Clarins White Plus Tri-Intensive Brightening Serum

Clarins is one of the first skincare brands I tried, and I’ve always been very fond of it.  It is a brand that I’ve come to rely on for good effective products that do not irritate my sensitive skin.  And so I was excited to be able to try out the new Clarins White Plus Tri-Intnsive Brightening Serum!

My usual skincare routine typically includes a whitening serum in the day time, coupled with a hydration serum when I’m feeling particularly dehydrated, and/or an anti-pollution serum or something high in antioxidants when the haze strikes.  On top of that, I layer on a moisturizer and sunscreen.  So a lightweight, easy-to-absorb texture becomes quite an important factor for me, especially since it is hot and humid all year round here in Singapore.    The new Clarins White Plus Tri-Intensive Brightening Serum impressed me at first swatch, because of its amazing texture!

A single pump of the bottle dispensed enough product to cover my entire face, and thereafter I use a second pump for my neck.  This is usually the first product I apply after toning because it just gets absorbed into my skin right away, and does not pil or turn sticky with any other product I apply after it.

Of course, a great product is so much more than just about the texture.  Clarins White Plus Tri-Intensive Brightening Serum engages the latest in skincare technology to target the root cause of hyper pigmentation, and prevent overproduction of melanin in the skin.  This is achieved by the inclusion of Acerola (a.k.a. red cherry) fruit extract which is able to inhibit exosome messengers in skin, thereby cutting of the trigger that induces pigmentation.

The acerola selected by Clarins comes from the northeastern part of Brazil with warm & dry climate particularly well-suited for growing acerola.  The fruits are harvested semi-ripe to retain the optimal level of active ingredients, extracted early in the day to prevent oxidative damage from UV, and immediately frozen to preserve its potency.  The seeds are also used to enhance skin’s oxygenation which improves skin’s translucency and radiance.

Lady’s Mantle (a.k.a. Alchemilla Vulgars) extract contains antioxidants and treats skin irritations, and is also great for wound healing.  Sandspurry (a.k.a. Spergularia Rubra) extract is an ingredient that has been used together with Lady’s Mantle on other Clarins White Plus products, and is able to inhibit melanin production, although I was unable to find research supporting this.  In addition to these, Clarins White Plus Tri-Intensive Brightening Serum also contains lots of skin-smoothening and plumping ingredients such as sodium hyaluronate.  What does trouble me though, is that phenoxyethanol which is a preservative, features quite high on the ingredient list, even fragrance is listed above the other botanical actives that are key to this serum.

I’ve been testing out this Clarins White Plus Tri-Intensive Brightening Serum alongside the Clarins White Plus Brightening Hydrating Emulsion with SPF20 / PA+++.  I don’t really have visible pigmentation, so it is difficult to ascertain the effectiveness of this serum and moisturizer.  However, I recently had a skin consultation using a device that shows up pigmentation under the exterior of my skin, and I was very surprised to find that there is very little, almost negligible build-up of pigmentation under the surface of my skin!  As you may know, pigmentation takes years to surface, which is why good skincare that takes care of pigmentation at its root cause is so important.  There are plenty of options in the Clarins White Plus range that takes care of your whitening needs holistically, one of my favourites is the UV Plus Day-Screen Multi-Protection with SPF50 / PA++++.  Those of you in Singapore can shop online now at www.claris.com.sg [unaffiliated link] to enjoy generous GWPs, special online-only promotions, and free shipping above $100 spend!  Have fun!

_{This post featured products that were kindly provided by Clarins Singapore for my consideration.  Regardless, all opinions expressed here are my own honest, unbiased views.}