Few of us are feeling radiant right now. And while skincare has become a bigger focus, it’s not easy to find something that helps to support and firm our skin as well as recapture a glow. This is especially true once we hit 40, when many factors can affect how our skin looks: with busy lifestyles and stress, signs of fatigue and tension set in and skin can lose radiance and firmness.

The new radiance-boosting day cream from Clarins Laboratories, Extra-Firming Energy, is part of the Clarins Extra Firming range, first launched in 1978 and designed specifically for women in their 40s and beyond. Extra-Firming Energy is a daily moisturiser (€68, available on Clarins.ie) that’s powered by organic extracts of plants and fruits to deal with two key concerns: recapturing the skin’s radiance and restoring its “spring back” quality. We love its soft apricot colour and rich texture – it’s a pleasure to use. And, concentrating 35 years of Clarins’ skin-firming expertise in a single pot, Extra-Firming Energy can help the skin to regain elasticity and firmness, thanks to active organic plant extracts. Kangaroo flower, for example, is an organic extract that helps to plump the skin and work against slackening, acting like a “spring”, while organic oat sugars help to promote a “lift” effect.

PLANT POWER

At Clarins Laboratories, it’s bio-inspiration that drives each innovation, and that includes the new Glow Plus Complex that powers Extra-Firming Energy. The Glow Plus Complex is a unique concentration of four fruit extracts with known “superpowers” to help skin regain its vitality and radiance. Acerola seed extract helps to revive radiance by optimising the skin’s oxygenation process; organic goji berry extract helps to stimulate the skin’s energy; organic apricot oil is gently nourishing, while paprika promotes a healthy glow.

ENLIGHTENING ENERGY

Clarins have distilled more than half a century of research expertise into this new skincare product. And it shows. Extra-Firming Energy has an immediate healthy-glow effect on the skin: organic apricot oil, rich in fatty acids, nourishes the skin, and gives the cream its luxurious peachy hue, while paprika extract promotes an immediate healthy glow. The formula also features a new generation of pearls to capture natural light and reflect it.

And that’s not all. Skin is not just reinforced, but also better protected: Extra-Firming Energy features the latest anti-pollution complex developed by Clarins Laboratories, to help protect the skin from the harmful effects of both indoor and outdoor pollution.

A VISIBLE DIFFERENCE

In consumer tests, 89 per cent of women found that their skin’s radiance looked revived and that it looked more luminous after using Extra-Firming Energy for one week. Some 82 per cent of testers said they noticed Extra-Firming Energy’s skin-enhancing, healthy glow effect along with its skin-firming benefits, and reflected the light better. After four weeks of use, 90 per cent thought their face looked less fatigued.*

*Consumer tests – 105 women – aged 35-50 – 28 days

YOUR NEW WAKE-UP ROUTINE

So if your skin needs a burst of energy, try shaking up your routine. After cleansing, apply Clarins’ iconic Double Serum: it’s renowned for improving the efficacy of your skincare and hydrating the skin beautifully, with the lightest touch, and is suitable for all skin types and ages (we know women aged 70-plus who swear by it). Then apply Extra-Firming Energy every morning using draining pressure movements. It has a smooth, rich texture and light, fresh fragrance. For optimal results, Extra-Firming Energy can be used with the Extra-Firming Night Cream, Phyto-Serum and Eye Contour Treatment.

Clarins skin experts also recommend exfoliating the skin twice a week: this helps your skin to absorb the ingredients in your daytime moisturiser more effectively. We are also using the newly launched UV Plus Anti-Pollution Multi-Protection Moisturising Screen SPF50 (€39) in Rose, as it’s an excellent dual protection against five pollutants, as well as damaging UVA and UVB rays, and is super-light and invisible to wear.