Reviewed: Clinique Fresh Pressed 7-Day System
If you don’t already know about the wonders that Vitamin C can do for your skin, you’d better be reading this to the very end.
Vitamin C enjoys a lofty position in the skincare world for its fantastic anti-ageing abilities. The potent antioxidant is responsible for a whole host of skin benefits, including stimulating new collagen and reducing fine lines and wrinkles, protecting your skin from environmental pollutants by neutralising free radicals, and even stabilising your skin tone and minimising existing sun damage and discolouration.
Honestly, it’s the best thing you can do for your skin. So it’s surprising how few women are actually using serums or lotions containing Vitamin C in their everyday skincare rituals.
I’ve often heard women say that they don’t use Vit C products because they tend to lose their efficacy fairly quickly. For those of you unaware of what this means, Vitamin C is an unstable molecule and is at its most potent when it is fresh. When exposed to oxygen or left in daylight, it tends to degrade very quickly. Which is why dermatologists and skincare experts tell you to use it immediately after mixing.
This issue with potency has prompted a host of skincare brands to create a new generation of make-it-fresh products that allow you to activate the superhero ingredient yourself, right before slathering your skin in all its potent goodness.
One among these is Clinique’s new Fresh Pressed 7-Day System, a week-long, two-step process that promises ultra potency and super fast results; i.e. younger, brighter-looking skin in less than a week.
But does it work? I decided to forego my usual everyday skincare regime to try the Fresh Pressed system for seven days.
Clinique’s two-pronged approach includes a powdered cleanser and moisturiser booster, which comes in innovative packaging that isolates the Vitamin C and keeps it “fresh” and potent till it is activated prior to application.
Clinique Fresh Pressed Renewing Powder Cleanser
The first step in the system is an ultra-fine powder cleanser called Clinique Fresh Pressed Renewing Powder Cleanser, which comes in individual sachets, one for each morning of the week. You have to open the sachet, mix it with water — activating the Vitamin C-rich powder and turning it into a lather — and massage it all over your face and neck for about a minute, before rinsing off. Along with Vitamin C, which is meant to restore radiance, the powder also contains kaolin clay to absorb oil and dirt, and salicylic acid to break up dead skin cells. Immediately after the first wash, my skin felt noticeably smoother and a tad bit brighter.
SHOP NOW: Clinique Fresh Pressed Renewing Powder Cleanser (Rs 4,900) *
* Apart from the 7-day system, the powder cleanser is also sold separately as a month-long pack of 28 sachets
Clinique Fresh Pressed Daily Booster
Step two is a punchy booster serum called the Clinique Fresh Pressed Daily Booster, which contains 10% Vitamin C. The product comes in ingenious packaging involving a lightproof little bottle and foil seal, which you have to remove in order to activate the fresh Vit C. The booster also contains molasses to break up dark spots, antioxidant-rich grapefruit and mulberry root extracts to protect your skin, algae extract to calm, and salicylic acid for new cell turnover.
You have to mix two drops of the emulsion with your daily moisturiser, morning and night, to harness the full potency of the Vitamin C. Shake the bottle each time to activate it, and discard after seven days (the light serum will naturally turn dark when it oxidises, meaning the potency has reduced considerably). When used together, the two products are meant to soak up nasty free radicals, reduce melanin production where you have hyper-pigmentation, and stimulate new cell turnover.
Immediately after using both the powder and booster on Day 1, my skin had a refined glow about it. It looked fresh and happy. I liked how this was working out!
SHOP NOW: Clinique Fresh Pressed Daily Booster Pack (Rs 5,400) *
*Apart from the 7-day system, the booster is also sold separately in a pack of 4 boosters, one for each week of the month
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I usually wear a primer under my makeup to keep my skin matte and my makeup flawless (or a facsimile thereof, taking Mumbai’s extreme humidity in consideration), but I took a break from wearing it completely for a week while testing out the Clinique system.
I definitely noticed a difference in my skin after the first few days. The products did not irritate or tighten my sensitive skin, oil production was reduced, my skin was noticeably brighter, and there was an ever-so-slight reduction in pigmentation too. Not so much with the fine lines, but hey, that would mean a miracle altogether.
Overall, Clinique’s new Fresh Pressed 7-Day System With Pure Vitamin C is like a spring clean for your face, neatly packaged in a 7-day system. The products can be used independently too, but I did notice great results by pairing them together.
If what you want is glowing, flawless skin and not just flawless makeup, this is one product set you should definitely include in your skincare regime. It really does work in putting some life back into your dull, tired complexion.
P.S. I gave one 7-day set to the boyfriend — who has a pretty wicked tan from too much sun exposure — and he totally loves it too!
SHOP NOW: Clinique Fresh Pressed 7-Day System With Pure Vitamin C (Rs 1,680)
