Full Review And Alternatives: Clinique Anti-Age Moisturizer

We are going to analyze an anti-wrinkle cream from Clinique for men, as always we will see a brief explanation of each ingredient with its good and bad points, as well as a brief summary at the end of it and with an explanation of whether or not I would buy this cream, in addition of possible alternatives.

Then I recommend that you read this other article with an  Analysis of the Best Anti-wrinkle and Anti-Aging Creams for Men . Especially the part after the analysis of the creams, which explains differences between the skin of men and women (which does not exist at a cosmetic level), how to read an INCI, better ingredients that a cream should have, etc.

So let’s go with the analysis of this Clinique for Men cream.

• Squalane:  It is basically a more stable version of squalene and therefore it is the squalane that generally appears in cosmetics. The second thing is that squalane was originally obtained from shark livers and sometimes still is. The fish-friendly alternative is squalane made from olives. Unfortunately, not all cosmetic manufacturers declare the provenance of their squalane.
  It is an antioxidant, prevents UV damage and age spot formation, promotes cell growth, and is antibacterial. It is an ingredient that is tested on animals, at 100% concentrations it was not irritating to the skin and eyes of rabbits.
• Glycerin:  Analyzed in wrinkle cream ClarinsMen .
• Isostearyl Neopentanoate:  Ester of isostearyl alcohol and Ieopentanoic acid, serves as a stabilizer, emollient and binder.
  It is an eye irritant if it is more than 16% in the formulation.
• Butyrospermum Parkii : Analyzed in Nezeni Cosmetics cream.
• Butylene Glycol:  Analyzed in ClarinsMen’s anti-wrinkle cream .
• PEG-100 Stearate: Analyzed in the Powder Flowers anti-wrinkle cream .
• Cetyl Alcohol: Tested  in L’Oreal Men Expert anti-wrinkle cream .
• Dimethicone: Tested in  Shiseido Men’s Anti-Wrinkle Cream .
• Polyethylene:  It is a polymer or plastic used in a variety of skin care and beauty products and exfoliants, such as abrasive, adhesive, binder, bulking agent, emulsion stabilizer, film former, oral care agent and as a viscosity-increasing agent. Not for use on sensitive or irritated skin.
• Glyceryl Stearate:  Analyzed in the Fiori di Cipria anti-wrinkle cream .
• Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract:  Most types of cucumber are made up of 95% water, and the other constituents mainly include ascorbic acid (vitamin C), caffeic acid (an antioxidant), fatty acids, the mineral silica, in addition to other trace elements. Due to its antioxidant activity, cucumber is a welcome addition to anti-aging products.
  Cucumber contains fragrant components that do not sensitize the skin (a rarity) so it can be used to enhance the natural aroma of a cosmetic product without problems.
• Hordeum Vulgare Extract:  This is barley extract that may have antioxidant properties when ingested, but there is no research to show that this is the case when applied topically. Very important for celiacs since barley and its derivatives are a source of gluten. When fermented (as it is when used to make beer or when combined with yeast in cosmetics), barley extract has been shown to soothe the skin.
• Siegesbeckia Orientalis Extract: Also called St. Paul’s wort, it is a Chinese herbaceous plant that contains kirenol. There are studies that with 0.4% of this compound it has properties for the treatment of pain and topical inflammation.
• Whey Protein:  A form of protein derived from milk. An ingredient derived from an animal, whey protein works as a hair conditioning and skin softening agent.
• Caffeine:  Analyzed in ClarinsMen’s Anti-Wrinkle Cream .
• Acetyl Hexapeptide-8:  Analyzed in Nezeni Cosmetics cream  as Argireline, very good ingredient with botox effect, but too low to have the effects discussed in the analysis.
• Sucrose:  A naturally occurring disaccharide used as a flavoring, moisturizer, skin conditioner, and soothing agent.
• Petrolatum: It is the traditional petroleum jelly, very useful for dry to very dry skin, even around the eyes. Although it is derived from crude oil, it is highly purified before being used in cosmetics.
• Sodium Polyacrylate: It is used primarily as a thickening agent but also has the ability to absorb as much as 200 to 300 times its mass in water.
  May be irritating to the eyes, but is not considered an irritant or sensitizer. It is considered a moderate risk ingredient, mainly due to contamination problems. This ingredient may contain methacrylic acid, acrylic acid, or 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, known toxins that can form during synthetic processing.
• Acetyl glucosamine:  A derivative of glucose used in skin repair. It is created chemically by combining glucosamine and acetic acid. Glucosamine, one of the building blocks of joint tissue and other connective tissues, is an amino sugar derived from shellfish and is used in the treatment of arthritis and other joint conditions.
  No adverse reactions have been found, since glucosamine is generally derived from shellfish, those allergic to shellfish may wish to avoid it. However, since it comes from the shells of these animals, while the allergen is within the meat of the animals, it is probably safe, even for those with a shellfish allergy.
• Caprylyl Glycol:  Analyzed in Nezeni Cosmetics cream.
• Propylene glycol dicaprate:  It is strictly a skin conditioning agent that uses its fatty acid components to maintain and improve the lubrication and resistance of skin cells, combining with proteins to promote healthy skin.
  It is a moderate risk ingredient, the skin irritation studies reviewed say it caused little or no irritation, and negative comedogenicity results. However, it is considered a penetration enhancer and can enhance the penetration of other chemicals into the skin. Users should exercise caution when using products and formulas that contain this ingredient when combined with other ingredients for which limits have been established based on low dermal absorption.
• Helianthus Annuus Seedcake:  It is the oil obtained from the seeds of the Helianthus annuus sunflower  , which consists mainly of triglycerides of linoleic and oleic acids. It is used primarily as a skin conditioning agent, surfactant, and to increase the viscosity of the formulation.
• Glyceryl Polymethacrylate: A non-drying lubricant used as a tackifying  agent in beauty products. It can help rebuild the dermis and increase skin firmness and contains a natural elastin fragment. It can also be used to combat premature aging and maintain the strength and integrity of the skin.
  It is considered safe both dermally and environmentally.
• Palmitoyl oligopeptide:  Synthetic mixture of the fatty acid palmitic acid with several amino acids. Also known as pal-KTTKS. Theoretically, many peptides have the ability to restore skin. Similar to argireline but with less power.
• Tocopheryl Acetate:  Analyzed in ClarinsMen’s Anti-Wrinkle Cream as Tocopherol Acetate
• Sodium Hyaluronate:  Analyzed in Nezeni Cosmetics cream.
• Dimethicone Crosspolymer-3: Tested in  Shiseido Men’s Anti-Wrinkle  Cream  as Dimethicone.
• Hexylene Glycol:  It is a solvent and viscosity agent used in many skin care products. It is used to dilute heavy compositions and create a smoother, more extensible product.
  Some studies have shown that it is irritating, but no correlation between the degree of irritation and the concentration of glycol present in the product. There were no indicative reactions of skin sensitization to these glycols in any skin sensitization test or suggestions of phototoxicity or photosensitization. In addition, in people with eczema it was concluded that its presence did not cause a significant increase in irritation.
• PTFE: It is the Teflon we know, its technical name is Polytetrafluoroethylene and it can create a smoother application for a variety of products and fill in fine lines and wrinkles on the skin.
  It is considered a low risk ingredient although there are cancer and contamination concerns due to the possible presence of perfluorooctanoic acid, an extremely volatile compound. In recent studies in recent years, one or more human case studies with perfluorooctanoic acid have shown significant cancer findings, significant immune system effects, significant developmental effects, and nervous system effects at low doses.
• PEG-8: Used in cosmetics and beauty products as a surfactant and emulsifying agent. The low molecular weight means that it is minimally absorbed by the skin.
  It has a moderate to high risk, in part due to its inclusion of lauric acid. Take note of the toxicity and contamination problems of the organs.
• Xanthan Gum:  Analyzed in L’Oreal Men Expert’s anti-wrinkle cream .
• Disodium EDTA:  Analyzed in ClarinsMen’s anti-wrinkle cream.
• Phenoxyethanol:  Analyzed in ClarinsMen’s anti-wrinkle cream.

Clinique for Men Anti-Age Moisturizer Review Summary

Clinique has achieved a cream with many active ingredients, both synthetic; the argireline that has botox effect properties ( REAL anti- wrinkle cosmetic ingredients ), as natural with the extract of cucumber, barley, etc.

At first glance it is very attractive, but then we get to the point of some ingredients that are wonderful to us. As I have mentioned before, I have reached a point in my life that I am looking for something better, something that I am sure that cannot cause long-term problems in my skin due to excess preservatives, alcohols and silicones … and unfortunately, by Being a big brand, we have the usual problem.

At this point that I comment, which cause irritation or can cause cancer, we find PEG-100 Stearate, Isostearyl Neopentanoate, Propylene glycol dicaprate, Dimethicone, Hexylene Glycol and Teflon…. As you can see, there are not a few ingredients that are not wonderful 🙁

It does not have sun protection, but it is not important as long as we apply a facial protector after its absorption, I prefer that it not have it, because that way I can apply a GOOD sunscreen and not depend on a low SPF that includes this type by default of creams.

In addition, unless you find it on sale, this is a cream that exceeds € 40

Alternative Creams

Within the same price range we find the Nezeni Cosmetics cream , although the differences are odious, since it shares some of the same ingredients with this cream but in much higher proportions, from argireline to hyaluronic acid, passing through butter of shea.

If you analyze the two INCIs, you will see that the difference in the number of ingredients is very large, in addition, the nezeni cream expires closed in 2 years, something that indicates the low proportion of preservatives, we also did not find any alcohol or silicones, so for my is the best recommendation today.