PRODUCT REVIEW: HERBIVORE NOVA 15% VITAMIN C + TURMERIC BRIGHTENING SERUM - BEST VITAMIN C SERUM, BEST BRIGHTENING SERUM WITH TURMERIC
HERBIVORE | NOVA 15% VITAMIN C + TURMERIC BRIGHTENING SERUM
Brightening serums with Vitamin C are among my favorite skincare products. And a cool, innovative, well-formulated brightening serum is everything.
I also love Turmeric in all its forms. I take a Turmeric supplement every morning on the advice of my naturopathic doctor. And in a skincare product, Turmeric Root Extract has exceptional antioxidant, soothing and brightening benefits.
According to the experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team, it’s among the best and most versatile ingredients in skincare.
“On skin, in vivo research has shown that turmeric and its derivatives interrupt signaling in surface cells that trigger signs of irritation. Turmeric helps calm skin and may even play a role in reducing the look of acne-related redness by modulating pathways to restore a healthier, more even appearance.
Research has conclusively shown that turmeric is a potent antioxidant, largely due to its curcumin content (although turmeric also contains other antioxidants). Applying turmeric to skin can help offset signs of environmental damage and, to some extent, thwart the skin-damaging effects from UVB light.”
Combine Turmeric Root Extract with Vitamin C and you’ve got a powerhouse brightening serum that easily answers the question, How to fix dull skin?
The Herbivore Nova 15% Vitamin C + Turmeric Brightening Serum does just that — and more! It’s actually made with a trifecta of known skin brighteners: Vitamin C in the form of Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate (THD), Turmeric Root Extract and Arbutin.
Arbutin has been getting lots of airplay in skincare marketing lately — and for good reason. What is Arbutin? It’s a superb pro-skin health active with multiple benefits for the skin. Much like Niacinamide and Vitamin C, Arbutin and its alternative synthetic forms, Alpha-Arbutin and Beta-Arbutin, is a versatile antioxidant that protects from skin-aging aggressors. But it can do so much more.
THE BEST FRESH ACTIVATED VITAMIN C SERUMS TO GET YOUR COMPLEXION LIT IN THE NEW YEAR
According to the experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team, Arbutin is one of the best skincare ingredients. It has the unique ability to naturally break down into hydroquinone in the skin.
While somewhat controversial, hydroquinone is a highly effective medicine most commonly used to lighten dark patches on the skin, including hyperpigmentation, melasma, age spots, even freckles. It works by blocking the innate process in skin that causes discoloration in the surface layers of the skin..
Which Is Arbutin and What Does Alpha Arbutin Do to the Skin?
All skin types can benefit from antioxidant Vitamin C. If a Vitamin C serum is light and water-based like the Cocokind Vitamin C Serum with Sea Grape Caviar, it’s more easily layered into any skincare routine.
There’s an excellent, thoroughly sourced breakdown of the unique benefits of Arbutin and its most common form, including Alpha-Arbutin, from the experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team that you can catch on the brand’s website here. This is what I found most insightful:
Arbutin is antioxidant that may be derived from plants (most commonly the bearberry plant) or made in a lab. The plant-derived form is known as beta-arbutin and the synthetic forms are alpha-arbutin and deoxyarbutin. Each is backed by research for addressing hyperpigmentation issues (i.e. fading dark spots and other discolorations), as well as improving skin’s overall radiance.
Arbutin’s main benefit comes from the fact that it naturally breaks down into hydroquinone (which is known to inhibit excess melanin). This allows it to even out skin tone and minimize blotchy/patchy spots that are caused by factors such as unprotected sun exposure.
Studies have shown the synthetic derivatives alpha-arbutin and deoxyarbutin are more effective in this regard than the pure natural form of beta-arbutin due to having better stability, longer efficacy, and no risk of sensitivity when exposed to human skin cells. As a raw material, arbutin comes in powder form, with a colorless to faint yellow appearance.
The Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety recognizes up to a 2% concentration of alpha-arbutin and 7% concentration of beta-arbutin as safe in facial skin care products.
While the Herbivore Nova Vitamin C serum is diminishing the look of complexion irregularities and preventing new spots from forming, it’s also infusing skin with replenishing moisture and even preventing trans-epidermal water loss to keep skin optimally hydrated.
It has an unusally rich texture, though it’s not overly loaded up with plant oils, making it ideal for most skin types — except very oily or acne-prone. I’m obsessed with Herbivore’s Nova 15% Vitamin C + Turmeric Brightening Serum! It’s exquisite, velvety and smells like Turmeric heaven!
What I like about it: The Herbivore Nova 15% Vitamin C + Turmeric Brightening Serum is an exceptionally well formulated brightening serum with a trifecta of proven actives, including Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate (THD), Turmeric Root Extract and Arbutin. It’s also got an optimal level of moisture-replenishing and water-retaining plant oils and humectants, making it ideal for most skin types.
What I don’t like about it: I love the gorgeous glass bottle and the iridescent yellow hue. But a clear glass bottle cannot possibly preserve the potency of vulnerable, light sensitive antioxidants like Vitamin C and Turmeric Root Extract.
Who it’s for: All skin types, except very oily and and acne-prone skin.
SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Herbivore Nova 15% Vitamin C + Turmeric Brightening Serum for $64 here.
The Ingredient List of the Herbivore Nova 15% Vitamin C + Turmeric Brightening Serum:
aox|sb, Glycerin 
sii|h 0 0, C9-12 Alkane solv, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate emu|surf, Propanediol solv|h, Cetearyl Olivate emu, Sorbitan Olivate emu, Arctostaphylos Uva-Ursi Leaf Extract aox|sb, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract aox|so|sb|perf, Terminalia Chebula Fruit Extract, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract aox|sb, Hyaluronic Acid sii|h, Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate emo|emu, Sclerotium Gum vc, Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate emu, Sodium Levulinate, Sodium Anisate amic, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate emo, Butylene Glycol h|solv 0 1, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Sodium Phytate chel, Averrhoa Carambola Fruit Extract, Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate, Ocimum Basilicum (Basil) Flower/Leaf Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate aox 0 0, Echinacea Purpurea Extract h, Ananas Sativus (Pineapple) Fruit Juice, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate amic|pres, Citric Acid buff
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