If you're thinking this post is a few weeks early given I promised to give Repairwear Laser Focus, €48, a six week trial, then you're right. I must admit that my trial came to an early end after three weeks - this just isn't the product for me.
The first few days were positive - this serum is pleasant to use. It spreads easily on the skin, sinks in well and doesn't leave a sticky or oily film on the skin. There is no fragrance and after applying it my skin felt soft and smooth. Being able to apply it to eye area was an additional bonus, cutting out an extra step and product from my skin care routine.
During the first week, I started to see positive effects - my skin looked smoother and more even, with fine lines appearing minimised. Although I knew this was a temporary cosmetic effect resulting from the heavy inclusion of silicones in the serum, as well as the silica which works to reduce light reflection (thereby blurring the appearance of those fine lines), I wasn't complaining about the results.
Coming into the second week, I was having a few small issues (attributed to the Repairwear Laser Focus as nothing else had changed in my routine), though still nothing that would stop me from using the product as long as all else was well. Firstly, my skin felt quite tight after applying the serum, though applying a rich moisturiser on top helped reduce this. Secondly, my skin was becoming somewhat itchy - particularly the undereye area, which was unusual. There were no further irritations, however, and my skin still looked nice and smooth, so I continued into the third week.
Advertised
That's when things started going downhill for me. A sudden crop of small red spots appeared - you know those irritating blocked pores which up-close look small and insignificant, but whose effect is actually magnified with distance? And to add insult to injury, although fine lines around my eyes were minimised, I started seeing a few dehydration lines running from my nose to my mouth, along which resided several of the small spots. Along with the lingering itchiness, this was all too much to grin and bear, so my experiment was cut short and I returned to some of my calming and hydrating old reliable skincare products, which soon returned my skin to normal.
I think the biggest issue with Repairwear Laser Focus for me is the high concentration of silicones in the formula. I already knew that they can disagree with my skin, but plenty of people can tolerate them and may have a better experience with this product. The anti-oxidants, peptides and enzymes listed in the ingredients are all interesting inclusions and it's good to see Clinique coming out with new products containing beneficial ingredients like these.
I'm still doubtful of the comparison of results from using this product to those from laser treatment - the active ingredients come so far down on the list behind the silicones that I wonder how effective they can be and I think the majority of the improvement in the appearance of the skin is down to the silicones and is therefore temporary. Which of course isn't necessarily a bad thing if your skin tolerates them well and you're not in the market for more invasive measures. Worth a try if you can get a sample, this just isn't the magic elixir for me, I'm afraid.
