This is not a beauty blog, and never will be. But everyone has health and beauty concerns, just as everyone has to eat. And I know lots of my readers are women, so this might be of interest to them.
In an unconventional move, L'Oreal Paris picked three non-beauty bloggers to test out over a period of 8 weeks their new White Perfect Laser range of products. As the name Laser suggests, it offers whitening that is clinically comparable to a session of IPL (intense pulsed light). Now that is a bold claim, but oh, what hope! God knows I need help with my stubborn freckles (this is a shot of all my freckles in full glory)!
I took the Skin Analysis test on the L'Oreal Paris Facebook minisite (see right) and my result was (as expected):
High risk of skin pigmentation –
"You are likely to have skin that is fair and sensitive to sunlight. Signs of pigmentation may already be noticeable; or if not, then they are likely to appear sooner rather than later! You may also feel like your skin lacks the radiance you crave for.
Fret not, because it is never too late to start on a proper skincare regime to minimize the chances of those unsightly marks. Use a gentle scrub twice weekly to remove any dead cells.
Control the melanin production in your skin by using an essence that fights pigmentation at the source! Also, moisturize twice a day to keep your skin is soft and supple. And always remember to protect against UV rays with a full-spectrum UV sunscreen. Treat your skin with that added TLC and you will not regret it."
But to be honest, I have always been skeptical of whitening products because you can't really achieve that much whitening, and most of them contain artificial brighteners that may make you look fairer but just washes off.
So how does this one work?
Their key ingredient here is Ellagic Acid, which controls both the production of melanin pigments and the darkening process of melanin. So it prevents the formation of new dark spots. Ellagic Acid is a breakthrough active ingredient that's 14 times more efficient than stuff like arbutin and niacinamide but it's derived from plants, not chemicals.
Two other ingredients (Dermoliss and Capryloyl Salicyclic Acid) act to exfoliate and fade existing dark spots.
There are two products in the White Perfect Laser range - the first to correct, and the second to protect. Right now, I have only tried them a couple of times, so these are preliminary views.
The L'Oreal Paris White Perfect Laser Anti-Spot Brightening Essence (S$39.90) features Ellagic Acid. The silky white fluid is very light and easily absorbed. There's a hint of fragrance that goes away after the product is massaged into the skin.
L'Oreal Paris White Perfect Laser All Round Protection Whitening Cream SPF19 PA+++ (S$32.90) suppresses melanin production at the very source, while defending the skin with both UVA and UVB protection. This light pink cream is very moisturising (a boon for my dry cheeks).
I'm also going to test out the L'Oreal Paris Youth Code, which to me seems really similar to Lancome's Genifique. This goes on before the other two as a booster product. It really does make your skin feel much smoother and softer, so no wonder this one has been getting raves.
Don't forget sunblock! The sun really can make you age prematurely! Hey I'm glad L'Oreal Paris sun care formulas use Meroxyl filters which not only last up to 12 hours but also don't degrade in sunlight. I'd feel better with that than zinc oxide which has been linked to cancer in several studies.
Will give you guys an update two weeks later on the progress!
The packaging for the White Perfect Laser All Round Protection Whitening Cream is a major FAIL in my book. Open jars make the product susceptible to contamination and deterioration (exposure to air).
ReplyDeleteI use UV Perfect myself but your statement about zinc oxide being cancer-causing is not totally correct. The problem is not with zinc oxide itself but with the size of the particles. Quoted from the CNA article:
"Researchers found that when this chemical is turned into nano-sized particles, it's able to enter human cells and may even damage human DNA."
Zinc oxide's effectiveness as a physical sunblock is proven. However when purchasing products, consumers need to be careful and read labels instead of being duped by scientific-sounding marketing language like "nano technology" (don't know what it's supposed to mean).
Hi Eve+line,
DeleteThanks for enlightening me on zinc oxide. Absolutely agree on reading labels before buying.
I do agree with Eve+line. I am using sunscreen with zinc oxide as active ingredient. I prefer physical sunblock over chemical sunblock anytime. We just have to be careful to read the label and make sure it is not "nanonized" but micronized. Most natural / organic sunscreen has either zinc oxide or titanium dioxide or both.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your review. You mentioned that Ellagic Acid is "14 times more efficient than stuff like arbutin". Where did you get this information? Did L'Oreal claim it?
ReplyDeleteYes, it was in the L'Oreal brochure. I'm sure they have the facts backing this up, or they will be sued. I did come across some research saying ellagic acid is reportedly better and safer than arbutin and kojic acid.
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