With beautiful irony after my anti anti-ageing rant, I’ve been reviewing a highly-lauded anti-ageing serum.
There’s no doubt that skin changes quite a lot as part of the ageing process, partly down to hormonal factors and partly due to factors such as smoking and sun damage.
All of this means that the products you used in your 20s and 30s are more than likely going to change by your 40s, if not before.
So let’s look at Inner-Soul Organics Barefaced Beauty Natural Serum, which is specially formulated for mature, dry and sensitive skin types.
About the company
Inner-Soul Organics is a UK-based company formed in 2011 by aromatherapist and reflexologist Emma Coleman. All the products are made in the London and Kent areas, not tested on animals, with packaging kept to a minimum.
The company also donates £1 per product sold to the Katie Piper Foundation, and 3% of annual turnover to the Burgess Autistic Trust. For this, I like them a lot already.
Barefaced Beauty Natural Serum
This serum was a finalist in the Beauty Shortlist Awards, Best Anti-Ageing Serum Category in 2014
It claims to noticeably reduce dehydration, promote production of new cells and protect against sensitivities, leaving skin fresh, softened and deeply nourished.
Key Ingredients and Benefits:
- 30% Kiwi Seed Extract – a powerful anti-oxidant and healer due to its high concentrations of Vitamin C and flavonoids.
- Chilean Rosehip encourages cell production on the skin’s surface and boosts collagen production, promoting a clear, fresh complexion
- Camelina is an easily absorbed, fine oil which is very high in fatty acids and gives skin a glossy luminescence
- Spilanthes Acmella Flower Extract is not only a powerful, natural soother, but has also been proven in several studies to smooth out fine and deeper wrinkles
- Squalane – extracted from olives – reflects light, leaving a fresh, dewy finish whilst a healthy dose of Vitamin A prevents anti-oxidants forming, thereby protecting against irritations and formation of new lines. I predict Squalane to become the next new wonder ingredient, once we have got bored of obsessing over hyaluronic acid.
- Scents include Bergamot, herby Rose de Mai and Rose Absolute
The serum arrived in a pretty gauze bag sprinkled with lavender, containing a facial massage instruction card. I normally use Korean products which you’re supposed to tap on to the skin, so the facial massage element was new to me. It’s recommended that you take time to massage in the serum 2-3 times a week, to help improve circulation.
Scent and texture-wise this rich, pale yellow serum reminds me a lot of Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate – the big difference being that this contains organic ingredients, whereas the Kiehl’s doesn’t.
The purple and silver packaging combined with a hygienic pump dispenser completes the luxury presentation. On application, the serum leaves a light sheen on the face which took around 10 minutes to fully sink in. This was no problem to me, as I’m used to waiting for skincare to sink in before applying make-up, but if you’re generally in a rush to get ready in the morning then this serum might work better as a night treatment for you.
Once the product had absorbed, at no point did my face feel greasy or too shiny, which can happen with oily serums. I felt like the hydration levels stayed constant all day, so by the afternoon my skin still felt smooth and well-moisturised but not shiny. I definitely felt like my skin looked and felt better all day when using this serum.
For me, the serum was enough by itself and I didn’t feel the need to add extra moisturiser. This is probably because I drink so much water every day, I don’t tend to need heavy moisturisers. But if your skin is very dry, you may want to top off the serum with another product.
All in all I thought it was a lovely, luxurious and effective product. It will be too oily for some, but if you have dry or very dry skin in need of a quality treatment then it’s ideal.
Barefaced Beauty Natural Serum is available here on the Inner-Soul Organics website RRP £17.50 for the 15ml (quite a handy travel size), £35 for the 30ml
*PR Sample