BRANDS I'M INTO: SYNERGIE SKIN - CLEAN, CLINICAL, CRUELTY FREE SKINCARE FROM AUSTRALIA - BEST MINERAL SUNSCREEN, BEST NIACINAMIDE SERUM FOR CLOGGED PORES
I had two so-called “brushes with death” this past week. That is, two incidents that struck the fear of death in me.
Last weekend, I tested positive for Covid-19 before testing negative in two follow-up tests. I had come down with a severe cold and was naturally worried it was more than that, even though I had no actual Covid symptoms. My taste and smell were okay, no fever, no body aches; just a whole lot of sniffles.
Phew. Disaster skirted.
Little did I know a second disaster, one even more terrifying was just around the corner, only four days later.
On Wednesday night, my vegan bestie and I were out to dinner at our new fave hot spot in the Upper East Side, Blossom NYC. It’s a 100% vegan restaurant with an extensive menu. I love the freedom knowing that everything we order is vegan-safe. There’s no worry of milk, butter or anything non-vegan making its way into the meal. We had actually been there for brunch over the weekend.
I had been dying to try the vegan lasagna with basil almond milk ricotta. It was lit.
Sure, it had been raining all day, with flooding alerts for New York City and the entire region. But we get those alerts pretty regularly now. Throughout the summer, the subways have flooded numerous times. When things get crazy like that, I just take an Uber.
So, we didn’t really think much of it. Yeah, it was raining pretty hard, but we’d Uber’ed it there and would Uber home. During dinner, though, we could tell things were getting pretty intense on the street outside. The rain was coming down really hard and seemed to be moving in all directions. The other diners seemed on edge as they peered through the windows at the drama unfolding in the street.
We thought it best to wrap it up and order an Uber. The quote for an SUV was about twice as high as it normally would be. But what choice did we have? We needed a sturdy, reliable vehicle.
On the way home, our phones were chiming with emergency alerts of flash flooding, severe wind and hazardous conditions. As if we needed alerts; we could see what was going on outside the vehicle.
But a tornado warning?
As we were driving through the Bronx headed to Brooklyn, our phones sounded an eerie emergency alert. A tornado had formed above Harlem and was moving northeast toward the Bronx. While it never touched down, it wasn’t long before the situation outside the Uber escalated. The rains were torrential and the streets were quickly flooding. Cars were stranded. For about 45 minutes, I nervously expected the vehicle to be swept away by a tornado. Fortunately, I made it home, disaster number two of the week behind me. Whether the vegan lasagna with basil almond milk ricotta was worth the fuss is up for debate.
With that near death experience behind me, I got back to living. And, as it has all summer, that meant an immersive art exhibition. To kind of bookend the summer, which had been kicked off with the KAWS exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum, I headed to Manhattan’s independent art district, Chelsea, for a visit to ARTECHOUSE and the new immersive exhibit Geometric Properties.
This summer, I’ve been all about the expansive spaces shrouded in light and animated by musical scores. Temporarily situated in the famed Chelsea Market, ARTECHOUSE “is the nation’s first innovative art destination dedicated to the intersection of art, science and technology.”
The exhibitors describe Geometric Properties this way:
“Through the creative digital expression of the endless iterations and multiple dimensions of fractals, Geometric Properties explores fundamental mathematical patterns to stimulate existential self reflection and emphasize the pure wonderment of being.
Embark upon a cinematic audio-visual journey where the sheer beauty of mathematics, nature and architecture coincide to inspire introspection and awe.”
Throughout the 60-minute experience, I certainly felt introspective and awed. And while the floor show was cool and even reminiscent of the SuperReal light show at Cipriani two weeks ago, what really awed me was the opportunity to use a computer to manipulate holographic images with my hands.
It was a foreshadow of what’s to come when we will walk around with iPhones that transmit immersive holographic images all around us. Imagine pointing to and manipulating a 3D map right in front of you to follow a route. Or altering your viewpoint in a video with the swipe of a finger through virtual reality. Some of that is here already, but I think we’re about to be, ahem, immersed in it.
The skincare stuff starts here.
My favorite skincare discoveries are from brands that harness the latest scientific advances and ingredient insights. Most often, that means clean, clinical, high-performance skincare. With clean, clinical-strength formulas, Synergie Skin fits that to a tee.
I discovered the cool, nerdy science brand from Down Under just a few weeks ago when I featured Synergie Skin in my most recent article on new Niacinamide serums titled, Niacinamide Is the Game Changer You Need to Defend Against Skin Damage and Maintain Optimal Skin Health.
NIACINAMIDE SERUMS TO GET YOUR COMPLEXION GOING AND GLOWING SS21 FROM NATURIUM, SYNERGIE SKIN & MORE
The piece included five of my favorite new Niacinamide serums, one of which continues to be a staple in my daily “pore maintenance” routine — Synergie Skin’s Vitamin B 13% Essential Niacinamide Serum. More on this gem below!
With really well-formulated, cruelty-free skincare that’s highly pro-skin health, Synergie Skin seems to have nailed it. Founded in 2005 by biological scientist and cosmetic chemist Terri Vinson, Synergie Skin formulates its uniquely intriguing skincare by harnessing the synergy of science and nature.
From the brand:
Terri is both managing director and cosmetic chemist, possessing a rich understanding of science with a passion to educate. Her academic background in biological science enables her to formulate with a holistic understanding of all ingredients, their functions, and their efficacy on the skin. From the initial concept to the final product, she oversees the evolution of every product she creates.
Terri is always at the forefront of the cosmetic industry and seeks to formulate only with the latest in active, ethical, and safe ingredients, according to her Clean Science philosophy. Key ingredients in our formulations are verified by clinical data and supported by sound science, not the latest fad.
Synergie Skin’s range of nerdy, high-potency products come in recyclable brown glass pharmaceutical bottles with names like XCell B, TriDration B and ÜberZinc — one of the uber-coolest mineral sunscreens I’ve discovered over the past year.
I’m particularly impressed with the brand’s commitment to sustainability and ethical manufacturing, something that’s clearly delineated on the brand’s website: “Synergie Skin is dedicated to creating an environmentally positive manufacturing facility. We are committed to a sustainable waste management system and manufacturing processes and are proud to pledge that our Australian facility will be run entirely by solar energy by 2022.”
While I love just about everything I’ve experienced from Synergie Skin, three of the brand’s products stand out for me. One of the most intriguing is the Synergie Skin Dermiotic Pre-Serum Elixir — a superbly pro-skin health, microbiome balancing elixir that should be part of every skincare regimen.
The Synergie Skin ÜberZinc is a new personal favorite. How do I know when I love a sunscreen? Because I get excited to apply it! (Psst…if you love it, you’ll wear it!) And, of course, Synergie Skin’s Vitamin B 13% Essential Niacinamide Serum really made a splash in my latest deep dive into Niacinamide serums.
With that, let’s take a look at the three Synergie Skin products that have impressed me most — each of which has made it into my daily skincare routines…
Synergie Skin | Dermiotic Pre-Serum Elixir with Prebiotic and Probiotic Complex
I think many skincare users, whether novices or serious skincare junkies, can get caught up in the idea that you need to see immediate visible results in order to know if a skincare product is actually working for your skin.
There’s a lot of danger inherent in that premise. Very often, the signs that something is “working” are really signs that skin is being irritated, not that it’s being treated to something that’s promoting skin health. A prime example of that would be the tingling effect we feel when applying skincare that somehow signals the product is doing something. That tingling is most frequently a sign that skin is being irritated — often by fragrance or something even more sensitizing.
With direct acids like Glycolic Acid at high concentrations, sure that tingling is legitimate. Hey, if you don’t experience intense tingling when using the Paula’s Choice 25% AHA + 2% BHA Exfoliant Peel, you’re dead inside. It’s one of the most potent exfoliating treatments I’ve come across. And it works. Looking for immediate skin smoothing and a brighter complexion? The Paula’s Choice 25% AHA + 2% BHA Exfoliant Peel is the best Glycolic Acid serum for immediately igniting glow.
PRODUCT REVIEW: PAULA’S CHOICE 25% AHA + 2% BHA EXFOLIANT PEEL – BEST AHA EXFOLIATING TREATMENT
And while acids like Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid and others certainly deliver instant results, ingredients like antioxidants, probiotics, peptides and even sunscreen filters don’t. Their effects on the skin are long-term. You see little, if any, immediate benefits. That’s what a healthy skincare routine is all about — slow and steady.
Probiotics are among the most intriguing of this latest class of supremely pro-skin health actives.
What Are Prebiotics and Are Prebiotics Good for Skin?
Prebiotics, probiotics and post-biotics are a legitimate trend in skincare over the past two to three years — with probiotics, or good bacteria, leading the way. So what exactly are prebiotics and what is their benefit to the skin?
According to the experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team, prebiotic are becoming increasingly important in the maintenance of skin health. The team outlines its unique benefits to the skin and body in an article titled simply, What Are Prebiotics for Skin?
An excerpt from the piece:
Prebiotics are an intriguing group of ingredients making skin care headlines because of the important role they can play in addressing a variety of skin concerns. Their gut-health benefits when consumed orally are well-established through research, and now emerging studies are shedding fascinating light on how topical prebiotics can help when applied to skin.
Prebiotics are essentially foods consumed by probiotics. Probiotics are the good bacteria in and on the body that keep our bodies balanced and healthy inside and out (1).
Experts around the world consider probiotics fundamental to being healthy and youthful, and since prebiotics are the natural partner to probiotics, having both gives you the best of both worlds. As it turns out, the benefits of prebiotics and probiotics in our gut are also apparent when these ingredients are applied to skin (2).
Applying prebiotics to skin helps probiotics thrive so they can:
Keep the surface of skin—its first line of defense—balanced, younger-looking, and strong (3).
Offset factors that lead to redness, dryness, and a weakened surface (4).
Ward off signs of aging skin (4).
Restore a healthy microbiome balance (good bacteria) (2).
What Prebiotic Ingredients Should I Look for In Skin Care?
Look for skin care products with prebiotic plant sugars, such as xylitol, rhamnose, and a large group of ingredients known as fructooligosaccharides (including raspberry oligosaccharides) (4). Glucomannan is a particularly interesting prebiotic due to the way it works with a wide range of probiotics that help control acne (5).
Foods with prebiotics include garlic, onions, oats, barley, wheat bran, asparagus, bananas, and flaxseed as well as a plant fiber known as inulin, found in chicory root (1). Some of these plant extracts or their derivatives are also included in skin care products where you can easily reap the benefits of applying prebiotics to skin.
Serums or moisturizers with prebiotics such as these may already be in your routine (check your ingredient labels to make sure).
As I said, the Synergie Skin Dermiotic Pre-Serum Elixir is a superbly pro-skin health, microbiome balancing treatment that should be part of every skincare regimen. It’s been a part of mine for about two months now.
Do I notice a difference in my skin every day? Of course not. That’s not the point. The point is that it’s delivering many of the actives, the nutrients that my skin needs, to maintain optimal skin health.
What’s so special about Synergie Skin’s Dermiotic Pre-Serum Elixir? To start, the formula’s two prebiotic and probiotic complexes help to restore and maintain a healthy surface microbiome.
What Is the Microbiome?
I found an insightful article on the NIH website simply titled, The Skin Microbiome. This segment is helpful in understanding what the skin’s microbiome is and its role in the health of the skin:
An enhanced understanding of the skin microbiome is necessary to gain insight into microbial involvement in human skin disorders and to enable novel promicrobial and antimicrobial therapeutic approaches for their treatment.
The skin is an ecosystem composed of 1.8 m2 of diverse habitats with an abundance of folds, invaginations and specialized niches that support a wide range of microorganisms. The primary role of the skin is to serve as a physical barrier, protecting our bodies from potential assault by foreign organisms or toxic substances. The skin is also an interface with the outside environment and, as such, is colonized by a diverse collection of microorganisms — including bacteria, fungi and viruses.
The formula’s prebiotic complex comes in the form of alpha-glucan oligosaccharide. It feeds the good bacteria in the microbiome, aiding in their proliferation and helping to inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria that can cause irritation, acne, sensitivity and redness.
Products like Synergie Skin’s Dermiotic Pre-Serum Elixir and Layers’ skin-renewing Probiotic Serum are new daily essentials for me this year.
PRODUCT REVIEW: LAYERS PROBIOTIC SERUM – BEST LACTIC ACID SERUM, BEST MICROBIOME SKINCARE
The probiotic complex of Bifida Ferment Lysate, Lactose and milk proteins in the Dermiotic Pre-Serum Elixir helps to rebalance the microbiome to reduce skin stress, irritation and redness — and protect overall skin health. Beyond these actives, there’s also a healthy dose of antioxidants including Niacinamide at what’s likely a 10% concentration.
Its light, watery serum texture makes it super easy to layer into the water-based serum step of any skincare routine — immediately after toning and before oil-based serums. I can’t get enough of Synergie Skin’s Dermiotic Pre-Serum Elixir.
SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Synergie Skin Dermiotic Pre-Serum Elixir for $51 here.
WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW OF
A SELFCARE SUNDAY NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART – WITH THE PAULA’S CHOICE 25% AHA PEEL!
ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE
Synergie Skin | ÜberZinc Broad Spectrum SPF 20 PA+++
As I’ve said, Synergie Skin’s ÜberZinc is one of the uber-coolest mineral sunscreens I’ve discovered during 2021. There’s just something remarkable about the texture that I have yet to put my finger on. With a 21% concentration of zinc oxide, it’s thick and creamy, yet blends so perfectly into the skin.
My most recent article on what I consider the best mineral sunscreens came in mid-July with an article titled, Surprisingly Light Sunscreens for a Hot Summer Day from Glossier, Supergoop! and Zitsticka - Best Sunscreens for Face. It’s available to read here, if you’re so inclined.
SURPRISINGLY LIGHT SUNSCREENS FOR A HOT SUMMER DAY FROM GLOSSIER, SUPERGOOP! AND ZITSTICKA
I would certainly have included the Synergie Skin ÜberZinc among my top sunscreen picks earlier in the year if it weren’t for the fact that the level of sun protection, at SPF 15, just wasn’t high enough at the time.
However, Synergie Skin recently revamped the ÜberZinc formula to boost its sun protection to SPF 20 and a PA+++. While the UVB protection isn’t as high as I prefer, the Synergie Skin ÜberZinc is one of the most intriguing sunscreens I’ve come across.
Come to think of it, some of the best sunscreen innovations are coming out of Oceania. This past winter I reviewed one of those phenomenal sunscreens — the Skinnies Sungel SPF 30. Based in New Zealand, Skinnies’ waterless sunscreens are truly exceptional and among the best sunscreens for face in the world!
PRODUCT REVIEW: SKINNIES WATERLESS SUNGEL SPF 30 – THE BEST ANTI-AGING SKINCARE IS SUNSCREEN
What’s the Difference between Mineral and Chemical Sunscreens?
For some real insights, there’s an excellent article by the Paula’s Choice Research Team titled, Mineral vs. Synthetic Sunscreen Ingredients available here. In the piece, the experts explain the differences and benefits between mineral and chemical sunscreens — and even dispel a myth or two:
“The two types of sunscreen ingredients are mineral and synthetic [chemical], and both are equally protective. Further reassuring is that each can be included in formulas created for every skin type. For example, if you have normal to oily skin, there are weightless, non-greasy options; if you have normal to dry skin, it’s possible to find skin-smoothing, hydrating SPF products.
What’s the Difference Between Mineral and Synthetic Sunscreen Ingredients?
The differences aren’t about which type is more effective; rather, it comes down to personal preference and how sensitive your skin is—mineral sunscreens are considered the most gentle options.
Mineral sunscreens: There are only two mineral sunscreen ingredients: titanium dioxideand zinc oxide. They work in skin's uppermost layers to both absorb and, to a lesser extent, deflect and scatter the sun’s harmful rays. These mineral ingredients are sometimes referred to as physical sunscreens or physical blockers, although that’s not a factual representation of how they work.
Synthetic sunscreens: There are over 30 synthetic sunscreen ingredients, all of which absorb into the top layers of skin, where they work similar to mineral sunscreens: by scattering and deflecting the sun’s harmful rays, and by converting UV rays into heat and “deactivating” them. (Don’t worry, you won’t feel a thing.) Common synthetic sunscreen ingredients include oxybenzone, octinoxate, octisalate, and avobenzone. These are sometimes labeled “chemical sunscreens,” which is both misleading and false. All skin care ingredients, even water, are chemicals.
The Best Sunscreens for Face
Here in New York City a change of seasons is always only a matter of weeks away. As I write this, it’s the very beginning of September, and it’s beginning to cool off quite notably. Fall is my favorite season; there’s no better time of year than hoodie weather.
With its 21% Zinc Oxide, the Synergie Skin ÜberZinc is a non-greasy and non-chalky sunscreen that blends into my fair skin perfectly. It has a slightly beige hue out of the jar that makes it ideal for a broader range of skin tones — not just my own lightish tone.
Sunscreen is the one product I consider indispensable all year round. It saddens me (it really does!) that so many people only wear sunscreen when it’s sunny out — and very often only in the summer months. That’s just absurd. Sunscreen is vital every day. A simple truth I live by: if you can see the sunlight, the sun can see you. Sunscreen is the most valuable anti-aging product available to us — all year round.
My philosophy is, and has always been, if you love a sunscreen, you’ll wear it. And as I said, I love the Synergie Skin ÜberZinc. And, well, ÜberZinc has a lot going on for it beyond its mediocre SPF 20 protection — which still blocks out 95% of the sun’s burning UVB rays. Its PA+++ rating is also considered to be a “high level” of defense against skin cancer-causing UVA rays.
What’s the percentage of UV rays blocked by sunscreen?
SPF 15 blocks 93% of UVB rays
SPF 20 blocks 95% of UVB rays
SPF 30 blocks 97% of UVB rays
SPF 50 blocks 98% of UVB rays.
So, the difference between SPF 30 and SPF 50 is about 1 percent.
In addition to its effective sun filter, Synergie Skin’s ÜberZinc contains multiple antioxidant non-fragrant plant oils — some of the best, in fact. Among the formula’s more notable oils are Meadowfoam Seed Oil, Macadamia Seed Oil, Jojoba Seed Oil and Evening Primrose Oil — one of the best anti-aging face oils. These oils are rich in replenishing fatty acids, something most skin’s crave in the colder months of late fall and winter.
SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Synergie Skin ÜberZinc for $85 here.
SUPER LIGHT SUNSCREENS I'M CRUSHING ON FOR SPRING: BEST SUNSCREENS FOR FACE
Synergie Skin | Vitamin B 13% Essential Niacinamide Serum
If you aren’t employing a Niacinamide serum in your AM and PM skincare routines, you’re missing a vital opportunity to up your game and defend your skin against the aging forces of time, stress and the environment. And, with Niacinamide’s unique ability to unclog pores, a little daily pore maintenance goes a long way toward pushing your skin health forward.
Niacinamide has played a central role in my own skin health maintenance for about five years now. My journey began with what I consider to be the OG Niacinamide serum, the Paula’s Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster. With a 10% concentration of the active, it’s hands down the best anti-aging serum available in the world today. Have I tried every anti-aging serum in the world? Of course not; I don’t have to. I’ve already found it!
No joke, I go through two bottles of 10% Niacinamide Booster every month.
PRODUCT REVIEW: PAULA’S CHOICE 10% NIACINAMIDE BOOSTER – THE BEST NIACINAMIDE SERUM
If it isn’t already, a well-formulated Niacinamide serum should be your skin’s best friend, too. Of course, Niacinamide isn’t the only powerful active that has the ability to brighten your complexion. There are numerous skin brighteners including, of course, tried-and-true Ascorbic Acid, or Vitamin C.
And while the benefits of topical Vitamin C are broad, including antioxidant defense, collagen building and skin brightening, Niacinamide has the power to do even more. Yes, even more!
Among the most important benefits of the form of Vitamin B are brightening, pore-clarifying, antioxidant defense, sebum control and smoothing a rough skin texture. As I’ve said, there’s simply nothing as effective — and as broadly beneficial for optimizing the health of your skin that a damn good Niacinamide serum.
My most recent deep dive into all-things Niacinamide was published as 2020 came to a welcome close. Titled Niacinamide Is the Game Changer You Need to Defend Against Skin Damage and Maintain Optimal Skin Health, the piece featured five of my favorite Niacinamide serums — some of which continue to be staples in my daily skincare regimen.
NIACINAMIDE IS THE GAME CHANGER YOU NEED TO DEFEND AGAINST SKIN DAMAGE AND MAINTAIN OPTIMAL SKIN HEALTH
Nothing could intrigue me more than Synergie Skin’s Vitamin B 13% Essential Niacinamide Serum.
And with my undying devotion for the Paula’s Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster, it’s a very, very high bar. While I’m not saying I’m ready to give up the OG of Niacinamide serums for the Synergie Skin Vitamin B 13% Essential Niacinamide Serum, it’s certainly a contender as one of the best Niacinamide serums I’ve come across.
But it has its flaws, unlike Paula’s pitch perfect serum.
What Is Niacinamide and What Does Niacinamide Do for the Skin?
There’s a comprehensive article on Niacinamide by the skin experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team, titled simply, How Niacinamide Helps Skin. An excerpt from the article:
How Niacinamide Helps Skin
Niacinamide is a skin care ingredient worthy of your attention and your skin will love you for using it. Among a handful of other amazing skin care ingredients such as retinol and vitamin C, niacinamide is a standout because of its versatility for almost any skin care concern and skin type.
As many of you know about us, but for those who don’t, the conclusions we make about any ingredient are always based on what the published research has shown to be true—and the research about niacinamide unanimously demonstrates how special it is. New research keeps showing it’s one of the most exciting skin care ingredients around.
What is Niacinamide?
Also known as vitamin B3 and nicotinamide, niacinamide is a water-soluble vitamin that works with the natural substances in your skin to help visibly minimize enlarged pores, tighten lax pores, improve uneven skin tone, soften fine lines and wrinkles, diminish dullness, and strengthen a weakened surface.
Niacinamide also reduces the impact of environmental damage because of its ability to improve skin’s barrier (its first line of defense), plus it also plays a role in helping skin to repair signs of past damage. Left unchecked, this type of daily assault makes skin appear older, dull, and less radiant.
Why You Should Use Niacinamide
As you might have gathered, we’re very impressed with all that niacinamide can do for skin when applied via skin care products like toners, serums, and highly concentrated leave-on treatments. Niacinamide is uniquely compatible with any of the products in your skin care routine, including those that contain retinol, peptides, hyaluronic acid, AHAs, BHA, vitamin C, and all types of antioxidants.
You can use multiple niacinamide-containing products in your routine, and it will still be non-sensitizing as this ingenious B vitamin is well tolerated by all skin types. It’s even suitable for use by those with sensitive or rosacea-prone skin.
Other helpful benefits of niacinamide are that it helps renew and restore the surface of skin against moisture loss and dehydration by helping skin improve its natural production of skin-strengthening ceramides. When ceramides become depleted over time, skin is left vulnerable to all sorts of problems, from persistent patches of dry, flaky skin to increasingly becoming extra-sensitive.
If you struggle with dry skin, topical application of niacinamide has been shown to boost the hydrating ability of moisturizers so skin’s surface can better resist the moisture loss that leads to recurrent dry, tight, flaky skin. Niacinamide works brilliantly with common moisturizer ingredients like glycerin, non-fragrant plant oils, cholesterol, sodium PCA, and sodium hyaluronate.
How does niacinamide help pores? Great question, although the answer here isn’t certain. Simply put, research hasn’t come to a full understanding about how this B vitamin works its pore-reducing magic, but it does! It seems that niacinamide has a normalizing ability on the pore lining, and that this influence plays a role in keeping debris from getting backed up, which leads to clogs and rough, bumpy skin. As the clog forms and worsens, the pores stretch to compensate, and what you’ll see is enlarged pores. By helping things get back to normal, niacinamide use helps pores return to their normal size. Sun damage can cause pores to become stretched, too, leading to what some describe as "orange peel skin". Higher concentrations of niacinamide can help visibly tighten pores by shoring up skin’s supportive elements.
The Synergie Skin Vitamin B 13% Essential Niacinamide Serum is a relatively uncomplicated formulation, with just about 15 ingredients; regrettably, the final five of which are drying alcohol, caramel color, Citronellol, Geraniol, Linalool — three fragrant components of sensitizing essential oils.
All of those are in negligible amounts in the formula, however, leaving a whole ton of goodness — starting with the 13% Niacinamide indicated in the product’s name. Thirteen percent is a solid level for delivering powerful antioxidant protection to the skin as well as the brightening and pore-clearing that Niacinamide is best known for.
But there’s more to the Synergie Skin Vitamin B 13% Essential Niacinamide Serum than that.
Ingredient number one is, of course, water. But, amusingly, it’s not just the plain old water you’d find in most water-based serums, including the Paula’s Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster. It’s “purified Australian rain water”! I don’t know what the benefits of that are, if there even are any, but it sure sounds fun.
More seriously are the inclusion of a veritable cocktail of pro-skin health actives, including a trio of moisturizers and hydrators — Panthenol (Vitamin B5), Glycerin and Sodium PCA. There’s also a handful of botanical extracts and even replenishing phospholipids — a type of fat composed of fatty acids, glycerol and phosphate. (Psst…lecithin is a phospholipid.)
Aside from the exceptional level of Niacinamide, what intrigues me most about the formula is its phenomenal texture. It’s slightly oily, slightly watery, and perfectly layer-able, making it a pleasure to use. And I know that because I look forward to using it, the real indicator of a product’s appeal for me.
While I’ve only experienced a handful of products from Synergie Skin, the Vitamin B 13% Essential Niacinamide Serum is one of the best face serums I’ve encountered this year. And as far as Niacinamide serums go? Bravo!
SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Synergie Skin Vitamin B 13% Essential Niacinamide Serum for $85 here.
That’s it, guys! I hope you’ve enjoyed my deep dive into Synergie Skin’s clean, clinical skincare from Down Under…
See you next week!
💟 Carmine @skincarma
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The Ingredient List of the Synergie Skin Dermiotic Pre-Serum Elixir:
Water (Aqua), Niacinamide, Glycerin, Inulin, Betaine, Methylpropanediol, Hydrolyzed Tomato Skin, Sodium Pca, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Caprylyl Glycol, Lactose, Milk Protein, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phenylpropanol, Phenethyl Alcohol, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate.
The Ingredient List of the Synergie Skin ÜberZinc Broad Spectrum SPF 15 PA+++:
Water (Aqua), Zinc Oxide, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Isoamyl Laurate, Methylpropanediol, Cetearyl Olivate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sorbitan Olivate, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Tomato Skin, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Caprylyl Glycol, Ceteareth 20, Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba (Guar) Gum, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Rosa Canina (Rosehip) Fruit Oil, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Oil, Olea Europaea (Olive) Leaf Extract, Xanthan Gum, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Phenylpropanol, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Phytate, Alcohol (Grain Derived), Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Citral, D-Limonene, Linalool.
The Ingredient List of the Synergie Skin Vitamin B 13% Essential Niacinamide Serum:
cci|sb|aacne|h, Glycerin sii|h 0 0, Panthenol (Vitamin B5) 
so|h 0 0, Caprylyl Glycol h|emo, Glycerin sii|h 0 0, Sodium PCA sii|h 0 0, Pelargonium Capitatum (Rose Geranium) Leaf Extract, Polysorbate 80 emu|surf 0 0, Phospholipids sii|emo, Aroma (Natural), Hydroxyethylcellulose vc, Alcohol (Grain Derived) 
amic|solv|vc, Caramel (Natural Colour) col, Citronellol perf, Geraniol perf, Linalool perf
