Good Skin(Ceuticals) Days : Review of Serum 10 and Phyto Corrective Gel

An unusual phenomenon is sweeping across Britain: SUNSHINE woohoo! So if you haven’t already added suncream to your daily skincare routine, now is the perfik time to start and stick to it whatever the weather. It’ll stop you turning an unsightly shade of lobster and protect against skin damage. Today’s post, however, isn’t about suncreams - it’s about anti-oxidant serums! Anti-oxidant serums and suncream go hand in hand; both working to neutralise free radicals and help protect against UV damage. I think it’s the best combo to help prevent premature ageing.

In your search for the best anti-oxidant serums, you’re likely to come across SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic. C E Ferulic contains 15% L-ascorbic Acid, 1% Alpha Tocopherol, and 0.5% Ferulic Acid. Unfortunately, it carries a $150 price tag to match its impressive claims. It's not stocked in many places. John Bell & Croydon sell it, so do dermatology clinics. I tried getting a sample but consultants kept giving me the same advice: you’re too young for it. (I’m 25, FYG) I’m not entirely why this is so - maybe it’s because high concentrations of Vitamin C can irritate the skin? IDK. They recommended I use a milder formulation, Serum 10 which contains 10% L-ascorbic acid and 0.2% Ferulic acid, and the Phyto Corrective Gel, an anti-inflammatory serum to target spots and post inflammatory hyperpigmentation.

I got sample of each to try out, and this is how I’ve been using them:

Morning

Cleanser: REN Clay Cleanser / Bioderma Sensibo H20 Solution Micellaire

Lotion: Decleor Aroma White C+ Hydra Brightening Lotion

Eye Serum: Elemis Pro-Collagen Advanced Eye Treatment Serum

Eye Cream: DHC Coenzyme Q10 Cream

Serum: Serum 10

Serum: Phyto Corrective Gel

Moisturiser: Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream

Sun Cream: John Masters Organics Mineral Sun Cream (SPF 30)

Evening
Cleansers: Bioderma / samples

Lotion: Decleor Hydra Brightening Lotion

Eye Serum: Elemis Serum

Eye Cream: DHC Q10 Cream

Serum: Phyto Corrective Gel

Moisturiser: Elemis Pro-Collagen Oxygenating Night Cream

You use the dropper to dispense a few drops directly on to the skin and then massage in. Serum 10 has a runny texture, while Phyto is thicker but still very far from your typical gel formulation. Both spread easily, absorb quickly and a little goes a long way. I didn't have any issues applying products afterwards. One is designed to ‘prevent’ (AM) and one to ‘correct’ (AM + PM). 

I typically use Rosehip Oil or Ole's Truth Serum (antioxidant serums to ‘prevent’) followed by Hydraluron or REN’s Omega Three Serum (hydrating serums to ‘correct’).

I’ve been using these two serums for five weeks have noticed my skin looking so much better: smoother, brighter and clearer. I’m honestly not sure if it’s thanks to these serums but my hyperpigmentation marks have faded considerably and I'm even getting "compliments" that my skin is looking better. The price tag is extravagant but I went for it.

Review: Decleor Aroma Lisse 2-In-1 Dark Circle & Eye Wrinkle Eraser

I’m finally wrapping up my reviews of the new Aroma Lisse range with a long-overdue post on the 2-in-1 Dark Circle & Eye Wrinkle Eraser. It costs £32/15ml (available in John Lewis, HOF, Liberty etc.). It’s designed to smooth away fine lines and brighten dark under eye circles. Decleor's website mentions these key ingredients:

•  Mandarin Essential Oil to protect and repair cells
• Galanga, yeast and Ruscus Extracts to plump the skin, reduce puffiness and reduce the appearance of dark circles
• Gold pigments that instantly illuminate and neutralise dark undertones

Those are five ingredients out of fifty. FIFTY. If you used this with the day cream that’s 100 chemicals on your face already. Wowza.

Ingredients

Aqua (Water)

Butylene Glycol

Polymethylsilsesquioxane

Caprylic/Capric/Succinic Triglyceride

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate

Beheneth-25

Dimethicone

Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil

Nylon-12

Fluorescent Brightener 230 Salt

Glycerin

Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil

Glyceryl Stearate

PEG-100 Stearate

Pentaerythrityl Distearate

Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil

PEG-6 Isostearate

Phenoxyethanol

Cetyl Alcohol

Propylene Glycol

Ruscus Aculeatus Root Extract

Sodium Polyacrylate

Mica

Polyacrylamide

Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract

Caprylyl Glycol

CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide)

Alpina Galanga Leaf Extract

Pentylene Glycol

C13-14 Isoparaffin

Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil

Linalool

Disodium EDTA

Michelia Alba Leaf Oil

Polyvinylalcohol Crosspolymer

Triethanolamine

Limonene

Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract

Tocopherol

Laureth-7

Sodium Hyaluronate

Glycerol Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer

Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil

Hesperetin Laurate

Citrus Nobilus (Mandarin Orange) Peel Oil

CI 19140 (Yellow 5 Lake)

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Xanthan Gum

Ethyhexylglycerin

Panax Ginseng Root Extract

Goodness that took a long time to type up! I'll follow up with an ingredients breakdown, but for now suffice to say it works with (1) yellow pigments to brighten eye bags and (2) silicones to fill out wrinkles.

In tests conducted by Decleor over a 28-day period, 81% of users witnessed smoothed lines and wrinkles and 100% saw a more moisturised and brighter eye contour. 81% of 21 participants, i.e. 17 people. Whats the point in using such a small sample!? I’ve been using it for a few weeks and I can’t say I’ve noticed a difference. As a caveat, it is kinda pointless for me to comment on the anti-wrinkle benefits when I’m 25. I hate those reviews where someone gushes over a firming cream, an anti-wrinkle cream or anti-acne cream when they clearly have NONE of those problems. Also, I think it’s a little misleading to call this a wrinkle ‘eraser’, when whats happening is that silicones are filling in lines. You can’t ‘erase’ winkles but you can reduce their appearance by minimising sun exposure and always using suncream, drinking enough water and using hydrating skincare products. L-ascorbic acid, Retinol, Niacinamide and AHAs & BHAs are also effective in reducing wrinkles.

When it comes to dark circles, gather round my friends. I have under eye circles to complement my pallid skin tone and produce a gaunt sickly appearance. I don’t think my dark circles are too bad (but then again I could just be delusional.) I could do with some concealer, but I don’t feel the need to buy specific skincare products for it. What I need is more sleep!

This cream might appeal to people who don’t use make-up but want something to brighten the eye area, as there is a subtle difference when you use it. By subtle, I mean so subtle that you probably wouldn’t notice it unless you were purposefully looking for a difference. If you have some serious eye-baggery going on, this is not the solution to your problems.

For people who use concealer, using creams like this seems pointless because any effect is covered by make-up. And on that topic, my biggest gripe with this cream is that it tends to flake when you apply make-up on top and leave patchy bits.

To sum it up:

Pros:

-Has a subtle brightening effect

-Some good ingredients, like sunflower seed oil, evening primrose oil and soybean oil

-Hygienic packaging, easy to control the amount that comes out

Cons:

-The brightening effect is temporary

-Wrinkle ‘eraser’ is filler

-The top three ingredients are water > petrochemical > silicone. Meh.

-Not hydrating enough

-Irritates the eyes if you get it in the tear duct. (Whose smart idea was it to use citrus peel in an eye product?)

-Expensive - works out as £200+/100ml

You can read my reviews of the other products by clicking on the links: Energising Smoothing Cream, Smoothing Night Balm and Aromessence Mandarine Serum.