REVIEW: Naruko Apple Seed & Tranexamic Acid Black Spots and LinesDefying Night Gelly

Taiwanese skincare does not get the same amount of international attention as Korean products and that's really unfortunate because there are some really great Taiwanese products out there.  Similar to Korean skincare philosophies, Taiwanese companies focus on using natural fruit and plant extracts as their star ingredients.  

I first discovered Naruko at an Asian supermarket and was surprised to see that almost everything on the shelf was sold out! I managed to purchase the very last product, which is the one that I’m reviewing today.

The Naruko Apple Seed & Tranexamic Acid Black Spots and Lines Defying Night Gelly – phew, what a mouthful that is to read out loud – makes some pretty big claims and I had high hopes for it when I decided to test it out.  Since I have pretty severe post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) along my chin and jaw area, I was able to really track the effects of this night gelly.

The Naruko gelly DID lighten my PIH, but only slightly.  Unfortunately, it failed to lighten some longstanding sunspots that I’ve had and any fine lines I have did not lessen in appearance.  What I did like about it though was it evened out my skin tone and helped to brighten my overall complexion.  It also moisturized my skin very well and each morning I’d wake up with rested, smooth, and soft skin. 

Full list of ingredients (click photo to enlarge):

The star ingredient in this product isn’t so much the Apple seed extract, but the Tranexamic Acid which makes up 3% of the formulation.  Tranexamic acid belongs to the class of medications called antifibrinolytic agents, which prevent blood clots from growing and becoming problematic.  So how did this chemical end up in a skincare product you ask? Well, in the treatment of melasma (dark hyperpigmented patches), studies have shown that tranexamic acid can provide quick, long term lightening of such dark spots.  The acid works be decreasing the amount of melanin (pigment in cells) produced by living cells in the epidermis.  This seems like the explanation for why my recent PIH marks lightened more so than the sunspots that I’ve had for a couple of years... Since it actively inhibits melanin that is being produced and if you can slow that in the early stages than all the better it actually works. 

Another star ingredient is Niacinamide (Vitamin B) which helps to improve skin's elasticity, cell-communication, and overall skin health and tone.  There is also retinol and ascorbyl palmitate listed (Vitamin A & C), but they're listed way at the bottom of the list so the amount of both ingredients in the formulation is probably much too little for them to have any effects on the skin.  

There are also a lot of plant extracts included in the formulation, including licorice root and green tea, but they are clearly not the primary actives in this product. This is also a very good overnight moisturizer, probably because it contains some silicones (e.g. dimethicone) that help to create a barrier to trap moisture in.  As for ease of use, the gelly comes in a jar which isn't very hygienic but a small spatula is provided so you don't have to use your fingers to scoop it out. Overall, I find this is a sufficient sleeping pack for me and will probably repurchase again.

What skin type is this best suited for? Normal to Dry 

	Efficacy	Price	Formulation	Design	Total
Naruko	4/5	5/5	3.5/5	4/5	16.5/20

You can get this product at the following trusted, e-shops:
SaSa - ($18.50 USD)