How do I use this toner?

Use it right after cleansing, before essence or serum, on a cotton pad or pressed in with hands. 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 Toner 200ml

Name: MAXCLINIC Time Return Melatonin Cream Toner 200ml
Brand: MAXCLINIC
SKU: 8045700245
Price: 62.5 USD
Availability: InStock

Time Return Melatonin Cream Toner lists Melatonin alongside Niacinamide and Ascorbic Acid, used as the first liquid step after cleansing at night to prep skin before the rest of the Time Return routine.

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$62.50

200 ml

$31.25 per 100 ml

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

Suited to: NormalCombinationDryOily

Helps with: Prepping skin to take on the next layers of a routine

One-time purchase

$62.50

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$56.25

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How it works

Time Return Melatonin Cream Toner 200ml is MAXCLINIC's take on the toning step. On its own ingredient list, Niacinamide sits at position 6 of 53 on the ingredient list, a vitamin B3 derivative widely used in Korean formulas to support an even-looking tone and smoother texture. Panthenol sits at position 17 of 53 on the ingredient list, a provitamin B5 derivative used for a soothing, moisture-holding finish. Adenosine sits at position 20 of 53 on the ingredient list, a wrinkle-care ingredient common in Korean anti-aging formulas. Sodium Hyaluronate sits at position 27 of 53 on the ingredient list, a salt form of hyaluronic acid that holds water at the skin's surface for a plumper feel. MAXCLINIC is a derma-cosmetic brand built around concentrated ampoule and shot-format treatments, and this formula carries that character through toner format rather than a stripped-down version of it. It belongs to the toning step, applied right after cleansing to prep skin for the products that follow, 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 toner 200ml, the version sold on shelves in Korea rather than one reworked for a different market.

Inside the formula

Ingredients declared

#21

Fragrance on the list

1 of 3

47 of 52 explained

Water solvent: Water is the base almost every serum, toner and cream is built on. It dissolves the water-loving ingredients and sets how light the finished texture feels. On an INCI list it is usually first, which only means it is the largest single ingredient by weight.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Sodium Chloride thickener: Sodium Chloride is salt. In a cleanser it thickens the liquid; in a mask or essence it balances the mineral content of the water phase. It has no active role.
Hydroxyacetophenone preservative booster: Hydroxyacetophenone is an antioxidant that also strengthens a preservative system, so a formula needs less traditional preservative. Korean formulas pair it with 1,2-hexanediol constantly.
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.
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.
Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil emollient: Olive Fruit Oil is high in oleic acid and plant sterols. It is a rich emollient that suits dry skin and is heavy enough that blemish-prone skin often does not get on with it.

35 more explained

Apium Graveolens (Celery) Extract plant extract: Celery extract, carrying flavonoids, minerals and plant acids. It is used as a light conditioning extract.
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.
Melatonin 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.
Panthenol humectant: Panthenol is pro-vitamin B5: skin converts it to pantothenic acid. It is a humectant that holds water and leaves skin feeling soft and less tight, and it is one of the ingredients formulators reach for when a formula also contains something harsh.
Ethylhexylglycerin 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.
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer thickener: This is a synthetic thickener that gels quickly and holds an emulsion stable across a wide pH range. It gives a light, non-tacky body.
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.
Dipropylene Glycol humectant: Dipropylene Glycol is a glycol used as a solvent and a light humectant. Its main job is keeping the rest of the formula dissolved and the texture fluid rather than adding hydration of its own.
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.
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.
Zea Mays (Corn) Kernel Extract plant extract: Corn kernel extract, mostly starch-derived sugars with some amino acids. It is used as a conditioning, water-holding extract.
Malt Extract plant extract: Malt Extract comes from sprouted barley and carries sugars, amino acids and B vitamins. It is used as a conditioning, hydrating extract.
Cellulose Gum thickener: Cellulose Gum is plant cellulose modified to dissolve in water. It thickens, holds particles in suspension and gives a smooth, slippery body.
Sodium Hyaluronate humectant: Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt of hyaluronic acid, and it is what most products labelled hyaluronic actually contain. The salt dissolves more readily and the molecule is smaller, so it sits in the outer layer of skin rather than only on top of 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.
Hyaluronic Acid humectant: Hyaluronic Acid is a sugar chain the body already makes, and one gram of it can hold several litres of water. In a formula it is a humectant that pulls water to the surface of skin and holds it in a film, which is what makes skin look plumper while it is there.
Hibiscus Esculentus Fruit Extract plant extract: Hibiscus Esculentus is okra, whose fruit is thick with mucilage. Its extract hydrates and gives a cushioned, slippery feel.
Trehalose humectant: Trehalose is a sugar that some desert plants use to survive drying out. In skincare it is a humectant that holds water in the outer layer and helps a formula feel comfortable rather than tight.
Helianthus Annuus (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.
Fructan humectant: Fructan is a chain of fructose units, usually from chicory. It holds water at the surface and forms a light, conditioning film.
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil fragrance component: Anthemis Nobilis is Roman chamomile. The flower oil is an essential oil, so it scents a formula as well as conditioning it, and essential oils are the class most likely to bother reactive skin.
Glucose humectant: Glucose is a simple sugar used as a humectant and as food for the ferment ingredients in the same formula. It hydrates mildly and adds a soft slip.
Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate emulsifier: Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate is a mild sugar-derived emulsifier and solubiliser used where a formula must stay clear.
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate antioxidant: Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate is a water-soluble, stable vitamin C salt. It works at near-neutral pH, so it appears in formulas aimed at skin that pure ascorbic acid leaves stinging.
Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Flower Extract plant extract: Evening Primrose Flower Extract is used as a conditioning plant extract. The seed oil of the same plant is the better known part, and it is a different ingredient.
Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Extract plant extract: Lavender extract, the water-soluble fraction rather than the essential oil. It is used as a conditioning extract and carries a light lavender scent.
Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil emollient: Oil pressed from tea seeds. It is high in oleic acid, carries some of the antioxidants of the tea plant, and is lighter in feel than most oleic oils.
Candida Bombicola/Glucose/Methyl Rapeseedate Ferment ferment: This ferment produces sophorolipids, sugar-based molecules that behave as very mild surfactants and emulsifiers. It is used to keep a formula blended without a harsh cleanser.
Copper Tripeptide-1 peptide: Copper Tripeptide-1 is three amino acids bound to a copper ion, and the classic firming peptide in cosmetic chemistry. It is blue in solution, which is often why a serum carrying it is tinted, and it is used for the look of firmness and fine lines.
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 peptide: Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 is the five-amino-acid peptide originally sold as Matrixyl. It is used for the look of fine lines and is one of the longest-standing cosmetic peptides.
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 peptide: Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 is a six-amino-acid peptide used for the look of expression lines, particularly around the eyes. It is the peptide sold under the name Argireline and is water soluble and stable.
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 peptide: Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 is a short peptide with a fatty tail added so it can travel through the oily outer layer of skin. It is used for the look of firmness and is almost always paired with palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7.
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.
Rice Amino Acids amino acid: Rice Amino Acids are rice protein broken all the way down to its individual amino acids. At that size they act as humectants and leave a soft finish.
Ascorbic Acid antioxidant: Ascorbic Acid is pure vitamin C, the most researched form and also the least stable: it needs a low pH and airtight packaging to stay active. It is an antioxidant used for the look of dullness and uneven tone.

Key benefits

What it is: Time Return Melatonin Cream Toner 200ml from MAXCLINIC, a Korean-market toner.
On the ingredient list: Niacinamide, Panthenol, Adenosine, Sodium Hyaluronate, confirmed on this product's own manufacturer ingredient list rather than assumed from the category.
Fits into the routine: belongs to the toning step, applied right after cleansing to prep skin for the products that follow.
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 right after cleansing, before essence or serum, on a cotton pad or pressed in with hands. AM and PM.

Complete the routine

This itemMAXCLINIC Time Return Melatonin Cream Toner 200ml$62.50
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$207.50

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MAXCLINIC Time Return Melatonin Cream Toner 200ml

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MAXCLINIC, Korean-market original

Time Return Melatonin Cream Toner 200ml from MAXCLINIC: a toner in the Original Korean Formula, not the US-shelf version.

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