My Honest Clarins Review

As a skincare brand, Clarins is a little offbeat. It's not a household staple like Clinique or a TikTok legend like Fenty Beauty, but its emphasis on Alpine ingredients and independent research has made Clarins an established name for decades. If you're tired of fruity, perfumey fragrances, this is the time to dive into my honest, non-sponsored Clarins review.

What is Clarins?

Founded by Jacques Courtin in 1954, Clarins is a French beauty company that distributes its products to 130 countries. Clarins' selection includes makeup, cleansers, exfoliators, deodorants, fragrances and more, each with a special blend of plant extracts. Customers can also buy travel sizes, value sizes and gift sets.

Multi-Active Day Cream

Multi-Active Day Cream may hydrate your skin and reduce signs of aging with a blend of sea holly extract, white horehound, strawberry tree, teasel and niacinamide. To use, you'll massage this cream into your face every morning.

The off-white formula had a creamy texture and a cool, refreshing scent with hints of pine--a distinct fragrance that I'd later find in other Clarins products. After I massaged the cream into my skin, my face felt cool and moist. For the rest of the day, my skin was softer and a little clearer, but I didn't notice any major changes.

This product is probably good for long-term use, but if you're looking for a quick solution, I'd use a Clarins face mask instead. My guess is that the cream needs some time to work, and a one-day sample just isn't enough to give you the full effects. Unfortunately, this cream is also fairly pricey.

Multi-Active Night Cream

Multi-Active Night Cream includes niacinamide, strawberry tree, sea holly extract and other ingredients that may work overnight to reduce fine lines and strengthen your skin barrier. For best results, you'll apply this cream at night after cleansing your skin.

With a luscious texture and a fresh scent that reminded me of mountain air, this cream had a cool, refreshing effect. I also noticed immediate improvement: my skin tone was clear and even, and my pores were almost invisible. It almost looked like I'd applied foundation, which was a huge benefit.

When I woke up the next morning, my face looked healthier and more youthful. However, my pores were visible again, and the texture hadn't changed much. It seems that this product is most effective shortly after application. Leaving it on overnight offered a few benefits, but don't expect to look completely refreshed in the early hours.

One-Step Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser

One-Step Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser aims to remove makeup and cleanse your skin with a blend of kiwi extract and Alpine herbs. The tiny beads in the formula may also exfoliate your skin, revealing the radiance underneath. To use, you'll apply this cleanser in the morning and evening.

This cleanser's fresh, herbaceous scent reminded me of pine needles. When I massaged it into my face, the beads rubbed my skin as the gel turned into a thin lather. Once I rinsed it off, I noticed that my skin felt lightweight and cushiony--spongey, even. My pores were also less visible, and the redness had receded, giving my face a healthy glow.

I didn't experience stinging or sensitivity, so this cleanser really is gentle. As a result, you can use this product every day. With a clean aroma and effective ingredients, it's a great way to wake up your skin in the morning or revitalize your face in the evening.

Extra-Firming Energy

Extra-Firming Energy is packed with apricot oil, paprika extract, goji berry extract and more, which may smooth and tighten your skin. Clarins recommends applying this product in the morning, then performing a set of facial exercises to tone your muscles.

As expected, this formula had a strong earthy scent and a texture so thick that it was practically foundation. Afterward, my face had a faint dewy sheen, reduced redness and a soft, cushy texture. When I applied it again the next day, I was pretty impressed: my skin looked clean, soft and healthy like I'd used a face mask, and my pores were barely visible.

While my face didn't necessarily look firmer, this cream had a variety of other benefits, so it's definitely worth a shot. You might find that the proprietary Glow Plus Complex reduces signs of aging and stress, leaving you with a youthful radiance.

Cryo-Flash Mask

Cryo-Flash Mask uses quinoa extract, edelweiss extract, horse chestnut escin and Clarins' Cryo-Starter technology to lift and firm your skin while reducing wrinkles and making your pores less visible. You'll apply this mask, leave it on for ten minutes and rinse it off no more than 2-3 times a week.

The website emphasizes this mask's cooling properties, and with a light green hue, minty fragrance and instant cooling sensation, this formula definitely delivered. Once I'd rinsed off the mask, the refreshed feeling lingered as if I'd just washed my face with cool water.

Afterward, this was the cleanest my face had ever looked. Nearly invisible pores, a clean, even skin tone, no redness and a cushy, satiny texture all came together to create a photoshoot-ready appearance. Better yet, my skin felt fresh and dry without the excess oils.

Despite this, I was a little skeptical of the 24-hour claim, but my face remained clear and smooth for the next day. The full-size version isn't cheap, but if you can afford it, this mask is a great addition to your skincare routine. I think it would feel particularly refreshing on hot, humid days when you feel like your makeup is melting off your skin.

V-Facial Intensive Wrap Depuffing Face Mask

V-Facial Intensive Wrap Depuffing Face Mask offers a blend of escin, ginger and beautyberry (yep, that's a real fruit) that may strengthen and contour your skin. To get the benefits, you'll apply this mask to your skin, wait ten minutes and rinse it off once or twice a week.

I love face masks that offer a tactile experience, and this formula's slightly nutty fragrance and fluffy, creamy texture pleasantly reminded me of marshmallows. Once I'd washed it off, my face had a smooth, satiny surface and a youthful look that made my facial features pop.

While you can use this mask at any time of day, it's particularly helpful when you're dealing with morning puffiness. The website recommends a Manual Auto-Lifting Method that may help you maximize the benefits. Personally, I haven't tried it, but a little morning exercise can't hurt.

Overall Verdict

Aside from the Multi-Active Day Cream, which offered the fewest results, Clarins' masks and cleansers effectively softened, strengthened and resurfaced my skin. The masks are particularly effective when you need a full facial in a short amount of time. With ingredients that emphasize herbs, berries and plant extracts, you'll feel like you're taking a mountain vacation.

Have you tried Clarins before? What did you think? If not, what does your skincare routine look like? Let me know in the comments.