ROADTEST: 3 women over 40 tried the same luxe day and night cream.

As we get older, the changes caused by hormonal deficiencies lead us to look closer at the products we are using, and the science behind them. 

At a cellular level, the skin experiences a drop in our collagen product (or fibroblast activity if you're feeling fancy). We end up with deeper wrinkles and skin slackening. But personally, I’d like my cheeks back where they should be, thanks, and the only lines I want are from laughing.  

With the inclusion of organic harungana and organic gorse extract — typically used ingredients for restoration of the skin's youthful vitality — Clarins' newly reformulated Super Restorative Day and Night Creams help lift the skin, add radiance, reduce dark spots and re-densify the skin. 

Image: Supplied.

Not only does this range have a new formulation, we can now drop off our “empties” at Clarins counters in Myer where they will be recycled. The responsible formulation also favours natural, organic and fair trade ingredients, sourced in France, and is eco-developed. 

This is a huge tick for me as companies with a commitment to responsible beauty is something I have actively been looking into and discussing with my friends recently.   

But how do these bad boys perform? 

I trialled the duo alongside two other beauty writers to see if it lives up to the hype. Here our their thoughts.

Teresa

As a skincare fiend, I jumped at the chance to try the reformulated Super Restorative Day and Night Creams from Clarins. I look after my skin but am at the stage where I feel like I need a bit of something extra.  

As a woman over a “certain age” I have sagging, wrinkles, and pigmentation. Here's a look at what my skin looked like before I started trialling both the day and night creams. 

Before. Image: Supplied.

They've slipped easily into my routines. I start the day with the Super Restorative Day Cream, and then end the day with the night variation.

To use, I emulsify a pea size amount between my palms before pressing into my face and neck. I then work it in by doing a lymphatic massage technique which I find has helped as I have gotten older to reduce fine lines, wrinkles and eye bags. 

After my first use, I was pleasantly surprised at how plump my skin looked in the morning after applying the night cream the evening before. The day cream also made a significant difference in reducing the natural redness on my face to the point that I felt like I could go without makeup.

However, on the fifth day of the trial, I hit a little... speed bump. 

The spicy cough hit me hard. My usual routine went out the window as I had no energy and could barely stand the thought of doing anything which meant my routine was pulled back to bare basics. 

This is where Clarins came into its own as it had to perform triple duty replacing all my “lotions and potions”. However, the organic desert date, vitamin C, sea lily, and vegetal squalane in the day cream and the organic service tree bud in the night cream was more than up to the task. 

At the end of my little roadtest, I am just starting to feel human again, but you would never know I was getting through COVID as my skin looks fantastic. 

It looks even, lifted and is positively glowing. The biggest change is to the overall tone and colour of my skin. These are both things I was not expecting to happen in such a short time, and I am thrilled with the results.  

After. Image: Supplied.

Kirsty

As a woman in my mid to late 40s, I love this stage of life. I’m confident in my mind and body, and it’s true what they say: the older you get, the less you care about what others think.  

Self-care has always been high on my agenda. Taking “me” time, exercising, and eating well. I like to look like the best version of me and I’m renowned with my friends as being a beauty fanatic. I’ve lost count of the brands I have used over the years in my quest for fresh looking skin.  

However, one of the downsides of getting older and dealing with perimenopause is that my eternally dry skin now feels drier than a desert... which means the fine lines and wrinkles are becoming more pronounced.  

Before. Image: Supplied.

I loved using Clarins products in my 30s so when I heard they reformulated their Super Restorative Day and Night Creams, specifically targeted to women experiencing perimenopause and menopause, I was immediately like, sign me up!

First impressions were good. 

The packaging is as luxe as you would expect from Clarins, with the creams housed in elegant red jars. There was no discernible fragrance except a fresh smell. 

The night cream slid over my skin and was almost immediately absorbed. No sticky or oily residue and no transfer to my sheets. 

The next morning my skin felt like velvet. Jackpot!

The Day Cream did not disappoint either. It felt luxurious, nourishing, and hydrating and worked well with my sunscreen. My makeup also sat beautifully on top of the day cream.

Fast forward two weeks and I am officially sold. 

These products are a delight to use, and more importantly they work. 

My wrinkles have been plumped up, my skin is nourished and hydrated. 10/10 recommend!  

After. Image: Supplied.

Fiona

I’d like to introduce you to my lifelong companion: my skin. 

I'm 49 so my skin and I have been through... a lot. Over that time, I’ve gained wisdom and confidence, but unfortunately, I can't say the same for my dear friend. Her uneven tone and pigmentation has increasingly worsened over those years. 

My skin was once an oily, combination and congested kind of gal, and she responded well to a more ‘active’ lifestyle – glycolic and Lactic acids were all she needed for a smooth surface in my 30s. 

Before. Image: Supplied.

In my 40s, my skin needed to level up to something deep and meaningful; skincare that would fight any further free radical damage and handle the barrage of changes associated with perimenopause. Vitamin C was an ingredient that I wanted to try but I rarely take a risk on new products.  

Clarins’ Super Restorative Day and Night Creams fit this brief. I want visible results from any new product that comes into the inner sanctum of my bathroom cabinet, and it must integrate and align with the rest of ‘the team’. I have high expectations for skincare products and Clarins’ Super Restorative range meets them.  

So, how did the newly reformulated Super Restorative Day Cream perform? 

Clarins, the French beauty botanists, certainly understood the assignment. Organic desert date and vitamin C derivatives gave me improved radiance. The vegetal squalane gave me protection throughout the day. 

After two weeks of using the Super Restorative Day Cream (it was an absolute dream to use under my foundation), my skin tone was noticeably more even.  

After. Image: Supplied.

I have never used a night cream before and so integrating Clarins’ hardworking and rejuvenating night cream into my skincare regime was an epiphany. 

My skin drank it up and was noticeably more radiant by morning (thanks to the Organic Service Tree bud). 

Try the newly re-formulated Clarins Super Restorative Day and Night Cream for revitalised and replenished skin. 

Feature Image: Supplied/Mamamia.