The Product
Elizabeth Arden PREVAGE Progressive Renewal Treatment
The Hype
28 days until glassy-fresh skin you say? Errr yes please.
This brand-new treatment kit is a month-long ‘slow’ peel system. So instead of hitting the derm clinic for a harsh acid-based or scratchy peel, you use a few drops of this gentle serum every night at home to get the same results. And unlike a one-hit attack, this gradually intensifies every week but feels incredibly gentle with no discomfort or flaking.
The kit includes four vials and one dropping pipette. Each vial contains a mixture of powerful Idebenone (an anti-oxidant to repair damage and protect cells) and Polyhydroxy acid (PHA). This is a new gen chemical acid that has larger sized molecules than most other acids, so it exfoliates and penetrates the skin at a much slower rate. The benefit of this gradual action is that you don’t get any redness, irritation, burning or tingling; so if you have sensitive skin or feel nervous about peels it’s a great baby-steps treatment.
The serum strengthens each week as your skin gets accustomed to the ‘renewal’ process.
You apply a full pipette to clean skin every evening before bed, and you can follow it with your normal night cream or oil if you want.
If you’re not familiar with PREVAGE (a brand owned by Elizabeth Arden), it’s specifically for skin that’s been knackered by UV, pollution, broken sleep and toxins, and therefore needs a more intense repair and maintenance plan than just a mere moisturiser. It’s a good one to invest in once you’re past 30, when all that accumulation of dehydration, brown patches, fine lines and dullness really hits home.
PREVAGE says that after four-weeks using this kit, skin should be smoother, brighter and fresher. Let’s put it to the test!
Reviewer
Alice du Parcq, Contributing Editor
Beauty Bio
I’m in my late 30s now and I do not love what I’m seeing in the mirror! Cute summery freckles have turned into permanent brown dots. The skin around my nostrils is really dry and looks crusty when I wear foundation. I’m a working mother-of-two, so the life-plate-spinning can get out of control: my sleep is consistently broken, my mental to-do list stresses me out and I am regularly in front of a computer screen. All this results in a dull and matte complexion that feels rough to the touch and tight by the end of the day.
The Review
I instantly loved the whole chemistry-experiment concept of this kit. Each vial has a compartment in the lid that you have to press firmly, which releases the Idebenone anti-oxidant powder into the acid-rich solution inside the bottle for a freshly-mixed serum. Once shaken, you swap the lid for the dropping pipette. Each week you repeat this process and use the same pipette. The mixture is virtually identical in texture and appearance, but the intensity increases week-on-week. I used a full pipette each evening after cleansing.
Week one: Honestly, I didn’t notice a difference. I used it on its own without adding night cream or oil over the top and my skin did feel a little dry once the serum had absorbed, but not uncomfortable or tingly. There was over a third left in the bottle by the last evening that week, so there’s enough for your partner to use as well or you could use two pipettes each night and extend the treatment to your décolleté and backs of hands.
Week two: I love clicking the cap and mixing up a fresh new dose! The treatment doesn’t interfere with any other basic skincare apparently, so this week I’m adding a very simple facial oil over the top as I have dry skin and I like the sensation of pre-bed bliss and comfort. The treatment serum doesn’t feel any different, but by the end of this week my just-woken-up morning skin looks a lot fresher and glossier.
Week three: More progress! As I apply my foundation, I can tell my skin has genuinely improved. I don’t have dry patches around my nostrils, and I don’t have to blend quite so much either. In fact, I’ve downgraded to tinted moisturiser and concealer instead of a full coverage foundation and it’s those subtle little tweaks that make me think ‘yep, this is working’.
Week four: The last time someone said my skin looked ‘perky’ was fifteen years ago after I emerged from behind a curtain at a Mulberry fashion show having just snogged the male model, Paul Sculfor. Good times. But this week, a work friend used that very term and I’LL TAKE IT. My complexion tone does look peachy-bright and the rough texture along my jawline is reduced. It’s the most intense vial of the kit but it feels exactly the same as the others, which is testament to the incredibly gentle formula. My skin looks and feels fresher and more rested, with a post-pilates gleam that I can usually only achieve by painting my face with highlighter fluid.
The Verdict
This is an ideal skin reboot if you have a big event or starting a new job; if you’re crawling out of the hormonal depths of new motherhood; or if you’ve come to a plateau in your skincare routine and need a jolt. The glowy-freshness lasted about a week, and although my brown patches are still there they’re not quite as prominent so I don’t feel like I need as much foundation. Giving my skin a thorough buff has made me rethink my spring/summer skincare routine to keep that rested ‘perky’ tone as long as possible. So I’m committing to SPF50 every single day, and using an acid toner every two nights to keep that cell accumulation down. This really worked, and I’d 100% use this again.
PREVAGE Progressive Renewal Treatment, £180, Elizabetharden.co.uk
