feel forgettable. It does the job, but the user experience is bland. I like using Freshian Vita Ampoule Lipcerin 01 Enriched but I’ve had more straightforward, fuss free experiences with lip balms that cost less that still delivered. I don’t think I would repurchase the Freshian Vita Ampoule Lipcerin 01 Enriched for these reasons.
Lipcerin is K-beauty’s latest trend; and now that I’ve broken down the ingredients and workings of it, I hope that you find the topic more understandable. I’d say lipcerin products are promising, but the ingredients are nothing groundbreaking. Lipcerin products strike me as more hype than a product that’s truly revolutionary or transformative. I prefer to use products that allow convenient reapplication and that where a traditional lip balm trumps lipcerin for me. Do you have a lip product to recommend for me to review? Let me know in the comments below!
