Jan Marini Luminate Review

When it comes to high end skincare products that focus on ingredients that get results rather than fancy packaging and marketing fluff, Jan Marini is at the top of the list. I have no time for those brands who spend money only on packaging, but have dollar store formulas full of perfumes and empty promises! I believe in spending money on my face (because it’s the only one I’m going to get)! But, it has to be on products that will actually provide results – not just look pretty in my bathroom cabinet.

Don’t ever let yourself be sold by fancy packaging or celebrity endorsements. With skincare, always look at what’s inside. I love Paula Begoun’s Beautypedia site for researching products (and I have her book for ingredient info). I don’t always agree with her reviews (and I take them with a grain of salt since she has her own skincare line), but she is the godmother of ingredients. She has been reviewing beauty products since 1979 – before I was born! Another amazing site for skincare ingredients is Truth in Aging. You can look up lots of ingredients there to find out more about them.

Jan Marini was recommended to me by an aesthetician long ago, and I have been buying their benzoyl peroxide to keep my cystic acne under control ever since (it works without causing redness and irritation). Recently, they sent over samples of their Marini Luminate Face Lotion and Hand Cream. They are both intended to brighten, reduce brown and red spots, and reduce wrinkles, without hydroquinone.

I’ll admit, I had a bit of sticker shock when I saw the prices. I can justify $98 for a really solid anti-aging face cream, but $135 for a hand cream? Well – let’s look at what’s in these products before you write them off.

Jan Marini Luminate Face Lotion has a steep price tag, but I’ve seen much higher prices for anti-aging creams that do far less. I have only been using this product for a few weeks, but I’ve already seen my skin looking smoother and brighter, and with no irritation (which is often an issue for me). I’ve tried prescription creams and many products from reputable brands that promised to brighten with little or no results. Hydroquinone has never worked for me (even though it’s often recommended by dermatologists).

Here’s what’s in the Luminate Face Lotion:

• Nonapeptide-1 (skin lightening peptide)
• Tetrahydrodiferuloylmethane – colorless, non-staining turmeric (skin lightening, anti-inflammatory)
• Alpha-Arbutin (reduces spots and hyperpigmentation)
• Hexylresorcinol (brightening, wrinkle-reducing)
• Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate (soothing licorice extract)
• Glycyrrhiza Glabra Extract (licorice oil – anti-inflammatory, controls excess oil production, lightener)
• Retinol (great for anti-aging and acne – repairs cells, exfoliates and stimulates collagen production)
• Epigallocatechin Gallate (concentrated green tea extract – antioxidant)
• Bisabolol (from chamomile – helps dehydrated or flaky skin; anti-irritant)
• Vitamin E (antioxidant)

These ingredients are the real deal. And this particular mix actually works for oily, combination, dry AND sensitive skin! So in my opinio, unless you are allergic to a particular ingredient, this is pretty safe bet.

Now let’s talk about the Luminate Hand Cream. $135 would be CRAZY if this was just a moisturizer. But this is actually a treatment. Most of us are pretty good about putting SPF on our faces these days, but many of us skimp on SPF when it comes to hands. Because of that (and because our hands are rarely covered), they are one of the first places to show dark spots and wrinkles.

Here’s what’s in the Jan Marini Luminate Hand Cream:

• Retinol (great for anti-aging and acne – repairs cells, exfoliates and stimulates collagen production)
• Alpha-Arbutin (reduces spots and hyperpigmentation)
• Kojic Dipalmitate (a superior form of kojic acid that brightens and reduces melanin formation without degrading in heat or light)
• Azelaic Acid (skin lightening)
• Hexylresorcinol (brightening, wrinkle-reducing)
• Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate (soothing licorice extract)
• Glycyrrhiza Glabra Extract (licorice oil – anti-inflammatory, controls excess oil production, lightener)
• Pomegranate Extract
• Cucumber Extract
• Ascorbyl Palmitate (Vit C Ester – a potent antioxidant and preservative – works well with Vit E)
• Glycerin
• Vitamin E (antioxidant)
• Sunflower Seed Oil
• Meadowfoam Seed Oil

You can see that the ingredients are similar to the Luminate Face Lotion, but with the addition of Kojic Acid, Vit C Ester and Azelaic Acid (and some moisturizers). Based on the ingredient list, this seems like it would be an amazing treatment for hand spots. My hands don’t have dark spots yet, but I used this cream at night, and in the morning it was obvious that my skin was softer, brighter and had been exfoliated like crazy. IN. ONE. NIGHT.

I’m very impressed, and using this nightly. Would I spend this much on a hand cream as a preventative solution? Honestly, probably not. But if I was looking to treat dark spots on my hands, I would definitely invest. I didn’t love the smell of the active ingredients, and kind of wish they had covered it up with more fragrance. Normally I’m anti-fragrance when it comes to facial skincare but I don’t mind it on my less sensitive areas, like my hands.

One thing to note about both products – you HAVE TO USE SPF with them. If you don’t, you’ll get darker spots and your skin will be worse than before you started. If you’re not using SPF on your hands now, you REALLY have to vigilant when you start using AHAs, retinol and other exfoliants – your skin will be more sensitive to UV rays. I recommend carrying around a hand cream with SPF in your bag (or car) so you can reapply every time you wash your hands.