Clinique has extended in August 2016 its Pep-Start range with 4 new products including a new mattifying moisturizer.

Remember the Clinique Pep-Start Eye Cream, with its bright colored pack, nice applicator that came in past February 2016 to shake the Clinique brand ? Obviously, it is far from the end of this range for Clinique, who launched in August 2016 4 new Pep-Start products, including a new mattifying moisturizer : the Clinique Pep-Start HydroBlur Moisturizer

What to know more about the technologies behind ? Read this !

What is Clinique Pep-Start HydroBlur Moisturizer ?

This skincare is a mattifying, oil-free moisturizer, claimed to blur imperfection, with a lightweight texture, and a velvety finish. Clinique says it is a good primer for make-up.

What is it made of ?

Ingredient List :

WATER/AQUA/EAU, GLYCERIN, SODIUM POLYACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER-1, ACETYLATED GLYCOL STEARATE, MYRISTYL MYRISTATE, DIMETHICONE/VINYL DIMETHICONE CROSSPOLYMER, DIMETHICONE, BUTYROSPERMUM PARKII (SHEA BUTTER), MANGIFERA INDICA (MANGO) SEED BUTTER, HYPNEA MUSCIFORMIS (ALGAE) EXTRACT, VINYL DIMETHICONE/METHICONE SILSESQUIOXANE CROSSPOLYMER, GELIDIELLA ACEROSA (ALGAE) EXTRACT, SIGESBECKIA ORIENTALIS (ST. PAUL’S WORT) EXTRACT, ALCALIGENES POLYSACCHARIDES, ALGAE EXTRACT, LAMINARIA SACCHARINA EXTRACT, SQUALANE, CERAMIDE NP, BEESWAX/CERA ALBA/CIRE D’ABEILLE, ACETYL HEXAPEPTIDE-8, CAFFEINE, SODIUM HYALURONATE, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, TREHALOSE, SODIUM STEAROYL GLUTAMATE, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, DIMETHICONE CROSSPOLYMERS, HYDROGENATED POLYISOBUTENE, HYDROGENATED LECITHIN, SODIUM POLYACRYLATE STARCH, PENTYLENE GLYCOL, LAURETH-9, LAURETH-23, SILICA, SILICA SILYLATE, DISODIUM EDTA, PHENOXYETHANOL, SODIUM BENZOATE, RED 4(CI 14700), YELLOW 5 (CI 19140). [ILN42612]

Formula Structure

This formula sold in a jar is an emulsified gel, built on :

• Sodium Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-1, Daito Kasei’s Makimousse (Sodium Polyacrylate Starch) and Hakuto’s Alcasealan (Alcaligene Polysaccharides) as stabilizing and structuring polymers
• Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate as surfactant

The aqueous phase contains Glycerin, Butylene Glycol as moisturizing glycols.

The oil phase is made of different types of “fats” :

• synthetic and naturally derived oils : Acetylated Glycol Stearate (United Guardian’s Unitwix), Myristyl Myristate, Squalane, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene (NOF Corp.’s Parleam), Hydrogenated Lecithin
• natural oils : Shea Butter (Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter)), Mango Seed Butter (Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter), Beeswax (Beeswax/Cera Alba/Cire d’Abeille)
• silicones oils & elastomers : Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer (and) Dimethicone (Shin Etsu KSG-16 or Dow Corning  Dow Corning® 3901 Liquid Satin Blend), Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsequioxane Crosspolymer (Shin Etsu KSP-100 series), Dimethicone Crosspolymer (Dow Corning DC 9040 Series).

• Silica
• Silica Silylate

Active Ingredients

As usual in formulas from brand of the Estée Lauder Companies group, the formula contains a lot of active ingredients and botanical extracts :

• Hypnea Musciformis (Algae) Extract : an extract of red algae with film forming properties
• Gelidiella Acerosa (Algae) Extract : another extract of red algae
• Sigesbeckia Orientalis (St. Paul’s Wort) Extract : anti-inflammatory ingredient sold by Sederma under the tradename Sigesbeckia PH.
• Algae Extract
• Laminaria Saccharina Extract : could correspond to BiotechMarine Phlorogine, claime as an anti-seborrhoeic agent that can regulate the activity of sebaceous glands.
• Ceramide NP : sold by Evonik under the tradename Ceramide III, it is claimed to “support the renewal of the skin’s natural protective layer and form an effective barrier against moisture loss”
• Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 : could be Sederma’s Argireline, with anti-aging properties
• Caffeine
• Sodium Hyaluronate
• Tocopheryl Acetate
• Trehalose

How does does it make what it claims ?

Clinique Pep-Start HydroBlur Moisturizer is communication is straight to the point, very clear around 2 main benefits :

• Moisturizing
• Blurring

plus being said “lightweight” and “good primer for make-up”.

The moisturizing properties are brought to the formula by glycerin (2nd ingredient in the INCI list), and other moisturizing ingredients like Hakuto’s Alcasealan (Alcaligene Polysaccharides), Sodium Hyaluronate and Trehalose.

The blurring properties are first due to the main polymer used in the formula : Sodium Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-1, exclusive to Estée Lauder, as developped and patented by Estée Lauder and Shin Etsu. It is claimed to create a film on skin that blurs skin defects such as lines, wrinkles, or minor skin imperfections.

This polymer is at the heart of another patent from Estée Lauder (mother company of the Clinique brand) : US9387161 (priority date : 25/07/2012). It protects “a method for simultaneously moisturizing and/or blurring the appearance of skin defects, or reducing pore size, or treating skin with a multi-benefit composition.” This is exactly the purpose of the Clinique Pep-Start HydroBlur Moisturizer.

Together with this polymer, the blurring efficiency of the formula is due to

• several silicone elastomers : Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer (and) Dimethicone (Shin Etsu KSG-16 or Dow Corning  Dow Corning® 3901 Liquid Satin Blend), Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsequioxane Crosspolymer (Shin Etsu KSP-100 series) and Dimethicone Crosspolymer (Dow Corning DC 9040 Series).
• powders : Silica and Silica Silylate

As explained in a previous article, the trick to blur skin is to add rugosity to its surface. Indeed, the natural oily film on skin reflects all the rays of light coming on the skin in the same direction : this makes the skin look shiny. When powders and elastomers are applied on skin, it deposits on skin micro-relief. This rugosity prevents the rays of light to be reflected in the same direction, but rather makes them go in various direction : skin looks “blurred”, much less shiny. A side effect is to “hide” wrinkles are they are also blurred.

To summarize, this formula is very well built : around a surfactant with very good safety profile (Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate) and a main polymer combines both thickening properties, and blurring properties. It is associated with silicone elastomers and powder, together with Makimousse polymer, providing a nice bumpy texture. It contains several moisturizing ingredients to provide the claimed moisturizing properties.

Pack shots