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What weighs heavier in your decisions, science or personal experience. Asking for a friend here, because of course I only go by science and would clearly change my opinion about a topic when presented with scientific facts.
*cough*
Well, that friend (Let´s call her Anne, shall we?), Anne always said that shea butter would break her out. Even when she read that shea butter was recommended for acne. Even when she read that shea butter was one of the very few ingredients with a comdeogenic rating of zero. Even when presented with actual studies regarding that subject.
Anne was adamant. And then, one day, raiding her mother’s skincare stash, she grabbed a pot of Caudalie Resveratrol Face Lifting Soft Cream and used it. Without breakouts. Not knowing it contained shea butter pretty high up on the ingredient list.
She only noticed when she wrote this blog post…
What Caudalie claims
This light, nourishing cream smoothes wrinkles and plumps the facial contours. Imperfections are instantly reduced for a more youthful appearance. With an exceptional delicate formula, this incredibly indulgent cream leaves the skin soft and soothed. 93% ingredients of natural origin.
Facts
Prize and size
One pot (yes, the dreaded pot packaging) contains 50 ml and retails for 43,70 € on the website here.
Texture and smell
A light and somewhat cooling texture and a slightly herbal, but very delicate scent.
Application and effects
This cream spreads effortlessly, but takes a little to sink in. If you want to wear makeup on top, I´d advise you to wait a few minutes. My skin felt hydrated without greasiness and looked fresh and radiant. Due to the fact that it contains small “fillers” for fine lines and Titanium Dioxide I am not sure it would be a cream that I´d advise using at night. It is marketed as a day cream, but I am still putting it out there.
Ingredients
Favorable ingredients
- Coco-Caprylate/Caprate: Emollient
- Caprylic/ Capric Triglyceride: Occlusive
- Octyldodecyl Myristate: Emollient, reduces greasy feeling of a product
- Glycerin: Humectant
- Shea (Butyrospermium parkii) Butter Extract: Emollient
- Butylene Glycol:Humectant
- Cetearyl Alcohol: Emollient
- C 12-16 Alcohols: Fatty alcohols, emollient
- Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer: Film former that absorbs excess sebum and mattifies the skin
- Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil: Moisturizing, anti-inflammatory, rich in antioxidant and linoleic acid
- Cetearyl Glucoside: Emollient, emulsifier
- Titanium/ Titanium Dioxide: mineral SPF, does not cover the whole UVA spectrum
- Hydrogenated Lecithin: Emulsifying, increases cell penetration of other ingredients
- Palmitic Acid: Emollient
- Palmitoyl Grapevine Shoot Extract: potent antioxidant, helps with hyperpigmentation
- Caprylyl Glycol: Emollient
- Tocopherol:Vitamin E, antioxidant, helps with hyperpigmentation
- Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil: Rich in Vitamin E and linoleic acid, anti-inflammatory
- Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid: Fractured for deeper penetration, humectant
- Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester: Peptide, soothes skin
- Hyaluronic Acid:Humectant
Other ingredients
- Polymethyl Methacrylate: plastic microspheres, used as fillers for fine lines
- Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6: Emulsifying
- Potassium Cetyl Phosphate: Surfactant
- CI 77019 (Mica): a mineral that reflects light
- Sorbitan Laurate: Surfactant
- Xanthan Gum: Improves viscosity
- Hydroxyethylcellulose: plant based amino acid, preservative, emulsifier
- Sodium Phytate: Chelating agent
- Dehydroacetic Acid: Preservative, antifungal, antibacterial
- Silica: Mineral, thickener
- Sodium Hydroxide: pH adjuster, can be irritating
- Tin Oxide: adds silver shimmer/light reflection when coating Mica
- Citric Acid: Preservative
- Benzyl Alcohol: Preservative
Unfavorable Ingredients
- Perfume
- Alcohol
- Butylphenyl Methylpropional: Fragrance
- Coumarin: Fragrance, part of essential oils
- Limonene/ Linalool: part of essential oils, irritant
Lightweight emollients, mattifying and light diffusing particles and Vitamin E as antioxidant are perfect for more oily skin. The alcohol and the added fragrance makes the formula pleasant to use, but might be too much for easily irritated skin.
Does it live up to its claims?
Most of them.
It is a light yet nourishing cream that hydrates and plumps. The only thing I don’t get is how imperfections should be instantly reduced. Maybe that refers to the microfillers?
Would I repurchase?
Hm.
It is a moisturizer suited perfectly to my skin type and the texture is beautiful. The price is a little steep though, and I don’t really use a moisturizer during day time, so I don’t think I´d get much use out of it.
Who do I recommend it to?
Mature and oily skin that wants a lightweight and smoothing moisturizer and is not afraid to pay a little more for a luxurious experience.
Dry skins won’t find that nourishing enough, while sensitive skins might react to the fragrance and the alcohol.
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