Product Review: Ingredients Wellness Face Serum

Ingredients Wellness is a new-to-me Green Beauty skincare range that caught my eye when surfing the website of the eco-beauty boutique and subscription box service Beauty Heroes. Similar to well-known brands like The Ordinary and the Inkey List, for examples, Ingredients focuses on somewhat minimal ingredient formulations and also being 100% transparent about what goes into their products, going so far as to not only print the ingredients straight onto the bottle (not just on the outer box packaging like most brands) but to also list how much of each ingredient is in that formula as a percentage. I also appreciate the commitment to sustainability with the use of recyclable boxes and glass and recyclable plastic packaging, and even vegetable ink used in their labeling. But while simpler formulations with natural and eco-friendly ingredients, straightforward product marketing, and conscientious business practices all make for a wonderful-sounding brand and experience, all really comes down to product performance, and indeed, at least from what I have seen so far from their Face Serum, the product is as lovely as the brand itself.

What impresses me the most about the face serum is how profoundly hydrating and plumping it is and how long those results truly last. One to one and half pumps is all you need to make your face feel like 100% silk. And there is absolutely no stickiness or tackiness to it whatsoever. I think is largely due to the fact of only a minimal inclusion of hyaluronic acid /hyaluronic acid-equivalent ingredients in this formula as opposed to many others similar to it that rely heavily on it. Hyaluronic acid is a molecule made in our own bodies and found naturally-occurring in many skincare ingredients that allows the skin to hold 1000 times its weight in water. However, many serums can have so many forms of hyaluronic acid out into them that it leaves the finish tacky and can possible also leach water out of the skin if you are in a dry environment and there is no water in the outside air for it to coax into your skin. This is especially common in formulas where hyaluronic acid is expressly listed as an ingredient or is included in other popular forms such as the solvent form sodium hyaluronate. That said, there is a small amount of hyaluronic acid equivalent that in tremella mushroom extract that, as a whole ingredient, makes up 1 % of the whole formula and would likely make for very little hyaluronic acid. And his serum has none of the sticky effect that I find common with in a lot of hyaluronic acid-dominant serums or products and also I find my skin is smooth in the long-term after use and does not feel dehydrated over time, even if I take a break from using this product for a few days. All total, this product has been in consistent rotation in my routine for four months at the time of this review, and I have used it in the morning and at night and sometimes both in a given day.

Instead of relying so much on hyaluronic acid, the primary hydrating ingredients in this formula are rose hydrasol and aloe vera, which does hold water and moisture within the skin but usually not with a water leaching effect that depletes hydration from the deep layers of the skin when in drier environments and usually not with any tackiness left on the skin, In fact, aloe vera leaves my skin feeling incredibly juicy and smooth, and I think it is also responsible for its pillowy soft and uber-pleasant texture to massage in. Like the accompanying rose hydrosol in this serum, the aloe also help to soothe tightness, dryness, and itchiness and redness, which seems my life story when it comes to skin, especially in the cold months. There is also some lactobacillus from antibacterial and antimicrobial effects as well as some brightening (the serum provides a softness but I do not see much tangible glow but that may come with further us). Vegetable collagen adds to the smoothness, and extracts of calendula, tremella mushroom, and aspen bark help to ward off both inflammation and bacteria. There is a very small percentage (0.01 of the total formula) of rose essential oil for both more help with inflammation as well as some fragrance to the user experience but it is almost imperceptible, so if you are sensitive to or usually dislike fragrance, this product may still be one to look at. Overall, I suspect this is a product that would suit most anyone and would slot in super well with any other products you use as just a great boost of smoothing, calmness, and hydration.

Whether you are looking to greenify, simplify (or both) your beauty routine, or if you are just looking for a lovely, refreshing shot of hydration to infuse into your routine and amplify the effects of products you know and love across the board, I feel the Ingredients Face Serum would be something great to try, I cannot imagine a skin type or routine that this would not be something worth experimenting with and seeing if it works for you. A full 1.3 oz size pump bottle is available for $48 USD on the Ingredients website IngredientsWellness.com or the Beauty Heroes website ShopBeautyHeroes.com.