Is this Top Selling Laneige Water Bank Moisturiser Really Worth the Price Tag?
Main image – Courtesy of writer
Let’s just agree – finding the ‘perfect’ moisturiser for your particular skin type/the season/whatever your hormones are doing at the time isn’t always the easiest.
When all the moisturiser stars align, the right one should help to give skin a grease-free glow, allow makeup to sit beautifully and provide skin with healthy benefits for the rest of the day, or while you sleep.
But I’ve been burnt before when it comes to finding the ideal moisturiser for my chronically oily skin. And I know it can be a bit of a numbers in game in terms of how many moisturiser frogs you have to kiss to find your hydration prince (as it were).
So when I was given the opportunity to test out Laneige’s Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Cream Moisturizer (£33 from Cult Beauty UK /$38 from Sephora US), I was pretty excited.
I am, after all, still on the hunt for my perfect product and the stats behind Water Bank bode well (it’s been a cult line for the brand since 2007, with 5 units sold every minute, no less).
Image – Courtesy of writer
So, I am looking for not too greasy, comfortably lightweight, nicely moisturising and noticeably plumping and firming. Is that really too much to ask? Probably. But what if it actually delivers?
Keep scrolling to find out…
The product details
First up though, slightly confusingly Laneige’s Water Bank moisturiser comes in three different types.
These are the Blue Hyaluronic Cream Moisturizer (for dry and dull skin that lost its elasticity and vitality, according to the website, although the actual packaging says for normal to dry skin), Blue Hyaluronic Intensive Moisturizer (for severely dry skin and skin with redness and itchiness) and Blue Hyaluronic Gel Moisturizer (for oily skin). All three are priced the same and there are minis and refill sizes available too.
The two original Water Bank moisturisers (cream and gel) were relaunched in 2024 with a third (intensive) being added to the line to improve ‘skinclusivity’ – that’s inclusivity for all skin types. There’s some debate online though whether this relaunch was necessarily a good thing (more on this later).
Despite my initial confusion though over these very similar-sounding products, once you’ve worked out which one is for what, it makes sense.
The moisturisers are also part of the Laneige Water Bank family, which is huge and also contains cleansers, emulsions, a toner, a serum, an eye cream and a sleeping mask.
Image – Courtesy of writer
The reason I wanted to try Blue Hyaluronic Cream Moisturizer in particular was that it promises to hydrate for up to 100 hours and, of course the blue hyaluronic acid too – if anything is going to provide ample hydration it would be that. It also contains ceramides and fatty acids to help strengthen the skin barrier.
It also seems to be the biggest seller of the three so I was keen to find out whether it would work for me.
Overall, I was hoping this option would give me more of a glow (grease-free of course) and better hydration than my usual moisturiser which does dumb down my oil but it doesn’t quite hit the mark with making my skin feel overly hydrated for long or look very dewy, supple or plump.
First Impressions
This product is (happily) refillable, but it took me a while to unscrew the lid off my pot without actually unscrewing the whole pot out as if I were going to refill it. It’s a long story.
But, even after weeks of using it, I still find it frustrating to open as sometimes you end up taking the whole pot out of the refillable container, instead of actually taking the lid off to use the cream normally.
Anyway, once I get the lid off (it’s ‘pot’ luck over which bit comes off, if you’ll pardon the pun) I am greeted by a sumptuous looking white cream.
The moisturiser’s texture. Image – Courtesy of writer
The texture is lightweight but not so light that it feels whipped or fluffy – it definitely gives the impression that it’s going to provide long-term hydration. I just hoped not too heavily so.
The scent is quite strong, but I actually really like it. It reminds me of a Dior perfume – I’m not entirely sure which one exactly – but this observation should at least give you an idea of its fragrance-factor.
I’m quite fussy about my scents and I found this one to be really pleasant. It’s quite heady and definitely noticeable.
I later discovered that the smell doesn’t linger on my skin either, which is preferable for those who really don’t like a strong scent in their products.
My results
This really does glide around my skin beautifully – just how you’d want your moisturiser to feel – and the texture really isn’t too heavy or thick at all, despite the squalane here.
I usually steer clear of occlusives like squalane, particularly for daytime as any hint of heaviness can wreak havoc with my oily skin.
And normally, if I’ve applied the wrong moisturiser for my skin, you’ll find me standing in front of the nearest mirror by 11.30am, blotting my skin with a tissue and wishing I’d just stuck to my guns and applied my usual mattifying moisturiser that morning.
Image – Courtesy of writer
But with Water Bank, except for an ever so slightly shiny t-zone that needs lightly mattifying at around 1pm, I’m happy with the balance, even on my oily skin type. It provides ample hydration too, which happily lasts throughout the day.
What I like most about this moisturiser though is the extra firmness it gives my skin – more so than when I use my usual moisturiser. I mean, it’s not like people are stopping me in the street asking me how I managed to turn back time or anything.
But I know what my skin usually feels like after using my standard moisturiser, compared to when I’ve used this, and it just feels sturdier and bouncier. My makeup sits beautifully as a result too and I feel like I’ve got my glow back, without feeling too greasy.
Having said that, because I have such oily skin, I do tend to use less of this Water Bank than I would my usual moisturiser to avoid over-doing it.
What other users are saying
It appears there was a reformulation of the original two moisturisers a few years ago, before they were repackaged in 2024 and shortly before the addition of the Intensive moisturiser.
Diehard fans weren’t sure about the new formula. Pombaby on a Reddit said, “the new on has a stronger scent and doesn’t sink in and moisturise as well. I get little flakes when I apply my sunscreen.”
Whilst HourTap says, “so sad, old one was my HG too! The new formula dries out my skin and the packaging is annoying to open and close. So sad.” I’m glad it’s not just me who struggles with the packaging!
Comment
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inAsianBeauty
Some people loved the reformulation though. “Oh wow I actually prefer the new formulation! I get to choose between cream and gel now so I went for cream since I’ve combination skin,” writes watermelonchild801.
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inAsianBeauty
Other users have been confused about which product from the range to go for, in particular the intensive or the cream. I can relate to this as I too was confused about the names when I first looked into them.
Extra_Fig_7547 on a recent Reddit thread said, “I have very dry skin and I am deciding between the two! Please let me know which one you think is better.”
And the confusion continues about the difference between the Water Bank moisturisers and the Water Bank sleeping mask which is unsurprising since the packaging is quite similar.
Reddit user lurkernumber72 says, “the cream is your regular moisturiser. According to Laneige you’re supposed to put the sleeping mask on top of your moisture cream 2-3x a week. Personally I just use one or the other but that’s because I’m oily-combo and live in a humid place.”
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inAsianBeauty
Finally, the Water Bank family’s scent is a talking point too. Madbear795 says “It’s a solid line but too fragranced for me personally.” Definitely a reason to always test in store or request a sample pouch first before committing to a new moisturiser.
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Overall value for money
With an RRP of £33/$38 I’m on the fence with this one. I really like the moisturiser and what it does for my skin but using it every day – even in the small quantities I’m using – will mean it’ll go down pretty quickly as it’s only in a 50ml pot.
I like to put a cap of around £25 on daily products like this though, unless they are absolutely outstanding and I can’t live without them.
Yes, the dewy and firm finish the Laneige one gives me is fabulous, but I just wouldn’t be able to justify spending £33 on it as often as I’d need to for daily use, especially if I’ve got a cheaper moisturiser that I’m pretty happy with on the sidelines.
In case you wanted to check out some good dupes though, there’s loads of buzz around the Hado Labo Skin Plumping Gel Cream and ILLIYOON’s Ceramide ATO Concentrate.
The takeaway
Overall, if this was around £15/$15 cheaper – and as long as I remember to not apply too much on my oily skin- I think I would have found my new perfect moisturiser.
On the days that I do remember to adopt the less is more approach in terms of application, my skin looks and feels fantastic. Hydrated, firm, plumped, comfortable – all the things I wanted.
But since I’m going to be use any moisturiser I buy every day, the price here is a bit of a sticking point for me.
If this is in your price range though, or you just love the product that much, then it’s definitely worth it. And if you’re on the fence? Ask in store for a sample. That way you’ll know before you buy whether you’ve found your new favourite moisturiser.
Get Glowing!
