Product Review- A'kin Cellular Radiance Serum

I'm really glad to be starting the review portion of this blog, and just in the nick of time too- as I'm about to run out of this product. The A'kin Cellular Radiance Serum was the first serum I purchased, when I decided to get serious about skincare. 

(from the A'kin website)

I actually intended to purchase a rosehip oil, as I'd never used a serum before, and I knew that was a holy-grail ingredient in natural skincare, that wouldn't be too pricy. 

Typically, once I walked in the door of the pharmacy, all my plans went out the window, and I became overwhelmed by the choices. Australians are spoilt for choice when it comes to quality, organic or natural skincare lines. Did I want plain rosehip? Organic rosehip? Rosehip with antioxidants or straight up?

The A'kin product seemed like a good compromise- as a collection of all the ingredients the others touted, it boasts a whole raft of terrific active ingredients including

- Pomegranate extract

- Rosa Canina (rosehip) extract

- Chamomile extract

- Vitamin E

- Vitamin A 

plus the mysterious Seabuckthorn extract, which I'm yet to research, but it's just the best word to say 'Seabuckthorn', 'Seabuckthorn'

I digress, back to the review.

External

Lots of badges on the packaging to let you know that the product is paraben and sulfate free, Australian owned, does not test on animals and is generally a good person to have around for dinner. Maybe I made the last bit up, but it's clear from the packaging that this product is ethically made, and contains high quality ingredients, which are organic where possible. There's no synthetic fragrance or other nasties so it's suitable for all skin types. 

The active ingredients above show that it's absolutely chock-full of antioxidants, which are the natural skincare power ingredients, they keep the baddies (free radicals) out, and help the goodies (your skin cells) repair faster and generate collagen.  

The product is packaged in a glass vial, which is quite typical of these types of natural serums. It also has that typically un-fragranced 'natural' smell, which I believe is mainly the rosehip oil smell . I don't mind it at all, although my boyfriend initially wasn't a huge fan. 

The bottle contains an eye-dropper for application which, to be honest I find a bit tricky. I tend to suck up a little too much product in the dropper, which is possibly why I've used this product relatively quickly (the bottle has lasted me around 3 months) 

Additionally, the product itself is quite thin, making it quite easy for it to fall from the dropper between your fingers, instead of on your fingertips for application. 

Use

Having whinged about the thin consistency of this product, I'm actually going to also list it as a positive. The product is an oil, but is nice and thin and feels very non-greasy on the skin. This is possibly because it's free of synthetics and mineral oils, so everything sinks into your skin quickly, instead of sitting at the top. 

I quite liked the yellow-ish colour, as it gave me a faint glow. I particularly noticed this when I came back from my holiday with a tan which seemed to look much more prominent if I was wearing the serum. However, if you prefer not to have a gentle yellow glow, this may not be the product for you. 

I experienced absolutely no irritation or reaction to this product, which I was very pleased about, particularly as I took it on holiday with me, and used it on sensitive slightly sunburnt skin. 

Didn't notice any significant changes in my skin, apart from an overall look of 'healthiness' which I was very happy with, I think that to seriously fade scars or change pigmentation, non-natural prescription products are probably more appropriate. 

In a nutshell

Pros: Great antioxidant rich ingredients, ethically made, absorbs nicely into the skin

Cons: Slightly difficult packaging- particularly the eyedropper and thin consistency

Price:  $40 for 23mL

Purpose: Natural, hydrating oil-based serum, full of antioxidants. 

Packaging: Attractive, but somewhat tricky to control usage amount- glass jar and dropper.

Re- Purchase? Yes, a great all-rounder at a good price.