Rose is a scent and flavor that I
associate with luxury and specialty products.
Rose macaroons. Rose milk. Rose tea. Rose ice cream. Rose water. Rose fragrance. Chanel lipstick. Well, I think I have made my love for things
entailing roses evident. Recently, I was
watching a few beauty/skincare themed videos on YouTube and discovered the
existence of “Rosehip Oil.” Obviously, I
wanted to try this amazing Rosehip Oil for myself. Immediately I began Google searching Rosehip
Oil. At this point, I was already in the
process of searching for a facial oil and serum with preventative
benefits.
I am in my mid-twenties so anti-aging
products were not necessarily on my radar till recently. Surpassing 25 suddenly makes me feel like I
cannot take my health and physical well being for granted anymore. I will give y’all an idea of my facial
complexion. I did have mild acne when I
was in high school, which left my cheeks scarred. Even now my occasional breakouts leave behind
scars. For being acne-prone, I don’t
have oily skin. My face complexion is
normal-sensitive with some dry patches during the winter months and
normal-sensitive with minimally oily t-zone during the summer months. Having a clear, bright, hydrated, and
even-toned complexion is very important for me, especially because I do not
like to wear base makeup and would never like myself to become dependent on wearing base makeup.
I want to be comfortable in my own fresh skin!
My mother, who is a physician, taught
me from a young age that less is more. She instilled in me the importance of keeping
my face well cleansed and hydrated, using minimal makeup, and not irritating my
face by using too many products. My
skincare regiment involves cleansing my face with a mild cleanser (while in
high school I did use cleansers with salicylic acid/acne treatment, but stopped
using such cleansers because they dried out my face), hydrators
(essence-sprays, moisturizer, sheet-masks), steam, and very occasionally I also
use clay-based masks and gentle exfoliating scrubs. If I do wear a CC cream or sunscreen, I
double cleanse my face using an oil cleanser followed by a simple cleanser.
After reading a bit about Rosehip Oil,
I learned that it is a dry oil, which means that it sinks into the skin faster
and does not leave a greasy residue. This,
other than the fact that I love anything rose-themed, caught my attention. Currently, facial oils are hot in the beauty
world. I have sampled quite a few, but
have not committed to any for three reasons – steep price point, greasy
residue/texture, and strong fragrance.
The facial oils in the market seem more synthetic and cosmetic than
intrinsically beneficial for our skin’s health.
Another factor that impressed me about Rosehip Oil is that it is a
milder oil, making it well suited for people with sensitive skin.
Fortunately, I had the opportunity to
try out a serum consisting of Rosehip Seed Oil and Rose Damascena Oil via Brand
Backer. The serum – Royal Rose Hydrating
Serum - is by a natural, vegan and cruelty free brand called Valentia. The Royal Rose Serum consists of amazing
beneficial and naturally occurring ingredients, such as Niacinamide/Vitamin B,
Evening Primrose Oil, and Lavender. These ingredients have healing and
hydrating properties. This serum claims
to “deeply moisturize skin, provide antioxidant protection, soothe and nourish
dry skin, smooth skin tone & texture, and boost skin radiance.”
I have been using Valentia’s Royal Rose
Hydrating Serum for about a week now and would like to share my impression of
it thus far. First, this serum did not
irritate my skin. My skin reacts very
quickly. It becomes irritated very
easily – slightest exposure to sunlight or dust or for no reason at all. One of the reasons the serums and oils I have
experimented with thus far have not worked out for me is because my pores
become clogged and I breakout immediately.
Although I am not a chemist, it is my understanding
that many serums contain dimethicone, which is a silicon-based substance used
to give a “smooth and moisturized” appearance to the skin. However, dimethicone
also clogs your pores and hence I was always turned-off by serums containing
it. I was impressed that Valentia’s serum does not contain dimethicone. Additionally,
it is also alcohol-free and paraben-free.
Second, this serum sinks into the skin
very quickly. I feel tempted to apply more because of how fast it dries once I
apply it onto my cheeks. I use a pump
per area of my face - cheeks, forehead, and chin/neck area. I layer my moisturizer on top of this serum, but
I do not feel like this serum exceptionally moisturizes my skin. In other words, I do not feel like it made my
face feel any more moisturized than it feels when I wear my moisturizer
alone. I do want to note that this serum
is moisturizing, but not enough on its own.
I have also tested this serum on my
hands as well, which tend to feel dry while my face is more normal as I
mentioned above. When I apply this serum to my hands, the dry areas feel smoother
and conditioned. This effect is
temporary. Once I wash my hands or a few
hours pass by, I feet the need to re-moisturize, and I am not one who suffers
from unusually dry skin. This serum does
give off a nice smooth appearance to my skin – be it my face or hands. It wore well under my CC cream, blush,
contour powder, etc. on the days I chose to wear makeup.
Third, this serum does not have an
overwhelming or off-putting fragrance; it has a very subtle natural rose
scent. Lastly, it does not feel tacky or
sticky. In fact, it feels like a
cooling, water-based, gel lotion – very lightweight. Personally, I would recommend this serum for
people with normal, sensitive, and combination/oily skin-types. In my opinion, it is not hydrating enough for
individuals with dry to very dry skin.
Again, this is a serum/treatment and shouldn’t be mistaken for a
moisturizer, lotion, or cream.
Other than being a very natural
product, Valentia’s Royal Rose Hydrating Serum stood out to me because of its affordable price-point
($35/1.18 FL.OZ.). Like I mentioned above, skincare products like facial oils
and serums are so expensive ($50 - $100+), which does not necessarily fit into
everyone’s budget. Skincare is more
about beneficial ingredients, preventative measures, and biology/chemistry
rather than brand names, labels, and the luxe appeal. This price point is ideal for those of us
who are just starting to dip our toes into skincare products and developing a
skincare regiment.
Over time and continued use, I hope
that the Royal Rose Hydrating Serum lightens my acne scars and evens out the
texture of my face. Although aging is
inevitable, dry skin, along with dry air, poor diet, environmental stressors,
and mental stress are all cultivators of aging.
So hydrated skin is key to preventing your skin from aging
abnormally.
Disclaimer: I would like to thank Valentia and Brandbacker for providing press sample for this post.
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♥ Yours Truly,
The Lipsticks-Ninja
Meesha ♥
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