What Is Resurfacing Day Serum?
A serum is meant to be power packed with all the nutrients you want in a moisturizer – only more densely because it is meant to sink in really deep, where it can best get to work. The one we review here is Resurfacing Day Serum by Relatox, and it assumes that the first blemishes and signs of aging have already appeared. Relatox says that in the face of sun damage, age and liver spots, premature aging, wrinkles and visible lines, it can even skin tone, smooth and repair skin, and promote fresh, young looking skin. It is formulated as a gel that includes extracts of kiwi, apple, grape, strawberry, fennel, ginseng, anise, licorice, and schisandra, and also glycolic, hyaluronic, and kojic acids.
Like serums, moisturizers are a dime a dozen so in this review, we will evaluate the potential efficacy. Our yardstick will be: What has the scientific research yielded? What has been clinically approved on the ingredient front as being superior in terms of delivering beneficial properties to skin?
Ingredients
The active ingredients are as follows:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin E
- Salicylic Acid 2%
- Gotu kola. R‐Lipoic Acid
- Hyaluronic Acid 25% (100% vegan approved material)
- Glycolic Acid 10%
It is a given that any serum or moisturizer must contain vitamin E for it’s collagen-producing and antioxidant properties, but the best synthesis with this is vitamin C, not A. Hyaluronic Acid 25% is a key compound that helps your skin stay hydrated. Because glycolic acid is the smallest alpha hydroxy acid, it can penetrate deeply to treat fine lines, pimples, spots, dull marks and oil patches. Then, there are all the fruit and plant extracts of kiwi, apple, grape, strawberry, fennel, ginseng, anise, licorice, and Schisandra. These provide further important anti-aging and tightening properties, but as far as plants go some of the real heavy-hitters such as Alpenrose and Willow Herb Flower are missing.
What really stands out as being concerning though is the lack of patented, clinically proven ingredients. One such patented peptide is, for example, Argireline NP, which stops catecholamine release, resulting in fewer and less visible wrinkles and lines. Twice-a-day treatments in clinical studies showed wrinkles decreased by 17% after 15 days and 27% after 30 days of routinely using it. This shows what can be in a formula if a manufacturer is serious about the science behind aging, and slowing it down.
How To Use
The manufacturer is somewhat unclear, telling us when to use the serum and in what order, but not how to apply it. After cleansing and toning, begin your day by applying the serum. Follow up with an anti-aging cream or moisturizer and sunscreen. We would have liked to know though if you should apply a thin layer and wait for it to absorb, or need to massage it in gently. These seemingly innocuous details matter, as they do impact the way compounds work and the extent to which they work.
What Is The Cost?
The 0.3 oz pump bottle will cost you $27. There do not appear to be any discounts for buying more than one.
Manufacturer’s Guarantee
The manufacturer is absolutely silent on the issue of returns and a guarantee which does not indicate a high degree of confidence in its own products. Lead manufacturers who have included five or more patented ingredients offer 60 to 365-day guarantees by comparison. They can do this because their products are scientifically researched and they have the clinical results to prove it, so they know that not many people will return their products, to begin with.
Our Final Review Of Resurfacing Day Serum
There are a number of organic ingredients used, and these are certified by a number of bodies. What concerns is that there is no assertion or certification though as to being vegan, cruelty-free or GMP-certified. These raise serious questions as to the manufacturing process and what, in the final analysis – and to what degree – the ingredients provided on the label match what’s in the serum. There are a number of good plant and fruit derivatives contained in the serum, but there are some potent extracts which we then would have expected to see, but are missing. Also, given the lack of strong, patented ingredients, this throws efficacy into doubt. This doubt is further intensified as any speak of a return policy or guarantee is simply absent. This is a red flag you as a consumer should never ignore. Not only do you bear all the risk with your purchase, but you have to ask yourself why a manufacturer would not back its own product with a guarantee if the purported benefits are as many and as great as they are made out to be. The answer, obviously, is that the product is hardly effective to begin with.