Andalou Naturals Turmeric + C Enlighten Serum

 

Packaging/Pricing:

20-25$ for 30ml (1fl.oz). This serum comes in a tinted plastic pump bottle, which feels neither luxurious nor cheap, but serves its purpose well.

Ingredients:

Aloe Barbadensis Juice, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Oil, Vegetable Glycerin, Cyamopsis Tetragonolobus (Guar) Gum, Fruit Stem Cells (Malus Domestica, Solar Vitis) and Bioactive 8 Berry Complex, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Extract, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate (Vit C), Tocopherol (Vit E), Lauric Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hyaluronic Acid, Vitis Vinifera (Grape Seed) Polyphenols, Borago Officinalis (Borage) Oil, Rosa Canina (Rosehip) Oil, Glyceryl Monolaurate, Linum Usitatissiumum (Flax) Oil, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil, Hippophae Rhamnoides (Sea Buckthorn) Oil, Camelia Sinensis (White Tea) Extract, Laminaria Digitata (Kelp) Extract, Allantoin, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Phenethyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Oil.

Excellent (very beneficial ingredients, proven research)

Good (mostly beneficial ingredients, not extensive research available or just not quite outstanding properties)

OK (mostly thickeners, emulsifiers, mild preservatives, pH adjusters, all that is necessary formulation wise, but not a skincare per se) 
Bad (anything that shouldn't be in skincare, irritants and fragrance)

Ingredients Discussion:

This serum has a pretty brilliant formulation. First, it is rich in plant oils (sunflower, borage, rosehip, flax, evening primrose, sea buckthorn), that restore skin protective barrier and help to retain moisture. There are some other skin-identical ingredients as well: glycerin, lauric acid and hyaluronic acid. Lauric acid also has some other qualities that benefit skin greatly, such as anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. There is some research showing that lauric acid can even decrease amount of acne causing bacteria in the pores.

But even more important, that this product features several potent antioxidants: vitamins C and E, grape polyphenols, white tea and turmeric extracts. There is also "fruit stem cells and active berry complex", which Andalou brand is based on. As I've written previously, I have my doubts about ability of that patented complex to deliver some miracle results. But at the very least, those actives do have some antioxidant properties. I am slightly on the fence about presence of turmeric here though. On the one hand, it has very strong antioxidant properties, but on the other, being such a fragrant plant, it can potentially be irritating for the skin. In this case, having quite a few anti-irritants around it in this formula (including allantoin and kelp extract), there shouldn't be much concern about irritation.

The only irritant present in this serum is orange oil, but being the last on the ingredient list, it also shouldn't be harmful. 

Consumer Thoughts:

This is quite a rich serum. I would rather describe it as a light lotion. It can work as a great serum for dry skin, or as a light moisturizer for oilier skin types. The scent is a bit strange, but not overpowering or disgusting. Of course, it is always better when product is fragrance free. I personally did not see the promised brightness from this serum, but I did enjoy using it very much. I am a little skeptical whether this serum can lighten discolorations, but not because this product has bad ingredients, but rather because discolorations usually are very stubborn and hard to treat. Generally you need a very strong vitamin C (10-20%) to see the results (or retinol, or hydroquinone). But this can be a beautiful product to maintain results from different treatments or just keep skin in a good shape overall.

Verdict:

Great antioxidant serum in organic segment. Not heavy on irritating plant extracts and essential oils. Pleasant texture. I do recommend it.

4,5 out of 5.