The new Chanel Sublimage L’Extrait de Nuit is a skincare dream come true: a night serum that practically recreates the appearance of getting eight hours of sleep (even if you’ve had none at all).
The secret is the brand’s innovative use of vanilla, which is a natural protector against free radicals. It also has moisturising and anti-inflammatory properties. Chanel grows its own vanilla – a variety called Vanilla Planifolia – at an open-air laboratory in Madagascar to ensure these beneficial properties reach optimal potency. They are then intensified further through a process Chanel calls ‘PolyFraction’, whereby the fruit’s extracted elements are combined into a complex that has a 40 times higher concentration of active molecules than the raw plant material – to supercharge the skin’s cellular repair mechanisms and actually reverse fine lines and dullness.
Chanel Sublimage L’Extrait de Nuit: where skincare meets sleep
Chanel has been studying the relationship between circadian rhythms and skin health since 2001, and L’Extrait de Nuit is the most impressive culmination of that research yet. Chanel scientists have noted that day-to-day aggressors (such as UV rays, pollution, and even make-up) accelerate the process of senescence, a term for the breakdown of cells that occurs as we age. When we sleep, our skin naturally works to eliminate toxins and combat the signs of senescence. When we get poor or irregular sleep, that natural senescence-fighting process can be irrevocably damaged. To put it simply: the less sleep you get, the worse it is for your skin.
With L’Extrait de Nuit, Chanel also combines Sublimage’s unique vanilla formulation with the restorative power of Himalayan swertia, a rare plant that blooms just once every three years in Bhutan. These ingredients work together in harmony to exacerbate the cellular repair process that happens during the evening, resulting in plumper, more radiant-looking skin.
The serum itself is silky and lightweight, making it breathable for bedtime application. Or, if used in the morning, it works as a smoothing primer for make-up. I tested out L’Extract de Nuit for the first time after a 14-hour flight and my skin looked noticeably healthier, brighter, and more hydrated than it had before the trip. So, for the night owls among us, the verdict is in: incorporate L’Extrait de Nuit into your regime now.
Chanel Sublimage L'Extrait de Nuit serum is available at harrods.com alongside the rest of the Sublimage range.