The Iconic Clarins Products That Gave These Different Skin Types Glowier Skin
Sadaf Razi is Adore Beauty's Senior Beauty Editor.
She's a former fashion editor (who worked at various glossy mags) and stylist-turned digital beauty and lifestyle writer. She has been in the lifestyle/media industry for over 10 years and her work has also been featured on international covers like Elle France and Vanity Fair Mexico.
Some of her fave Adore Beauty products include Cicaplast B5, CeraVe Cleansing Oil and Lancôme Renergie Triple Serum.
In Partnership with Clarins.
Chances are, even if you’ve never used a cult Clarins product, you’ve definitely heard about one from your mum, aunty, older sister or grandmother.
Their iconic and revamped Double Serum (now with the inclusion of star anti-ageing ingredient turmeric) sits among the beauty serum greats!
Born in 1985, Clarins Double Serum has been loved and purchased for so long (it has over 13M views on TikTok alone - not as high as the Clarins Lip Oil, but still impressive) that Clarins recently launched a lighter texture version for oiler skins.
And, after trying the popular Clarins Double Serum myself for the first time on my tired-looking winter skin (thank god that’s over), I one hundred percent understand the hype.
After two weeks of use my skin has emerged looking healthier, more illuminated and feeling softer.
That was to be expected from an icon though right? What I didn’t expect to love as much was their creamy cleanser.
So we thought we’d bring your attention back to some Clarins skincare favourites.
These Clarins best sellers can easily slot into any kind of routine for pretty much all skin types.
To prove this, I enlisted the help of my beautiful colleague Kate to personally trial some of these popular Clarins skincare products as well.
While Kate has drier skin, my skin sits on the oily/combo side and both of us mainly look for products that will help us dial up radiance.
If winter has stolen your glow, these Clarins best sellers might just help you get it back.
Keep scrolling for our reviews…
My Clarins Skincare Routine.
Skin type: Oily/combo.
Skin concerns: Dullness, lacklustre skin, well-ageing.
1. Clarins Gentle Foaming Hydrating Cleanser.
Ideal for: Normal to dry skin.
The Clarins gentle foaming cleanser is enriched with powerful plant extracts such as yellow gentian, organic lemon balm and aloe vera extract.
It gently sweeps off your makeup while preserving the balance of the skin’s microbiota.
Your skin is left feeling softer too.
My mini Clarins Gentle Foaming Hydrating Cleanser review:
Let’s get the literal only downside of this cleanser out of the way first…
If you don’t tolerate fragrance well, this cleanser (or range) might not be for you.
I love a scent and my skin doesn’t react to them so scented beauty products are A-Ok with me.
Secondly, let’s talk about how good $47 for a 125ml cleanser that performs this well is.
For the results it delivered, this price tag is totally worth it.
When I first squeezed some of the tube and saw its lush, creamy texture then massaged into my skin, it thought, “Oh it kind if feels like a first step in a double cleansing routine, this is too gentle on the skin to get all my makeup off in one cleansing step."
Wrong.
After rinsing and going over with my micellar water and cotton pad to catch any leftover residue my cotton pad was pretty much clean.
No second cleanse needed. So. good.
I was left not only with a perfectly cleansed face, but my skin looked more awake and felt smoother and softer.
Though my skin doesn’t really fit into the 'dry' category, moving to Melbourne has definitely changed that.
My face is slightly tighter and much drier than normal so this cleanser feels particularly comforting on my skin at the moment.
2. Clarins Hydrating Toning Lotion.
Ideal for: Normal to dry skin.
Another legendary Clarins product, this alcohol-free toning lotion is infused with organic aloe vera and organic fig extracts to hydrate and soften the skin.
Its Microbiota Complex also keeps the natural balance of the skin flora.
My mini Clarins Hydrating Toning Lotion review:
Here’s the thing about toners. I didn't really believe in them until this interview with celebrity Esthetician Joanna Czech, now I’m a toner convert.
My aunt who lives in Melbourne and has drier skin also swears by having a toner in her routine.
If you also have dry skin and want a toner that delivers an extra dose of hydration as well as adding immediate bounce and plump to the skin- this toner is for you.
Besides the plump and bounce, it left my skin juicy and slightly damp for the double serum to layer on top and seep into my skin much better.
3. Clarins Double Serum.
Ideal for: Combination, Dry, Normal, Oily.
With over ten thousand five-star reviews on their Australian website alone, this gorgeous oil-like serum has been upgraded to include star anti-ageing ingredient turmeric.
This is alongside its original powerful blend of 21 active plant extracts and together, they work on the five vital functions of the skin (regeneration, nutrition, oxygenation, hydration, protection) to give you a more ‘youthful’ and ‘radiant complexion.
The gorgeous hydrating serum is housed in an innovative bottle which delivers a made-to-measure dosage so you know exactly how much to apply.
Hero ingredients include: Katafray, hyaluronic Acid, organic rosehip oil, green tea, green banana & survixyl.
My mini Clarins Double Serum review:
The dry, Melbourne chill has stolen my glow over the last few months and after only three weeks of use, the Clarins Double Serum has kindly restored it.
As you can see in the picture above my makeup sits glowier too because my skin is naturally more healthy-looking.
Though this serum’s main focus is to give you more radiant-looking skin (which I can confidently confirm it does), my skin looks slightly more plump, clear and kind of like I’ve aged back a couple of years.
I can’t wait to see it deliver on its promise of firming and renewing my complexion even further after finishing the whole bottle!
My face not only feels soft, it looks well-rested and you’d never know my skin came out of an almost-Antarctic, moisture-zapping three months.
I can see why so many keep coming back to this icon.
And for those who want to harness the same powers of this Double Serum but with a lighter texture for their oilier skin, luckily for you the Clarins Double Serum Light Texture has more of a “barely there” finish and imperceptible texture.
It can be used interchangeably, depending on preference for skin feel, time of day or seasonally.
4. Clarins Double Serum Eye.
How great is it for our ageing and/or dry eye area to be reaping all the same benefits as the iconic Double Serum!
With a double anti-ageing formula for the delicate eye contour area, the Clarins double serum eye harnesses the power of a rich variety of plants (including the powerful duo of organic wild chervil & turmeric extracts).
One of the best hydrating anti-ageing eye serums, this generous bottle works to smooth wrinkles, reduce puffiness and the appearance of dark circles while strengthening the skin around the eyes.
My mini Clarins eye serum review:
The brand promises that this eye serum instantly makes eyes appear more radiant and youthful.
Here’s what I can tell you…
Thanks to my under eyes being dry and my constant rubbing, they look like they've aged about 10 years.
I’ve also noticed a slight increase in my skin creasing which is more obvious when I apply concealer.
I popped this on one eye the first time I used it to see if there was a noticeable difference in the morning. When I woke up the eye without the serum looked dry while the one with the serum felt softer and like it was still cocooned in the serum.
So my dry under eyes will be getting ample use of this silky, slightly creamy and comforting eye serum!
5. Clarins Extra-Firming Day Cream.
Formulated with organic kangaroo flower extract, this cream visibly improves skin firmness, plumps and helps prevent skin from sagging.
Eight other powerful plant extracts reinforce its anti-ageing action for instantly smooth and even skin, leaving it radiant, hydrated and protected from pollution.
Working day after day to help reduce the appearance of wrinkles and enhance skin's radiance.
Its subtle rose and camellia fragrance leaves skin feeling soft and refreshed.
My mini Clarins day cream review:
My face enjoyed the instant refreshing feeling when I applied this comforting cream.
It awakened my skin and gave a subtle plump so would be a great cream to pep-up the face in the morning and under makeup or help seal in your serums in your PM routine.
Oily skin pals, though this feels hydrating the texture isn’t too rich, it feels just light enough!
See how dewy and luminous these Clarins products left my skin when layered together...
Now, for the rest of Clarins best-sellers, I enlisted the help (and face) of my drier skin colleague Kate.
Here's her honest thoughts on these Clarins icons:
Clarins Beauty Flash Balm.
A beauty icon in her own right.
The famous Clarins beauty flash balm contains a cocktail of powerful radiance-boosting ingredients such as acerola seed extract, prickly pear extract and organic oat sugars.
It can be used as a primer in your Clarins routine or as a day treatment over your regular day cream.
Either way what you can expect is smoother, tighter skin and a glowier complexion.
Here's Kate’s first impressions...
Kate's mini Clarins Flash Balm review:
When your Senior Beauty Editor emails you to say "I'd love you to try some Clarins products" you don't say no!
Clarins has been a brand I have known for a very long time but haven't tried any of their products before.
The first I tried was the Clarins Beauty Flash Balm. This is a pre-makeup product so think a primer.
After applying my skincare I used the balm as a primer. It was really lovely to apply and absorbs into my skin quite quickly.
I found my makeup sat really well one top of it which I love! It also added a slight glow and I found my makeup lasted well throughout the day.
Clarins Beauty Flash Peel.
Best used 1-2 times a week, Clarins beauty flash peel works on all levels of the skin to effectively and visibly target a lack of radiance, uneven skin and visible wrinkles.
Boosted by the inclusion of Alpha Hydroxy Acid, this gentle chemical exfoliation boots skin regeneration while resting radiance and suppleness.
*Please note: increases sensitivity to the sun and can cause the skin to burn. Wear sun protection, protective clothing and limit sun exposure when using this product and for at least a week after using it.
Kate's mini Clarins Beauty Flash Peel review:
My absolute favourite was the Beauty Flash Peel!
This is an easy add into any skincare routine! It has a brush to apply the peel and doesn't require any washing off which I love. I'm all for keeping things efficient!
I applied this peel after my cleanser and toner and then applied the rest of my serums and moisturiser. Check out the glow in the pic above!
It's cooling on the skin and gives a slight tingle after the first couple of uses. I like that because something is working!
Clarins Total Eye Lift.
If your under eyes are so dry that just one application of the Double Serum eye is not enough, this is where the Clarins Total Eye Lift comes in.
For those with a tough eye contour area that can tolerate this powerful emulsion, it will work to smooth fine lines, wrinkles and crows feet.
Sensitive-skin havers, this is one you might want to avoid.
