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Wed Jun 21, 2006 8:10 pm  |
I've seen lots of threads that ask about whitening products so I decided to write a review about what works for me. Clarins has introduced a new Bright Plus line (in North America) and a White Plus line (in Asia) - they are EXACTLY the same, just different names. This is not available in the UK yet, not sure about other European countries.
I've used: Cleansing Mousse, Exfoliator and Serum.
Brightening Cleansing Mousse
I LOVE this cleanser - it is the LIGHTEST cleanser I have EVER used, will NEVER leave your skin feeling dry. I recommend this for AM use as it isn't a deep cleaning cleanser, and I'll recommend it as a cleanser prior to exfoliation. Out of all cleansers I've used I'd have to say this one has the BEST texture. I use gel cleansers the most to take off makeup/deep clean, but I use this in the AM when I feel my face isn't very dirty. It does leave a clean feeling - but like I said before, it won't go deep into your pores and clean it out, but it's very fresh. In terms of brightening I never took the time to notice any effects as I think that to brighten the skin requires something more in-depth, and cleansers won't do the trick no matter which brand you use. But this cleanser DOES leave a nice fresh glow on me so I definitely recommend it to ALL SKIN TYPES, except oilier ones like me probably want to use something more CLEANSING. But again this is a great cleanser to alternate with sometimes.
Renewing Gentle Exfoliator
Ok it says GENTLE, the beads aren't as fine as the One-Step exfoliator (the orange one) but it isn't as coarse as the Exfoliating Refiner. I really LOVE this product as well, it feels milky and smells GREAT. The instructions say used preferably on DRY skin but it is a little coarse on dry skin. I have no problem with it at all but those with slightly sensitive skin would want to dampen their skin first. I find that there the only difference is that if you put it on dry skin it cleans the pores a LITTLE bit better, but I prefer to dampen my skin first just because it feels nicer that way. It foams a little depending on how wet your skin is. My skin REALLY brightens after I use it and it's SOOO soft. I use an exfoliating cleanser so I only use this once a week. I might not repurchase as I don't really NEED it but I LOVE this product a lot and I DEFINITELY recommend this to EVERYONE. But for those with sensitive skin - get a sample first. My skin is pretty resilient and only felt sensitive when I use shiseido's CLEANSERS (I dislike that line, and i've tried even the most GENTLE cleansers and still left me with tight, tingling/itchy feeling that I HATE.
This can also be used prior to the Cleansing Mousse to create the best effect, both are fairly light so you won't feel stripped afterwards.
Total Brightening Essence
This is a miracle worker. I have LOTS of acne pigmentation and I have fair skin. Even post-mosquito bite marks take a YEAR to fade. This product accelerates the fading time by A LOT. I can really tell the difference. Of course, as with all lightening products you won't see a difference from a few uses so samples are pretty useless. But get a sample to see if you like the texture. I think you can tell the difference in 2 weeks. I use this in the PM only and even though I'm switching products AND product lines I am keeping this. I'm on my 2nd bottle (it takes me A LONG time to finish one). I have oily skin and this is ok for me. My aunt has lots of freckles and sun spots and she says it works well on her (she lives in HK and goes to THAI a lot to play golf so the UV rays are pretty bad).
Apart from the above products there are others I've heard good things about. The Spot Corrector works on my aunt as well, and my SA did a test on ONE single spot on her face and it really did lighten a lot!!! But like I said before, give it time. I opt for the Serum because I have LOTS of marks and using the spot would be a waste of product, so it depends on your needs. I cannot use the day cream OR the night cream, they are too oily for me. I find the day cream is more oily than the essence (which may be only for me, you should get a sample) I would also prefer to use the Essence because it's more concentrated and I'm not a very patient skincare person - if a product says effective only after a month of usage I probably won't buy it. The day cream HAS spf which is always a good thing. There is also a mask which comes in 10 tubes of 5mL or something but is ONLY available in Asia. I really want to try this and I'll review it if I ever do. But I would still recommend it because the overall effectiveness of this line is pretty good. |
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Wed Jun 21, 2006 10:48 pm |
| Thanks for the thorough review! I've been flirting with the brightening line every time I pass the Clarins counter. I really think I'd like to try the serum. |
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Thu Jun 22, 2006 8:56 am |
| WOW That one one heck of a review, I might look at getting a sample of the Total Brightening Essence when it comes available in the UK, I have not been overly impressed with what I have tried so far of Clarins. |
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oily/acne prone - acne scars on chin area/Large Pores in winter. Oily in Summer. Fair, nuetral/cool complexion, burn easily. Early 20s |
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Thu Jun 22, 2006 11:32 am |
| That's a great review! Are the products highly perfumed? For some reason I thought Clarins was really strong smelling. |
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Thu Jun 22, 2006 6:15 pm |
I think they have a bit of fragrance in it but mostly the strong smell may come from the plant extracts. However if you have sensitive skin definitely try a sample first because my mom has very sensitive skin and there are a few Clarins products she cannot use.
EDIT:
Ok I found my original box so here goes:
Purified Water - Isononyl Isononanoate - Butylene Glycol - Cyclomethicone - Ascorbyl Glucoside - C14-22 Alcohols - Triethanolamine - Glycerin - C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside - Cetyl Alcohol - Dimethicone - Glyceryl Stearate - PEG-100 Stearate - Potassium Cetyl Phosphate - Sodium Citrate - Carium Petroselinium (Parsley) Extract - Fragrance - Polyacrylamide - Tetrasodium Edta - Xanthan Gum - Methylparaben - Butylparaben - Benzyl Alcohol - C13-14 Isoparaffin - Larrea Divaricata Extract - Triclosan - Peg-8 - Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Fruit Extract - Laureth-7 - Citric Acid - Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract - Propylene Glycol - Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Fruit Extract - Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract - Gentiana Lutea Root Extract
Ok now that I thoroughly read through the ingredients this product looks a bit chemical, however I have not had any adverse effects to this either and I'm not too knowledgeable in this field. |
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Fri Jun 23, 2006 1:47 pm |
I have a sample of the Brightening Lotion with SPF 20. I have been hesitant to try it, but now I can't wait. I'll do a mini-review when I finish the small trial-sized tube.
Thanks for the great detailed review.
Lori |
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Normal/Dry~slightly sensitive~usually clear~fine lines on forehead and neck~Age 36 |
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Sat Jun 24, 2006 7:36 am |
Wow, its got a SPF 20, now that is an added bonus! Must look into this  Thanks for the review.
Rose |
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3938 |
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Sat Jun 24, 2006 8:56 am |
| Thanks for the review! I've been thinking of trying Valmont White & Blanc line but now I'll definitely look into this Total Brightening Essence. |
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Sat Jun 24, 2006 10:00 pm |
Thanks for the review, Sormuimui!
how long did you use the products before you saw results?
i have tried a sample of the exfoliator and I do like it, also the day lotion with spf, which i am thinking about buying |
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Sat Jun 24, 2006 10:48 pm |
I don't remember because I've been using the Serum for over a year. And I constantly get NEW acne marks because I have pretty fair skin and whether I pick at my acne or not they ALWAYS leave a mark. It's hard to say exactly when I started to see specific results, the results I got I'd have to generalize and say overall I notice my marks faded away FASTER than not using it. Give it a minimum of 2 weeks at least though, if you want you can always do an experiment with one spot and see how long it takes before you notice it lightening. From my sales she told me that many ppl saw results pretty quickly, as did she. My aunt decided in a week that she wanted to buy it when I gave her mine to try. I think it varies depending on the person. But I'm pretty sure you should see results within a month.
HTH |
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Sun Jun 25, 2006 12:00 am |
| Great, sormuimui -- thanks! |
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