Dramatically Different™ Moisturizing Lotion+
Expert Review
We reviewed the Clinique’s Dramatically Different™ Moisturizing Lotion+ on the 24th of January 2020.
Cosmetic Claims
Clinique makes five distinct claims about this moisturizer. Let’s look at each claim in more detail.
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Delivers 8-hour hydration
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Slips on easily, absorbs quickly
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Helps strengthen skin’s own moisture barrier so more moisture stays in
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Softens, smooths
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Leaves skin glowing
Legend
We found no published scientific literature to support these claims. Clinique’s team has declined to share any information on study results.
Ingredient review and safety:
As there was no clinical study evidence to review, we looked at the ingredient list to find more information in support of the cosmetic claims. The claim that the product leaves eight-hour hydration could not be confirmed based on ingredients, as a reference to a time frame would require a clinical/consumer study evidence. The same goes for the claim that slips on easily and absorbs quickly. Claim that the product helps the skin’s own moisture barrier so more moisture stays in, and softens, smooths skin can be supported partially based on the ingredients with emollient and skin-protecting properties (such as Paraffinum Liquidum, Glycerin, and Petrolatum, among others). Finally, the claim that the product leaves skin glowing is a subjective claim and can only be supported by a clinical/consumer study.
Water\Aqua\Eau , Mineral Oil\Paraffinum Liquidum\Huile Minérale , Glycerin , Petrolatum , Stearic Acid , Glyceryl Stearate , Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Oil , Urea , Lanolin Alcohol , Triethanolamine, Hordeum Vulgare (Barley) Extract\Extrait D’Orge, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract , Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seedcake , Propylene Glycol Dicaprate , Sodium Hyaluronate , Butylene Glycol , Pentylene Glycol , Trisodium Edta , Phenoxyethanol , Yellow 6 (Ci 15985) , Yellow 5 (Ci 19140) , Red 33 (Ci 17200)
Allergen free?
Preservative free?
Phenoxyethanol
Maximum concentrations do not exceed use guidelines?
EU restricted ingredient free?
Triethanolamine
Maximum concentrations do not exceed use guidelines?
The ingredients listed do not contain any known fragrance allergens. The lotion does contain Phenoxyethanol, which is a preservative that is considered safe to use in concentrations of up to 1%.
Another ingredient present in this lotion is Triethanolamine. Triethanolamine is often used as a surfactant or pH adjuster in cosmetics. CIR recommends its use in concentrations up to 6% for leave-on products. In the EU, it is considered safe in concentrations of around 2%. The EU restricts the use of Triethanolamine, which needs to have a minimum 99% purity when used in cosmetics-as impure Triethanolamine in cosmetics can form known carcinogens (N-nitrosamines). We asked Clinique whether the concentration of these two ingredients are following safety guidelines, there was no response.
Conclusions
Evidence of a well-designed study with results that support all claims Dramatically Different™ Moisturizing Lotion+ would have given it a score of about 100.
The current formulation only has ingredient-based support on only 2 of the 5 claims, giving it an overall poor evidence score of 8.
Pros
- Ingredients suggest that it might help strengthen skin’s own moisture barrier, so more moisture stays in and might soften and smooth the skin.
- It does not contain known fragrance allergens.
Cons
- Clinique’s team is unwilling to share with the consumer any evidence of clinical studies.
- Contains preservative and an ingredient subject to restrictions. We could not confirm whether these ingredients follow the common safety guidelines and to what extent.