What if the missing component of your skincare regimen is clear, fragrancefree and heroes just two active ingredients?

MVP of the particular function it carries out on repeat. “If you think about the skin as an assembly line and the start of it is the bottom of the epidermis, enzymes are like little robots, and each has one purpose and always does the same thing,” explains Lancôme International scientific director Annie Black.

A seamless assembly line equals a clear complexion, while a malfunctioning

‘robot’ shows up as a common skin concern. “Depending on the enzyme’s active function, the clinical consequence would be [issues like] dry skin or hyperpigmented skin,” says Françoise Bernerd,

L’Oréal Fellow and head of light and pigmentation group. In other words, those dark spots that won’t budge or the pesky redness you’ve been putting down to a change in the weather may, in fact, have more to do with how well your enzymes are working.

To tackle this head on, Lancôme landed on a simple ingredient duo: a lipid-enriched essence infused with grapeseed oil and sustainably harvested French beech bud extracts (“It’s harvested in wild forests in France, but in a very specific way. So we do not alter the trees,” notes Black). The two ingredients supercharge the skin’s natural surface enzymes, which, in turn, kick off exfoliation as well as boost the skin’s ability to lock in hydration. “What’s so interesting about Clarifique is that it acts on enzymes that are linked to the biological functions of desquamation [peeling], differentiation and hydration. And these three biological functions are key for skin clarity. Having those enzymes activated by the product will give the skin a more uniform tone as well as refine the skin’s appearance,” says Black.

It doesn’t help that our skin is in a perpetual battle against the outside world, and the list of clarity-inhibiting aggressors is growing. “For the moment, what we know is that all solar light, including UV radiation – UV-B and UV-A – are very important for [quality of] skin tone and exacerbate pigmentation,” says Bernerd. “More recently, we’ve identified the role of visible light, especially blue light, which is highly involved in pigmentation. The research has also revealed that pollution can increase or aggravate pigmentation.”

Lancôme’s new salve for uneven skin tone is timely and backed up by evidence of what’s concerning us most when it comes to our complexions. In a 2019 study published in the journal Behavioral Sciences, researchers found that regardless of skin colour, a more uniform skin tone was associated with perceived healthiness in every culture they examined. More recently, since countries across the globe have responded to the Covid-19 pandemic with varying degrees of isolation, beauty data-analysis site Poshly found 51 per cent of subjects surveyed said they would be ensuring they had enough facial skincare to see them through the lockdown.

Daily self-care is paramount, as is the fact that Lancôme chose to distil its star ingredients in a double-essence formula. In fact, the growing popularity of essences in Western beauty cements what our Eastern neighbours have known for some time: the silky liquid is loaded with active ingredients and is an essential part of any well-rounded regimen. While essences may mirror the appearance of water, that’s where the similarities end. The skin-benefitting actives do more than coast on the surface, while the hydrating properties ensure anything you put on after the essence – a serum or moisturiser – is more easily absorbed. “You can layer it with other products,” adds Black. “People who have been using it feel that their skin is more hydrated, and the fact that the formula is minimalistic means it can go very well with other products.”

While the ingredients that go into Clarifique are what sets it apart, just as important is what’s left out. “There are no surfactants or emulsifiers, because we wanted something that would be absorbed quickly and have a watery finish,” continues Black, listing the likes of parabens, silicones, mineral oils, colorants and perfumes as addons you won’t find in the formulation.

Making that wet-finish slip-texture possible is the bottle’s patented internal whisk, which was inspired by the leaf-shaped beech bud and delivers a precise 97 to 3 ratio of beech bud essence and lipid-enriched essence in every application. “It’s highly functional, because it was designed specifically to create micro-currents in the formula. So if you shake it for three seconds, 10 seconds or 30 seconds, you will get the same type and the same size of micro bubbles in your product and the perfect amount in your hand to use,” says Black. It seems almost the stuff of fiction: what if the missing component of your skincare regimen is clear, fragrance-free, heroes just two active ingredients and looks convincingly like water? That might just be reality.

Lancôme Clarifique Refining and Brightening Dual Essence, $150.

As Korean skincare was popularised a few years back, so too was the vital step of applying an essence after cleansing. Much like serums, essences contain actives, ensuring any product that goes on top works more effectively. After cleansing and before applying serums and moisturisers.

WHY NOW? WHAT DO THEY DO? WHEN DO YOU USE ONE?