When it comes to skincare, I believe in using high-quality products that make your complexion not only look great, but feel comfortable with effective, lasting results. No skimping allowed, but no going berserk and spending $800 on one skincare product, either!

Unlike nail polish where I readily test out every colour, finish, and formula, with skincare, I tread carefully like a swimmer in an unknown body of water.

I have my favourite skincare essentials that work, so I don’t frequently change my regimen often. When I do experiment, I introduce a new product slowly into my tried-and-true skincare regimen, and I test it out for several weeks and even months before I decide whether I notice any positive or negative effects.

It gives me time to collect my thoughts, watch for any allergic reactions, and notice potential conflicts with other skincare products that I use on a daily basis.

Last year, I had the opportunity to test out the new Elizabeth Arden SUPERSTART Skin Renewal Booster, and after using it on a daily basis for two months straight, I’m now comfortable sharing my detailed thoughts about it with you.

In a nutshell: I joined the Booster Club, and I think that SUPERSTART is a SUPERSTAR! 😉

The Elizabeth Arden SUPERSTART Skin Renewal Booster has many strong claims, and I was eager to see how it would fare in combination with my skincare regimen.

Some of my skincare staples are by Shiseido, a brand that I’ve religiously used for several years. And, although the SUPERSTART Skin Renewal Booster is formulated to be used in conjunction with other Elizabeth Arden skincare products, I wasn’t ready to introduce a slew of new skincare products at once. Instead, I just added the Elizabeth Arden skin booster to my regular routine.

For your reference, I have combination skin that tends to feel more on the drier side during the colder months. Also, I have sensitive skin and typically don’t get pimples except when it’s around my period (i.e. hormonal levels are changing) or if I eat too much greasy food.

In this detailed post, I’ll share with you my experience of incorporating the SUPERSTART booster, as well as show you the official press release about the product. (You’ll find the press release handy, as it includes the results of the clinical study and information regarding the participants.)

As with any skincare product, results can significantly vary from one person to another. Many factors, such as skin type, age, the current condition of your skin, other products you’re using (or not using), and more can play salient roles in determining whether or not this booster will work for you.

Elizabeth Arden SUPERSTART Skin Renewal Booster Pictures

Elizabeth Arden SUPERSTART Skin Renewal Booster Ingredients

 

Claims: TRUSTED

• Ultra-lightweight (Yes)
• Absorbs fast (Yes)
• Improves the skin’s overall healthy appearance (Yes)
• Makes the skin appear supple, smooth & more radiant (Yes)
• Boosts the effectiveness of skincare products (Yes)
• Boosts the skin’s natural moisturization & supports the skin’s ability to retain moisture (Yes)

Key Notes

• Name: Elizabeth Arden SUPERSTART Skin Renewal Booster
• Amount: 30 mL (1 fl. oz.)
• Retail Price: $88 CAD
• Disclosure: This was provided as a press sample by PR.
• Where to Buy: Shoppers Drug Mart, Hudson’s Bay, and London Drugs

Elizabeth Arden SUPERSTART Skin Renewal Booster Review

Fragrance

Since strong fragrances can give me a headache and irritate my skin, how a skincare product smells can be a deal breaker for me.

I really enjoy the scent of the SUPERSTART Skin Renewal Booster by Elizabeth Arden because it’s calming and soft. This is ideal because I use it at night, and it’s like a skincare lullaby, helping me to get ready to hit the sack.

It smells light and fresh, along the lines of cucumber with the most gentle touch of musk. (Don’t worry – the ‘muskiness’ isn’t heavy or powdery.)

Consistency

The lightweight liquid looks like a gel-based serum, as it’s not runny and clear like water, yet it’s not as thick as a traditional gel.

When you apply it onto your skin, it feels satiny soft and smooth. It’s a very comforting feeling.

Absorption

Some serums can leave a weird residue on your skin or feel tacky to the touch, but the SUPERSTART Skin Renewal Booster by Elizabeth Arden absorbs very quickly. You won’t have to massage it into your skin for a long time. The complexion drinks it up like it’s thirsty. Also, I couldn’t feel any sticky residue left behind.

How My Skin Felt

Talk about velvety and soft! Using just this product on freshly cleansed skin, it felt soothing. And, on days when my skin was irritated (probably due to the extreme temperature change from being outdoors and then going to the heated indoors), I noticed that when I applied this at night, it calmed my complexion significantly.

I can draw a comparison here. This booster is for your face what an amazing balm is for your lips. After using this booster at night, I’d wake up in the morning with skin that felt supple and comfortable.

How My Skin Looked

The SUPERSTART Skin Renewal Booster by Elizabeth Arden immediately offered some hydration, which alleviated the appearance of dry skin.

It’s also worth pointing out that it didn’t leave my face looking like an oil slick, either. It truly absorbed into my skin quickly and left my face looking healthier than before with a natural glow.

How I Used It

After thoroughly cleansing my face and patting it dry with a towel, I found it best to use one or two pumps of product. Then, I’d dot it onto my face and gently massage it in with my fingertips until it absorbed in mere seconds. At this point, I followed up with my serum and then my moisturizer.

There was only one day when I tried using this in the morning because I was curious to see how it would work under makeup and if it would make my face look greasy at the end of a long day.

I’m pleased to report that it didn’t negatively affect my makeup, but it also didn’t make it appear better, either. It was the silent skincare lurker…waiting to leave you with happy skin. 😉

By the way, the official instructions from Elizabeth Arden say to use the booster day and night. However, in the morning, I am often pressed for time, so I save my skincare pampering (i.e. booster, serum, eye creams) for only the night. Plus it feels like a luxurious treat to apply it before bed.

Does It Boost the Efficacy of Other Skincare Products?

When using this skincare booster in combination with non-Elizabeth-Arden products (all Shiseido, except for one by Estee Lauder), I noticed that it did indeed make my other skincare work better than without the booster! I particularly noticed that my moisturizer was even more hydrating now.

A Little Goes a Long Way

I had already gone through two small 15 mL jars that were press samples first and then recently dipped into this full-sized 30 mL bottle. (There’s still a lot of product left in this 30 mL bottle, and I think it’s going to last me for several months.)

When I first started using this, I applied it rather generously, but over time, I realized that you don’t need a lot for it to work.

Now, I apply only a small-pea-sized amount, and it spreads out easily. (No need to waste precious product by using too much, right?)

Packaging

With the sample jars, I just dumped some out onto the palm of my hand. Thankfully, the retail version comes with a convenient pump, so you can more accurately measure how much of the booster you use.

(For reference, I use one pump, but on days when my skin may be extra sensitive, I use two pumps, which is still a small amount.)

The cool feature of the bottle is on the back. There’s a little switch that you can toggle to lock and unlock the pump. This is pure genius!

I love that they added this to the design because it means that you can easily travel with it in a bag without worrying that the pump is going to dispense the product all over your belongings.

Also, the locking mechanism is a good way to keep the air or contaminants away from the skincare, which in turn keeps the product lasting longer and remaining fresher!

Value

It’s a fact that I’ve come to accept: phenomenal advanced skincare is hardly ever dirt cheap. You have to pay a pretty penny because of the science, research, and quality of the ingredients.

So while $88 CAD for 30 mL gave me sticker shock at first, the results I saw and felt made me come to the conclusion that it’s worth it. Plus, as I said, you only need to use a little each time, so one bottle goes the distance.

When I finish up every last drop of what I have left, I intend to purchase this and continue to use it regularly. It has become one of my skincare staples and deserves to be up there with Shiseido. (Maybe Elizabeth Arden is a runner-up because, so far, nothing can knock Shiseido off its first-place pedestal yet.)

Elizabeth Arden SUPERSTART Skin Renewal Booster Press Release

Note: It’s a looooong press release! Also, this is where you’ll find the statistics on the clinical study on the booster.

Boost Your Skin’s Natural Defenses & Ability to Renew, Now!

Known for a holistic approach to beauty, Elizabeth Arden has introduced a new skincare philosophy, Arden Active Skincare, in which their advanced portfolio of skincare products works to repair, transform and optimize to actively improve skin’s overall healthy appearance. Today, Elizabeth Arden is proud to launch the first new Arden Active Skincare innovation: SUPERSTART Skin Renewal Booster. This innovative product provides daily support to the surface layer of the skin, to help boost its natural defenses and ability to renew itself, while ultimately optimizing the results of the entire skincare regimen.

SUPERSTART marks the emergence of a new skin boosting beauty category, introducing the consumer to an imperative new step in their skincare regimen that addresses the healthy look of the skin’s surface layer, the stratum corneum. Used before a serum or moisturizer, SUPERSTART Skin Renewal Booster’s ultra-lightweight, fast-absorbing formula is clinically proven to restore the healthy appearance of the surface layer for supple, smooth, more radiant-looking skin. In fact, 92% of women agree that SUPERSTART helps repair the look and feel of skin,* and 95% also agree that SUPERSTART boosts the effectiveness of their skincare products.+ When used in tandem with Elizabeth Arden Prevage(R) and Ceramide products, SUPERSTART Skin Renewal Booster is proven to increase the effectiveness by supporting++:

• Skin’s natural collagen by up to 5x
• Skin’s natural elastin by up to 9x
• Skin’s natural hydration by up to 25x

“Our research has shown that the stratum corneum is even more important than we once believed. Not only is it the skin you see, but it also acts as skin’s barrier to the environment and the doorway to your skincare routine,” says Art Pellegrino, Vice President of Research & Development, Elizabeth Arden. “We took a holistic approach to SUPERSTART to address each role the stratum corneum plays and – even more importantly – to help improve the overall effectiveness of the entire skincare routine.”

The skin is the body’s largest organ, vital to its overall health and well-being. When compromised, skin may be unable to retain moisture, protect itself from the environment, and ultimately reduces its ability to repair and renew itself. Skin can feel dry, rough and sensitive and may be prone to accelerated signed of aging. SUPERSTART Skin Renewal Booster is designed with an exclusive Probiotic Complex, Sea Fennel and Flaxseed Extracts that work to holistically help skin restore its natural barrier to a healthy looking condition. Skin is left feeling resilient, refreshed and capable of real transformation.

The Key Benefits

Developed in partnership with Signum Dermalogix, a leading biotech company, SUPERSTART Skin Renewal Booster works holistically to improve the healthy appearance of skin’s surface layer. It is clinically proven to help:

• Optimize skin’s microflora to strengthen its natural defenses.
• Support the stratum corneum to reinforce the integrity of the skin’s barrier.
• Boost skin’s natural moisturization and support skin’s ability to retain moisture.

All of these factors are crucial to the renewal of skin’s surface layer and its natural defenses.

Boosts Skin’s Ability to Repair and Renew

The structure of the stratum corneum can be likened to a brick wall; cells filled with proteins (bricks) are embedded in essential lipids (mortar). Taking a multi-pronged approach to promote skin balance and restore visible vitality, SUPERSTART Skin Renewal Booster is rich with Sea Fennel and Flaxseed Extracts. These ingredients help enhance the skin’s natural renewal process and essential lipids, which ultimately help to support the stratum corneum and reinforce the integrity of the skin’s barrier. When skin has a healthy stratum corneum, it can better protect itself from the environment, toxins and irritants. The infusion of Glasswort Extract improves skin’s natural moisturization by supporting the production of Aquaporins, skin’s water channels that play a critical role in minimizing skin dryness.

Boosts Skin’s Natural Defenses 

Natural microflora, comprised of both healthy and unhealthy bacteria, reside on the surface layer of the skin. SUPERSTART’s Probiotic Complex helps support skin’s natural microflora to strengthen its own natural defenses and improve skin’s healthy look. This balance, coupled with an improved skin barrier, allows for a healthy looking surface layer. Skin looks smooth and radiant, feels supple and resilient, and gets superior results from skincare regimens.

Boosts the Overall Effectiveness of Your Skincare Regimen

SUPERSTART Skin Renewal Booster is a universal beauty innovation designed to complement every woman’s skin type and all treatment regimens. By optimizing skin’s surface layer, it ultimately ensures the skin is more responsible to all products in the regimen, and that each subsequent treatment is able to deliver stronger results.

To demonstrate its effectiveness when used with leading skincare regimens, SUPERSTART was proven to boost the efficacy of Elizabeth Arden’s renowned Ceramide (TM) and Prevage (R) product lines.++ When regularly applied before Prevage (R) Anti-aging Daily Serum, SUPERSTART helps strengthen the skin’s natural defenses and ability to help fight environmental assaults. When applied with Ceramide Capsules Youth Restoring Serum, SUPERSTART improves skin’s renewal and encourages skin to maintain optimal lipid levels to reinforce the integrity of the skin’s barrier. In fact, 95% of women agree that SUPERSTART boosts the effectiveness of their skincare products.+

The Key Ingredients:

• Probiotic Complex – a complex that not only provides an improvement in the appearance of skin with a nourishing and smoothing effect, but also optimizes skin’s natural microflora and defenses.
• Sea Fennel – this rare Mediterranean coastal plant, with the unique ability to survive on rocks despite regular exposure to waves, enhances surface skin cell renewal to help increase luminosity, skin smoothness, and the complexion. It also contains properties that help fight off the environmental assaults that lead to skin damage and signs of aging.
• Flaxseed Extract – this plant seed extract helps to reinforce skin’s barrier and encourages skin to sustain optimal lipid levels.
• Glasswort Extract – derived from a coastal succulent, it helps boost skin’s natural moisturization by optimizing Aquaporins, skin’s hydration channels, and reducing water loss within the skin.

SUPERSTART Delivers Proven Results:

• 92% of women agreed skin looks and feels smoother^
• 86% of women saw more radiant skin^
• 83% of women said skin felt hydrated and comforted^
• 77% of women with sensitive skin agree that using SUPERSTART makes their skin feel less sensitive+

To use: Apply a pearl-sized amount to the face in the morning and evening prior to your favourite Elizabeth Arden Prevage(R) or Ceramide serum and moisturizer.

Price: $88.00 / 30 ml.

Availability: Beginning September 2015 available at Shoppers Drug Mart, Hudson’s Bay and London Drugs.

Footnotes:

* Based on US home use test with 89 women 25-59 years of age after 8 weeks

+ Based on US home use consumer test on 62 women aged 25-59 after 8 weeks

++ Based on ex-vivo test comparing the effectiveness of top-selling Elizabeth Arden anti-aging products when used alone vs. when used in combination with SUPERSTART Skin Renewal Booster.

^ Based on a US home use test with 160 women 25-59 years of age after 4 weeks

 

Pros Feels lightweight & soothing Calm, soft scent like cucumbers with light musk Absorbs in seconds A little goes a long way Makes the complexion appear supple, smooth & radiant Boosts the effectiveness of other skincare products Provides hydration Doesn’t leave a sticky residue Pump allows you to dispense only the amount you need Locking mechanism on the back makes it travel-friendly & keeps the product fresher for longer

Cons Expensive ($88 CAD for 30 mL)

Final Verdict: 9.5/10

It’s rare that I fall head over heels for a skincare product. This is because I find that many skincare brands promise the moon, and they don’t even fall among the stars – they throw space debris at you!

I’m thrilled that the major claims about the SUPERSTART Skin Renewal Booster by Elizabeth Arden all rang true.

As a whole, this product thoroughly impressed me, and if you’re already using a moisturizer and a serum on a regular basis, I would highly recommend stepping up your skincare game and introducing the booster into the mix!

How often do you try a new skincare product? Which kinds of skincare products do you use on a daily basis? If you’re using anti-aging skincare, at what age did you start? (While most of my friends started using anti-wrinkle eye and face creams in their early 20s, I was late to the game and only began doing so when I hit 30. Better late than never, right?)