A K-Brand by Any Other Name
And do we really want to put Cactox on our faces?
Hello, Gorgeous!
Last week I was at an in-person PR showcase event. Someone asked me, “So, do you only write about products or people pitched by publicists?” (now try saying that 3x fast). It was an odd question, but certainly not the first time I’ve been asked. In case you’re wondering, the response is most emphatically not.
I love discovering new products or trending ingredients or things no one else realizes will be huge at some point. And sometimes I just puzzle over the offerings. Like a new line at Ulta Dr. Melaxin. The name is said to be derived from "medical vaccine," positioning their products as treating and preventing skin concerns. That explains the somewhat clinical, slightly odd naming conventions I’ve been puzzling over. I can’t tell you exactly what it is about this K-Beauty brand that makes me question it, so I did a very gentle bit of digging, though there wasn’t a ton to dig my teeth into.
Do we still believe brand claims?
If Dr. Melaxin is to be believed, its TikTok Shop is a/the “No. 1 Beauty Best Seller.” But I’m not sure if they’re referencing a product or the line itself. For me at least, seeing them featured on Ulta gave me a bit more of the trust factor than their somewhat opaque claims. It also protects people from buying fakes, something Amazon is rampant with lately.
Dr. Melaxin seems to be a subsidiary of something called Brand 501 that relies heavily on brand ambassadors. One thing I love about the brand is their self-descriptor “a slow aging skincare brand.” Nice, no? But a lot of the rest seems to be double talk and I’m not entirely sure what the double talk was. That said, I’m slightly intrigued by some of the product names.
Product names that either attract or repel
I’m not going to delve too deeply into it, though I’ve named my fair share of products and brands over the years. Let’s just touch on a few:
Peel Shot: This one is so good. It’s a peel! It’s a shot! It combines two active derm or skincare treatments in one for a nice come on. Does it work? No idea. I haven’t tried the line.
Cactox (pore relief multi balm): This one feels kinda sorta forced to me, but still fun to say. It also has words like relief, pore, elixir, and priming, which feels like a mishmash of areas it can help or what it can do.
Cemencrete: Ahh. You know how you joke about spackling on your makeup? This formulation seems to want to work to firm your eye area and specific spaces. It scares me.
Eyephalt Eyebag Cream: Cute and creepy. I’d skip it.
Melting cleanser: This one is a bit basic, but the color and packaging are soft and cute and reminiscent of the old Bliss products before the owners and formulations changed.
In all, I don’t feel pulled to try this brand, but I thought I’d share it with you in case you’ve tried it or are attracted (or repelled) by the premise! You can find 17 products from Dr. Melaxin on Ulta with prices ranging from about $19-$32.
What do you think? Is the marketing and brand name irresistible or will you give this one a skip? Have you tried any products in the line? Let’s meet in the comments to discuss!
Rachel, Your beauty concierge 💋
Quick note: I included some affiliate links and from time to time some sponsored products which means I might earn a small commission on sales made through these links, but I also throw in stuff I love just because. Prices are current at publish time.
Very strange choice of names! I would def be skeptical of this brand if I came across it on social media, but good to hear it's in a legit store and not a social scam!