I basically have fairly clear, combination-dry skin. A few weeks ago my skin was feeling congested, sensitive, tight and dehydrated. I headed to SpaceNK and had a browse. I know a lot of people find the assistants in Space NK a bit *searches for right word*… “unapproachable”, but I have to say, my go-to girl at my nearest branch is fab – she gives advice and then leaves you to decide without standing over you.
I was recommended a couple of items in the Elemental Herbology range, which I’d actually been eyeing up for a while – the range is aimed at maintaining the skin condition under changing weather conditions – so recommendations are based on the time of year as well as skin type. “Cell Food” is suitable for all skintypes, although they recommend that you avoid its use on areas of congestion. Is it wierd that I love the name of this product? “Cell Food” just really appeals to the geeky A-Level biology student that lurks within me…
So, as you can see, this comes in a glass bottle, with a dropper. 30mls of product costs £38.50. I use about 3-5 drops twice a day, and most of the time its now all I use at night.
What they say;
Contains pomegranate, green tea and vitamins A, C and E.
“Boosts, protects and repairs undernourished skin. This seasonal and environmental essential helps protect against the effects of air travel, central heating, pollution, cold winter winds and excessive summer sun. An intensive dose of antioxidants and reparative nutrients stimulates collagen and elastin production to help restore vitality and radiance, while helping reduce the prevalence of dark spots, fine lines and wrinkles”
My Thoughts;
I’ve been using this twice a day for about a month now, and I can see this becoming an absolute staple for me. Whereas I use my Estee Lauder ANR serum (see my review here) as more of an insurance policy for the future, this gives more immediate results, in terms of boosting moisture and reducing sensitivity.
In the morning I apply this under my day time moisturiser, after cleansing and toning. In the evening, I apply this after cleansing and toning, and most of the time, I leave it at that. Sometimes I’ll add my fave (light) night cream over the top. I tried this after reading that Elemental Herbology believe in “letting skin breathe” at night, rather than “suffocating” it with heavy cream. I gave it a try, and it worked. I think that this is because although the serum is very light in texture, it is actually a really effective moisturiser for the skin – light enough for the oilier parts of my face, and rich enough for the dry areas.
I have also noticed a marked difference in the comfort of my skin throughout the day – at work I am in and out of the cold, central heating etc, and it mys kin was feeling tight and sensitized by the end of the day – this seems to have sorted the problem out. I might need a slightly richer day cream on top as it gets really really cold, but this sems to have made a real difference in this regard.
The product does have a pretty distinctive “natural” smell, which to me is a mixture of green tea and a really natural fruity smell. You will either not mind this, or hate it – I personally quite like it, but I know a lot of people might not, hence the mention – sniff it before you buy it! It does linger on the skin for quite a while too…
While this is perfect for my dry-combination skin, I would say if you have either very oily skin or very oily skin, this may be too rich or too light for you, but if you have issues with sensitivity, or congested skin (rather than acnegenic skin), then this might really help.
This has been a bit of a skin saviour for me, and I can say without any hesitation I will repurchase it, as it has resolved dryness and sensitivity without overwhelming or clogging up my skin – I used another product from the range to deal with congestion – Facial Detox Mask, which I will be reviewing in the future.
Have you tried any of the other products from the range? I’m definitely becoming more and more interested in natural skincare, as products like this seem to work much better for me than chemical concoctions, so I’m interested in any recomendations you have too!
Sounds great
Kinda pricey, but as I have dry skin, its never too late to add it on my wish list!
@shifa – I agree, it is a little bit pricey, but Its rare I find something that suits my skin so well – try to get a sample maybe before you buy it? I'm not sure if Space NK do them?
(sigh) finding the right facial products that work are always such a chore.