Friday, January 17, 2014

Sephora Tester Reviews, 1 of 15: Algenist Advanced Anti-Aging Repairing Oil


Algenist is a skincare company that uses algae in their formulas (hence the name) for it's restorative properties. They are not the only line to do this, I've seen quite a few brands that use algae in their prducts (biotherm comes to mind), but this is for sure one of the higher price points in what I've seen of the algae skincare lines, with a 1oz bottle of this oil selling for $79 USD.
My only complaint is that the tester package was very small and I got maybe 2 uses out of it(after cutting it open and scraping out all the product). Other than that, this oil is really lovely! My skin, which is very dry at the moment, felt plumped, moisturized and fresh. The oil absorbed into my skin very quickly, and although I did not feel greasy, it left me with a really nice healthy looking glow. 
Here's the deal, it's a great product, but you have to shell out some cash for it, and it's not something to replace your night/day cream or even serum, this would be an addition to you regimen. I would suggest putting it on before your serum, since oil often acts as a carrier for active ingredients it will boost the effects of your serum ( if you don't use a serum you can also just use it before your cream, it will do the same with that). As far as anti-aging,the algae will aid in natural cell regeneration as well as helping to restore skins firmness and elasticity. This oil is also full of ceramides which retain and balance the skins moisture levels, as well as increasing skins water retention capacity and minimizing moisture loss. Cerimides give skin that healthy, plump, youthful and glowing look. If you have dry or menopausal/post-menopausal skin you need to look for a product with ceramides!!! 
So to wrap it up, I really like this product, but your also paying for the luxury of it (and it is luxurious!), I wish the tester was a bit bigger so I could use it a few more times. It would be a great addition to any anti-aging regimen, but it's not the most practical for someone who is low maintenance and doesn't like using more than one or two products. 
3 and a half stars out of 5. 
-Charlotte