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Clinique Smart Custom Repair Serum

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Clinique Smart Custom Repair Serum  Clinique Smart Custom Repair Serum

As a science-minded beauty blogger, of course I was intrigued when I first heard about Clinique Smart Custom Repair Serum. The “smart” serum from Clinique reportedly understands the particular needs of your skin, providing custom repair for the skin. It also claims to be great for all ages and ethnicities, which is an interesting claim I’ll discuss below.

The serum claims to be a specialist in the following:

  • Diminishing lines and wrinkles
  • Firming and lifting skin
  • Reducing dark spots and evening skin tone
  • Improving radiance and texture

A Few Enticing Ingredients: Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Ergothioneine, Glucosamine

There are a few enticing ingredients in Clinique Smart Custom Repair Serum, including:

Acetyl hexapeptide-8 is a “freeze” peptide. It is also known as argireline. In peer-reviewed scientific research studies, acetyl hexapeptide-8 has been found to inhibit muscle contraction like Botox, but more gently. Specifically, acetyl hexapeptide-8 accomplishes this by stopping the formation of a complex necessary for neurotransmitter release, called the SNARE complex; AND by inhibiting the release of neurotransmitters, including catecholamines, noradrenaline, and adrenaline (Textbook of Aging Skin).At 5% concentration, Argireline has been shown to decrease wrinkles up to 30% when applied once daily for 28 days (International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2002). Argireline at 10% has also been shown to have better wrinkle-fighting effects than another peptide, Leuphasyl, at 10% (International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2009).

Botox vs Argireline
Palmitoyl oligopeptide is a firming peptide.Of all the peptides in all the world, palmitoyl oligopeptide walks into every favorite list of mine.  What is great about palmitoyl oligopeptide is that it significantly stimulates collagen production in human fibroblasts, as shown in a study in Dermatologic Therapy.  When used twice daily for a significant period of time – about six months – this means firmer skin, provided that other factors remain the same (i.e., weight, sun exposure, etc.).
Ergothionene is an exciting antioxidant. For a few years, I heard about ergothionene everywhere, but I saw very little of it in actual product launches. Which was surprising, given that ergothionene, as in Clinique Smart Custom Repair Serum, has more antioxidant activity against free radicals than idebenone, as in Elizabeth Arden-owned Prevage products (Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology). In the study, ergothionene was not only found to be more protective from free radicals than idebenone, it was also found to have far less risk of skin irritation. Considering that I myself can’t use Prevage products or idebenone, I was really excited to find an alternative!

Glucosamine is an interesting ingredient. Some dermatologists and cosmetic scientists I talk to swear by it, whereas others seem to think that it’s not all that effective.What we do know is that glucosamine has been proven to treat hyperpigmentation in reasonable concentrations (Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2006). Glucosamine also hydrates the skin well, as a known precursor to hyaluronic acid. Regular application of glucosamine has been shown to increase hyaluronic acid production in the skin after regular topical application (Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2006).Glucosamine may work best in conjunction with niacinamide, which is found in Olay products, as well as our own FutureDerm Super Moisturizer. According to a 2007 study in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, a double-blind, placebo-controlled, left-right randomized study found that n-acetyl glucosamine and niacinamide used in conjunction on one side of the face are more effective than glucosamine alone in treating signs of hyperpigmentation.

Concentration of glucosamine is my concern in Clinique Smart Custom Repair Serum. Though studies show you don’t need a lot of glucosamine to effectively treat age spots, products like targeted age spots treatments from Exuviance list glucosamine quite high on the ingredients list, indicating that it is in quite high concentration. In Clinique Smart Custom Repair Serum, it’s towards the bottom, which is probably why many reports online seem to indicate this serum works on age spots, but it takes a long time.

Do Different Ages and Races Require Different Skin Care?

I think the difficulty I have with the marketing of Clinique Smart Custom Repair Serum is that it seems to indicate it is custom for different skin types. As though its particles will somehow detect age markers or genetic differentiators within your skin and magically activate different ingredients in the serum.

Maybe in skin care in 2050. But not now.

In truth, older persons generally benefit from more hydrating skin care. As you age, your oil glands produce less sebum, as a result of a decrease in testosterone in particular and hormonal production in general. But Clinique Smart Custom Repair Serum is no more hydrating when applied to 80-year-old skin than 20-year-old skin.

aged-skin

Similarly, different races really don’t need different skin care. Though it is nice to have something that is marketed towards you, there aren’t that many differences. Skin is classified according to seven different Fitzpatrick types, and though those with lighter skin tones tend to be on the lower end of the scale and those with darker skin tones tend to be on the higher end of the scale, it isn’t necessarily a classification that is easily made by race alone, especially when you consider the number of people in the U.S. who are biracial or multi-racial.

The only significant difference that comes to mind when I speak of race and skin care is that those with darker skin tones should never use hydroquinone. The oft-controversial ingredient is associated with a low incidence rate of ochronosis, a reflexive darkening of the skin, but only in those persons with darker skin tones. Glucosamine has a high safety profile. At least one study has found that glucosamine has a high tolerance profile amongst skin tones, and thus should not cause irritation or ochronosis. But the inclusion of glucosamine doesn’t make this a special product, no more than any other with glucosamine.

So the fact that Clinique Smart Custom Repair Serum is “for all ages and races” isn’t much of a special designation at all — most skin care is perfectly fine for all ages and races, except thick creams meant for older persons and very dry skin, and treatments with hydroquinone for lighter to medium skin tones.

Personal Use and Opinions

I truly love the basic Clinique products, especially their basic 3-Step System. And I would love nothing more than to get an advertising deal writing posts for Clinique about their products that I love. (Are you listening, Clinique?)

But, at the same time, I am speaking the truth when I say Clinique Smart Custom Repair Serum is not a particularly special product. It has a silky texture that glides across the skin, absorbs well, and can substitute as a thin cosmetic primer. And it will help sunspots, but not to the extent of a Skinceuticals CE Ferulic or a Exuviance Performance Peel AP 25. So…to that end, I say I like it. But I don’t love it.

Clinique Smart Custom Repair Serum

Clinique Smart Custom Repair Serum

Ingredients: Water, Isododecane, Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Polysilicone-11, Butylene Glycol, Ascorbyl Glucoside, PEG-10 Dimethicone, PEG-6, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Peel Extract, Morus Nigra (Mulberry) Root Extract, Hordeum Vulgare (Barely) Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Cucumis Sativa (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Algae Extract, Plankton Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Fruit Extract, Sigesbeckia Orientalis (St. Paul’s Wort) Extract, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat Germ) Extract, Glycerin, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Extract, Yeast Extract, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Ergothioneine, Whey Protein, Polysorbate 20, Micrococcus Lysate, Cholesterol, DI-C-12-18 Alkyl Dimonium Chloride, Salicylic Acid, Isohexadecane, Propylene Glycol Dicaprate, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seedcake, Caffeine, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Protein, Tocopheryl Acetate, Acetyl Glucosamine, Caprylyl Glycol, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Dimethoxytolyl Propylresorcinol, Synthetic Fluorogopite, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Tromethanmine, Polysorbate 80, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium RNA, Squalane, Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, PEG-8, Lecithin, Hexylene Glycol, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Sodium Hydroxide, Tin Oxide, Disodium EDTA, Arabidopsis Thaliana Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Yellow 5, Red 4, Titanium Dioxide

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Nicki Zevola is the founder and editor-in-chief of FutureDerm.com. Named one of the top 30 beauty bloggers in the world by Konector.com since 2009, Nicki

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