For fall/winter 2014, Estée Lauder launched the Enlighten skincare range in the UK in October. The new range is claimed to “help brighten the look of dark spots, sun spots, blemish marks, dullness and redness”. The range currently features three items: Dark Spot Correcting Night Serum, Even Skintone Correcting Creme and E.E Even Effect Skintone Corrector SPF 30. Today I am reviewing the first two items.
Enlighten Dark Spot Correcting Night Serum (30ml, £50; 50ml, £70) has a relatively lightweight serum consistency that is not too runny or too thick. It has a water and silicone base and spreads very easily on the skin. Some of the moisturizing ingredients in this product are butylene glycol, sodium PCA, sodium hyaluronate (also a cell-communicating ingredient), acetyl glucosamine, and caprylic/capric triglyceride.
The product contains antioxidants such as curcuma longa (turmeric) root extract, cucumis sativus (cucumber) fruit extract, scutellaria baicalensis (skullcap) root extract, yeast extract, tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E) and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene). (Note that turmeric root extract may cause irritation.)
It contains anti-irritants such as gentiana lutea (gentian) root extract and salicylic acid. Scutellaria baicalensis (skullcap) root extract also functions as an anti-irritant. In addition, gentian root extract and salicylic acid have antibacterial properties. Furthermore, salicylic acid has exfoliating efficacy and promotes collagen production.
It contains resveratryl ferulate. It seems that this ingredient is an ester of resveratrol and ferulic acid. (See here for more details.) Both are antioxidants and resveratrol is also an anti-irritant.
It contains caffeine, which can have anti-inflammatory properties. Its constricting effect can help reduce redness but may also cause irritation.
Apart from the above-mentioned anti-irritants, which can help reduce redness and may help create a more even skin tone, the cucumis sativus (cucumber) fruit extract in this product (with its lutein component) can help suppress melanin production. The product also contains morus bombycis (mulberry) root extract, which contains arbutin and has potential in preventing melanin production.
It does not contain mineral oil, alcohol or parabens. It contains fragrance (parfum).
One ingredient in this product that can be potentially quite worrying is citrus grandis (grapefruit) peel extract. First of all, it can be a skin irritant. Secondly, the skin can have a phototoxic reaction when exposed to the sun with this ingredient, and this can lead to skin discoloration (which is obviously the opposite of what the product is designed to achieve). Even though the name of the product indicates that it is for evening use, the application instructions on the back of the bottle and on the back of the outer box, confusingly, suggest using it for both morning and evening. I would strongly recommend that this product be used in the evening only. If you really want to use it in the morning, it is essential that you wear a product that provides full-spectrum sun protection (against both UVA and UVB).
Enlighten Even Skintone Correcting Creme (50ml, £46) has a light-cream consistency. It spreads easily and is absorbed decently well. Some of the moisturizing ingredients in this product are butylene glycol, cetearyl alcohol, butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), glycerin, hydrogenated polyisobutene, acetyl glucosamine, sucrose, cholesterol, tribehenin, phytosphingosine, trehalose, saccharide isomerate, sodium PCA, sodium hyaluronate (also a cell-communicating ingredient) and hexylene glycol.
Like Enlighten Dark Spot Correcting Night Serum, it contains scutellaria baicalensis (skullcap) root extract (antioxidant and anti-irritant), cucumis sativus (cucumber) fruit extract (antioxidant and suppressing melanin production), caffeine (anti-inflammatory but also potentially irritating), yeast extract (antioxidant), tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E, antioxidant) and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene, antioxidant).
It contains other antioxidants such as lens esculenta (lentil) fruit extract, pyrus malus (apple) fruit extract, chamomilla recutita (matricaria) flower extract (chamomile flower extract), gellidiela acerosa (algae) extract, and ergothioneine.
Ergothioneine is also an anti-irritant while chamomilla recutita (matricaria) flower extract (chamomile flower extract) has antibacterial properties.
It does not contain mineral oil, alcohol or parabens. It contains fragrance (parfum).
Both products feature a wide array of skin-benefiting ingredients and are generally well-formulated. Enlighten Dark Spot Correcting Night Serum is contained in an opaque bottle with a pump dispenser, which is an ideal packaging that helps preserve the efficacy of antioxidants. Enlighten Dark Spot Correcting Night Serum should suit most skin types, while Enlighten Even Skintone Correcting Creme should appeal to those with normal or normal-to-dry skin.
(Some ingredient information is from Paula Begoun’s Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary.)
(The products featured in this article are provided by Estée Lauder.)
Related posts:
Clinique Even Better Skin Tone Correcting Moisturizer SPF20
SkinCeuticals Hydrating B5, Retexturing Activator & C E Ferulic
Fujifilm Astalift Regenerating Night Cream
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