Every celebrity icon knows that continual reinvention is the key to staying power, and the same is true for beloved beauty and skincare products. That’s why the ninth generation of Double Serum from Clarins includes a new age-defying ingredient and uses innovative technology while also staying true to what has made the anti-ageing facial serum so popular for years. Paris-based Marie-Helene Lair, who is the brand’s Responsible Innovation Director, shares with us some insights about the reformulated serum.
Clarins began by studying 30 pairs of homozygous female twins. Researchers examined how twins, who start with an identical genetic makeup, age differently due to the effects of epigenetics, which include lifestyle and environmental influences such as diet, activity level, sleep, vocation, and chemical exposure. Differences in the twins’ everyday lives inevitably lead to variations in the appearance of frown lines, crow’s feet, nasolabial folds, ptosis (eyelid drooping), radiance, and other skin characteristics.
To target epi-ageing (accelerated ageing), Clarins researchers added a key ingredient to the new Double Serum formula. “The giant Provençal reed is used for the very first time, for its skincare properties,” Lair says. “It has been selected by our labs among 800 other plant extracts. We wanted to identify a plant with epigenetic properties.” She notes that this robust, adaptable plant can thrive in harsh conditions such as droughts and temperature extremes. “The giant Provençal reed was the most powerful plant to resist this tough environment due to its richness in very specific molecules: flavonoids. These molecules are highly concentrated in the extract we have created.”
This extract of the giant Provençal reed, which Clarins grows organically in the south of France and hand-picks in springtime, helps to neutralize epigenetic modifications connected to lifestyle, giving Double Serum the power to fight the visible signs of ageing. “Thanks to in vitro tests, we have proved that the organic giant Provençal reed extract can actually reverse 100% of the impact of epi-ageing,” Lair says.
To further boost the serum’s effectiveness, Clarins researchers took 22 powerful plant ingredients and paired five of these with new pure active molecules, to stimulate the skin’s five vital functions: regeneration, oxygenation, protection, hydration, and nutrition. “At the end of the day, 27 powerful active ingredients for an augmented efficacy,” Lair says. For regeneration, organic harungana extract is combined with pro-collagen peptides to produce firmer, more elastic skin. For oxygenation, teasel extract and horse chestnut escin work together to optimize cell energy, resulting in radiant skin. Vitamin E and ginger lily extract help to strengthen the skin’s protective barrier. Organic leaf of life extract and acetylated hyaluronic acid boost hydration. And horse chestnut flower extract and plant-based squalane nourish the skin.
The reformulated Double Serum was tested on hundreds of women around the world. After a month of using the new serum, 94 per cent of women reported that their skin looked younger, and 90 per cent found this ninth generation of serum to be faster-acting and more effective than the previous generation.
Pairs of twins were also involved in the testing. For each pair, the twin most impacted by epi-ageing used Double Serum for a month, then researchers compared her skin to her twin’s skin. They found that the serum helped reduce the impact of epi-ageing on wrinkles (20 per cent), radiance (46 per cent), and uniformity of complexion (46per cent). Lair notes that the twins themselves could see the improvements. “That is why they weren’t jealous at the end of the study!”
Changes were also made to Double Serum’s elegant amber bottle. “We don’t use a plastic lid anymore,” Lair says. To reduce plastic usage, a locking system has replaced the lid. The newly redesigned bottle also boasts a dial-pump dosage system, to deliver the perfect amount of Double Serum each time.
Though much is different about the updated version of this iconic product, certain key elements remain unchanged. “The new Double Serum carries the same fruity, floral, fresh, refined notes loved so much in previous generations,” Lair says. “Developed by a Japanese master perfumer, the signature fragrance of Double Serum is unique and unforgettable.”
And one element that will never change, Lair says, is the product’s double texture. Two-thirds of the serum is comprised of hydric (water-soluble) plant extracts in aqueous gel, while the remaining one-third consists of lipidic (oil-soluble) plant extracts in rich oil—mimicking “the ratio of the natural hydrolipidic film of the skin,” Lair says—and the two parts only come together after you dispense the serum into the palm of your hand. “This ratio allows the integration of the most powerful plant ingredients, whatever their solubility,” Lair says. “Clarins has been the pioneer of this innovation.”
Clearly this new Double Serum is delivering double the wow factor. —Sheri Radford
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