A different kind of summer bright

If you’re not one of the many sun baskers who laze on beachfronts all summer trying to get the perfect tan, but instead think that beauty is signified by bright, luminous, youthful skin, regardless of the season, then the new Clarins White Plus High Performance range is exactly what you should be toting in your bag this summer.

Clarins, known for its use of plant extracts in creating premium skincare products, has come up with a more intense version of their White Plus line. The White Plus High Performance range, a new generation of whitening products, combines high-performance brightness and transparency, and restores the radiant, flawless appearance of youthful skin as if it had never been exposed to stress, pollution, and the assaults of harmful UV rays.

The secret ingredient in this new high-performance range: alchemilla, an unassuming plant hidden beside shady roads and the tall grasses of the meadows of Europe. This plant was discovered by magicians in the Middle Ages because each morning, its leaves would trap dewdrops, making them look like crystal pearls. The incredible sparkle of this "heavenly dew" made these ancient medics believe that the plant possessed magical powers. According to legend, it also enabled young women to maintain a fresh, flawless, youthful appearance, explaining this plant’s other name: "lady’s mantle."

Now Clarins has given credibility to the legend. Alchemilla extract is known for its antibacterial and oil-control properties. The Clarins Laboratories, however, have also discovered that it has the ability to regulate KGFR (keratinocyte growth factor receptor), a receptor involved in the transfer of melanosomes where production of melanin (responsible for the pigments in our skin) occurs. Alchemilla, then, along with Vitamin C and raspberry extracts, was used to create a specially patented Lock-Around System HP, which reinforces anti-pigmentation action.

Aside from assuring flawless, translucent skin, the combination of alchemilla, raspberry, and vitamin C also assures healthy skin by stimulating blood and lymphatic circulation, and purifies skin by regulating sebaceous secretions.

Five essential products, all containing the Lock-Around System HP, make up Clarins’ new White Plus HP range. If you want to really stand out this summer and have your skin do the brightening duties, rather than the fluoro colors ubiquitous in summer fashion, then have a go at using all five products together.

• Hydrating Whitening Aqua-Milk. This is the essential first step to achieving smooth, luminous skin. This wonderfully fresh, milky lotion tightens pores, tones skin, and soothes any feelings of discomfort. It also preps your skin for moisturizing.

• Total Whitening Essence. This is the most advanced and complete skincare treatment that reinforces pigmentation control. It also provides an anti-aging action by smoothing fine lines, stimulating cell renewal and limiting skin dehydration.

• Protective Whitening Day Lotion with SPF 20. Moisturizing and smoothing, this daycare lotion protects against free radicals and the harsh effects of damaging UVA and UVB rays. It’s also great as a makeup base, giving your face a matte finish and prolonging the hold of cosmetics.

• Repairing Whitening Night Cream. Help your skin recover at night with this rich cream. It prevents deterioration of collagen fibers and stimulates drainage in order to decongest and brighten the face, giving you that well-rested look in the morning.

• All Spots Whitening Corrector. Conveniently packaged as a roll-on, this spot corrector reduces the size and intensity of dark spots, and dries out small spots and imperfections by regulating sebaceous secretions.

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Clarins White Plus HP line is available at Rustan’s Makati, Shangri-La Plaza, Alabang Town Center, Gateway Cubao, Ayala Center Cebu, and Essenses at Robinsons Place, Manila. It is also available at the Clarins Institute on Heaven on the 5th in Rustan’s Makati.