Editor’s Pick: A Detailed Review of the Kanebo Fusion-ing Solution

The thing about Kanebo is that they’re obsessed about the science behind their formulations. They really spend time and money on figuring out what’s next in skincare, which is why they’ve survived for 88 years in a highly competitive beauty industry. They’re a Japanese brand so we know that they’re committed to making the best that they can with the resources that they have. It is my belief that Kanebo’s skincare products are truly worth watching out for if you have extremely high standards.

Anyway, we’ve already featured Kanebo’s Fusion-ing Solution last month (Katsy covered the launch event!) but I thought that I would make a more in-depth review, since there’s not much of that online. I’ve been using it for a month so there’s ample time to really tell if it works for me or not. The verdict? It does. It’s really good.

I think that this product can be a little confusing at first. The name itself is confusing: what is Fusion-ing? The idea behind it is that the serum creates a skin barrier that fuses two technologies: one improves the penetration of ceramides in the formula and the other traps sebum to help balance skin and promote smoothness. Kanebo has found that skin glow comes from an intact moisture barrier and the lack of skin flakiness, and this serum directly seeks to address that by creating that barrier and boosting the rest of your skincare products.

Pre-serums are surprisingly not something that many mainstream brands have adopted as of today. I think it’s because it’s difficult to communicate. Some brands prefer to create a serum, with actives or a special ingredient, but it’s not necessarily a pre-serum. The only other brand that I know creates and markets their product as a pre-serum/booster is Shiseido, with their flagship Ultimune. I am a huge, huge fan of the Ultimune - I use it almost every day. It makes my skin plump and simply makes my other serums and moisturizers work better. So Kanebo’s Fusion-Ing Solution is up against that!

Love my skin right now!

Fusion-Ing functions very similarly to Ultimune actually. Both are a milky appearance and are a bit watery and super lightweight. If you look at their ingredients list, nothing will stand out in particular. Both are full of humectants and plant extracts to draw in moisture and soothe skin. Where Fusion-Ing Solution diverges is that it has ceramides and amino acids to help create that skin barrier function; Ultimune has Lactobacillus/Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Ferment Filtrate as an antioxidant.

Fusion-Ing has a beautiful floral scent. You need three pumps - not more, not less - for a full face application to create that skin barrier. Then, you need to apply a serum and/or moisturizer afterwards for best results. I usually apply the Shiseido Vital Essence Softener as my moisturizer, but lately I’ve also been adding a serum (I’m testing the Drunk Elephant C-Luma Hydrabright Serum). Since I started using Fusion-Ing, my skin feels softer and less prone to oiliness! It also doesn’t flake much even after a pimple.

My usual routine is after washing my face, I use a glycolic acid toner then the Fusion-Ing Solution. I then follow it with the Drunk Elephant serum then the Vital Essence Softener. I don’t really like doing an extended skincare routine so everything in my line-up needs to carry its weight!

Overall, I Kanebo’s pre-serum and will continue to use it until a run out. It’s now part of my evening skincare routine! I hope my review was helpful.