Murad is a brand I have been hearing about for a while now and I have heard really great things about their products, so I was happy and excited to have gotten the opportunity to review some products that I have been wanting to try for a long time now. I have been testing these out for the past month and a half and I am happy to report that I have had no breakouts or irritation.
I’ve been using the Murad Environmental Shield products as my daytime skincare regimen and the Age Reform products as my night time skincare regimen. The Environmental Shield line helps to combat the effects of environmental aging for improved radiance, boosted collagen production and younger-looking skin that’s protected against future damage and the Age Reform line is designed to treat and reduce the most visible signs of aging to reveal skin’s potential for youthful smoothness and plumpness.
Murad Environmental Shield Line
As we transition into Fall weather, we still need SPF protection in our daily moisturizers and skincare routine! As I’ve gotten older, I realized the importance of protecting my skin from the sun.
Essential-C Cleanser
First of all, this smells amazing, refreshing and invigorating; just a wonderful citrus scent. It also has Mandarin Orange, Basil and Grapefruit for that fresh, clean scent. This is an antioxidant-rich cleanser for environmentally damaged skin but I think anyone can use it because it is such a mild cleanser that cleans well. It removes environmental impurities by restoring moisture to dehydrated skin. I think it does a wonderful job at removing makeup, although I still need to go in with my cleansing water for any leftover eye makeup residue. My skin dries out easily after cleansing but this did not make my skin feel tight or drying and I didn’t need to immediately put my serum and moisturizer on.
Advanced Active Radiance Serum
This serum is formulated for environmentally aging skin and is meant to brighten and renews the complexion by improving natural radiance and clarity with Resilient-C Complex, a remarkable new vitamin C technology that delivers 50-times the free radical neutralizing power of prior generations. This unique formula restores, tone and smoothes texture while improving skin firmness. I initially started using this at night and after the first usage, I did not like the feel of it; so I decided it would probably be best utilized during the daytime before my SPF moisturizer. So I started using this serum in the morning after I cleansed and before my moisturizer; however, after about 3-4 fair tries, I realized that this serum was definitely not for me. I find that it was too sticky unlike other serums I’ve tried in the past and it dries very quickly. It made my face feels tight and it emphasize my fine lines, a lot. This was my least favorite item from this line and overall. It smells amazing though and I was really hoping to have found my daytime serum but for some reason, this just does not work well on my skin.
Essential-C Day Moisture Broad Spectrum SPF 30
I have found my HOLY GRAIL daytime SPF moisturizer that protects my skin from daily environmental stress, and damage from harmful UVA/UVB rays. It is packed with Vitamin C and antioxidants to restores skin from sun damage and the impact of the environment while also protecting against future damage. This antioxidant-rich moisturizer shields and revitalizes environmentally stressed skin and is formulated to protect skin from UVA/UVB rays and free radical damage while renewing skin’s moisture barrier. Of all the products in the Environmental Shield line, this is by far my favourite and the best SPF moisturizer I’ve tried personally. No exaggeration needed but it is rare for me to find a good SPF moisturizer that doesn’t break me out or leave a white cast on my face. I have combination/dry skin and this hydrates very well, absorbing quickly with no residue and has a light fresh citrus scent. It is lightweight, doesn’t leave my skin greasy or shiny and perfect for wearing under makeup. This truly is a fabulous daily SPF moisturizer! A little goes a very long way and it lasts forever.
Rapid Collagen Infusion
This is a multitasking serum to fight wrinkles and loss of resilience by promoting healthy collagen and hydration levels. It is said to be formulated to reduce the appearance of surface lines and wrinkles in two hours (result varies), to maintain youthful collagen levels while hydrating to improve volume. While I don’t think it reduces my fine lines in two hours, this is a fantastic serum that feels really good on the face. I use this at night under moisturizer and my skin feels more hydrated and looks radiant and plumped in the morning after use. Now I am not saying it is a miracle product but it is by far one of the better serums I have used. It is very hydrating to the point where you do not even need to use a moisturizer after. I also don’t know how well this product increases firmness but it definitely improves skin texture making skin softer and smoother.
Hydro-Dynamic Ultimate Moisture
Another favorite of mine. This is an ultra-concentrated, non-greasy moisturizer that provides immediate and long-lasting hydration for all-day smoothness and all-day comfort and said to locks in optimal moisture levels for up to eight hours. Firstly, I am just blown away by how hydrating this moisturizer is. This is a fragrance free, lightweight formula that has a nice velvety texture that just absorbs very quickly into the skin leaving it feeling soft and smooth. Although I think this cream can be used for daytime and nighttime, I personally like using it at night after the Rapid Collagen Infusion and they are the perfect pair. It truly is hydrating and I am in love with it. If you are on the dry side, you will definitely love this cream, especially with the colder months ahead. It is also gentle enough for sensitive skin. It is definitely on the pricey side, but this is one of those products that is worthy of the splurge.
Intensive Resurfacing Peel with Durian Cell Reform
This is said to be an intensive exfoliating anti-aging treatment to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. I was really excited to try this because I love using face masks. The instruction on this says to gently smooth onto face and neck after cleansing and to leave on for up to 10 minutes, then gently rinse with warm water. Once applied to the skin, it has a slight tingling for the first minute as it begins to interact with your skin. I have been using this consistently for the past month and a half and I can only speak from personal experience after usage of this product but I must say I noticed that my face looked brighter, and felt a lot softer and smoother after only one application. It has gentle Bamboo Bead microdermabrasion to reveal youthful-looking skin while Glycolic and Salicylic Acids stimulate cell proliferation. A little goes a long way with this product because I can easily get 3-4 treatments from one of the bottles. It says the formula is intense so if you have sensitive skin, you may only be able to leave product on for a few minutes to start.
Overall, I am really impressed with Murad products and I have found a few favourites that I will continue to repurchase and that I have already recommended to family and friends.
The Environmental Shield Starter Kit retails for CAD $18.95 for a 14-day supply and is now available at muradcanada.com. You can also purchase the products individually also on Murad’s website and Sephora.com.
The Age Reform Wrinkle Fighting Starter Kit retails for CAD $29.95 for a 30-day supply and is now available at muradcanada.com. You can also purchase the products individually also on Murad’s website and Sephora.com.
Have you tried Murad before? What are your Murad skincare essentials?
*PR Sample/Affiliate Link(s). Press samples provided for my unbiased consideration, all opinions stated are expressly my own. Post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure statement here.
Great review. Being wanting to try Murad for a while but they are a bit pricey. Your review has convince me to try it. Love your honesty. Keep it up.
Really great detail review. I have been using Murad for a while now and love it too!
Thank you! 🙂