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Vinoperfect Radiance Serum speaks to my needs as I suffer from a history of sun damage, in the form of pigmentation across the cheek area. From further research, I found out that pigmentation may also be caused by hormonal changes, pregnancy, medical treatments, hereditary factors, ageing, etc. and is therefore not to be linked solely to sun damage. IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) Skin Rejuvenation sessions performed at Destination Skin Manchester back in 2008 had yielded beautiful results to my facial complexion. I had also abided by their strict beauty regimen involving three SkinCeuticals products: Serum 10 (Dual Antioxydant Treatment), Emollience moisturiser and a broad-spectrum UV protector (I have mostly been using their Physical UV Defence and Ultimate UV Defense).
Sun damage crept back up when I moved to the sunny Mediterranean island of Corsica in December 2009, despite wearing sun protection every day of the year and high-quality broad sunglasses whenever the sun is out. Last year I underwent a course of 6 IPL sessions and my complexion cleared up momentarily. I believe I may have finally identifed the culprit ingredient that encouraged dull complexion and pigmentation, urea, which is present in two products I used post-IPL: the Sleep and Peel Resurfacing Night Cream by Filorga and the Retexturing Activator Serum by SkinCeuticals that I had started using as an alternative to Serum 10, as per advice from a beauty therapist. In my experience, not only does urea bring out the sun spots but also makes my complexion duller.
Vinoperfect Radiance Serum does not contain urea, bonus! It boasts complexion-correcting ingredients (amongst which patented Viniferine) that will help tone down (fade) the appearance of sun spots and hyperpigmentation. Viniferine (grapevine shoot extract) makes it 62 times more effective than vitamin C! The serum texture is milkish, slightly sticky to the touch, yet easy to apply and subtly and pleasantly fragranced.
I used the serum every morning non-stop for the best part of five months. It was recommended that the serum be used at night too but I didn't follow suit. I was actually quite concerned at how fast the serum was going, in comparison to the SkinCeuticals serums, and at €43.00 RRP ($79.00 RRP/ £45.00 RRP) a bottle gone in less than 4 weeks, it ain't a cheap treatment.
Did I notice any results? Now those ladies who believe in beauty miracles in a jar/ bottle are in for a disappointment. No product will magically erase sun pigmentation. More extreme measures like chemical face peels or laser/ IPL performed at cosmetic clinics will yield a great finish, yet without the guarantee that pigmentation won't creep up again. Back to our serum, I did notice that some small pigmentation spots had shrunk and faded dramatically in colour, whereas larger pigmentation marks had remained the same. What I did notice though was the complexion in its overall appearance had a healthier glow, a radiance, like I had been on a spa holiday. But as I said, only minor imperfections (tiny sun spots) had shrunk and faded noticeably whereas the larger more stubborn marks had only paled down by a shade or two but remained unchanged in size.
Although I might still purchase the Vinoperfect Radiance Serum, I will happily give Caudalie's latest Polyphenol C15 Anti-Wrinkle Defense Serum a try, and in the meantime I am on the brink of ordering the Radiance Perfection Serum by REN, another brand that rocks my ethical beauty boat!
Pluses:
- Fresh pleasant subtle fragrance
- Milky texture makes it easy to apply
- Focus on natural ingredients and no parabens
- Against animal testing
- Reputable brand and honest product
- Pricey (RRP €43.00/ $79.00/ £45.00)
- Seems to go faster than the more liquid (water consistency) serums
- No dramatic results
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