Celimax’s Noni Line

In the world of Korean skincare, over the years there have been certain buzzword ingredients that seemed to have captured the industry’s imagination. There was Snail Mucin, Centella Asiatica, Ginseng and now Probiotics. However, amongst all these other ingredients, there’s one that really starting garnering attention around this time last year, and has continued to gain popularity since: Noni extract. This antioxidant rich, anti-aging and reparative fruit extract has a multitude of skin benefits, which I shall go into to detail later in this review! What I think is fairly unique about this ingredient, however, is that it became popular really due to one particular product, and that was the Noni Energy Ampoule from Celimax, that was released in early 2019. This ampoule became wildly popular in Korea, as well as worldwide, and as a result, we started seeing the main ingredient in many other products across the industry. Today I will be reviewing a large selection of Celimax’s Noni range, including the Energy Ampoule, so if you’re interested in learning more about this ingredient, or Celimax’s beautiful range of products- read on! 

Texture shot displaying the Noni ingredient’s recognisable green colour

‘We do not promise a miracle. What we promise is a better skin in the way the product claims to do, so you can relish your skincare and willingly reveal bare face with confidence.’

About the brand

First off, let’s talk briefly about Celimax and the ethos behind their products. Celimax is a South Korean company that focuses on harnessing the benefits of naturally occurring ingredients. A lot of their products, for example, centre on one particular fruit or plant extract in order to promote skin benefits, and many are made up of relatively uncomplicated, short ingredients lists. In this respect, I’ve always found Celimax to be a very user-friendly brand, and I like their product design, that very much reflects this natural, and transparent approach to their products, with the clean, minimalist packaging.

Ingredient focus 

So why Noni? Well, the fruit has a myriad of benefits. It is a super fruit, and as such contains a wide variety of antioxidants like anthraquinone, triterpenoid, and vitamin C (all of which are incredibly potent). Most importantly, for people such as myself, Noni extract is anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial- ideal for those who suffer with both sensitive, often irritated skin AND the odd breakout. This extract also acts very similarly to other super fruits in skincare in that it’s a notorious effective anti-aging ingredient. 

Noni Moisture Balancing Toner

The first product I tried from this range was their balancing toner. Immediately, I completely fell in love with the texture. By now, you all know know I love a lightweight, but moisturising toner. I like products that I can layer easily, but that won’t overcrowd my skin. This toner is perfect for that exact purpose. The watery texture doesn’t leave any kind of residue, regardless the number of layers I choose to pat on, and instead leaves my skin plump and revived. I found it to be very hydrating, and especially during this winter weather, I’ve tended to pat in about 2 or 3 layers each night. It plays very nicely with other products, providing a nice base for the lotion I add afterwards, and really complimenting the numerous serums and ampoules I currently have on my rota. This toner has the highest concentration of the star ingredient Noni (at just over 80%) within this  line of products, and I did feel that this was one of the most immediately effective items in the line up.

In particular, I felt the calming properties of the Noni was very much present with this toner- often my skin has been irritated due to the freezing weather, combined with my current work environment and I’ve felt my skin calm down straight away after using this. The packaging was very user friendly, and similar to other toners of this type, however I really like the transparency of the bottle because it shows off the amazing vibrant green colour of the product (thanks to the Noni!). 

The only thing I wasn’t too thrilled with was the initial scent; it was a fairly strong herbal scent and I tend to prefer products that are completely scentless. However, I must say, the scent dissipated fairly quickly,  and it is not artificially added fragrance, it is naturally occurring. It also didn’t irritate my skin, and that’s usually how I judge these things, on a case by case basis. This product also contains Rosemary Leaf Water, which could be potentially irritating for some.

Noni Energy Ampoule

Next up is the famous Noni Energy Ampoule. This ampoule contains a slightly lower percentage of Noni extract than the toner, at around 71.7%, however it does contain lots of other beautiful ingredients I want to mention: Glycerin (fab humectant), Ceramide NP (brilliant for protecting the skin barrier) and Squalane (a wonderful emollient/moisturiser). This is far and away Celimax’s most popular product. And for good reason in my opinion… 

Practically, this ampoule is pretty interesting in two distinct ways. 1) The texture is a unique gel-like texture, which melts into the skin really well, and has great ‘spreadability’, so you only need to use a very small amount to get the benefits. 2) The packaging has a pump feature, that I really like because it’s so practical, hygienic and efficient, but I’ve only actually seen on a couple of other products (including one of my all time favourites from The Plant Base, the Time Stop Collagen Ampoule). Beyond these two unique aspects of the product, it’s actually a very effective ampoule.  I tend to use this ampoule last in my rota because it leaves a slightly tacky, occlusive layer, which I think works well to lock in all of those great ingredients. I then follow up with a moisturiser. 

This is my 3rd bottle, and I always find myself coming back to it, because my skin always benefits in the long term. My skin feel bouncier, more luminous and a little bit less red than previously (however, I always pack on the anti-inflammatories so that might be due to a combination of products!).

In particular, I’ve noticed a distinct difference when using this ampoule during winter, and especially in combination with a lotion. Not that you need to use a lotion, but in my experience, that’s been a seriously winning hydration combination! 

Harking back to my issue with the scent of the toner, the fragrance isn’t so much of an issue for me with the ampoule. The mild herbal smell is there, but’s it’s barely noticeable, and disappears almost instantly. 

Fun Fact

Noni is often referred to as ‘Gift From God’ due to its high nutritional value and vast health benefits. Traditionally grown in Hawaii, it has a rich cultural history of usage in both medicine and regular diets.

Noni Energy Ampoule Mask

After the ampoule, a couple of nights this week I’ve been using their sheet masks, which I think are one of the underrated stars of this line. Sheet masks are something I use very regularly in my routine, and I’m pretty particular about them! This one ticks all the boxes however! It fits snugly on my face and the actual material is relatively lightweight, which is a huge plus because I hate ‘heavy’ or thick sheet masks. The material is well soaked in product, with a large amount left over, which I end to use on my hands and neck for added benefits.  The ingredients include 50% Noni extract, as well as Centella asiatica, which is a brilliant soothing ingredient. There is a very faint herbal scent, although this is pretty much non-existent. In my experience, this sheet mask left my face very hydrated, plump and dewy and if I was experiencing any redness it really calmed down my skin. Overall, a really lovely addition to my sheet mask collection! 

Noni Energy Repair Cream

Last up is the Noni energy cream. Now, I usually love all creams with the word ‘repair’ in the name, because they usually contain a cocktail of my favourite calming and soothing ingredients, which I ALWAYS need more of. And this cream didn’t disappoint… completely. Containing around 57% Noni extract, Niacinamide  and Centella Asiatica, which are some of my all time favourites, everything was looking pretty positive! Application of the cream was pleasant, the cream absorbs really well into the skin, I like that the colour reflects the rest of the line, with a slight green tinge, as well as the lightweight texture. I kept this cream in the fridge, which I think improved the overall experience of using the product because it was incredibly soothing on first application.

However, that’s pretty much where the positive experience ended…

The finish was not my favourite thing. It was a little too rich for day-wear and I found it left my skin slightly oily around the T-zone. If you have very dry skin, I think you’re really love this, especially for the winter time. But for me, with my normal-combination-sensitive skin, it just wasn’t ideal. I did wear it a few times at night, though and it worked very well as a sleeping mask. Also the scent was pretty overpowering, definitely the strongest out of the whole line that I tried, and it didn’t really go away that quickly. So despite it being very moisturising at night, I’m not sure it was moisturising enough to cancel out the overwhelming scent and the undesirable oiliness throughout the day. 

Overall I’m going to give this an OVERALL RATING: 3/5 review. I really enjoyed the experience of using these products. I feel they’re very effective, especially for winter. I ca’t speak to the anti-ageing effects, however, I do think they’re exceptionally moisturising, and soothing. Definitely worth a purchase if you’re looking for a well made, easy to use line of products!

If you’re interested in purchasing any of these products, go check them out over on here: https://shrsl.com/2xbbo