Elemis Pro-Collagen Super Serum Elixir

Hello, loyal readers and 'patrons' of the blog! I spot a couple of new folks too, hey to you guys. What might look like an abandoned blog to you is just a testimony of how I need to organize my life :-D Won't harp on about the how's, why's and what's right now, but I've had the first "major" wedding to attend after my own and our family's last - so it had been busy. After that hiatus, it took a while for me to recover from the plethora of things that had piled up - both at home and at work. 

The up side of this is that I got to use many products that had been lined up. I've gathered my thoughts on what I need to say about them. The first and foremost on my list has been something ANTI-AGEING. It is a topic that I am asked about quite often. Family members, friends, and blog readers want to know about different things like the best age to start anti-ageing, the best products, the best splurges, the drugstore alternatives, the natural products, and so forth. I am in no way an expert, so I won't pose like one. To be honest, it is difficult to give a definite answer to this, so I am on the quest to find better responses and trying on different products to gauge their impact on the skin. I am on that side of the fence where the ageing effects haven't quite kicked in for now. The products I tend to use are more of the 'preventive' sort for me in the early 20s. That being said, I include my Mother Dearest in such experiments because being the graceful 40+ lady, she can evaluate the practical effectiveness of the products in a better way. 

Elemis Pro-Collagen Super Serum happened to be one of the recent products that we tried. At a time, we only incorporate one anti-ageing product, keeping all other skincare routine the same, so it helps in experiencing the impact of the products a little better. It is one of the higher-end products. Let's find out if it worked the magic:

Elemis Pro-Collagen Super Serum Elixir is from a luxury British skin care line. Elemis claims that effective ingredients make the serum a potent concentrate targeted towards plumping, smoothing, and nourishing the mature skin. What the main ingredients are and what they do:

- Anti-ageing Tri-Peptide: helps to visibly fill out wrinkles for plumper and smoother skin

- African Birch Bark Extract: enhances the synthesis of collagen and prevents premature ageing due to oxidative stress

- Red Seaweed Extract: is rich in plant sterols, thus stimulating drainage and microcirculation

- Padina Pavonica Extract: increases moisturisation, firmness and elasticity of the skin

- Hyaluronic Acid: helps to improve skin texture and provides instant hydration

- Camelina Oil: is rich in omega 3 fatty acids that help to limit trans-epidermal water loss and provide superior moisturisation

Another major claim from the company is that the clinical trials spanning over 30 days reported 79% of participants feeling that the super serum improved their fine lines and wrinkles. 

I'd be honest, among the ingredients mentioned, I had only heard a good deal about the Hyaluronic Acid. It's hard not to notice this being a buzz-word in skin care, especially anti-ageing one. This is a naturally-occurring substance in human bodies and one of its many benefits is that it helps retain moisture content in the skin. That's a sought-after feature as the mature skin tends to dry out and loses its plumped-up look. Replenishment of hyaluronic acid helps in better water retention, damage repair, and restoration of collagen effectiveness. I was fairly optimistic about the usage of this elixir. Naturally, my Mom would have been in a better position to test these claims, so I sought her help. 

Let me indulge you in some 360 degree shots before we get down to business about this fancy elixir

Elemis recently upgraded of this product as being an improved version in terms of packaging and formulation. There is not much information or independent reviews available for this one because it is a fairly new product with availability through premium channels. Starting off with the packaging and bottle design, the product comes in a minimalistic cardboard package design that stays true with the luxe feel of other Elemis products that I have tried in the past. Inside, the bottle is a 15ml heavy plastic-metal hybrid material with pump dispenser. The first thing I noticed was the bottle was considerably thinner and smaller than what I expected seeing the cardboard box. It's a plus if you travel often and like to keep this in your handbag. It requires minimal space in that regard.
Another potential downside was that the packaging was opaque - so I couldn't tell how much product I had used up. With tubes and transparent (or semi) bottles, you can always tell if you need to plan the replenishment.

I gave the whole briefing to my Mom about how and when to use this as per directions on the box. She stood there, silently judging me like "I gave birth to you. I brought you up. I know how to handle a simple pump bottle with serum, genius" :-D

She and I used it twice a day during colder months in Lahore. As a quick reiteration, I have a combination skin that leans dry during winters and very oily in summers. My Mom's skin is similar, except that hers has grown considerably drier as she's aged. Her skin stays normal in summers with perhaps a little shine on the t-zone. In winters, she requires adequate moisture retention for her skin. In terms of skin care, she keeps it basic with a Pond's Miracle face wash or Dove Soap and an occasional usage of L'Oreal Hydrafresh, Clinique Dramatically Different, or Oil of Olay moisturizers - depending on the availability. Mine gets a little more elaborate than that. Won't do any name-dropping here since I am not consistent in my product choices and their frequency. Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizer remains the only constant for me.

The product description and directions ask for shaking the bottle well before dispensing the product. The first time I used it, I didn't follow that and the product came out in a consistency where something water-based and oil-based are separated. It literally was the first pump only and in subsequent usage with proper pumping, didn't face that again. Given the high price and less quantity of the product being used on a 'sharing' basis, I'd only use a pump-ful of product in one go. My routine was less than regular, but my Mom followed through twice a day - once in the morning after face-wash and at night for the bed-time skin care. It was a clear liquid with smooth texture and runny consistency. I tried capturing it in the camera, but the auto-focus won't pick it up properly. Presenting a collage for you to give an adequate representation of what I am saying:

We would massage it into our facial skin in gentle upward circular motion, avoiding the eye contours. On my skin, the greasy residue would stay for a while before getting absorbed. That would happen almost every morning and I'd be left with those grease-marks on the phone screen, if I were to touch my face within 30-50 minutes of its application. It wasn't convenient for me to use it in daytime, so I switched it into being a nightly thing and did not face any oily residue the next morning. It would get absorbed nicely and my skin would inexplicably look fresher the next day. It was not the brightening or super plumped up look because as I explained before, my skin is not showing any visible signs of ageing on the face except the genetic hooded eye fine lines and that area wasn't recommended for this serum. 

Let me narrate my Mom's experience which was more consequential. She has used Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream, L'Oreal Revitalift, and Pond's Miracle Cream previously. Among those, she appreciated the Olay Regenerist product as it primed her skin beautifully and gave a smooth and slightly airbrushed look. She has natural blemishes and freckles on her otherwise clear skin, so that impact was noticeable. With Elemis Pro-Collagen Super Serum Elixir, she witnessed remarkable albeit short-lived change in the texture of the skin and the plumping quality. Unlike me, her dry mature skin was more receptive to the greasy content and that did remain on the top of skin - but for few minutes only. She was able to forego the use of moisturizers. Beyond its absorption, she would experience subtle tightening of the skin that remained very noticeable to her. It would make the cream foundation apply very easily. The consistent usage that lasted almost 3.5 weeks, she could find considerable improvement in her skin hydration levels, despite the Lahore winters. Did it make the wrinkles go away? No. There was an overall improvement in the nourishment and plump-ness of the skin, but the wrinkles are not reversed. The brand did not claim to deliver these benefits, but just for the sake of audience's clarity - there was no anti-dullness, blemish or age-spot correction effects on her skin. She did however experience the glow on her natural skin with an airbrushed look and the high-cheekbones that catch the light effectively. It went beyond the Micro Scuplting cream by Olay, so the hydration, firmness and improved texture claims hold true for Elemis Super Serum.

Her concern was to find something preferably fit for the eye contours as well as carry SPF for daytime usage since she's never kept up with copious amounts of products for skin care and would prefer an all-entailing product. Till then, this remains her favorite out of ALL that she'd tried before. That, of course, comes at a hefty price tag. It might not be the universally-suitable in terms of its affordability. Being said, it is a luxury beauty item and the price point remains aimed towards that target market. Is it the best that is available in the market? No. Is it that best that she has tried? Definitely yes.

Elemis Pro-Collagen Super Serum Elixir is launching in Pakistan at the retail price of PKR 9.820/- It will available at Springs, Scentsation, Amethyst Spa and Mubashir Khan Salon in Karachi and Alfatah in Lahore & Islamabad. Stay tuned to Elemis Pakistan for upcoming launches and an amazing set of products, if you wish to indulge yourself in the luxury beauty items <3

I would like to know if you have boarded the anti-ageing train. What products would you like me or my Mom to try next? Would love to gather your feedback in the comments below!

Cheers,

Bia

Disclaimer: This post may contain PR samples given for review. The opinions expressed are unbiased & honest depending upon my experience.