Elizabeth Arden – Ceramide Boosting 5-Minute Facial

Confession: I’ve never had a professional facial (I’ve also never been to a spa or have had a massage either, for that matter insert stunned silence here), but I’ve read countless reports on the experience, and the common thread expressed by all, is how refreshed, revived & glowing their skin feels after. Well, now we can all enjoy that feeling with Elizabeth Arden’s Ceramide Boosting 5-Minute Facial, a two step bi-weekly system to treat and pamper your skin, all in the comfort of your own home.

Merging over 100 years of hands-on spa experience with their cult-fave Ceramide youth restoring skincare technology, has led to the creation of this innovative system that consists of a self-foaming mask to first draw out impurities from the skin, then followed up by a serum to deeply penetrate for maximum effectiveness, leaving you looking like you just spent oodles of money for a luxury treatment.

Housed in 2 cylindrical pump-dispensing containers to preserve the integrity of the ingredients, this system is meant to be used 1-2 times per week (or as the perfect prep before a special occasion) and as a replacement for the Ceramide Capsules Daily Youth Restoring Serum (or your usual moisturizer)

Key Ingredients (Self-Foaming Mask):

Lactic Acid & Protease Enzyme – a combination of alpha hydroxy acids and an enzyme that gently exfoliates and dissolves surface skin-clogging impurities
Botanical Extracts – a blend of bilberry, sugar cane, sugar maple, orange and lemon botanical extracts, which all contain naturally occurring alpha hydroxy acids that help exfoliate the the skin
Targeted Peptide – a purifying peptide that helps prime skin for optimum treatment
Glycerin – a humectant that replenishes skin with moisture

Key Ingredients (Replenishing Serum):

Ceramide Triple Complex (a targeted blend of Ceramides 1,3 and 6) – helps to restore skin’s protective barrier ad stimulate new ceramide production
Retinyl Linoleate – a Vitamin A derivative that gently and effectively smoothes the look of fine lines and wrinkles while increasing skin’s firmness
Red Algae Extract – a marine botanical that helps reduce the look of dark spots while increasing skin’s brightness
Rice Kefiran and Aloe Vera Gel – an anti-inflammatory duo that soothes, calms and helps heal skin
Tropical Fruit Extracts – a blend of natural extracts that work together to help plump and firm the look of skin
Optical Enhancers – a blend of Mica, silicone, silica and pearlescent pigments that instantly blurs fine lines and wrinkles
Glycerin, DL-Panthenol, Sucrose – a humectant blend that helps support skin’s moisture retention

Sounds like a ton of stuff, doesn’t it? Whatever … as long as it delivers, I’m SO on board.

As the Ceramide Boosting 5-Minute Facial (CAN $100.00) is a 2-step system and should ideally be timed, here are a few tips that worked for me. Prepare by having a clean towel handy & a timer (I use my kitchen/cooking timer) that you pre-set for 2 minutes. Start by dispensing a golf-ball sized dollop of foam from the Self-Foaming Mask into the palm of your hand and then quickly applying that to the face and neck, making sure to avoid the orbital (eye) area. Here’s the cool part: the mask actually seems to foam & bubble up, then about a minute later starts to fizz — right before your eyes! Immediately start timer and as soon as the 2 minutes lapse, completely rinse everything off. Follow up by applying the Replenishing Serum (face + neck), massaging it into the skin with your fingertips until it is completely absorbed, then apply your preferred moisturizer.

I have never thought of myself as particularly sensitive-skinned and usually when products say they “tingle”, I’ve rarely experienced anything at all. Either my skin has changed or this Self-Foaming Mask is quite strong, but the first time I applied it, within 10 seconds I was ready to rinse it all off – it was a tingling sensation bordering on hellfire. For the sake of the review, I endured it and by the time I was ready to rinse it all off, most of the heat had subsided. But STILL, I was a little hesitant to try it again a few days later … but once more, into the breach, as they say. Surprisingly, the second time around, I experienced a strong tingling, but no burning; either I knew what to expect, or my skin was going through some bizarre phase the first time, but I cringed for nothing – it was absolutely fine. The best part, was seeing what my skin looked like once I was done: radiant, renewed, and basically re-booted. For that, I’ll take on the über-tingling any day.

Elizabeth Arden – Ceramide Boosting 5-Minute Facial

Elizabeth Arden – Ceramide Boosting 5-Minute Facial (ingredients)

Elizabeth Arden – Ceramide Boosting 5-Minute Facial

Ceramide Self-Foaming Mask

Ceramide Replenishing Serum

Elizabeth Arden – Ceramide Boosting 5-Minute Facial, Self-Foaming Mask applied

Elizabeth Arden – Ceramide Boosting 5-Minute Facial, Self-Foaming Mask at the 2 minute mark

I can’t speak for the long-term benefits of the Ceramide Boosting 5-Minute Facial, but if what a few treatments of using this duo is anything to judge by, I am completely impressed by my results so far. For those who find alpha hydroxy acids too strong or that have ultra sensitive skin, then I strongly suggest a patch test first, as this may prove to be too strong. For everyone else who’s been looking for an at-home skin renewal system but have been disappointed by other brands, then I cannot urge you strongly enough to give this a shot. Just a thought: this would also make a great Mother’s Day gift … or an anytime gift, for that matter!

Available now in Canada through The Bay, Shopper’s Drug Mart/Pharmaprix, Sears and London Drugs. For more information: