These 11 skincare products have claims so incredulous that we are tempted to try them

If you are a hardcore beauty junkie, chances are that you may have seen it all by now – moisturisers that claim to give you radiant skin, creams that promise to remove lighten your dark eye circles, and even acne patches that can remove pesky zits just by slapping on a thin sheet.

As we have higher expectations of what our skincare products should do for us, beauty brands have also been stepping up their game by bringing us products that claim to do a whole multitude of things that are simply jaw-dropping.

These are some of the skincare products with the most outrageous (and possibly true!) claims – you might want to hold your jaw while you read this!

1. ORBIS DEFENCERA

Can you get hydrated skin just from eating a yuzu-flavoured powder oral skincare? We would have said no in a heartbeat – that is, until we discovered ORBIS DEFENCERA.

How this works is as simple as it is complicated: it retains the skin’s moisture by activating its own ability to prevent skin-surface evaporation. The brand even claims that this you just need to take one sachet a day to enjoy the same amount of hydration you get from applying lotion all over your body, for a full day!

Tall claims, but are they legit? We were shocked to find out that the powder has been put through rigorous clinical tests and is the only oral skincare to be approved by the Consumer Affairs Agency of Japan, the equivalent of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Japan.

If you are interested in test this oral skincare’s claims, you may have to act fast once you see it on shelves – a whooping 80,000 boxes of ORBIS DEFENCERA were sold within its first month of launch in Japan this January, and has already been sold out in stores within days since its launch in Singapore!

ORBIS DEFENCERA retails at SGD54 for 30 sachets in ORBIS Takashimaya S.C., the ORBIS Online Store, Robinsons Raffles City, Metro Centrepoint (M Beauty), Metro Causeway Point (M Beauty) and selected Sasa stores.

2. Clinique Smart Clinical MD Multi-Dimensional Age Transformer Duo

As age catches up with us, we may start considering aesthetic procedures to regain our youthful appearance, but the thought of having needles poking our face is not everyone’s cup of tea. If you are part of this crowd, you’ll definitely be interested to try Clinique’s new moisturiser.

The Smart Clinical MD Multi-Dimensional Age Transformer Duo claims to do what botox and fillers can do for you – yes, not just one aesthetic treatment, but two. One side, called Resculpt, is made to contour and lift, and the other, called Revolumize, is pure hydration that promises to plump skin and even out fine lines.

The idea is to treat your ageing concerns in a targeted way, much like how you do multi-masking on different areas of your face – genius, if we may say, but does it really work? There aren’t many reviews for now, and it seems like a mixed bag of opinions. The only way for you to find out is, of course, by testing it out yourself!

Clinique Multi-Dimensional Age Transformer Duo retails in Sephora and at Clinique counters.

3. Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay Facial

Don’t be fooled by the humble packaging – take a closer look and you’ll realise that the label calls this the “world’s most powerful facial”. According to the company’s website, the clay used in this product comes from Death Valley, “where it is sun-dried for up to six months in temperatures that sometimes reach 134 degrees.

Can a fantastic facial really come straight out of a plastic tub that will set you back less than SGD30 for almost 1kg of product?

In the age of expensive and luxurious skincare products, it is difficult to believe that you can get something so amazing without burning a hole in your wallet. However, we are convinced that the ‎17,648 users who gave this a 4.4-star rating on Amazon must mean there is some truth – or a lot of truth – to their claims.

Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay retails at SGD21 for a 908g jar and SGD14 for 454g on Shopee.

4. Origins GinZing Oil-Free Energy Boosting Gel Moisturizer

Most of us may be familiar with this oil-free baby that claims to instantly hydrate and rev up radiance with ingredients like ginseng, orange peel oil, and jojoba butter.

It seems that giving you moisturised and radiant skin is no longer enough, because the brand has upped the game and reformulated it so that you don’t just get hydration, but 72-hour hydration that will keep your skin feeling fresh for three days straight!

You’ll never have to worry about suffering from dehydrated and peeling skin for days on end, not even in the driest of winter climates – who would have thought that it was even possible, right?

Origins GinZing Oil-free Energy Boosting Gel Moisturiser retails at SGD36 in Sephora and Origins counters.

5. Anessa Perfect UV Sunscreen Skincare Milk

It is already difficult to believe that a sunscreen can provide enough protection from the sun while delivering skincare benefits, but Anessa takes it up a notch by promising that its all-time favourite Perfect Sunscreen Skincare Milk stays on no matter what you are doing.

That’s not even the most amazing claim – here’s what truly made us gasp: it comes with an improved Aqua Booster EX Technology, where UV protection becomes even stronger when in contact with sweat or water. That means even if you are engaged in rough outdoor activities, be it climbing a mountain or diving in the sea, you can be sure that the sunscreen you applied two hours ago will work even better as time passes!

We are tempted to believe that these are nothing more than groundless claims, but considering the fact that this is a holy grail that has remained a staple in many beauty junkies’ skincare routines, we are pretty sure that their claims are much more than just marketing-speak.

Anessa Perfect UV Sunscreen Skincare Milk retails at SGD39.90 for 60ml in Shopee.

6. Pixi In-Shower Steam Facial Self-Heating Collagen Mask

Collagen masks are a dime a dozen, but wait – is that a self-heating mask to be used while you are showering?! You read that right – this is a steaming facial mask that you are supposed to use while you take your hot shower!

This collagen mask transforms from a gel to an oil when combined with warm water so you can apply it to your face after the pores on your skin have opened naturally from the shower heat. The acacia collagen and revitalising peptides formulated in the mask help to retain moisture and plump the skin cells.

We are all for streamlining our skincare routines and getting more done at the same time, because nobody has time to pamper herself with long facials and 10-step skincare routines everyday. The problem is, could a product bought over the counter really work like a pampering collagen facial?

Of course, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to put this to the test – read our review of it here!

Pixi In-Shower Steam Facial Self-Heating Collagen Mask retails at SGD38 in Sephora.

7. Pixi Overnight Glow Serum

We are no stranger to sleeping masks that promise us everything from radiant skin to supple hydration the next morning, but this one caught our eye for offering something else: exfoliation and soothing of the skin for reduction of fine lines and fading of sun spots!

The nutrient-rich formula includes calming cucumber and aloe vera extracts, as well as nourishing vitamins A, C and E. This cocktail of ingredients is the key to the overnight miracle it promises, and it seems that this product is worth the hype it deserves, judging from the 342 reviewers who gave it four stars on Sephora.

Pixi Overnight Glow Serum retails at SGD41 in Sephora.

8. Mario Badescu Drying Lotion

We all know the dreaded times when a zit pops up right before your important event and you are in panic mode because you know nothing will cure this overnight, but this holy grail from Mario Badescu claims that you’ll never have to live with that kind of fear again.

The iconic Drying Lotion is renowned for its ability to help dry up surface blemishes overnight and is a best-selling favorite amongst beauty editors, celebrities, and professionals worldwide. This fast-acting, effective spot treatment is specially formulated with Salicylic Acid, Sulfur, and Zinc Oxide to help draw impurities from the skin and target pesky problems while you sleep.

You don’t even need to imagine waking up to clear skin, because it is right within reach – sweet!

Mario Badescu Drying Lotion retails at SGD36 in Sephora.

9. Then I Met You Soothing Tea Cleansing Gel

We were first befuddled by the price of this product (who would have imagined paying more than SGD50 for a cleanser?), and then we were surprised to learn of the various benefits it claims to offer in order to justify the price.

This gel cleanser features fermented rice water, or sake –  become one of the biggest beauty ingredient trends of the year thanks to its many skin and hair benefits. What is really surprising, however, is that sake is actually in the number one spot on the cleanser’s ingredient list, meaning that the formula contains more of it than any other ingredient. It’s difficult to think of any other product that claims to offer a high percentage of its key ingredient – most of them feature water as the top ingredient used.

Aside from the surprising amounts of sake, this product also claims to do much more than just cleansing: its promised benefits include exfoliating, preventing acne, healing inflammation, moisturising, AND brightening!

We are hard-pressed to find a cleanser that can totally undo all the years of damage to your skin, but the 100 reviewers who gave this 4.6 stars must be proof that this really works – we are putting this in our shopping cart right now!

Then I Met You Soothing Tea Cleansing Gel retails at USD36 on the brand’s official website.

10. SOME BY MI Snail Truecica Miracle Repair Serum

Many skincare products claim to work miracles, but few of them are truly as convincing as this Korean beauty brand’s Miracle Repair Serum. Said to contain 89% of Snail Truecica™ (a restorative combination of snail mucus and cica), it calms skin sensitive to external irritation and stress and strengthens skin’s natural strength by caring for skin problems.

We find it difficult to imagine using a serum made with an overwhelming concentration of snail mucin, and even more so as the brand insists that they only use black snail’s mucin as it holds the ‘unbeatable life energy up to six months to last through the winter sleep’.

Just imagine all that life force from the black snails absorbed by your skin – could that be why people have actually reported seeing brighter and more youthful skin after using this? We may be highly doubtful, but we can’t deny our curiosity!

SOME BY MI Snail Truecica Miracle Repair Serum retails at SGD28.63 on Shopee.

11. Philosophy Renewed Hope in a Jar Water Cream

Everyone’s familiar with the line of well-loved moisturisers by Philosophy. The brand has recently add to their family of skincare products with Renewed Hope In A Jar Water Cream, which comes with an airy cooling texture and is said to deliver that coveted glass skin everybody wants.

The oil-free, paraben-free formula is made with hyaluronic acid, pineapple extract, and Norwegian glacial water to target dull and dehydrated skin. It is also designed to serve double duties: a moisturiser and primer, so you can spend less time on your regime.

Here comes the incredulous claims that intrigue us: it’s said to increase hydration level by 86% and offers 72-hour hydration!

Given Philosophy’s great track record, we think chances that this new product will be a hit are high.

Philosophy Renewed Hope In A Jar Water Cream retails at SGD65 for 60ml in Sephora.