Bakuchiol has been getting a lot of attention lately for being a natural retinol alternative derived from the Psoralea Corylifolia Seed. It was named after the Sanskrit name for the plant Bakuchi and is said to be more gentle and stable than retinol yet still effective. This is a thick caramel coloured serum that features 2.5% Bakuchiol and adenosine for wrinkle care as well as niacinamide for brightening. One of the first things you’ll notice when you open it is the smell. This smells very earthy…literally like garden soil! (I’ve read some people say it smells like nuts but it doesn’t to me at all) It’s neither pleasant nor unpleasant and I commend Benton for not attempting to mask it with lots of fragrance or essential oils. Despite it being thick and opaque, it isn’t at all heavy. I’ve really enjoyed using this and experienced no irritation at all, I still like to take a day off every 3 days to let my skin rest but it also doesn’t feel entirely necessary. Rather than talk about the effects on my skin I thought I’d show you and let you decide for yourself. The before & after pictures were taken next to the same window at the same time of day and both on a sunny day. I do recognise that my expression is slightly more relaxed in the after shot but please look at how much softer, smooth, plumped, even and bright my skin looks. Seriously impressive. I don’t currently use retinol due to breastfeeding so if you do you may not get results quite this noticeable however I still think you should seriously consider adding some Bakuchiol to your routine!

Prebiotics and Postbiotics are having a moment right now and much to my excitement I’m seeing them pop up in a lot of Western products but the truth is Kbeauty brands are the masters of this world. This ampoule is Rovectin’s well aging offering and features some lovely ingredients: 💙7 layer Dualbiotic Complex - a plant based blend of pre/postbiotics 💙Multifunction niacinamide, for brightening, barrier repair, wrinkle reduction and sebum control 💙Rose of Jericho - not a rose but a desert plant that can flourish with just one drop of water 💙Eggplant extract - can help calm irritated skin and improve uneven skin tone In true Rovectin style this is so gentle and nourishing. It’s a milky viscous liquid and completely unscented, I found it hard to capture but it’s almost iridescent when you hold it up the the light! It glides on and dries without stickiness, giving my skin a healthy glow and instantly plumps out those pesky fine lines. Of course it hasn’t been long enough to determine any long term results but I feel like this is a really nice addition to any well aging routine and a nice way to keep your skin healthy when using harsher actives.

Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence was something that was on my wishlist for the longest time but could never quite pluck up the courage to try. With all my sensitivities, I was sure it would end up being a waste of my time. I shouldn’t have waited so long. 🐌 96% snail mucin sourced by cruelty free methods 🐌 betaine and hyaluronic acid for moisturising/hydration 🐌 allantoin for soothing This is classic Cosrx packaging, simplistic and practical, focusing on bringing you top quality ingredients without lots of fuss. The texture is exactly as you would imagine, slimy and stringy and slippery. This has become a HOLY GRAIL for me, I don’t know how I ever went without it. It’s one of those products that not only makes my skin look instantly glowy but also improves it overtime. It glides on and leaves me feeling like I have a protective barrier on my skin. I have found it speeds up healing, hydrates and makes my skin look and feel healthier. It has strengthened my skin barrier to the point I can finally use chemical exfoliants without issue. If I’m rushed in the morning and forget to use it, I miss it all day 😭

🤍This product is well known for its curious jelly texture. You can carve it up however you like but the next time you open the jar it will have magically returned to its pristine state! 🤍The mask aims to fight wrinkles and dull skin with antioxidant Vit E and niacinamide. It packs in the hydration, soothing and barrier care too with glycerin, HA, Cica and ceramides…phew! You can use it as your daily moisturiser or as a sleeping mask. Well my friends, you probably already know this is one my of my holy grails. I use it exclusively as a sleeping mask and it’s so, so reparative. It’s a little bit sticky so I personally don’t use it as a daytime moisturiser but I know many do. The jelly texture explodes into watery hydration when it hits your skin but dries down to an occlusive layer that does a brilliant job at preventing TEWL. I whip this out any time I feel like my skin is on the verge of a meltdown and more often than not it gets it under control in a night or two. Although the description says it’s for wrinkle care, for me it’s a superstar in the barrier repair/soothing category. I’ve emptied countless jars of this and that’s why it’s my holy grail!

So…bit of a funny story with this one. Not even 2 days after I ordered this one, I received an email telling me I had won another! Can you tell this was one I really wanted to try? 😂 So now I have two and I’m not mad about it. Before I share my thoughts, let’s take a look at the key ingredients and claims… 💜Signature Black Rice Ferment which is high in antioxidants to protect against free radicals, pollution and encourage new cell growth 💜Fermented Bamboo Shoot Extract which also has powerful antioxidant properties in addition to being anti inflammatory 💜Bakuchiol - said to be a natural alternative to retinol but without the side effects of irritation and dryness. It’s extracted from the Psoralea Corylifolia (a type of legume) and is safe for both pregnancy and breastfeeding. The brand states this is a dual function eye cream to combat dark circles and wrinkles. It comes with a great pump dispenser and is a lightweight lotion with no noticeable scent. My thoughts: I never really thought I had a huge dark circle problem, just a bit of hollowness in the area that happens as we age and lack of sleep meaning the area always looks tired. Developing crows feet were definitely my main concern going into this. Can you imagine my surprise when even after the first night I woke up to visibly brighter under eyes? I’m so sorry for not taking before & after pics but it really was quite impressive. In my case I’m put this down to the general plumping effect this eye cream has meaning the shadow is less prominent. I will say it over and over again I LOVE FERMENTS and I also think I’m falling in love with Bakuchiol. It’s a waiting game when it comes to wrinkles, but even if there’s no dramatic difference in that department I will still be grateful to this eye cream for the difference it has made. It’s fast absorbing, nicely hydrating and in a few short weeks my under eye area looks the best it has in ages