Black Moisturisers feating Superdrug’s Optimum PhytoBrighter

Optimum Black Moisturiser

 

The majority of face moisturisers are white.  They just are.  It is what happens (the majority of the time) when you blend water, emollients,  humectants, actives, preservatives, fragrance etc on a large scale in a high tech Kitchen Aid type blending type machine.  Colour in moisturisers is always a novelty and black moisturisers are no different because there are very few naturally occurring black plants and actives in nature that are used in skincare.

Givenchy Le Soin Noir Souce Sephora.com

The first black moisturiser that causes a bit of a stir was from Givenchy – on the basis of one moisturiser a range was born.  Le Soin Noir renewal cream contains a ‘black algae sap’ and costs £245 for fifty millilitres of product. This is just under five pounds per millilitre of product, which probably explains why I have not been able to get hold of a smaple of this product!  I have not tried it so I cant comment on it’s efficacy but having looked at the ingredients, (Water, Glycerine and lots of different types of silicone are at the top of the list.  Then comes some oat and corn  extract, shea butter, some hyaluronic acid senna leaf which is commonly used for constipation but also has some anti oxidant properties, licorice root iron oxide which provides colour (enhances the black) and the active is described as ‘plankton extract’.  As much as I am a sucker for packaging, and a bit of luxury skincare, based on my research this product is leaving me a bit underwhelmed

Filorga black moisturiser skin absolute

So I looked for an alternative and came across the Filorga.  The Skin Absolute Night Cream is ninety nine pounds for fifty millilitres.  I am a person that is prepared to pay a hefty price for good skin so that  is a price that I can get on board with.  Brown seaweed as opposed to black algae sap this is another silicone heavy moisturiser which added hyluronic acid, and iron oxide.  There is sweet almond oil and charcoal, meteorite powder (!) an more importantly, I have been able to get hold of a sample.  Personally the texture is too silicone-y for my prefrerence, however, it does make it an excellent base for makeup

Optimum Black Moisturiser

And that very longwinded introduction brings me to Superdrug’s black moisturiser.  It is from the Optimum range and it is called PhytoBrighter. It retails for twelve pounds and ninety nine pence… but I picked it up when it was fifty percent off so it is a bargain!   It is not silicone free, but it is not as silcone heavy as the Givenchy or the Filorga.  I much prefer the texture of this product to the Filorga.  It does not have hyaluronic acid in it but Swiss Garden Cress Sprout extract (Sulfona White) which is claimed to be effective against darks spots and has a brightening impact on the skin.  It also has Vitamin E, Black Mulberry fruit and is marketed at 25+.

Optimum Black Moisturiser

I used this moisturiser for three months straight.  I liked it but I did not love it.  I did not find that it gave a greater illuminating effect than other moisturisers that I have used. If you have a fabulous cleansing regime and are good with your toner and moisturiser, this moisturiser will work well enough for you.  If you are lax with your skincare and are expecting huge results, this is not the moisturiser that I would suggest for you.

Optimum Black Moisturiser

I feel like if you skin is in good nick, it is fine but if you have problematic skin, it would not help to solve those issues. Superdrug claim that the results are clinically proven but for me a test group of thirty subjects is not big enough.  If you are on a budget or are looking to see what the fuss is about with black moisturisers, this is definitely the one for you.  Yes it is housed in a plastic jar as opposed to a glass one. Yes, the label wears off, and yes, it is a budget product BUT is is twenty six pence per millilitre.  It is nineteen times cheaper then the Givenchy and in my opinion the difference in ingredients does not warrant the huge difference in price.

Optimum Black Moisturiser

So what do you think?  Are black moisturisers just a gimmick?  Would you be prepared to pay £254 for a face cream?

 

 

 

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