I was always intrigued by the Fresh Beauty Crème Ancienne line. The idea that it was hand made in monasteries by monks was fascinating to me. I actually really doubted that was true. I figured there was no way monks could keep up with the global commercial demand needed by Fresh’s popularity. I was wrong. I asked when I visited Fresh headquarters in New York. It truly is hand made in a Czech Republic monastery by monks.
“Inspired by the world’s first cream, Crème Ancienne contains such fragile ingredients that each must be poured in a particular sequence at a specific dose at a determined temperature all in perfect balance—requirements that can only be met by hand. We turned to a monastery to hand-blend each jar because monks are an important part of the cream’s heritage. Historically, if a formula was not produced by a monk, it was considered witchcraft. Without them, the original formula would not exist today.” —Lev Glazman & Alina Roytberg, Fresh Founders
Monks used to be considered the pharmacists of their time & keepers of secrets. French pharmacists have been working with these monks for a decade to bring this ancient formula to modern times. Some of the key ingredients you’ll see across this whole line are:
Black Currant Seed Oil Moisturizing and protective properties
Commiphora Extract Helps smooth the skin
Sugar Apple Seed Extract Reduces appearance of fine lines
Meadowfoam Seed Oil Unique fatty acid easily absorbed by the skin to provide supreme nourishment
Honey Helps attract and seal in moisture to soothe and soften the skin
Chamomile Wax Decrease dry spots, soften the skin & create a light moisture-preserving veil
Vitamin E Antioxidant protection against wrinkle producing free radicals
Echinacea Extract Helps to improve the skin’s resilience to environmental aggressors and promote a radiant glow
I have six of the eight total products in the line to talk about. There are two eye products, one infusion, two creams, a facial oil, one mask and one facial serum. Out of the two face creams I prefer the newer Creme Ancienne Soft Creme. It’s got a nice whipped, light & bouncy texture yet it’s supremely nourishing. Details per Fresh:
Crème Ancienne Soft Cream is a weightless moisturizer that delivers the supreme nourishment that the original Crème Ancienne is known for with a new velvety whipped texture. Proven to visibly reduce the signs of aging while providing 24-hour moisture, this innovative formula absorbs quickly to promote a youthful-looking complexion.
I love this as a summer night moisturizer or day winter moisturizer. It’s just got this really nice way it nourishes the skin. Like it replenishes everything it’s missing. It’s not fancy and it doesn’t need to be. The texture is so light and it doesn’t feel heavy. It does have a good amount of moisture but I like this one more than the heavier version. I can only use the heavy version on winter nights when I need ultimate almost balm like moisture. This one is more versatile for me. This is like that nice soothing and nourishing cream when your skin is having a bad day.
The Creme Ancienne Eye Cream is a luscious balm meets cream hybrid perfect for intense nourishment. Details per Fresh:
Crème Ancienne Eye Cream is proven to visibly reduce the signs of aging, diminish puffiness and under-eye circles, and provide supreme nourishment.
This was suggested to me by Fresh headquarters as the ultimate replenishing eye balm. It has a balm meets cream texture so it’s very rich and nourishing. It lasts longer than an oil or balm because of the creamy emollient components. It’s very soothing, moisturizing and nourishing without being too heavy. This would be too much for days unless you have some issue going on that needs something this heavy. This is perfect for winter nights or any time you want to really hydrate and calm the eye area. Think of it as your SOS eye cream.
The Creme Ancienne Ultimate Nourishing Honey Mask is the complete perfection of a honey mask. Details per Fresh:
Crème Ancienne Ultimate Nourishing Honey Mask is a one-of-a-kind hydrating treatment made with pure honey for a unique texture that instantly melts into the skin, delivering 6 hours of supreme nourishment while improving elasticity. Revered for generations for its ability to absorb and retain moisture, honey is rich in natural sugars that help to create a moisture-preserving veil over the face. The formula is further enriched with Echinacea, a powerful antioxidant. Known for its ability to improve the skin’s resilience to environmental stress, it has been used for centuries to treat skin conditions.
“For centuries, monks have used natural ingredients to create effective remedies. We sourced superior honey made from the Buckfast Bee, a hybrid species selected for only the best qualities developed by Brother Adam in the early 1900s at a monastery in England. This exceptional treatment offers an experience and results like none other and is truly a testament to the monks’ scientific expertise.”
—Lev Glazman, Fresh Co-founder
This has such a lush thick, rich & glossy texture. It sits on the skin beautifully without dripping down like homemade honey masks. It’s hydrating, soothing and calming. It also really nourishes the skin. I love honey because it’s antibacterial and anti-inflammatory in addition to the moisturizing effect from the natural sugar content. Sugar is a natural humectant. This mask is true luxury and it leaves my skin so completely soft, nourished and bouncy. It’s one of my favorite nourishing masks. It does have a hint of grit to it from the natural honey which I wish wasn’t there but I deal because otherwise it’s perfection. I also enjoy using this in the shower as well letting the steam melt this mask into my skin. It’s great both ways.
Creme Ancienne Infusion is probably the item I get asked about the most because no one realizes it exists. Details per Fresh:
Crème Ancienne Infusion is a conditioning treatment toner that saturates the skin with hydrating and purifying ingredients that help to smooth the texture of the skin and protect against dehydration.
This infusion is pretty much an essence so it’s great after cleansing and toning but before serums, oils and creams. It’s got bamboo water, rose and lavender flower waters, several oils and hyaluronic acid. It’s got a light slippery texture and it can be used year round for a nice extra hydrating layer. I do like the Black Tea Kombucha more than this one so if I only had to have one Fresh essence that would be it. I find this one to be a nice soothing and hydrating essence.
The Creme Ancienne Supreme Eye Serum is the newest addition to this line. Details per Fresh:
Crème Ancienne Supreme Eye Serum is handmade in a monastery with exotic root extracts and botanical extracts to combat and help correct global signs of aging around the delicate eye area. Enriched with a potent silk tree bark blend, the luxurious formula is proven to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, dark circles, and puffiness while improving firmness and elasticity.
Key Ingredients
- A potent silk tree bark blend helps strengthen and smooth the eye contour.
- Galanga leaf extract and commiphora extract help enhance suppleness and smooth the skin.
- Red ginger root extract helps to protect, comfort, and soothe the skin.
This eye serum has a nice creamy texture and it could actually be used a sole eye product for daytime. I love the glass pump packaging it’s so luxe and unique. This eye serum adds some new ingredients that aren’t in the other Creme Ancienne line like ginseng, ginger, silk tree & galanga. It’s a really nice at soothing and hydrating plus I noticed my eye area was firmer and felt more supple. This was great at plumping up the fine lines around my eyes. Didn’t do a thing for my dark circles but as you know by now most no eye creams fix this hereditary problem for me. If you want a really luxurious creamy textured eye serum that’s good for plumping and helping with elasticity and firmness you’ll like this one. Plus it helps protect with antioxidants.
The Creme Ancienne Supreme Face Serum was the item I was the most excited to try out from this line. Details per Fresh:
Crème Ancienne Supreme Face Serum is a highly effective formula crafted with exotic root extracts and botanical extracts historically used by apothecaries for their natural powers. Handmade in a monastery to preserve these precious ingredients, the blend combats signs of aging while protecting against future damage, and is proven to smooth the appearance of wrinkles, improve elasticity, enhance luminosity, and provide 24-hour hydration for the ultimate ageless complexion.
Key Ingredients
- Galanga leaf extract helps to boost moisture, enhance suppleness, and smooth the skin.
- Red ginger root extract helps to calm and soothe the skin, and ginger water helps to boost hydration levels.
- San Chi root extract helps to firm, revitalize, and comfort the skin.
- Ginseng root extract helps to nourish and tone, and ginger extract helps to firm and protect.
- Echinacea extract helps to improve the skin’s resilience to environmental aggressors.
- Nyamplung and meadowfoam seed oils help to nourish, moisturize, and soften the skin.
This has the same the ginseng, ginger and galanga found in the eye serum but with the addition of san chi root. Both of the serums have a different feel than the rest of the Crème Ancienne line with the exotic root extracts added in. This serum has a hydrating light creamy texture. It’s so perfect for nights or cooler months for soothing and nourishing the skin. It hydrates, soothes, nourishes, firms and revitalizes the skin. It’s a super luxurious way to get antioxidants and plumping nutrients to the skin.
Everything in this line does a great job at nourishing, boosting moisture, calming & soothing, firming, helping improve the elasticity of the skin plus it plumps fine lines and wrinkles. Crème Ancienne is a great all around anti-aging range. Yes the products are all pricey, but utterly luxurious. It is Fresh Beauty’s ultimate luxury line. The ingredients and process of what go into these hand made products is what make it so special. My favorites are the mask & soft cream. I really like the serums as well with their luscious textures. It’s really hard to pick favorites because they’re all great I just use those ones more. Though the eye cream is my rescue item. I love having it on hand for those SOS moments when my skin needs extra TLC.
This line will really shine on the normal to combo, dry, dehydrated & mature skin types. Sensitive skin may appreciate the nourishment and low irritant formula of the cream as it’s essential oil free. Oily & oily to combo skin types may like the mask or infusion but some of the creams and serums may be too heavy at times for you. If you like truly luxurious textures, hand made skincare & nourishing formulas Crème Ancienne line is for you.
*Products gifted without expectation of review. All thoughts are my own. I did buy one honey mask on my own prior to this jar when it launched.
INGREDIENTS
Soft Cream
AQUA (WATER), GLYCERIN, NEOPENTYL GLYCOL DICAPRYLATE/DICAPRATE, LIMNANTHES ALBA (MEADOWFOAM) SEED OIL, PENTAERYTHRITYL TETRAETHYLHEXANOATE, PENTYLENE GLYCOL, METHYL TRIMETHICONE, CETYL ALCOHOL, STEARYL ALCOHOL, BUTYROSPERMUM PARKII (SHEA BUTTER) EXTRACT, PRUNUS AMYGDALUS DULCIS (SWEET ALMOND) OIL, ORMENIS MULTICAULIS FLOWER WAX, ECHINACEA PURPUREA EXTRACT, TOCOPHEROL, ACRYLATES/C10-30 ALKYL ACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER, GLYCERYL STEARATE, PEG-100 STEARATE, SODIUM STEAROYL GLUTAMATE, PARFUM (FRAGRANCE), SODIUM HYDROXIDE, BHT, PHENOXYETHANOL, BENZYL SALICYLATE
Eye Cream
LIMNANTHES ALBA (MEADOWFOAM) SEED OIL SIMMONDSIA CHINENSIS (JOJOBA) SEED OIL WATER (AQUA) BEESWAX (CERA ALBA) PENTYLENE GLYCOL CORN STARCH MODIFIED BUTYLENE GLYCOL SODIUM CARBONATE DECAHYDRATE ANONA SQUAMOSA SEED EXTRACT SUCROSE TETRASTEARATE TRIACETATE HIPPOPHAE RHAMNOIDES OIL LIMONENE CITRUS MEDICA LIMONUM (LEMON) PEEL OIL PHENOXYETHANOL OSMANTHUS FRAGRANS FLOWER EXTRACT ROSA DAMASCENA FLOWER WATER ANTHEMIS NOBILIS FLOWER OIL ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN TOCOPHEROL CITRONELLOL GERANIOL ROSMARINUS OFFICINALIS (ROSEMARY) LEAF EXTRACT
Honey Mask
MEL (HONEY),PROPYLENE GLYCOL DICAPRYLATE/DICAPRATE,STEARALKONIUM HECTORITE PEG-7 GLYCERYL COCOATE,LIMNANTHES ALBA (MEADOWFOAM) SEED OIL,JOJOBA OIL PEG-150 ESTERS,PENTYLENE GLYCOL,BUTYROSPERMUM PARKII (SHEA BUTTER),PROPYLENE CARBONATE,HIPPOPHAE RHAMNOIDES OIL,ECHINACEA PURPUREA EXTRACT,CITRUS LIMON (LEMON) PEEL OIL,OSMANTHUS FRAGRANS FLOWER EXTRACT,ROSA DAMASCENA FLOWER WATER,ANTHEMIS NOBILIS FLOWER OIL,HELIANTHUS ANNUUS (SUNFLOWER) SEED OIL,ROSMARINUS OFFICINALIS (ROSEMARY) LEAF EXTRACT,TOCOPHEROL,SUCROSE LAURATE,AQUA (WATER),CERA ALBA (BEESWAX)CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE,GLYCERIN,PARFUM (FRAGRANCE),SODIUM METABISULFITE,CITRIC ACID,GERANIOL,LIMONENE,CITRONELLOL
Infusion
Aqua (Water), Phyllostachys Edulis Shoot Water, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Betaine, Glycerin, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Water, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Peel Oil, Osmanthus Fragrans Flower Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Tocopherol, PPG-26-Buteth-26, Tetrasodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, BHT, Citronellol, Linalool, Geraniol, Limonene, Phenoxyethanol
Supreme Eye Serum
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Cetearyl Isononanoate, Ethylene/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Propanediol, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Albizia Julibrissin Bark Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Alpinia Galanga Leaf Extract, Commiphora Mukul Resin Extract, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Siegesbeckia Orientalis Extract, Tocopherol, Adenosine, Diglycerin, Polyacrylate-13, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Glycerides, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Chlorphenesin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Polyisobutene, Poloxamer 407, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hydroxide, Parfum (Fragrance), Disodium EDTA, Sorbitan Isostearate, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Polysorbate 20, Biosaccharide Gum-2, Caramel, Sodium Metabisulfite, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Salicylate
Supreme Face Serum
ZINGIBER OFFICINALE (GINGER) WATER,AQUA (WATER),GLYCERIN SQUALANE,BUTYLENE GLYCOL,LIMNANTHES ALBA (MEADOWFOAM) SEED OIL PENTYLENE GLYCOL,POLYGLYCERIN-3,STEARETH-21,GLYCERYL STEARATE HELIANTHUS ANNUUS (SUNFLOWER) SEED OIL,ZINGIBER ZERUMBET EXTRACT PANAX NOTOGINSENG ROOT EXTRACT,ALPINIA GALANGA LEAF EXTRACT COMMIPHORA MUKUL RESIN EXTRACT,ECHINACEA PURPUREA EXTRACT CALOPHYLLUM INOPHYLLUM SEED OIL,ZINGIBER OFFICINALE (GINGER) ROOT EXTRACT PANAX GINSENG ROOT EXTRACT,ADENOSINE,TOCOPHEROL,STEARETH-2 CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE,POLYACRYLAMIDE,ACRYLATES/C10-30 ALKYL ACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER,C13-14 ISOPARAFFIN,PARFUM (FRAGRANCE),XANTHAN GUM TROMETHAMINE,TETRASODIUM EDTA,CARAMEL,LAURETH-7,BHT,SODIUM METABISULFITE PHENOXYETHANOL,BENZYL SALICYLATE