Issima Secret Divin Skin Perfecting Anti-Ageing Serum by Guerlain

Product Tag Line:

A divine serum that enhances the skin’s beauty and delays the effects of time.

Product Profile in short:

(as described on Guerlain Website)

In an instant skin looks smooth, even, matte, and incredibly velvety

With every application skin’s quality is visibly improved

Promise:

“Imperfections and fine lines are smoothed away, the pores tighten, skin becomes even, velvety… incredibly radiant with a matte finish, just like the skin of an angel”


What’s Inside:

Guerlain does not provide details about the active ingredients neither on their website nor in the product booklet. From these two sources we can only find out that Secret Divin contains Anti-Ageing Complex and Blue Gold
Close-up on Active Ingredients:
Water
Cyclopentasiloxane- skin-conditioning agent - emollient
Dydroyized Adansonia Digitata Extract – baobab extract, emollient, antioxidant, improves skin’s elasticity
Butylene Glycol - humectant
Glycerin - humectant
Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate – emollient used for skin conditioning
Polymethyl Methacrylate – film forming agent (polymer of methyl methacrylate)
Polysorbate 20 – emulsifier, helps to stabilize emulsions and suspensions
Dimethicone/vinyl dimethicone crosspolymer – silicone polymer, adds luster, sheen and creates slippery feeling to skin products
Polyacrylomide – polymer of acrylamide monomers, film forming agent
Algin –. substance obtained from marine algae (seaweed), used to stabilize creams and make skin supple
C13-14 ISOPARAFIN - thickener or gelling agent, emollient
Perfume
Titanium Dioxide – A natural white mineral pigment, used to give opacity to face powder, eye shadow, also used in full-spectrum sunscreens to protect skin from UVA and UVB
Sorbitol - humectant
…
Wheat Germ Protein - emollient and antioxidant
…
Silica – talc-like powder, absorbs excess oil, in some sources is also described as emollient, conditioning agent
…
Gold
…
Geraniol – maskin tonic, according to cosmeticsdatabase.com, it has a risk hazard rate of 5 out of 10 and in some studies showed skin irritation at very low doses
…
Plankton Extract – antioxidant, skin-conditioning
Limonene - synthetic flavoring substances, many sources say it’s skin-sensitizing.
…
Parabens

So now we know the Secret Divine to angle’s skin. As I understand from several polymers on the list it mostly relies on film-forming and masking agents. I think, due to all of the masking ingredients and Silica, Titanium Dioxide, skin looks lighter and the tone looks more even. There are several humectants and emollients on the list which is great for moisturizing. Emollients also contribute to that smooth soft feeling and look by conditioning the skin.

I expected something better in terms of anti-oxidants since in the description of the product there is an emphasis on the anti-oxidant protection.

Experience

Texture: light fluid, light creamy pink color, has tiny reflecting particles
Smell: light sweet perfume

Upon application skin immediately feels smooth to the touch. Before I looked closely at ingredients I thought there must be something powdery and something that creates a film on the skin’s surface. I was right. After the first tactile impressions, you start noticing that the pores are smaller and skin not only feels but looks smoother. It also looks matte. So all of these effects you see immediately. Unfortunately, in a week I have developed sensitivity towards this product. It could have been one of the many polymers or Geraniol… I have no idea… but upon application my skin felt tight and in a couple minutes it felt itchy. So I couldn’t see results of a long-term use and cannot comment on how skin’s tone evens out in the long run. However, I do still use this product from time to time. For example I apply it for a couple days before events to quickly improve the look of my skin.

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