NEO I VIEW
Vita Duo Cream
Review by Stella

Vita Duo Cream Review by Stella

by Stellar (ohmystellar)

This product was sent to me by Neogen for review purposes. I was not paid for this post but please note that some affiliate links are used on my blog. These go towards supporting Oh My Stellar and future content.

There are only a handful of kbeauty youtubers that I watch now but I have actually watched a couple of videos from Joan Kim (@JoanKeem) in the past – She is actually the one who introduced me to the Neogen brand! It seems so appropriate that she is now collaborating with them.

This is the Neogen Vita Duo Cream, which she also helped to develop and design (packaging wise). Since I’m not a massive fan of hers, my review of this product is purely based on the formula and it’s role in my skincare routine – and I genuinely love this product! I love the concept of the dual cream, which makes it perfect for travel, and the formulation of it also works really nicely with my skin type. This is a product designed to give your complexion the necessary hydration throughout the day, as well as to provide brightening and soothing benefits (depending on which you use).

This product is currently available on NudieGlow for AUD$52 (down from AUD$55) or on StyleKorean for USD$32 – so you can see which store works best with your home currency. Alternatively, you can shop it directly from Neogen’s Amazon store.

I’ve been testing this out twice a day since I got it, and it’s safe to say that I’m very confident with this write up now. So, let’s get right into this review.

Product Description & Claims

Neogen is one of my favourite kbeauty skincare brands and they’ve released a handful of products that I would consider my Ride or Die. That being said, it’s the first time that I’ve used a face cream from them (the closest being their Micro Serum, which I also reviewed and finished last year).

This product is described as a dual cream and consists of both a day and night cream in the same tub (in seperate compartments). According to NudieGlow, “This innovative dual cream takes care of your skin all day and all night long, so you can achieve that 24/7 glow!”

Both sides (cutely named Joan Day and Joan Night) have different formulas, as well as differing product claims. The below is taken from the StyleKorean website:

Joan Day Vita Cream

The daily moisturising cream delivers an intensive soothing benefit of Green Tea, while containing Vitamin C to help fight fatigue by energising and reviving skin. 

• Green Tea Extract: Calming, antioxidant and skin purifying
• Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid): Brightening, skin condition improvement and skin elasticity improvement

It’s listed skin benefits include:

• Instantly absorbs into skin, leaving your skin feeling fresh
• Helps achieve a healthy, perfect skin canvas for makeup
• Helps provide long-lasting hydration all day

Joan Night Vita Cream

The daily sleeping mask delivers an intensive soothing benefit of Lavender, while helping strengthen the skin’s natural power with Vitamin E.

• Green Tea Extract: Soothing and antioxidant
• Vitamin E (Tocopheryl acetate): Nourishing, antioxidant and strengthens skin barrier

It’s listed skin benefits include:

• Reveals comfortable, supple skin feeling with it’s gentle and soft texture
• Delivers a fresh soothing hydration to skin
• It’s natural lavender scent helps relax and sleep tight

This product is also paraben free, no artificial fragrance and no artificial colour.

Packaging

The Vita Duo Cream comes in a cardboard packaging, which was unfortunately damaged when it came in the mail (much in thanks to the dodgy job our postal service has been doing) so I don’t have photos of it. All in all, it was quite simple and basic – nothing overly fancy, so I would prefer to talk about the actual tub.

This plastic tub, which has a frosted matte finish, is a lot larger than I thought it would be. It has a more flat and wide appearance, which might make it easier to get the product out. However, this does make it harder to pack in a make up bag. Having the dual sides is beneficial for travel though, as it means you only need to bring one product. In the end, it does have it’s pros and cons.

Both sides have 50g of product.

The tub comes with a lid with the Day and Night side clearly labels, as well as a slight tab on the edge (which is pictured below, but you might not be able to see) so help that tap fit on perfectly (since you don’t want to mix up the two creams). It also comes with a spatula, which is good for keeping the product hygienic. If I were to optimise hygiene (and travel friendly-ness), I would have preferred it to be in a dual pump.

Overall, the packaging is of a good quality and have a high end feel to it, even if the cardboard unit carton is rather plain. It isn’t the best option I could have imagined, but it is still pretty good and well designed. The lid also screws on securely and I have no problems with spill or leakage.

Formula & Personal Experiences

As mentioned, the two sides have differing formulas (and hence work differently on my skin). One side has a more creamy and slightly whipped texture, while the other has a more gel-like texture. To be honest, at first impression this didn’t seem right to me – it seemed like the day cream should have had the lighter consistency. However, I soon discovered that the textures are rather deceiving and not an accurate estimation of how they would perform.

Below, I have photos of both creams (the texture and how it looks after application) and I’ll also break down my personal experiences with both.

The day cream, which has a slightly whipped creamy texture and a supple finish

Joan Day Vita Cream

This side as a whipped and cream texture. It feels a little bit solid and has a light green appearance. The cream also has a light, fresh scent (which I initially thought was from the Green Tea but I think is also combined with a fruity scent from the Vitamin C) – it smells very natural and I personally find it calming. It’s really nice to use in the morning.

Since the cream is a little more firm, I find that it applies best on a drier skin base (not as in skin type, but rather a complexion that hasn’t been drenched in toner spray). Aside from that, the cream blends out on skin easily, giving an instant glow and healthy radiance. When I use this, I often feel like I don’t need to wear foundation, not because it provides any coverage, but because it already makes my complexion look refreshed – I do anyway, but still.

This product hydrates skin really well but is surprisingly not heavy or thick on skin. If you have oily skin, this can make you feel a little greasy (but never sticky). This would suit combination and dry skin types well. I find that it also works really well underneath make up.

With continued use, this does claim to help lighten pigmentation – which is a primary skin concern of mine at the moment. I have some acne scarring and natural pigmentation. It has been improving but I’m not sure if it is because of the cream; if it is, the effect is minor and I am more interested in the hydration benefits of this.

Joan Day Vita Cream

This other side is the night cream, or a sleeping mask as it is described. It has a light lavender scent, which is thankfully not overwhelming, and also a pale purple colour. The texture is gel-like and can be easily pat into the skin. If you apply it more generously, it also performs as a sleeping mask.

I personally find it similar to the Laneige Sleeping Mask, though the formula is just a little bit on the lighter side. It applies well layered over other skincare and, since it also absorbs into skin, I find that it isn’t overly messy if you sleep with it right away. It has a calm and soothing sensation, which is great to finish the night off with.

The lavender scent is nice too, but I personally prefer fresher scents (like their day cream). The inclusion of Lavender can also be a skin irritant for some people, so I would recommend a test if you’re unsure and also keep a check on your skin if you have had reactions to any essential oils.

I find that my complexion looks very hydrated and fresh in the mornings, even if I have been lacking a lot of sleep lately. It doesn’t clog my pores and I enjoy using this to keep my complexion moisturised and even. I would say that this is similar to the Laneige Sleeping Mask but I wouldn’t say that it is an exact dupe.

So, here’s the verdict!

SO WHAT IS IT?

A dual sided cream, with one for day (brightening) and one for night (soothing)

THE GOOD

• Great concept that is suitable for travel
• Well designed packaging with clearly labelled sides
• Fresh formula that feels great on skin
• Light natural scent that isn’t overwhelming
• Keeps skin well hydrated all day/night
• Day cream: Works well under make up and absorbs fully
• Night cream: Lightweight and suitable as a sleeping mask too
• Suitable for most skin types (not sure about oily)

THE BAD

• The two sides are not sold individually
• Can be too heavy/light for oily skin types
• Minor brightening benefits
• Lavender can cause irritation
• Larger packaging is more difficult to pack

RATINGS

• PACKAGING | 3/5
• PRICE POINT | 3/5
• SCENT| 4/5
• HYDRATION | 5/5
• BRIGHTENING | 2/5
• ABSORPTION| 4/5

OVERALL RATING? 7/10

WOULD I RECOMMEND?

This is a product that I personally enjoy a lot. In fact, it easily made it into my top skincare of 2018 video. The formula works really nicely for my skin and it also suits my personal routine – although the brightening benefits aren’t as dramatic as I hoped for, I’m very satisfied with the formula in all other aspects.

I would recommend this product for people with dry or combination skin (this maywork for oily skin types too but I can’t be 100% sure). It is a bit expensive in comparison to roadshop brands but, considering that Neogen products are usually a little more expensive, this isn’t too bad either.

WHERE TO GET IT FROM

You can get this product at the Neogen Amazon store.