Welcome to Robb Recommends, a regular series in which our editors and contributors endorse something they’ve tried and loved—and think will change your life for the better.
Skin care minimalists won’t like to read it, but lots of us are just one extra step away from getting the results we want from our regimens.
Or at least I was. After months of sticking to the basics—cleanser, moisturizer, vitamin C, tretinoin, sunscreen—I added an intermediate step back to my routine: Orveda’s appropriately named The Vital Sap. I’ve had such a good experience with it over the past six weeks that I wonder why I ever stopped using it in the first place.
The Vital Sap, which was once called The Healing Sap, isn’t quite a serum, and it’s not really a moisturizer. It’s more like an essence: a hyper-hydrating intermezzo course designed to enhance the efficacy of whatever you apply after it. It’s rich in glycerin, which dermatologists love for its humectant properties, as well as two forms of hyaluronic acid, castor oil, and amur cork tree extract. This last ingredient may be why my oily, acne-prone skin seems to be responding so well to it: research indicates the East Asian botanical has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects. Orveda says the formula also includes brightening papaya extract and an “energizing” seaweed extract.
Here’s how I use it: After cleansing and patting my face dry, I shake three or four drops from the generous bottle into my hand, then sweep it across my cheeks, neck, and forehead, and allow it to dry before moving on to the next step. (Orveda includes a kabuki-like brush to aid in application, but I’ve found that my hands are the better tool.) It’s certainly helped me stave off the dry, flaky skin I tend to experience this time of year. But I’ve also noticed that thicker serums slide onto my face and absorb much more easily than they did previously.
But the proof in the pudding is the shock I experienced looking in the mirror late last week. I have always struggled with the texture of my skin, and suddenly my face has started looking … smoother, softer, more refined. All this from an additional step that takes perhaps 30 seconds? Consider me a convert for life.
Authors
Credit
