[ENG] K-Beauty Review: Leegeehaam 5 Alpha Control Cream, Emulsion + Grow Hyal B5 Ampoule

Today’s English K-Beauty review is all about the new Leegeehaam product launches for oily, dehydrated skin! I’ll be introducing you to the Leegeeham 5 Alpha Control Cream and Emulsion, plus the ultra hydrating Grow Hyal B5 Ampoule!

When Leegeehaam asked for reviewers with the skin type “oily and dehydrated” on their Instagram account, I was quick as lightning in emailing them back! “Oily and dehydrated combination skin” is the most accurate description I can give of my skin type, though lately the term “ageing” needs to sadly be added there as well.

I was sent 3 Leegeehaam products, 2 from their newly relaunched 5α or “5 Alpha” Control skincare range, as well as one product from the Grow Hyal B5 range:

• Leegeehaam Hope 5 Alpha Control Emulsion, 100ml
• Leegeehaam Hope 5 Alpha Control Cream, 50ml
• Leegeehaam Grow Hyal B5 Ampoule, 30ml

Leegeehaam, formally mostly known as “LJH” or “Lejiham”, is currently rebranding its packaging and clearly going for a – very appealing – clean, minimalist look. I dig it! Let’s just go through every product and see what they each promise to do, as well as what my opinion on their effectiveness is.

1. Leegeehaam Hope 5 Alpha Control Emulsion

Ok, I have to be honest here and admit that I am still a tad unsure about where exactly a Korean “emulsion” fits in my skincare regime. From what I understand, emulsions and lotions aren’t meant to replace your daily moisturiser or hydrating toner, but instead fit in-between those two steps. Personally, I would probably skip that extra step if I wasn’t provided with samples, since I feel a deeply hydrating toner such as my beloved Klairs Supple Preparation Toner already does a stellar job providing easily-absorbed moisture.

Be that as it may, I still feel a strong fondness for the Leegeehaam 5α Control Emulsion. First of all, let’s talk a little bit about the Grow 5 Alpha range as a whole. This skincare range targets oiliness and excess sebum, while promising to provide deep hydration. All 5α products contain “Sepicontrol A5”, an ingredient combo meant to control shine and re-balance oiliness. If you suffer from an oily, shiny T-zone, this line may just be what you need to quench your skin thirst without dealing with heavy or rich textures.

Here are the ingredients for the Leegeehaam 5α Control Emulsion:

As with most of the LJH products, the 5 Alpha Control Emulsion contains no alcohol and no mineral oil. I am loving the diverse number of hydrating and soothing plant extracts in this, e.g. “ganoderma lucidum”, a mushroom extract said to be able to soothe inflammation and reduce puffiness. To spotlight another extract, “Cinnamomum Zeylanicum Bark Extract” is one of the key ingredients responsible for shine control. The emulsion also contains witch hazel, which can be triggering for sensitive skin types, so be aware of that. Hydration is mainly provided through a number of plant oils such as argan and sesame oil, as well as shea butter and one form of hyaluronic acid (sodium hyaluronate).

There are two things I am absolutely loving about the Alpha 5 Control Emulsion:

1. It has an amazingly lightweight gel texture that rapidly disappears into the skin without leaving any oily or sticky residue.
2. It smells unbelievably delicious!

Now, I know that some of you aren’t too fond of scented products, but I myself am a very “olfactorily inclined” person, and smells are very important to me. Both Leegeehaam 5α products smell absolutely heavenly! In fact, they have a scent that is very familiar to me: many years ago, I used to be in love with a particular Wella hair smoothing lotion that has sadly been discontinued, the Wella Enrich Balm (not to be confused with the still available product of the same name!), and the 5 Alpha products smell exactly like that dearly missed balm! I remember how often people in my near vicinity would comment on how good I smell back then (non-creepily, obviously), so I presume I’m not the only one crazy for that particular scent: it is a warm, powdery, slightly musky and very soothing scent that is calming and relaxing.

I use the 5 Alpha Emulsion after my toner and before my moisturiser, and it definitely has a very soothing and hydrating effect on my skin. Nevertheless, I am still not 100% sure whether or not an extra “emulsion” is needed in my skincare regime. I actually feel like this would do well as either a toner/Korean “skin” replacement if you have very dehydrated skin and need some extra “oomph” especially during winter, or as a very lightweight day moisturiser in the summertime. I can’t say that the emulsion had any effect on my oil levels, though I do notice a certain “powdery” finish after I apply this.

So, all in all I did like the Leegeehaam 5α Emulsion and will enjoy using up this product, but to be absolutely honest, I probably wouldn’t repurchase this, since I do not see a real need for it in my routine.

2. Leegeehaam Hope 5 Alpha Control Cream

I have already written a pretty raving post about the 5α Control Cream on my Instagram, so you may already know how much I adore this cream!

It has a pleasantly lightweight, bouncy gel texture that reminds me of vanilla custard, so using this cream is a thoroughly delicious experience!

I dislike creams that are too greasy or heavy, especially for my morning routine, so this fast-absorbing gel is perfect for me! Again, as with the emulsion, I can’t say that I notice a decrease in shininess or oiliness overall, but I absolutely love this cream for its texture and for the deep hydration it provides – my skin feels super moisturised without any annoying stickiness or any residue at all.

Here are the ingredients for the Leegeehaam 5 Alpha Control Cream:

There are some parallels to the 5 Alpha Control Emulsion, though I would say that the cream contains even more moisturising ingredients and feels less “silicone-y” and more watery, which I personally prefer.

If you are looking for a hydrating, lightweight, gel-type moisturiser for your combination or oily skin, you may just love this cream as much as I do! Dryer skin types might find this a tad too light, however, and especially on cold winter days I sometimes prefer to use the Swanicoco Lifetime Saver Bio Cream in the morning.

3. Leegeehaam Grow Hyal B5 Ampoule

Boy oh boy am I excited to talk about the Grow Hyal B5 Ampoule! Again, there has already been a shamelessly raving Instagram post about this beauty, and I can’t contain my adoration for this super hydrating, slightly sticky and gorgeously thick-textured ampoule whenever it is mentioned anywhere.

The Grow Hyal B5 skincare range is formulated to target dehydration. These products are altogether more nourishing and richer than their Control 5 Alpha counterparts. They contain a “Penta-Hyaluronic Acid” complex consisting of: Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, and Ascorbyl Propyl Hyaluronate.

Here is the full list of ingredients for the Leegeehaam Grow Hyal B5 Ampoule:

“Water, Glycerin, Methylpropanediol, 1,2-hexanediol, Niacinamide, Dioscorea japonica root extract, Sodium hyaluronate, Panthenol, Saccharomyces ferment filtrate, Octyldodeceth-16, Peg-40 hydrogenated castor oil, Polyquaternium-51, Hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid, Piper methysticum leaf/root/stem extract, Centella asiatica extract, Panax ginseng berry extract, Vanilla planifolia fruit extract, Hydrogenated lecithin, Glycosyl trehalose, Glyceryl glucoside, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydrogenated starch hydrolysate, Adenosine, Biosaccharide gum-1, Raffinose, Disodium edta, Olea europaea (olive) fruit oil, Lecithin, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Beta-glucan, Michelia alba leaf oil, Myristica fragrans (nutmeg) kernel oil, Daucus carota sativa (carrot) seed oil, Elettaria cardamomum seed oil, Michelia alba flower oil, Butylene glycol, Tagetes minuta flower oil, Hydroxypropyltrimonium hyaluronate, Ascorbyl propyl hyaluronate, Sodium acetylated hyaluronate.”

Again, this LJH product contains no alcohol, no mineral oil and a whole range of yummy plant-based extracts mostly chosen for their hydration-providing properties. Beta glucan, for instance, is currently hyped as being able to absorb and lock in even more moisture than hyaluronic acid! Also extremely attractive for any skincare nerd: the high amounts of niacinamide, which is said to help brighten skin and help smooth out wrinkles and acne scars.

The ampoule has a somewhat strong herbal, almost “spicy” scent, which is probably due to the nutmeg kernel oil and the cardamom seed oil it contains. This scent, by the way, makes it an excellent unisex product, which I am sure many men will enjoy!

The reason why I am so fond of the Hyal B5 Ampoule is mostly for its incredible texture: it is a super thick, almost syrupy liquid that does take a bit of time to sink into the skin. Once absorbed it does not leave any residue, however, and the effect on the skin is fantastic! My skin feels and looks noticeably plumper, smoother and less “dull.”

I really, really love this ampoule and will be very sad once I’ve used it up! A definite re-purchase candidate!

Leegeehaam Hope 5 Alpha and Hyal B5 Products – the Bottom Line

If you share a similar skin type to mine, I can wholeheartedly recommend these three products. Granted, the 5 Alpha Emulsion is a bit superfluous in my eyes as an extra skincare routine step, but I also do not mind using it for some added moisture. It’s possible that the emulsion might feature more in my summer routine as a main moisturiser on particularly hot and humid days.

I am completely in love with both the 5 Alpha Cream and the Hyal B5 Ampoule and have found them to be a wonderful addition to my skincare lineup. You will love these two products if hyaluronic acid is your best friend in terms of hydrating skincare ingredients and if you prefer lightweight hydration to thick, oily creams. The ampoule would also work for drier skin types, but I would say that the cream will probably not be enough in terms of moisture if you suffer from dryness or flakiness.

Now, the one problem with all of these excellent products is the fact that as of now, they are kind of hard to get a hold of, especially for us here in Europe. I know that Glowrecipe will stock more Leegeehaam products in the near future, so anyone from the US and Canada reading this can look forward to that. They already sell both the Hyal B5 Toner and the Hyal B5 Ampoule for a reasonable price (30$ and 33$ respectively). Since, sadly, Glowrecipe charges absolutely outrageous international shipping fees, any non-US customer may just have to wait a bit until these 3 products will be sold more widely.

You can find the Hyal B5 Ampoule on Ebay, but I won’t link to any shops here simply because I cannot guarantee they are trustworthy. I also found it on Beautybox Korea for currently 30,49$ plus shipping. Another possibility is to launch a purchase enquiry directly with Leegeehaam global, or to use a buying service located in Korea such as Avecko or Koreanbuddy. I haven’t used them myself, but many blogger friends I know and trust have had good experiences with their services.

UPDATE: Some of the Leegeehaam products are now available on Amazon US: You can buy the 5 Alpha Control Cream* and the 5 Alpha Skin Toner,* which I personally find more interesting than the lotion there!

Have you guys tried any Leegeehaam products yet?

Take care guys!
Sugarpeaches

°PR Samples, kindly provided by Leegeehaam Global for review purposes
*Affiliate Links, meaning I earn a small commission if you decide to use the link to purchase an item. This does not raise the purchase price for you, and it helps me and my blog to grow – so, thank you for supporting me in this way!