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Let me tell you something about me: I have the most typical combination skin and having it is not easy. Especially having combination skin during your teen years: as life wasn’t already very complicated, imagine me explaining my mother about my skin type and why I cannot use Pond’s Cold cream as a moisturizer on my whole face everyday like her other dry skinned kiddos and being told that I was not Frankenstein’s child and I cant have two possible skin-types on one measly sized face. Not to forget all the years I have assaulted my face with products, DIYs and more products, trying to figure out a way to control the oil slick on my T-zone as well as my Sahara dry cheeks, which ultimately left me with nothing but issues and then some more: Pores right, left and center of my nose plugged in with a handful of blackheads, uneven skin-tone patches along the cheeks serving as a very much inverse highlight along my cheekbones [something I’ve attributed to longtime sun damage from living in the desert and being an idiot with the sunscreen] and last but not the least: a healthy sprinkle of bumps on my forehead.
With the beginning of the new year if there was anything I really wanted to work on in 2018, it was my skincare game. Fast forward a couple of sheet-masks and toners, and here I am, ready to review a serum that has changed my outlook on what skincare should be like: The It’s Skin Power 10 Formula VC Effector with Vitamin C Derivatives.
*phew*Now since we’ve gotten that ultra long name out of the way, let’s talk about this potion:
What is it and what it claims to do:
A Concentrated Brightening & Pore Reducing Facial Serum-Enriched With Vitamin C & Green Tea Derivatives To Effectively Suppress Melanin Production-Stimulates Collagen Synthesis To Reduce The Appearance Of Skin Discoloration. Refines Skin Texture & Reduces Enlarged Pores. Unveils A Smoother Brighter Even-Toned & Healthier Looking Complexion. Dermatologist-Tested.
Key Ingredients:
- Vitamin C or rather its derivative, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate. This is a lighter, gentler and more oil-soluble form of vitamin c that is known to penetrate the skin faster and more easily. As with all the other Vitamin C derivatives: it fights free radicals that may cause premature aging, has collagen rebuilding properties [so may promote firmness in skin], increases UVA/UVB photoprotection and lightens dark spots and skin discoloration. The only difference between this derivative and others is that it absorbs faster in the skin and so there is less potential for it to oxidize and more for it to work its magic.
- Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract commonly known as green tea extract which is known for its anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties.
- Polyglutamic Acid. Not much has been researched yet about this ingredient but it is known to have deep moisturizing effects.
WATER, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, GLYCERIN, POLYGLUTAMIC ACID, ASCORBYL TETRAISOPALMITATE, PEG-60 HYDROGENATED CASTOR OIL, DIPROPYLENE GLYCOL, ETHYL HEXANEDIOL, CARBOMER, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, TRIETHANOLAMINE, ACRYLATES/C10-30 ALKYL ACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER, CAMELLIA SINENSIS LEAF EXTRACT, FRAGRANCE, DISODIUM EDTA
You can find their in-depth analysis here.
Packaging:
It comes in a glass dropper form which I currently have a love/hate relationship with since the last few drops of the serum can be a bit pesky to try to get out. But I love the measuring scale markings at the side of the bottle which I thought was quite a nifty idea since it did allow me to track down how much of the product I used up in a week or month. I wish every serum bottle had this design really.
Texture and smell:
It has a very faint citrus scent that doesn’t linger around very much. The serum itself is of a milky color and has a very thick consistency, something between an emulsion and a water based serum but thankfully it sinks right in after application and does not leave the skin oily.
Thoughts:
I started using this serum in mid December every night quite religiously and I love it! This has been a staple in my night routine ever since!!! You don’t need a lot: I only used a whole dropper worth amount to cover my face and neck area, and its been almost a month and I am still left with half the bottle. I dare say it lives up to its claims of giving a smoother skin! It has made my skin so soft and smooth, I literally cannot stop touching it! And it has reduced the appearance of the pores around my nose a bit too, which, to be fair, I was not really expecting, so that was quite a nice surprise. As far as the brightening properties goes: Yes, it has brightened and evened out my skin-tone up a notch [especially my dark circles], but the effect wasn’t as dramatic as its smoothing properties.
PROs:
- Gentle Vitamin C serum
- Moisturising
- Relatively cheap
- Smooths out the skin
- Brightens the skin
CONs:
- If you are allergic to any of the other ingredients
Bottom line: This is a very mild for of Vitamin C serum. I’d recommend this serum to anybody who wants to try an affordable Vitamin C serum, just try one for the first time, those who want to get rid of skin texture issues [aka pesky bumps] and mild uneven skin tone or even fainter dark circles. Also, since it is essentially a Vitamin C serum, do not forget to wear your sunscreen once you start using it. I’ve only used it at nights and not in the mornings [call me old-school] but I did not skip my sunscreen any day.
All in all, do not expect any miracles if you are not consistent with it, have a bad diet [because obviously, you are what you eat] or go rouge without sunscreen more than ‘occasionally’. Also, everybody has different skin types and what might have worked for me not necessarily may work for you. [But I really hope it does, though 😉 ]
Where do you get it: If you are in Pakistan, I purchased this from The Skin Maskuerade. Internationally, I am sure you can find it on Yesstyle.com or other similar sites.
Thanks for reading!
xo