M&S Pure Super Active Face Serum Review

Happy Bank Holiday everyone! It's pretty gloomy here in London, so I thought I'd sit down to do some blogging about my newfound skin care gem from Marks & Spencers. I've been considering purchasing a serum for some time now, since hearing that they penetrate the deeper layers of the skin, essentially nourishing it from the inside out and thinking "yep, my skin could definitely use a hit of that". So whilst in M&S I thought I'd have a little peek at what was on offer in their skin care range (I actually went in to help my nan shop for a scarf, but somehow managed to end up in the beauty section.. it must be like a gravitational pull) I picked up the Super Active Face Serum from the Pure range and it took me no more than about 10 seconds to decide I wanted it. The serum promises to smooth and firm the skin for a more radiant complexion, but equally as important, it contains 95% ingredients from nature, 100% essential oil fragrances, British grown ingredients and is manufactured in a British eco factory. It is also free from the usual nasties such as artificial fragrance, parabens and mineral oil. Great, right? But it wasn't until I got home to open the packaging that I was truly impressed. 

The Pure range supports the Bee Friendly Project and explains on the inside of the packaging why bees are so vital to the production of much of the food we eat. The Bee Friendly Project aim to help create the right environment for healthier, more sustainable bee colonies throughout the UK. In using Starflower oil in their products, the Pure range is assisting the Project in achieving this, as the Starflower plant cannot exist without pollination and farmers encourage bee keepers to erect two hives per acre. Another impressive factor is that using British ingredients allows the Pure range to support the UK farming community and reduce their carbon footprint.* Okay, so it's clear I am in awe of the ethics of the Pure range, but what about the product itself?

As with all the products in the Pure line, the Super Actice Face Serum contains four main ingredients, starflower oil, blackcurrant oil, camelina oil and oat oil. The packaging doesn't say a great deal about the properties of these oils, other than this is an anti-aging product, so I did a little research on google and here's what I came up with. Starflower oil is known to infuse moisture and smoothness into the skin, whilst helping keep signs of aging at bay, blackcurrant oil is an anti-oxidative, camelina oil increases skin elasticity and oat oil soothes and aids the skin's moisture barrier (it may be best not to quote me on this info though, my research wasn't thorough) I have been using the serum twice a day under my moisturiser for a couple of weeks now and have noticed my skin feels smooth, supple and looks in better condition. I can't comment on the anti-aging claims of the product as I'm only 19, but my skin certainly does have a plumpness about it and my dry patches have been reduced. The serum is very light, glides over the skin easily and absorbs quickly with no residue, in fact after it has absorbed you'd barely know you had put anything onto your skin, it is that lightweight. Consistency wise it is quite thin and feels like it is water based (it may be, I'm not 100% sure) because of this is does have a tendency to drip off your fingers if you're not careful but since the consistency is possibly what lends such a feather light texture to the serum, I'm not complaining. My only gripe is that I dislike the smell, but as it is fairly subtle I have stopped noticing it with continued use. 

Overall I'm a bit in love with this product and it has quickly become a staple in my routine. Since I haven't tried many serums, when this one runs out I think I'll experiment with some different ones, but if they don't live up to this M&S offering I'll be repurchasing! I wouldn't hesitate to buy anything else from the Pure range as it all looks lovely and I'm sure a few more products will make their way into my regime soon. 

M&S Pure Super Active Face Serum 30ml for £11 here

Ellie xo

*all information from packaging