Clarins promises not just whiter skin but a rosy glow

Okay, it’s summertime, and if you’re a beach lover like I am, you’ve probably spent hours in the sun, in search of that perfect, golden-brown tan.

But after I’ve burnt myself to a crisp comes the moment of truth, the time of reckoning. A long, hard look in the mirror reveals the not-so-pretty results: thanks to various swimsuits and spotty sunblock protection, different parts of my body are different shades of brown, and my face and neck are the worst off — while my face has acquired a fair bit of healthy color, my neck is the same sallow tone it’s always been.  The difference is as glaringly obvious as the Grand Canyon.  The question is now: How do I get my face and neck back on the same page color-wise?

Enter Clarins with its new and improved whitening range. Called White Plus Total Luminescent, it promises more than the usual lightening and spot correcting.

“Nowadays we hear from ladies that, while products are capable of delivering whitening results in terms of diminishing spots and evening skin tone, they want to get a rosy glow with a pinkish tone so that the skin looks healthier,” says Cheryl Yong, Clarins’ regional trainer from Singapore. “This new formula targets not only diminishing dark spots but also works to increase hydration and get rid of the yellowish skin tone.”

White Plus Total Luminescent has an entirely new story behind it — including sleek, blush-toned packaging — but it’s the new whitening formula that is the real innovation. Clarins’ team of researchers discovered a new ingredient called Sandspurry extract, from a plant that grows in North Africa.

Rose-colored glasses: The Pearl-to-Cream Brightening Cleanser, Brightening Soft Aqua-Milk and All-Spots Brightening Corrector from the Clarins White Plus Total Luminescent line all contain the Trans-Luminescent complex with Sandspurry.

“We first discovered that Moroccan women use this Sandspurry extract to actually treat the visible dark spots on the surface of their skin,” notes Yong. “Given that, researchers were very interested to find how this actually worked. So they studied the plants and realized that Sandspurry extract actually has the ability to control melanin, to control the biogenesis of the melanosome.”

Thus, Sandspurry enriches the new Trans-Luminescent Complex found in all six products in the range. This complex includes hyaluronic acid to improve hydration, Sandspurry extract to regulate melanin production, and gingko biloba to protect microcirculation. Dark spots are diminished, skin tone is evened, and a yellowish hue is gradually transformed into a healthier-looking pink. Bye-bye, sallowness.

“So far we’ve done tests on over 50 women residing in Asia and Europe, and have got very strong support,” says Yong. “Immediately after use, about 90 percent felt skin was softer, more moisturized, but after four weeks of continuous usage they noticed that the appearance of dark spots was reduced dramatically and their skin tone was less yellowish, more even as well.”

I had to try White Plus Total Luminescent posthaste, and for the best introduction Clarins’ brand manager Aiem Ong recommended a new facial called Whitening Luminescence Restorer at the Clarins Skin Spa in Rustan’s. “Consumers will get to experience the new line at the Skin Spa using the new products,” Ong says.

“Clarins is also one of the brands that doesn’t use machines for any of our treatments,” adds Yong. “Our beauty therapists are all trained under the strict supervision of our spa trainers to deliver using handwork.”

Indeed, a Clarins facial is one of the best facials you can have. Their massage beds are heated, your therapist applies each product through gentle massage, and your neck, shoulders and hands aren’t neglected either but tended to in this total experience of well-being.

First, my therapist cleaned my face with the line’s Pearl-to-Cream Brightening Cleanser.  Cleansers are usually pretty basic, but this has gypsophila extract that creates a rich foam to wake skin up in the mornings.

Next, she removed any remaining traces of makeup with the Brightening Soft Aqua Milk, which is ideal for drier skin types, being more nourishing.

For those with oilier or combination skin, the Brightening Pure Aqua-Lotion is more refreshing and suitable for warmer weather. It invigorates, purifies and tightens pores.

Next came the star of the range, the Intensive Brightening Serum. This is the most advanced skincare you can get for fairer, more even skin. And let’s not forget its promise of ultimate translucency and that healthy-looking, rosy luminescence. According to Yong, Clarins also changed the texture, making it more lightweight so that ladies could easily layer the product without the hassle of waiting for the skin to absorb them.

The Brightening Hydrating Emulsion followed this core treatment, a luxe moisturizing milk with SPF proven to hydrate skin by 103 percent an hour after use. It’s a light gel that doesn’t feel sticky at all and Yong says that the products also have a new soft, floral scent, “so when you apply it you feel very relaxed.”

The finishing touch was the All-Spots Brightening Corrector that the therapist applied on my newly sprung freckles. It contains salicylic acid to reduce dark spots by eliminating dead cells, and meadowsweet extract to reduce inflammation. The roll-on applicator is also extremely easy to use to target only specific, affected areas.

After the facial I was so happy with the resulting soft, velvety, rosy skin that I took home the retail versions of the serum and emulsion.  After my brief infatuation with a golden summer tan I want to reclaim fairer skin with a rosy glow.

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Clarins White Plus Total Luminescent Range is exclusively available at Rustan’s Department Stores: Ayala Center Makati, Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Alabang Town Center, Essenses Rockwell Power Plant Mall, Ayala Center Cebu and Gateway Mall Araneta Center.