All About Skin Lightening: Product Recommendation: Environ Evenescence Clarifying Lotion

Monday, March 15, 2010

Product Recommendation: Environ Evenescence Clarifying Lotion

For those who follow the Featured Ingredient posts on this blog know that I recently wrote about Sepiwhite. An innovative new skin lightening ingredient that lightens skin color by inhibiting the hormonal response to melanin production. This is something no other ingredient does.

One of the products that I recommend was the Environ Evenescence Clarifying Lotion. Well, recently I have been delving deeper into sepiwhite and contacted Environ for the full ingredient list. I was impressed with the short and sweet list, and was re-affirmed why I recommended it in the first place.

It is a fantastic skin lightening product.

I'm suprised it hasn't gotten much attention (I hope blogging about it here will help =P). It seems Fair & Flawless is dominating the market with their claims on featuring Sepiwhite, but I think I found something that is better than their range.

The Environ Evenescence Clarifying Lotion has all water-soluble ingredients that take full control of the melanin production of your skin cells. Its main two active ingredients are niacinamide and sepiwhite. Two fabulous skin lightening ingredients that in this particular product, work together to create intense skin lightening and correction of hyperpigmentation problems.

This clarifying lotion can be used on the localized regions themselves (dark spots, freckles, acne marks or melasma patches) or on the entire face and neck to acquire a uniform skin tone.

The actual skin lightening process of Environ Evenescence Clarifying Lotion is what excites me (I'm such a dork). Get this:

- It controls the production of tyrsoinase (enzyme responsible for melanin production)
- Inhibits tyrsoinase (the enzyme itself)
- Inhibits and disrupts the transfer of melanocytes to keratinocytes

OMG, yay! =D

That is all 3 areas of the treatment aspect of skin lightening. Remember there are also 3 rules to lighten skin - prevention (sunscreen), exfoliation and treatment. In the treatment section, having a regimen that targets the three components of melanin production is what ensures success. Is what ensures skin lightening! ^_^

The Evenescence Clarifying Lotion is acid-balanced and contains an extract from aloe - ethoxydiglycol. That is a penetration enhancer which allows for greater efficacy and absorption of the product.

Keep in mind, one of the active ingredients in this product is niacinamide. If you plan on using alpha hydroxy acids with it, make sure to apply them first since they are low pH and wait 30 minutes. This ensures the least amount of irritation possible. The good thing is that niacinamide helps build barrier function in the skin, so using niacinamide can help people tolerate retinoids and sunscreens better.

The Environ Evenescence Clarifying Lotion is ideal for sensitive skin types. It contains witch hazel as well, and no fragrance. The lighteners in it are proven effective and the penetration enhancer just add to its appeal. I would without a doubt recommend this product. I'm most likely purchasing this after I finish my vial with Skinceuticals Phyto + to test drive something new. I feel like it has been forever since I tried a new skin lightener. I'm gonna give it a whirl. I'm super excited.

Link:
http://www.environ.co.za/contents/products/evenescence/evenescence_clarifying_lotion.htm

Ingredients:
Water, Pentylene Glycol, Denatured Alcohol, Niacinamide, Undecylenoyl Phenylalanine (Sepiwhite), Ethoxydiglycol, Propylene Glycol, Witch Hazel Water (Hamamelis Virginiana), Undecylenic Acid, Witch Hazel Bark/Twig/Leaf Extract (Hamamelis Virginiana), Tromethamine

Labels: freckles, hyperpigmentation, recommendations

31 Comments:

Anonymous said...: im glad there is sephiwhite in this ...however is it even in the higher percents to work on dark skin?; March 15, 2010 at 9:15 PM
Mileena said...: Hi!

I'm on that right now. Just e-mailed them to see what the exact percentages are. I'm hoping for the niacinamide to be up to 5% since it is high on the ingredient list.

=); March 16, 2010 at 9:26 AM
Anonymous said...: Hi Mileena,

Does AHA and retin a cancel each other when i applied at same time . last week i ask you about Vivite vibrance therapy for my melasma i do use retin a every day from last 5-6 months you said i should apply vivite vibrrance therapy first and wait for 15-20 mins and can apply retin a on top of that i 've doing this for a week or so with no major irretation i just read at dermatologist site and they said AHA and retin a should not be used at same time cause they cancel each others.Is that right or no.; March 16, 2010 at 9:47 AM
Mileena said...: Hi

I've read that as well, but there are conflicting theroies to that. Generally the rule is this:

A low pH product (AHA) should be applied first, and then if you want to apply Retin-A, you should wait at least 15 minutes. This also rings true with niacinamide as well.

And you are right. The only reason for doing this is too prevent irritation. It doesn't in anyway affect the composition of the tretinoin at all. It's simply an irritation thing.

You see, Avene Diacneal (glycolic acid + retinaldehyde) combine these two and this product works good for people. There are studies even done showing its synergistic combo (AHA and retin-A).

If your skin doesn't show any sign of irritation then it is fine. I generally like to wait at least 5-10 minutes before layering just to ensure the first product has completley absorbed. =); March 16, 2010 at 9:54 AM
Anonymous said...: Thank you so much; March 16, 2010 at 10:04 AM
Met Tathione said...: That's a good recommendation.; March 16, 2010 at 7:40 PM
Anonymous said...: please update us on the percent of the sephiwhite the only thing that has worked on my black skin is HQ so i need a replacement for it and fair and flawless seem to get hit and miss reviews about their products the inconsistency in the formulas; March 16, 2010 at 8:55 PM
Mileena said...: Thanks Met! I can't wait to try it out and actually do a product review for it. ;); March 17, 2010 at 5:47 AM
Mileena said...: You got it! I will definitley update within the article itself the percentages of both active ingredients. =); March 17, 2010 at 6:22 AM
Anonymous said...: I contacted the sellers of this product and they said they are not at liberty to tell me the percents....they also no longer sell the patches that came along with this range as they were not sticking on to peoples skin; March 19, 2010 at 3:45 AM
Anonymous said...: http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P241909

kinerase photofacial also contains sephiwhite i haven't used their range before but im tempted to try either this or the envirion; March 19, 2010 at 3:48 AM
Mileena said...: Yeah I've been waiting for nearly a week for a response from them and nothing. That's similar to Japanese products, especially sunscreens which they don't give percentages for all active ingredients.

I'm going to go ahead and purchase the Clarifying Lotion anyway just to try it out. I can't find any solid reviews on it online so I'll be the fist to review it. Hopefull it works good, it seems like a good alternative to Skinceuticals Phyto+ which I will be replacing with it.

=); March 19, 2010 at 10:39 AM
Mileena said...: Oh wow. I had no clue Kinerase had a line with Sepiwhite. Thanks for letting me know. I'll look into that one more. <3; March 19, 2010 at 10:42 AM
Linda said...: where will you buy it if i may ask?; March 22, 2010 at 12:43 PM
Mileena said...: Hi Linda!

I purchased it last week from http://www.firstforskincare.ca/.

Great service.
I'm excited to try it out. =); March 22, 2010 at 12:44 PM
Anonymous said...: I was told that firstforskincare are not official resellers .......ONLY AUTHORISED STOCKISTS WILL BE ABLE TO OFFER YOU THE AVST Range. Anyone who does not offer these products will not be authorised and WILL NOT be getting their products from Environ, so please take care when ordering your Environ Products and look/ask if they stock the AVST line before ordering any products.

******* Please be aware that there are now a few unauthorised websites on the internet www.firstforskincare, (for example) that appear to be offering Environ at unrealistic prices. They are currently under investigation by Environ SA as they are not authorised to sell the goods and Environ have no idea where the products are coming from. The websites are easy to identify as there is no telephone number to contact anyone, if you are unsure please visit www.environ.co.za

I will be purchasing and using this product this week i am a woman of colour with dark skin so i think this will be a true test to see if it works because i believe fair and flawless has 4% and works on black skin (when they get there formulations right that is); March 31, 2010 at 12:17 PM
Mileena said...: Thanks for informing me!

;); March 31, 2010 at 12:49 PM
Erin said...: Hi Mileena

I was wondering if you have started using the clarifying lotion and how it is going so far.; April 9, 2010 at 5:38 AM
Mileena said...: Hi Erin,

Yes I have been. I am going on 3 weeks now. It has been amazing!! I never thought I could get lighter, but it seems to be making my skin very close to my goal skin tone (which is similar to my body). I got a few comments today at work on how radiant my skin looked.

I was so thrilled to hear that. ;); April 9, 2010 at 7:07 PM
Erin said...: Thanks for the quick reply. I used to frequent the Bright Skin Forum and got some very good advice from you. This blog is AMAZING! I am glad to hear that Environ is working for you. How would you compare the lightening effect of this product to Makari. I have used Makari off/on for a couple of years now, but it keeps giving me acne. Does Environ lighten the whole face or just blemishes? I want to replace makari with something that is equally effective, but does not cause acne. I have a dark complexion. Will this product work for African American skin types. Sorry for asking so many questions. I really want to find the right product for my skin and I value your opinion on these matters.; April 9, 2010 at 7:49 PM
Mileena said...: Thank you Erin! It means a lot to me when people enjoy visiting/reading my blog. <333

Well, to this day I have never used a lightener as potent as Makari on my skin. I dunno, when I used it about 4 years ago, my skin got several shades lighter (up to 3 I think) really quickly to, but like you I got some bad acne from it so I had to stop.

I can say though that the Environ has definitley lightened my skin. I think alone it would be great, but a lot of the lightening I am seeing now is because of my overall regimen as well. The sunscreen, the other enzyme inhibitors from Vichy Bi White Whitening Essence and such, plus retinoids (fast cell turnover rate).

I do recommend it though. It's far better than Fair & Flawless which is one of the only other skin lightening companies that uses the sepiwhite ingredient.

<3; April 10, 2010 at 12:03 PM
Erin said...: Thanks for your review of this product. I will go ahead and try it in the next few weeks. Hopefully, this is the product that I have been looking for. Thanks again.; April 13, 2010 at 6:59 AM
Mileena said...: It's an awesome product. But I equate my good results with my overall regimen complimenting it. My most recent article, the perfect skin lightening regimen outlines how covering the 3 areas of melanin production can help. This is just one of the ways.

;); April 13, 2010 at 4:53 PM
Anonymous said...: Hi Mileena,

I just bought the Clarifying Lotion and have been using it for a few days now. Can you advise on the best way to apply it and how many times/day do you apply it? The instructions are not that helpful.

Also, I've noticed that this makes my face very oily (it has a constant shine throughout the day)- do you experience this as well?

Finally, I use this after I use the DDF Brightening Cleanser- do they cancel each other out?

Your blog is extremely helpful and I really value your advice.

Thank you,
Tricia; April 13, 2010 at 5:47 PM
Mileena said...: No, the DDF Brightening Cleanser and the Environ do not cancel each other out.

I do experience the shine as well. I use the product at night, with my Retin-A on top at bedtime.

Application is flexible with this, but basically if you are applying it during the daytime, apply it before sunscreen. You don't need a lot, remember a little goes a long way or you'll only end up very very shiny. Wait 5 minutes for absorption and apply sunscreen on top.

Makeup is applied 15 minutes after sunscreen since the sunscreen needs at least 10-15 minutes to form that protective coating.

<3; April 13, 2010 at 7:34 PM
Anonymous said...: Thanks so much for your response Mileena! Is it advisable to use Retin-A with DDF cleanser? also, can you use the Clarifying Lotion (night) with Skinceuticals Phyto+ (morning)?; April 15, 2010 at 10:58 PM
Mileena said...: I would really advise using a strong AHA cleanser like DDF, and then following that up with the Retin-A. It might cause some irritation which is never good. You're trying to minimize irritation in a skin lightening regimen as much as possible.

The Clarifying Lotion can be used at night and the Phyto+ during the day. That's a great way of incoporating two awesome products in your regimen. The phyto+ would work better in the AM anyway since it isn't as shiny/greasy with its finish.

<3; April 16, 2010 at 9:15 AM
Anonymous said...: Thanks Mileena! I'll let you know how this regimen works for me. Also, how would I incorporate Vitamin C in this regimen, since I'm using two serums, morning and night?; April 18, 2010 at 3:27 PM
Mileena said...: Vitamin C serums go best in the morning. If you are new to Vit. C then you should start with every other day application. The truth is, vitamin c stays within the stratum corneum (lower layer of the skin) for up to 48 hours so daily application is optional. Most people like to use it daily because it does give an instant brighter look, plus stronger free radical protection.

Vitamin C is applied first (because it has a low pH). So after cleansing and towel drying. Apply the C serum. Wait 10 minutes for absorption and for your skin to neutralize to a proper pH level. Then sparingly (very little) apply the Phyto + on top. Wait a few minutes (2-5) for that to absorb and apply sunscreen on top.

vitamin c is never used with a retinoid. That can cause some irritation. So daytime is the best. If you find that these 3 products do not work well together (meaning flaking or pilling of one another when layering) then you can alternate. So one day wear Vitamin C + sunscreen, and the next day wear Phyto + and sunscreen.

Good luck
<333; April 18, 2010 at 5:08 PM
Anonymous said...: it's ok to mix vit. C with moisterizer, does it have same effect or aply it alone on face first wait awhile and then apply moisterizer. I am new with these products. Including the clarifying lotion, I was told to use it morning and night strsigh for 4 weeks only, how long should I use the clarifying lotion for my brown spots on my face?; June 14, 2010 at 9:45 PM
Mileena said...: Hi,

Vitamin C can definitley be mixed with a moisturizer as long as the moisturizer doesn't have niacinamide or salicylic acid. If it does, you must wait 10 minutes to allow your skin to neutralize it's pH to reduce irritation.

Do not use the Environ twice a day. It's quite strong, I used it for a couple of months and found once a day application is best. It's up to you when you want to apply it, if you are already wearing a vitamin c serum, moisturizer and sunscreen during the day I'm sure that is enough products at once in the AM.

Try using it at night. That's how I used it. It's a good product but can be irritating if used twice a day since it's kinda strong and not very moisturizer. You can definitley mix the Environ with a moisturizer and apply it.

Good luck =); June 15, 2010 at 7:35 PM

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Monday, March 15, 2010

Product Recommendation: Environ Evenescence Clarifying Lotion

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