Clinique_Fresh_Pressed_7_Day_System_with_Pure_Vitamin_C_front

Clinique is launching in April 2017 a new “system” with pure vitamin C : Fresh Pressed.

Clinique Fresh Pressed 7 Day System with Pure Vitamin C

This new Clinique Fresh Pressed is a very interesting new product from Clinique. It is a “kit” made of 2 distinct formulas to be used successively as a routine :

Each of the two steps uses unusual formula technology and unusual packagings.

Let’s have a closer look.

What does Clinique Fresh Pressed do to your skin ?

Clinique offers with this Fresh Pressed System a cleansing powder and a boosting serum.

The Powder Cleanser is “activated” with water (the powder disolves in water, and can then be used on face). It is claimed to purify, brighten and retexturize the skin, when used daily in the morning.

The Daily Booster needs also to be “activated” by pressing a specific part of the pack to release the 10% vitamin C into a “soothing emulsion with powerful de-agers and revitalizing ingredients”. The 2 drops of this booster are recommended to be added to a daily moisturizer, with the following claimed benefits : “brighter skin from the first application, visibly reduced age spots, lines and wrinkles over time”.

This new product thus targets the “major signs of visible of visible aging” : radiance, skin tone, age spots, texture, lines & wrinkles, firmness and lifting, with benefits summarized on the front of the pack : “brighten, eve, retexturize”.

For this new launch, Clinique capitalizes on a very classic, famous and efficient ingredient : the vitamin C. It has been used for years in skincare all its demonstrated anti-ageing benefits (anti-oxidant, skin lightener, wrinkle reduction, collagen synthesis promoter).

Let’s read the label to know more about the technologies behind.

What is Clinique Freshly Pressed System made of ?

As said, Clinique Freshly Pressed System is a 2-step routine, made of a Cleanser and a Booster. Both products are conceived (from a packaging and formulation point of view) to deliver pure vitamin C (ie not a stable vitamin C derivative, but vitamin C in its purest for, as could be found in orange juice). Knowing that pure vitamin C, once in contact with oxygen, is highly unstable and degrades rapidly, the challenge that Estée Lauder (mother company of Clinique) faced was to protect as much as possible the pure vitamin C against oxygen.

Powder Cleanser with vitamin C

This formula is a powder sold in a monodose sachet : each sachet is a single dose to entirely use. The product is supposed to be dissolved in wet hands before use.

It is a substantially (i.e. almost totally) anhydrous formula sold as a powder, containing  “vehicle” powders : maltodextrine and kaolin, blended with 3 powdered surfactants (Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate and Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate). These three surfactants are also milder to the skin than classic Sodium Laureth Sulfate. The formula also contains :

  • Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)
  • an extract of Sapindus (Sapindus Mukurossi Peel Extract) : Sapindus is the family of trees providing the “soapnuts”, rich in saponin, a natural detergent
  • Salicylic Acid : a classic anti-bacterial and exfoliating agent. It is a poorly water soluble ingredient in normal pH conditions, so if added pure in the powder, it would not dissolve in water. A vectorized (i.e. deposited on a vehicle) version seems to be used in this formula : AMCOL Poly-Pore 450SA Salicylic Acid Delivery System (INCI name : Salicylic Acid (and) Allyl Methacrylates Crosspolymer). Salicylic Acid in entraped in a polymeric matrix of Allyl Methacrylates Crosspolymer.
  • Ethylbisiminomethylguaiacol Manganese Chloride, sold by Lucas Meyer under the tradename EUK-134, is claimed to be a powerful anti-oxidant, “biomimetic of two natural skin enzymes: superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase“, said to “protect skin tissue against toxic compounds, reduces erythema and redness, protects skin against UV-induced DNA damage leading to limit premature photo-aging.“.

 

MALTODEXTRIN, SODIUM LAURYL SULFOACETATE, SODIUM COCOYL ISETHIONATE, SODIUM METHYL COCOYL TAURATE, KAOLIN, ASCORBIC ACID, SODIUM CHLORIDE, SAPINDUS MUKUROSSI PEEL EXTRACT, SALICYLIC ACID, ALLYL METHACRYLATES CROSSPOLYMER, CYCLODEXTRINE, COCONUT ACID, ETHYLBISIMINOMETHYLGUAIACOL MANGANESE CHLORIDE, WATER/AQUA/EAU, DISODIUM EDTA [ILN43040].

Daily Booster with Vitamin C 10%

This Daily Booster is sold is a specific packaging unique to this product. According to the information provided by Clinique, when not “activated”, the packaging is made of 2 distinct compartments, separating the Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) from a “soothing emulsion” :

Clinique Fresh Pressed Booster - Packaging details

In order to “activate” the formula, the consumer needs to do as described below :

Clinique Fresh Pressed Booster preparation

As explained here, Vitamin C in its pure form (i.e. ascorbic acid) is highly unstable when in contact with air, as it oxidizes rapidly. This packaging innovation allow to protect the powder of Vitamin C from contact with air as long as the packaging is not “activated”. Once done, the shelf life of the formula is short (7 days according to Clinique), as Vitamin C will degrade rapidly in the emulsion. Once activated by pressing on the top of the pack, the Vitamin C is released into the emulsion. Shaking the pack homogenize the mixture for later use.

According to the packaging, Vitamin C in this formula is used at a concentration of 10%.

The emulsion itself, according to the INCI list, is actually a dispersion of oils in a gel. The gel is made of Alcasealan (INCI : Alcaligenes Polysaccharides), a natural polysaccharide forming a 3D network that has emulsion stabilizing properties and Xanthan Gum. This gel of polysaccharides contains an oil phase made of dimethicone (linear silicone) and squalane, and the aqueous phase contains glycols (butylene glycol and dipropylene glycol) and a water-dispersible silicone derivative : Dow Corning DC 2501 Cosmetic Wax (BIS-PEG-18 METHYL ETHER DIMETHYL SILANE). The formula is protected against microbiological development by Caprylyl Glycol, Potassium Sorbate and Phenoxyethanol.

The formula contains a huge number of active ingredients, some of them already used in other Estee Lauder Companies skincare :

  • Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)
  • Acetyl Glucosamine : it has been patented by Estée Lauder in 1999 as an exfoliating agent.
  • Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract
  • Hordeum Vulgare (Barley) Extract
  • Morus Nigra (Mulberry) Root Extract
  • Molasses Extract
  • Laminaria Digitata Extract
  • Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
  • Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
  • Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Fruit Extract
  • Algae Extract
  • Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12 (and) PEG-8 (and) Glyceryl Polymethacrylate : INCI name of Sederma’s Biopeptide EL
  • Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
  • Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
  • Caffeine
  • Sucrose
  • Whey Protein
  • Betaine
  • Salicylic Acid (and) Allyl Methacrylates Crosspolymer
  • Glycine Soja (Soybean) Protein
  • Sodium Hyaluronate
  • Sigesbeckia Orientalis (St Paul’s Wort) Extract
  • Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seedcake

WATER/AQUA/EAU, ASCORBIC ACID, GLYCERIN, DIMETHICONE, SQUALANE, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, DIPROPYLENE GLYCOL, ACETYL GLUCOSAMINE, CUCUMIS SATIVUS (CUCUMBER) FRUIT EXTRACT, HORDEUM VULGARE (BARLEY) EXTRACT/EXTRAIT D’ORGE, MORUS NIGRA (MULBERRY) ROOT EXTRACT, MOLASSES EXTRACT/SACCHARUM OFFICINARUM/EXTRAIT DE MELASSE, LAMINARIA DIGITATA EXTRACT, SCUTELLARIA BAICALENSIS ROOT EXTRACT, ACETYL HEXAPEPTIDE-8, VITIS VINIFERA (GRAPE) FRUIT EXTRACT, ALGAE EXTRACT, PALMITOYL HEXAPEPTIDE-12, PALMITOYL TRIPEPTIDE-1, PALMITOYL TETRAPEPTIDE-7, ALCALIGENES POLYSACCHARIDES, CAFFEINE, SUCROSE, WHEY PROTEIN/LACTIS PROTEIN/PROTEIN DU PETIT-LAIT, BETAINE, SALICYLIC ACID, GLYCINE SOJA (SOYBEAN) PROTEIN, SODIUM HYALURONATE, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, SIGEBECKIA ORIENTALIS (ST PAUL’S WORT) EXTRACT, BIS-PEG-18 METHYL ETHER DIMETHYL SILANE, PROPYLENE GLYCOL DICAPRATE, HELIANTHUS ANNUUS (SUNFLOWER) SEEDCAKE, ALLYL METHACRYLATES CROSSPOLYMER, CARBOMER, GLYCERYL POLYMETHACRYLATE, TROMETHAMINE, XANTHAN GUM, POTASSIUM SORBATE, PEG-8, POLYSORBATE-20, SODIUM CITRATE, DISODIUM EDTA, PHENOXYETHANOL [ILN42692]

Conclusion

Clinique is doing here a very smart launch :

  • they surf on the customization trend : giving to the user the ability to peraonalize his product, to make it fit his needs.
  • they capitalize on a well known, efficient, multi-benefit and cost efficient active ingredient : Vitamin C.
  • they design an innovative packaging, fitting with the concept  (customization) and the technology (protection of the active ingredient until activation of the formula)

By A.B.

2 thoughts on “Clinique Fresh Pressed 7-day system with pure vitamin C”
  1. Thank you for the walk-through. Do you, or any readers, know the final pH of the emulsion? I know Dr Pinnell recommended a pH below 3.5 for optimal absorption and the company he started keeps it below 3 in their vitamin C serums.

  2. Thank you for the walk-through. Do you, or any readers, know the final pH of the emulsion?
    I know Dr Pinnell recommended a pH below 3.5 for optimal absorption and the company he started keeps it below 3 in their vitamin C serums.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.