As a beauty editor, I am very hard to impress when it comes to beauty products, and serums bring out my pickiest and sternest side. I just hate over-indulgent claims and false promises when in search of the best face serum, which I feel like a lot of serums come with. I genuinely have at least 70 in my collection (some opened and loved, some opened and discarded, some simply unopened with no interest on my part) so it takes a lot for me to add one to my list of loved. Enter: the Clarins Double Serum.
You've probably heard about this iconic serum - it's a bestseller for the brand with one sold every four seconds according to its website. There’s therefore absolutely no doubt that it’s reached cult status, but is it worth the hype? I’ve been rigorously testing it and these are my thoughts...
What is Clarins Double Serum?
The brand’s website claims it’s a “Complete Age Control Concentrate”, which instantly puts me on edge. You can’t control ageing. Nobody can. Nevertheless, this serum is supposedly formulated to give you “visibly younger-looking skin”. It does this via a potent blend of 21 plant extracts, including turmeric. This is where my unease calms - I love turmeric. I grew up on the stuff. Scars? Apply turmeric. Sore throat? Drink turmeric and milk. I come from an Indian background, and turmeric holds a special place in my heart. Turmeric in skincare is used for its antiseptic and brightening properties. Or, in this case, its “exceptional anti-aging properties".
I personally find the claims quite vague, but the formula itself is impressive. It stars some really mega ingredients alongside the turmeric: oat and banana firm and lift; edelweiss, ginger lily and cocoa soothe and protect against free radicals (which are inflammatory chemical particles that can break down collagen); horse chestnut energises and brightens; avocado softens and nourishes; quinoa supports the skin barrier; and goji berry with red jania extract draw out toxins, remove dead cells, purify, refine texture and mattify skin. As you can see there's a lot to get excited about.
The formula also features a bi-phase texture that includes water-soluble and oil-soluble ingredients in a bid to mimic the skin’s natural hydrolipidic film. This film is an oily layer that sits atop your skin—it’s formed of lipids and dead cells, which squish together to form a physical barrier against external aggressors. When you hear brands referring to the skin barrier, this is part of it.
Clarins Double Serum does also boast some actual claims with solid evidence to back them up, like the fact that 90% of people on a multi-ethnic panel of 358 women had smoother skin after four weeks of testing. The Clarins website displays some more equally impressive figures for firming and adding radiance to the skin, which explain why the Double Serum is such a bestseller.
Who is Clarins Double Serum good for?
Ultimately, whilst this serum is targeted towards more mature skin, it’s great for anyone whose skin feels a bit dull or dehydrated. It’s suitable for all ages, ethnicities and skin types—whether normal, oily, dry or combination—and will help to firm, smooth, hydrate and brighten skin. If you’re worried about large pores, then this serum will work for you too. Whilst nothing can actually make pores smaller, this will make them appear smaller by drawing out any impurities. If you’re hoping for a miracle eraser for wrinkles, then I’m afraid this isn’t for you. It will plump and firm to an extent, but it won’t stop the ageing process in its tracks. But no product can do that.
Clarins Double Serum: a beauty editor's review
Upon first application, I was shocked at how quickly the formula sinks in. You’re supposed to pump it into your palms, rub your hands together to warm the product and mix the two phases together, then apply to your face in firm pats. I found that the serum disappeared into my hands before I even got to my face, which meant I had to pump a lot of product to get my desired result.
Once on my face though, the texture was glorious. It’s not sticky at all—it sinks right in, making it perfect for busy bees who don’t have time to wait between skincare steps and want to move right on to moisturiser. It also sits really well under makeup, not causing anything to slide off or pill. I must confess that—despite my initial scepticism—my skin does look brighter and… happier, somehow.
Whilst this is by no means the most expensive serum on the market, it is on the pricey side so more of an investment. If I come into money, a new bottle of Double Serum (and a five-bed house in Hampstead) will be top of the list. Until then, I will continue emptying this bottle until the very last drop.
Shop other serums
Recently renamed from 'Drops of Youth Concentrate', like the Clarins serum this Body Shop offering also includes the skin-strengthening and regenerating benefits of the edelweiss plant – which The Body Shop claims has "43% more antioxidant power than retinol" – in a great daily serum.
I love it because it ticks a lot of boxes with very little thought involved. Plumps and hydrates? Check. Gives a glow? Check. Doesn't block pores? Check check check. If you're after an excellent one-and-done serum on the high street that'll suit most skin types, this is well worth a look.
If you've really got your heart set on a Clarins serum but want to save £20, this is the next best one to Double Serum in my opinion. It has a similar bi-phase formula but here the focus is on hydration over anything else (although it does claim to have some pore-refining benefits too).
It'll be no surprise to beauty buffs that the key ingredient in this is hyaluronic acid – a 'complex' of HA, in fact – delivering fresh-feeling hydration and plumpness without any heaviness on the skin. This lightweight texture makes it popular choice with guys, too.
If Clarins says its Double Serum "controls ageing" then this No7 serum "reverses visible signs of ageing" in skin. And in as little as four weeks. Future Renew is the results of years of research and some clever technology using peptides, and the results really do speak for themselves. OK, so you're not going to look 10 years younger after a month, but it has a pretty decent effect on skin tone, texture and fine lines.
If you're looking for another serum packed with some of the most effective natural ingredients as an alternative to Clarins', this one from Beauty Pie is highly rated amongst beauty editors – including me. Created with one of the world's leading dermatologists, it's an elegant formula that gives skin an immediate glow, plus cumulative, long-lasting, skin-boosting effects too.
The downside is that you do have to be a Beauty Pie member to buy it at this price, otherwise it's a spenny £185 (Beauty Pie membership is £59 for the year or £10 per month).
