Clarins Multi-Active Skin Care Review, Conclusion

[Victoria's question and Part 1 of our answer about Anti-Aging Skin Care Lines appeared yesterday.]

Most Clarins products are also highly fragranced. The Multi-Level Serum, for example, lists fragrance as the 15th out of 44 ingredients! Scanning to the bottom of the list, I couldn’t help but wonder (despite the miniscule amounts) what in the world (hepatotoxic) Coumarin and (pain killer plus skin debriding enzyme) Papain are doing in a skin serum designed for everyday use.

With all the botanicals included in Clarins products, they tend to be high in antioxidants, which is certainly good for fighting the visible signs of skin aging.

Clarins does have a couple of high SPF sunscreens which are worth recommending:

• Sunscreen Wrinkle Control Cream High Protection SPF 30, for [dry] Sun-Sensitive Skin; and

• Sunscreen Wrinkle Control Eye High Protection SPF 30, 100% Mineral Filters [Titanium Dioxide] with no added fragrance

Sunscreen is the sine qua non of anti-aging skin care.

Clarins Multi-Active products don’t contain any cell communicating ingredients like:

• Collagen-stimulating peptides;

• Vitamin B derivatives (e.g. Niacinamide or Myristyl Nicotinate); or

• Vitamin A derivatives (e.g. Retinol or Pro-Retinol).

I recommend cell communicating ingredients for skin anti-aging once lines and skin tone problems start to show up.

You can read about my approach to anti-aging skincare in Step Up Your Skin Care. Stepping up your skin care is an easy-to-understand way to design your own skincare program as your skin changes with age and accumulated free radical damage (sun exposure, smoking).

Please come back tomorrow for our Boots No7 Skin Care Recap and Review.

Tags: anti-aging skincare, Step Up Your Skincare, effective ingredients, anti-aging ingredients, cosmeceutical peptides, antioxidants, cell-communicating ingredients, skincare reviews