Look young again with the right serum

It’s been a while since I committed to applying skin serum every night.

The last time I used one for three weeks straight was a few years back when I road-tested the Clarins Bright Plus Intensive Age Control Brightening Program, a regimen that promised to rejuvenate the complexion and make it respond better to succeeding skincare treatments. (It worked!)

These last few months I’ve been happy and content with a simple routine consisting of an all-in-one moisturizer with SPF for day and benzoyl peroxide-based lotion at night, or as needed.

So when I received a bottle of Lancôme Génifique Youth Activator, I didn’t know what to make of it or how I would integrate it to my streamlined skincare regimen.

Gene theory

Touted as “the first skincare that revives the activity of the genes of youth (based on a clinical study on skin proteins of 24 women in France),” Génifique claims to boost synthesis of the proteins that typify young skin and boasts seven patents for its remarkable results.

“For the last 10 years, Lancôme has worked continuously toward recreating optimal expression of the genes that determine the youthfulness of skin,” says Véronique Delvigne, Scientific Director at Lancôme International.

“What began as a virtually impossible dream has become a reality.”

To put it simply, a unique combination of active substances in Génifique recreates the biological environment of young skin. After one month of use, 20 people who applied the serum twice a day for 28 days showed improved cellular renewal in the epidermis.

Over 100 women who tested the product showed smoother, more supple and more luminous complexion, which, according to the brand’s information packet, were even more visible after one month of use.

After two months, majority of the women still liked using the product.

At-home test

Amid all the scientific breakthrough and accolades for the serum, I was still skeptical in the beginning.

When I finally decided to test-drive Génifique, I asked my mother to help review it with me (also, to get a second opinion, in case my skin broke out).

Most skincare products are judged on two factors: visible effects upon application and long-term efficacy. Many products fare well in the first criteria. This is when you feel your skin tighten the first few minutes after applying a product, or the immediate glow you get with a serum or moisturizer.

Mid- to long-term benefits are what distinguish products that stay in your shelf versus the ones that get tossed out.

When using Génifique, one is instructed to warm up a few drops on the hands, smoothing it all over the face and neck after cleansing and toning, and following with any moisturizer.

It feels taut on the skin upon application and leaves a dewy effect. It absorbs quickly though, so you do need to moisturize right afterwards.

Results

I’ve been using the serum for the past two weeks and have successfully combined it with my current products without any adverse reaction (I just switched to a plainer moisturizer, Physiogel, for nighttime use).

In fact, my skin feels smoother than ever. And that is saying a lot because my forehead tends to be sensitive to the slightest change, easily going into whitehead mode when aggravated.

As for my mother, she noticed an overall tightness and glow on her skin, and says her eyebags have diminished in size and are less noticeable. She’s already scoping the scene for her next bottle.

Lancôme Génifique Youth Activator will be available in August at Rustan’s stores, Marionnaud, and the Lancôme Paris boutique in Greenbelt 5. It will retail for P5,650.

Mariel Chua is the former beauty editor of Cosmopolitan, Seventeen, and Ok! Magazine Philippines. Visit her blog at http:// NyMinuteNow.com.

(Original article link here.)