Elizabeth Arden vs Clarins (The Definitive Guide)

Famed for their luxurious skincare products packed with efficacious actives, both Elizabeth Arden and Clarins are more than worthy of occupying some shelf space in your bathroom.

Come with us as we compare their best-selling anti-aging products side-by-side to help you decide which is best for you and your skincare routine. Enjoy!

This post contains affiliate links; as an Amazon Associate we earn commission from qualifying purchases.

Elizabeth Arden vs Clarins

When it comes to buying anti-aging products, it’s all too easy to fall into the trap of just picking something that looks luxurious. But what should you actually be looking for in your anti-aging team?

Certainly, your moisturizers and/or serums should have quality hydrating agents, like hyaluronic acid or ceramides. It’s also important, though, to look for some not-so-mainstream ingredients, like proteins, extracts, and oils. Such ingredients are the real game changers that perfectly complement a product’s more well-known components.

Today, we’ll be looking at two brands with serums and night creams that have some superstar ingredients to reverse signs of aging and keep you looking young. Enter: Elizabeth Arden’s Advanced Ceramide Capsules and Advanced Ceramide Lift and Firm Night Cream as well as Clarins’ Double Serum and Extra-Firming Night Cream.

Elizabeth Arden’s tiny-but-potent serum capsules contain a ceramide-rich solution that works to diminish signs of aging by replenishing the skin’s lipid barrier. This silky tonic also improves skin texture and hydration while supporting skin’s natural collagen for a firmer, smoother look. So, it’s no surprise that this serum has a 4.6-star rating and over 2,000 reviews to boot. The Advanced Ceramide Lift Night Cream is a formula that’s made with tetrapeptides, edelweiss extract, Vitamin E, and red algae to tighten skin for visibly lifted and more defined facial contours. The night cream has an impressive 4.7 stars with 867 reviews.

Created with 21 different plant extracts (including age-defying turmeric), Clarins’ double serum delivers a perfect ratio of water-soluble and oil-soluble ingredients to nourish the dermis. Thus, you can expect smoother, firmer, and more radiant skin. A 4.3-star rating and more than 12,000 reviews support this claim. The addition of using their night cream will help to further combat wrinkles and sagging by strengthening skin’s elasticity and reversing the effects of environmental factors like pollution and free radicals. This is thanks to ingredients like desert date, acerola, kangaroo flower, and mitracarpus, which aim to even skin tone and lift the skin. 548 reviews later, this cream has earned a 4.4-star rating.

Cost-wise, Elizabeth Arden’s serum capsules are $54 for 30ct., $92 for 60ct., and $114 for 90ct, while the night cream is $89 for a 1.7oz jar. Clarins’ serum will run you a steep $132 for a standard 1.6oz bottle and the night cream is $98 for a 1.6oz jar.

You may feel inclined to side with Elizabeth Arden as it’s slightly cheaper and has better ratings, but let’s consider both brands’ business ethics first.

Elizabeth Arden is not cruelty-free. Per their website, they typically don’t test on animals except for instances where it is required by law. They’re also not 100% vegan, but they do have some vegan options. With concerns for their eco-friendly and humanitarian initiatives, it doesn’t appear that they have anything established just yet. Their website states that they are working towards supporting programs that will reduce their carbon footprint and they hope to work with causes that benefit women (i.e., promoting self-confidence, educational opportunities for young people).

Similarly, Clarins is not a cruelty-free or completely vegan company. But they do have some notable sustainability efforts, like replacing the plant ingredients that they harvest for their products. They also work with the local communities from which they source their plants in order to ensure that those people benefit from their biodiversity expertise.

Regarding manufacturing, packaging, and transportation, Clarins is striving to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by reducing water and waste consumption as well as shipping the bulk of their products by road or sea. (Air transport accounts for less than 2% of their products.) As of now, 63% of Clarins materials are recyclable, which includes glass, paper, and cardboard.

It appears that Clarins is currently doing a better job for the environment, but Elizabeth Arden’s products seem to work better. To that, we say: choose based on what matters to you more!