How do I use this cream?

Use it as the last step of a routine (or before a separate night cream at night), sealing in the layers underneath. AM and PM.

Where does this fit if I already use sunscreen or makeup?

Apply it before sunscreen or makeup, and let it absorb fully first so it does not pill under the next layer.

MAXCLINIC

Time Return Melatonin Cream 25g

Name: MAXCLINIC Time Return Melatonin Cream 25g
Brand: MAXCLINIC
SKU: 2547547394
Price: 42.5 USD
Availability: InStock

Time Return Melatonin Cream lists Melatonin at 2,500 parts per million alongside Niacinamide and Ceramide NP, formulated as a night cream for the last step of a PM routine on skin looking to recover its glow overnight.

No reviews yet

$42.50

25 g

$17.00 per 10 g

Korean-market formula
Ships from California or direct from Korea
Korean barcode and batch code intact

Suited to: NormalCombinationDry

Helps with: Everyday moisturizing that layers under sunscreen or makeup

One-time purchase

$42.50

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$38.25

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How it works

Time Return Melatonin Cream 25g is MAXCLINIC's take on the final moisturizing step. On its own ingredient list, Niacinamide sits at position 16 of 48 on the ingredient list, a vitamin B3 derivative widely used in Korean formulas to support an even-looking tone and smoother texture. Ceramide NP sits at position 24 of 48 on the ingredient list, a barrier lipid that helps hold moisture in and support the skin's outer barrier. Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid sits at position 32 of 48 on the ingredient list, a smaller-molecule hyaluronic acid form that layers with other hydrators for surface-level moisture. Dimethicone sits at position 34 of 48 on the ingredient list, a silicone that shapes a smooth, quick-setting glide rather than a heavier lotion feel. MAXCLINIC is a derma-cosmetic brand built around concentrated ampoule and shot-format treatments, and this formula carries that character through cream format rather than a stripped-down version of it. It belongs to the final moisturizing step, applied last to seal in everything underneath it, and what it does for skin is best judged after it has had time to settle in, rather than by a single application. This is the Korean-market formula of time return melatonin cream 25g, the version sold on shelves in Korea rather than one reworked for a different market.

Inside the formula

Ingredients declared

Last

Fragrance on the list

1 of 3

38 of 47 explained

Prunus Avium (Sweet Cherry) Fruit Extract plant extract: Sweet cherry fruit extract, carrying anthocyanins and fruit acids. It is used as a conditioning antioxidant extract.
Glycerin humectant: Glycerin is the most used humectant in skincare. It draws water into the outer layer of skin and holds it there, and it is one of the very few ingredients whose hydrating effect is settled science rather than marketing. Higher amounts feel tacky, which is why it is usually blended.
Butylene Glycol humectant: Butylene Glycol is a small glycol that does two jobs at once: it holds water in the top layer of skin and it dissolves plant extracts and actives that plain water cannot. It also thins a formula, which is why watery Korean essences lean on it.
Propanediol humectant: Propanediol is a plant-derived glycol used in place of propylene glycol. It hydrates, carries actives into solution, and gives a lighter, less sticky slip than glycerin at the same strength.
Octyldodecanol emollient: Octyldodecanol is a branched fatty alcohol used as an emollient and as a solvent for pigments and mineral powders. It thickens slightly and leaves a soft finish.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride emollient: Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride is the light fraction of coconut oil, with the heavy parts removed. It is the workhorse emollient of modern formulas: it softens skin, dissolves oil-soluble actives and absorbs without the greasy weight of a whole plant oil.
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate emollient: Cetyl Ethylhexanoate is a synthetic ester used as a dry-feeling emollient. It spreads easily, leaves a silky rather than oily finish, and helps disperse pigments and UV filters evenly.
Hydrogenated Polydecene emollient: Hydrogenated Polydecene is a synthetic hydrocarbon emollient used in place of mineral oil. It is stable, has no scent, and gives a cushioned slip without oxidising.
Methyl Hydrogenated Rosinate film former: A modified pine rosin used in lip formulas. It is tacky and glossy, which is what makes a gloss cling and shine.
Boron Nitride absorbent: A plate-like mineral powder with a notably slippery feel. It softens how light falls on skin and makes a powder or stick glide rather than drag.
Cetearyl Alcohol fatty alcohol: Cetearyl Alcohol is a waxy solid, not the drying kind of alcohol. It is a blend of cetyl and stearyl alcohols used to thicken a cream and keep oil and water from separating, and it softens skin as it does so.
Cyclopentasiloxane silicone: Cyclopentasiloxane is a volatile silicone: it spreads a formula thin and smooth then evaporates, leaving no residue. It is the silicone behind a dry, powdery primer finish.

26 more explained

1,2-Hexanediol humectant: 1,2-Hexanediol is a glycol used for two reasons: it holds water like glycerin, and it makes a formula harder for microbes to live in, so less traditional preservative is needed. Korean formulas use it heavily for that second reason.
Niacinamide active: Niacinamide is vitamin B3, and it is the most studied active in Korean formulation. It is used at roughly 2 to 5 percent for the look of uneven tone and visible pores, and it is water soluble, stable and comfortable beside almost every other active, which is why it turns up in so many lists.
Polysorbate 60 emulsifier: Polysorbate 60 is a water-loving emulsifier used with a fatty co-emulsifier to build stable lotions and creams.
Glyceryl Stearate emulsifier: Glyceryl Stearate is glycerin joined to stearic acid, and one of the most used emulsifiers in skincare. It holds oil and water together and thickens the result, and it softens skin at the same time.
Melatonin (2,500 Ppm) antioxidant: Melatonin is the hormone the body times sleep with, and it is also a strong antioxidant. In a formula it is used as an antioxidant, which is why it appears in night products.
Hydrogenated Lecithin emulsifier: Hydrogenated Lecithin is lecithin with its unsaturated bonds filled in, which makes it far more stable. It emulsifies and is the standard shell for the liposomes that carry actives into the outer layer of skin.
Polyquaternium-51 film former: Polyquaternium-51 is a polymer, sometimes sold as Lipidure, built on the same phosphorylcholine structure as a cell membrane. It holds water in a film on the surface and gives a distinctive soft, dry finish.
Ceramide NP barrier lipid: Ceramide NP is the most used cosmetic ceramide, the same class of lipid that makes up roughly half the mortar between cells in the outer layer of skin. Added to a cream it slots into that structure, which is why ceramide formulas feel less leaky rather than merely greasy.
Lavender Extract plant extract: Lavender Flower Extract is the water-based extract rather than the essential oil, so it is much milder and less aromatic.
Lycium Chinense Fruit Extract plant extract: Goji berry fruit extract, the gugija brewed as tea in Korea. It carries carotenoids and polysaccharides and is used as an antioxidant conditioning extract.
Glutathione antioxidant: Glutathione is a small peptide the body uses as one of its main antioxidants. In skincare it is used as an antioxidant and for the look of dullness; it is unstable in water, so formulas that carry it are usually built around protecting it.
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid humectant: Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid is hyaluronic acid cut into much shorter fragments. The smaller the fragment, the further into the outer layer it can settle, which is why serums stack several sizes together instead of using one.
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer thickener: This is the thickener behind most gel-cream textures. It builds a soft, bouncy gel that collapses to a light fluid as it is rubbed in.
Dimethicone silicone: Dimethicone is the most used cosmetic silicone. It forms a breathable film that smooths the surface, slows water leaving skin, and gives the slip that makes a primer or cream feel silky. It is inert and does not penetrate.
PEG-100 Stearate emulsifier: PEG-100 Stearate is a water-loving emulsifier almost always paired with glyceryl stearate. Together they form the standard cream base of the last fifty years.
Sorbitan Stearate emulsifier: Sorbitan Stearate is a mild emulsifier and thickener used to hold oil and water together in creams.
Cyclohexasiloxane silicone: Cyclohexasiloxane is a volatile silicone used for a light, fast-spreading feel that leaves nothing behind.
Dimethiconol silicone: Dimethiconol is a high-molecular-weight silicone that leaves a longer-lasting smooth film than dimethicone. It is used for lasting slip and shine.
Squalane emollient: Squalane is the stable, saturated version of squalene, a lipid human skin already makes. It is a light emollient that absorbs quickly, does not oxidise, and is one of the few oils widely considered safe for blemish-prone skin. Most cosmetic squalane is now from sugarcane or olive rather than shark.
Carbomer thickener: Carbomer is a synthetic polymer that only gels once a base neutralises it, which is why arginine or tromethamine sits nearby on the list. It gives the clear, non-stringy gel texture a xanthan formula cannot reach.
Adenosine active: Adenosine is a nucleoside that Korea's own cosmetic authority recognises as a wrinkle-care functional ingredient, which is why it appears on so many Korean lists at a low level. It is used for the look of fine lines and is stable and well tolerated.
Tromethamine pH adjuster: Tromethamine neutralises acidic thickeners such as carbomer so they gel, and holds a formula near skin-friendly pH. It is used at a fraction of a percent.
Sunflower Seed Oil emollient: Sunflower Seed Oil is high in linoleic acid, the fatty acid dry and blemish-prone skin is often short of. It is a light, non-fragrant emollient and one of the better tolerated plant oils.
Disodium EDTA chelator: EDTA is a chelator: it locks up trace metal ions from water and packaging that would otherwise turn a formula cloudy, off-colour or rancid. It does nothing to skin and appears at a fraction of a percent.
Ethylhexyl-Glycerin preservative booster: Ethylhexylglycerin softens skin and boosts a preservative system, which is why it is nearly always sitting beside phenoxyethanol or 1,2-hexanediol. It also cuts down the odour bacteria produce, so it turns up in deodorising products.
Fragrance fragrance: Fragrance, or Parfum, is a single declaration standing for a whole scent blend, which can be dozens of materials. Regulators allow it as a trade secret, so a list showing only this word does not say what the scent is made of. It is the most common trigger named by people with reactive skin.

Key benefits

What it is: Time Return Melatonin Cream 25g from MAXCLINIC, a Korean-market cream.
On the ingredient list: Niacinamide, Ceramide NP, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Dimethicone, confirmed on this product's own manufacturer ingredient list rather than assumed from the category.
Fits into the routine: belongs to the final moisturizing step, applied last to seal in everything underneath it.
MAXCLINIC is a derma-cosmetic brand built around concentrated ampoule and shot-format treatments.
Original Korean Formula: the same version sold on shelves in Korea, not a US-shelf reformulation.

How to use

Use it as the last step of a routine (or before a separate night cream at night), sealing in the layers underneath. AM and PM.

Complete the routine

This itemMAXCLINIC Time Return Melatonin Cream 25g$42.50
Cleanse first, so the next step meets bare skinMAXCLINIC Poreless Deep Cleansing Oil 200ml$42.50
The treatment step of this routineMAXCLINIC Exosome PDRN Repair Ampoule 40ml$102.50

Total for 3 items$187.50

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MAXCLINIC Time Return Melatonin Cream 25g

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MAXCLINIC, Korean-market original

Korean-market cream from MAXCLINIC: Time Return Melatonin Cream 25g, the same formula sold on shelves in Korea.

Verify your unit when it arrives

Korean-market stock with the original barcode and batch code intact, exactly as it left Korea.

On the unit itself

The Korean-market barcode, unaltered from the retail package.
The manufacturer’s batch code, exactly as the maker printed it.

정품Genuine article, Korean-market stock

What professionals say

What skin-care professionals say about skin care, quoted from the medical sources linked beside each.

Your skin barrier is basically your outer layer of the skin.
Melissa Piliang, MDDermatologist, Cleveland Clinic
Pretty much every step of a Korean skin care routine is going to have some component of hydration.
Alok Vij, MDDermatologist, Cleveland Clinic