What they claim: Allergy tested. 100 per cent fragrance free. Winner of Cosmopolitan Beauty Awards 2006.
Full list of ingredients:
US Version: Water (Aqua Purificata) Purified, Mineral Oil (paraffinum liquidum), Sesame (Sesamum Indicum) Oil, Propylene Glycol, TEA Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Lanolin Alcohol, Petrolatum, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.
UK/EU Version: contains more of natural ingredients but is abundant on triethanolamine. Still, European version is so good, free of parabens, and rich in antioxidants (I will post a diligent comparison of US and European Clinique formulas soon), I could see myself buying it if European Clinique gets rid of triethanolamine which is carcinogenic and therefore a no-no for me (and for any other reasonable human).
Still, beware if you are in the USA and Canada:
Clinique’s best selling moisturizer contains abundant amounts of mineral oil (liquid paraffin) and petrolatum (petroleum jelly). Mineral oil, a generally safe liquid mixture of hydrocarbons obtained from petroleum, is not a moisturizer per se. It forms a film on the skin’s surface which retards water loss and allows the skin’s surface to rehydrate itself. At the same time mineral oil clogs pores and halts the skin’s perspiration. This can lead to breakouts and aggravate eczema and dermatitis. Also, this lotion contains TEA (triethanolamine) stearate that can form cancer-causing nitrosamines, highly comedogenic lanolin alcohol, also known as “sheep alcohol” or “wool alcohol”, and potentially irritating propylene glycol. And to speak of natural oils, sesame oil is quite comedogenic - any chance to swap it for something less pore clogging?
Legend:
A proven carcinogen
A strong irritant, potential carcinogen
An irritant, potent allergen, not safe for use on sensitive skin
A natural ingredient, beneficial for your skin and overall health
1 response so far ↓
1 kitten1711 // Jan 26, 2010 at 6:10 am
I’m really enjoying reading these in depth product analyses!
I haven’t used anything from Clinique for a looooong time, so was actually pleasantly surprised to read that the UK/EU version is nowhere near as bad ingredients-wise as I was expecting (except the TEA).
I was VERY surprised to see the differences in formulation between the UK & USA though and will check labels thoroughly now before buying anything in airports (as I presumed items would just be the same everywhere in the world) even though products bought overseas - particularly from the USA - seem like better value.
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