Some beauty products are fleeting trends. Others, like Lancôme’s Advanced Génifique, become benchmarks. Now, fifteen years on, the cult serum has entered a new era with Génifique Ultimate, a reformulated version that takes “repair” from beauty buzzword to biotech reality.
So what’s different? At the heart of the upgrade is Beta-Glucan-CM, a biotech-derived ingredient made from yeast cell walls. Don’t let the science-heavy name throw you: it is designed to boost the skin’s own ability to recover from daily stressors like pollution, UV exposure, late nights and life.
In Lancôme’s words, it “switches on” the skin’s repair mechanisms, helping reduce redness, smooth fine lines, and strengthen the moisture barrier. In each dropper sits an almost cinematic 90 trillion Beta-Glucans.
“If your skin needs a glow-boost, Génifique Ultimate is perfect for adding smoothness and hydration to skin.”
Sally Hunwick, Marie Claire and ELLE Australia‘s beauty director
“A strong skin barrier is key to a radiant, plump complexion. If your skin needs a glow-boost, Génifique Ultimate is perfect for adding smoothness and hydration to skin,” Sally Hunwick, Marie Claire and ELLE Australia‘s beauty director. “I love this new formula, which has been updated with beta-glucans, an amazing ingredient to help repair skin and promote a strong skin barrier, while hyaluronic acid and prebiotics help hydrate and firm up skin.”
There is also a nod to the microbiome conversation that has dominated beauty in recent years. Génifique Ultimate retains its seven pre- and probiotic fractions to keep skin balanced, plus hyaluronic acid for hydration and licorice extract to calm irritation. The result, according to Lancôme’s testing platform which involved 1,000 people across skin types and tones, is visible repair in just one week.
Of course, this would not be 2025 without a sustainability update. The new Génifique bottle is refillable, sleek in its black and silver redesign, and engineered to cut packaging waste by more than half. Think less guilt, more glow.
For a product that has always balanced French luxury with hard science, Génifique Ultimate feels like the logical next chapter. It is less about chasing eternal youth and more about helping skin recover from the pace of modern life, which might just be the most luxurious treatment of all.
