TasTheStuff review for Expert Madeca Mela Capture Ampoule Max

When I first saw this brand, Centellian24, the first thing that came to mind was that it is very similar to pharma-branded/medical doctor skincare brands. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I wanted to see what this brand had to offer and whether their products would be suitable for someone with an oily/combo skin type. I’ve got three products to test from this brand, which allows me to provide a more conclusive and thorough opinion on them. 🌹 Mela Capture Ampoule Max My Rating: 3/5 A Bit of Background on Centellian 24 Mela Capture Ampoule Max: - Highly concentrated ampoule meant for treating dark spots before the moisturization step in a skincare routine - Contains 15 mL / 0.5 fl oz - Purpose: to improve old dark spots, freckles, or blemishes and promote a brighter, even complexion 🌹 As a POC, I was immediately interested—this seemed like the kind of product I’d hope could tackle older blemishes that don’t completely fade. 🌹 The small size is a plus; it’s ideal for testing without a big commitment since this is a pricey product. The 15 mL provides enough time to decide if it’s worth a full-size purchase. 🌹 After only a week of use, I didn’t have enough time to see any changes in hyperpigmentation. My initial impressions are: - Pros: It does make my skin feel supple and firmer. However, there’s a lingering feeling on the skin until it fully absorbs. - Texture: A bit watery with some density, applying semi-opaque and drying to a semi-matte finish. - Scent: Has a noticeable herbal fragrance—heavy on the perfume, which I’m not a fan of. - Brightening: No visible brightening effect so far, despite the brand claiming “visible improvement after just 5 days.” I can’t verify this but plan to update if I see changes after a longer trial. - Breakouts: No new breakouts, though I use other products that help prevent blemishes, so it’s hard to isolate this ampoule’s effects on that. 🌹 This product uses patented ingredients, including 10,000 PPM (1%) Gluta-CTM (which contains pure vitamin C, glutathione, and hyaluronic acid), 2,000 PPM (0.2%) MELACLEAN, and 5,000 PPM (0.5%) MELADROP. I’m not sure how effective these patented ingredients are, and there isn’t much information on their specific compositions, but I imagine their main purpose is to target hyperpigmentation. I personally haven’t seen results yet. - Niacinamide, included here, is likely the ingredient targeting hyperpigmentation, but it’s so common in Korean skincare that I’m unsure what sets this ampoule apart in the skincare industry besides the use of their patented ingredients. Overall: I’m giving this a 3/5. It claims to target dark spots, but I haven’t seen any brightening effect so far. I’ve used other anti-hyperpigmentation products that delivered visible results in as little as three days, so this one hasn’t impressed me yet.