Moss Skincare Illumina Vitamin C Perfecting Treatment Intensif Review

Hi All,

Ever since I came across Moss Skincare, I have always wanted to try them especially since the formulations looked right up my alley! Thanks to The Boxwalla subscription which featured Moss Skincare Beurre Celeste Cleansing Balm and Illumina Vitamin C Perfecting Treatment Intensif serum in their June 2018 Box! BTW if you aren't subscribed to The Boxwalla I highly highly recommend to do so if you are interested in trying luxurious green beauty products! It's the BEST green beauty subscription box in the market. Period! 

Coming back to Moss Skincare, Illumina Vitamin C Perfecting Treatment Intensif serum (that's quite a mouthful) is Vitamin C and exfoliating serum in one. It uses Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate which is a stable form of Vit C and Pumpkin Enzymes to gently exfoliate the skin. The formulation also includes Moth Bean extract which is botanical form of Vit A similar to Retinol. Retinol can be harsh and not everyone can tolerate it, Moth Bean extract has shown to give similar results as Retinol but without causing any irritation. Research has shown it helps to boost cell turnover and reverse signs of sun damage and hyperpigmentation. The serum also contains White Willow Bark extract which is botanical form of BHA ie Salicylic Acid, one of my favorite ingredient to decongest the skin and keep it clear. It also contains Plant ceramides which helps to strengthen the skin barrier.

Ingredient List:-

Viola Odorata (Violet) Leaf Hydrosol*, Water/Aqua, Lactobacillus/Pumpkin Fruit Ferment Filtrate, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (Vitamin C), Vigna Aconitifolia (Moth Bean) Seed Extract, Salix Alba (White Willow) Bark Extract*, Serenoa Serrulata (Saw Palmetto) CO2 Extract*, Camellia Sinensis (White Tea) Leaf Extract, Glycerin, Glycosphingolipids, Gluconolactone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Methylpropanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenylpropanol, Dehydroxanthan Gum, Olea Europaea (Olive) Leaf Extract*, Magnolia Grandiflora (Magnolia) Bark Extract*, Andrographis Paniculata Extract*, Epilobium Parviflorum (Smallflower) Extract*, Moringa Oleifera Leaf Extract*, Arctium Lappa (Burdock) Root Extract*, Monarda Fistulosa (Bee Balm) Oil*, Palmarosa Oil, Coriander Oil* *Organic/Wildcrafted *Organic/Wildcrafted Botanicals 100% non-toxic, safe and gentle ingredients

My Thoughts:-

I have been using Illumina serum consistently for past few weeks every single night and let me tell you this stuff works! If you are a regular reader of my blog/instagram you know I swear by my Epionce Lytic Plus Tx lotion to keep my skin free of congestion/clogged pores but ever since I started using Illumina I haven't touched Lytic Plus Tx Lotion! This serum is quite potent and even though Celestyna the owner and creator of Moss Skincare suggests to use it every other night I could tolerate it every night without any irritations. Please remember I have been using chemical exfoliators on my skin for quite few years and have slowly build up the tolerance, if you are new to chemical exfoliators and vitamin c serums I would suggest to use 2-3 times a week first and then slowly build up to everyday usage depending upon your skin condition.

The serum is light weight and has lotion type consistency, it absorbs beautifully in the skin without leaving any sort of residue behind. I find 2-3 pumps are more than enough for the entire face and neck. I directly apply it after cleansing my face before applying any serums or moisturisers. This is one of those serums where you see the results overnight! My skin feels bright and even toned in the morning! It literally makes my skin glow and I don't say that lightly! I don't get hormonal acne anymore but do get congestion sometimes and using this serum it has helped me to keep breakouts at bay. It definitely helps with lightening of the dark spots and previous acne lesions. The biggest change for me was softening of the scars! With regular usage I found my deep rooted scars have softened quite a bit and skin looks more healthy and luminous. It has become one of my favorite discoveries of this year! Having said all that I have heard this serum purges but I personally did not face any purging, probably because I am used to using stronger exfoliating serums but if you are unsure I would recommend to get a sample to try first!

Overall highly impressed by this serum and would definitely recommend it in a heartbeat! This serum retails for 145$ for 30ml, it's definitely expensive and as much as I respect Celestyna for her knowledge and formulations, I know not everyone can afford to spend 145$ on a single product. But if you want to try one product from Moss definitely check Illumina out..it works! You can buy Moss Skincare products at Aurora Beauty my favorite retailer for all things green beauty! Also don't forget to use the code "PARITA15" to get 15% off your entire order! This is non affiliate code ie I do not gain anything in return if you use my code other than your love and support :) Plus it's the only green beauty retailer who offers free shipping over 50$ with samples! You can also buy samples of products you want to try, I personally have bought samples from her many times and they are always very generous sizes!

I hope this review was helpful and if you have any questions please feel to free to leave them below in the comments and I will definitely get back to you asap.

Until next time take care and stay beautiful!

Disclaimer - Boxwalla June 2018 Beauty Box was sent to me for consideration, however all my reviews are non biased and my own. This is NOT a sponsored post.

Sanitas Vita C Serum Review

Hi All,

If you ask any dermatologist what their top 3 must have products are Vitamin C based serum would probably make the list! We all are aware of the health and skincare benefits of Vitamin C. It's an antioxidant which helps to fight the free radicals that are often triggered by sun exposure and pollution. It also helps to stimulate collagen production which in turn helps the skin to stay firm and youthful! Research has shown it also helps with dark spots and hyperpigmentation! 

Unfortunately not all Vitamin C serums are stable, in fact the most common form of vitamin c serum on the market are made from L-Ascorbic Acid which is highly unstable in nature and loses its effectiveness once exposed to air or light, also it's quite acidic in nature which can cause irritation and inflammation on the skin. Another problem is that not all Vitamin C ingredients are oil soluble ie they will only work on the surface of the skin and not penetrate the epidermis where it can stimulate collagen production.

Since my skin could not tolerate L-Ascorbic Acid and would always end up having congestion I went looking for other vitamin c options and came across Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate , an oil soluble form of vitamin C which is stable and non-irritating on the skin! During my research I came across Sanitas Vita C Illuminating Serum which has Tetrahexyldecyl Ascrobate as the second ingredient so I knew the % would definitely be very high! 

Sanitas skincare uses Biogenic science ie they use active ingredients which are natural but found in biology and in the skin as well. If you look at their ingredient lists, the formulation is very simple and straightforward with not huge list of ingredients and that was one of the things which attracted me towards this line as it's free of any unnecessary fillers! So you get what you pay for! 

Sanitas Vita C serum has whopping 30% of Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate which is the highest amount of THA I have ever seen in a serum yet! The serum is housed in a beautiful glass bottle with a dropper, it's definitely on heavier side but it's travel friendly as well. The serum is clear oil based but has a nice slip to it. I use 3-4 drops directly after my acid toner and its enough for both face and neck. 

Full Ingredients List: Squalane, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate (Vitamin C), Safflower Oil/palm Oil Aminopropanediol Esters, Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter, Theobroma Grandiflorum (Cupuau) Seed Butter, Cholecalciferol (Vitamin D), Palm Alcohol, Lecithin, Phytosteryl Canolate, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil.

Results:- I have been using this serum for quite sometime now and really really love the results! With regular everyday use my skin definitely appears more brighter and radiant. The complexion has evened out and even deep scars have lightened up. My skin had become quite dark and dull during the course of my pregnancy but with using this everyday for past few months my skin is now in much better place! Not only it helps to fight the free radical damage caused by sun exposure, due to its oil soluble capabilities it penetrates deeper into epidermis and helps to stimulate collagen which I believe has helped to lighten the pigmentation and plump up the scars making them not that visible! The ingredients are pretty impressive too with first ingredient being Squalane, followed with Safflower oil which is high in linolenic acid, murumuru seed butter from brazil and cupuau seed butter contain essential fatty acids to keep the skin moisturized and strengthen the skin barrier. 

This serum is also very moisturising on its own due to the inclusion of butters and oils, it has never clogged my pores or caused any kind of irritation or congestion. There is absolutely no redness and inflammation which would occur whenever I used a higher dosage of L-Ascorbic Acid based serum. It's the most gentle yet most effective form of Vitamin C out there so if you have sensitive skin or even your skin reacts badly to L-Ascorbic based Vit C serums, give this a try! 

It retails for 99$ for 30ml, since you just need 3-4 drops per use, it lasts quite long time, I have been using mine everyday for past couple of months and still got quite a lot left! Plus you can always get 20%-25% off from Dermstore, Pharmaca , PremierLook or EDCSkincare :)

Hope this review was helpful, if you have any questions please feel free to leave them below.

Stay blessed and stay beautiful!