Melano CC Anti-Spot White Lotion

Half way through this 170mL bottle of Melano CC Anti-Spot White Lotion so I guess a review is overdue. I know, you're probably thinking I'm a hypocrite because I'd said over and over I don't care for lightening, brightening, or whitening products. I still don't. I'm not using this stuff for my face, you see. I'm actually using it for the stretch marks on my belly ^.^ Yep, you read that right, Melano CC to fade postpartum stretch marks.

So, Melano CC. This line of vitamin C skincare hasn't been around for that long. The oldest product--the spot treatment cream--was first released in 2010 and has been through a few reformulation already, with the rest of the line being released (and discontinued) slowly over the years, 2014, 2015, 2018, and 2020. 

 

However, being around only in the past decade doesn't change the fact that Melano CC is super popular. Folks swear up and down it works wonder to lighten acne scars, sun spots, age spots, etc. Now you can add one more to this list: stretch marks. Sounds crazy, right? You know what else is crazy? It actually works too, and this is coming from me who doesn't care for whitening products. 

 

After using Mustela Stretch Marks Cream for some 3+ months postpartum and seeing how it did nothing but softened my skin (which was nice, I admit, but not what I was hoping for), I thought, hell, there are only a few ways to fade stretch marks, retinol (vitamin A) and vitamin C products among them. However, I'm nursing and can't use retinol products right now, which leaves me with vitamin C. It so happened I had this bottle of Melano CC Anti-Spot White Lotion on hand. I had bought it over the holidays for my friend T. Over lunch one day, she asked if I would recommend any whitening products for the many sun spots on her neck and shoulders, from her commuting to work everyday. 

Of course there's a plethora of whitening products out there in both the J-beauty and K-beauty markets. However, I lean J-beauty (actually I'm totally, completely biased for J-beauty :P), and although I don't use whitening products myself, I'd heard and read plenty about Melano CC and a few others, most notably Kose Sekkisei and HABA White Lady (cue the jokes, har har) being effective at what they do. So I suggested for T. to try Melano CC since it's most readily available and affordable. If she likes it, she could either try more products from the line or branch out to other brands. And then the pandemic hit and with social distancing, I never got the chance to give T. this bottle I bought for her. In the end, I sent her the link to get some herself and was stuck with this bottle I have. When Mustela failed me, I thought, hell, I'd give this stuff a shot.

Now mind you, I don't expect to get rid of my stretch marks entirely. Make no mistakes, stretch marks are permanent and they're here to stay. But they don't have to be in my face every time I look in the mirror, right? So everyday, after I get out of the shower I pour some of this lotion into my palm and just massage it over my belly. It's only been a month since I'd started using this but my stretch marks had faded significantly. Woah. Count me impressed. Now I'm kicking myself for having wasted 3+ precious months with Mustela, because the sooner you get on those stretch marks the better. Dammit. Oh well, better late than never. Backup bottle secure. Good stuff, folks. It works. 

Oh yes, and the technical stuff: this is a viscous lotion (toner) to be applied directly to clean skin. It is scented, supposedly yuzu, but I smell more more general citrus and less so yuzu. Either way, the fragrance is mild enough that I don't even notice it anymore.