A Wren Says

Laneige’s Cream Skin Toner & Moisturizer has been the unsung hero of my skincare year. I’ll start with a backstory and its major con, but stick with me. It gets better.

Laneige Cream Skin Toner & Moisturizer

$30 for 170 mL

A nourishing milky toner for hydrated, glass skin

2 years ago, I tried a deluxe size of the over the course of about two weeks. I liked it. It did its job moisturizing my skin, but I declared at the end of that first review that I wouldn’t buy a full size. It was partly because I hadn’t been wowed by Laneige product line overall enough to want more investment in the company, but the biggest issue I had was with the application method. My fear was that I would end up spilling most of it as I had to drip it into my hand before applying to my face.

Fast forward to 2024 and for some reason I decided to buy a full size. My fear became a reality. The full-size product is refillable with an inner screw cap underneath the outer lid. Somehow, perhaps through self-fulfilling prophecy, the lid had loosened, and I spilled half of the bottle into the sink. To be fair, that gave me a bit of relief. Though it could seem like a plus, it just felt like it was taking forever to use up the bottle.

After the fiasco, I poured the remainder into a spritz bottle and that changed my relationship with the product. Spritzing the product into my hand made life so much easier. It was far superior to having to go through the process of unscrewing the top and shaking the bottle into my hands and then rescrewing the top. (Didn’t even just reading that seem like more of a burden?)

I used it more often as a result this new ease. Especially as I tried various disappointing moisturizers throughout the year, I could easily layer Cream Skin with it to provide the extra layer of moisture that my skin needed. And because I had transferred it into the smaller spray bottle, it was also travel ready and came with me on my many journeys.

I may or may not buy this product again. But if I do, I would either tried to find the version that comes in a pump or decant it into a spray bottle myself again. Cream Skin has opened me up to seeing the greater benefit of this class of products. I see how I can incorporate milky toners into my routine to add additional moisture, especially in the cold dry winter months. I’m now looking into the other milky toners I can try. I’ve heard quite a bit about the Rhode Skin Glazing Milk, but I’m looking at you especially, Ilia Base Face Milk. Expect a review of at least one these products in 2025.

I wanted to write this product off, but it certainly came to save the day many times this year. As I finally near the end the of the bottle, I suggest you give it a try. Or as you reflect on the products you already own, think if trying them in a new way could get you to enjoy them more. A new technique may be all it takes for you to find the unsung hero already in your arsenal.