hihi, everyone, I hope all is well. I’m sharing my thoughts on Minimalist today and one of their best selling serums. stay tuned

Have you heard of Minimalist? I must admit this brand is new to me, and it was a chance discovery on Sephora whilst looking for a new antioxidant serum. The brand is established in India, its home and they are quite popular there too. The vibe is very reminiscent of The Ordinary- high quality & affordable prices with a good range of products. I picked up the VITAMIN C + E+ FERULIC 16% FACE SERUM

Experience

I’ve been using this in my AM routine since 29/1 and finished it on 2/4, a total of 9 weeks inc a 2 week break

I had a bout of skin barrier damage when I first added this to my routine, I think the serum contributed to it but it wasn’t the main culprit. Let me explain. I was using the Murad Multi Acid Peel toner(review here) in the evenings at the time. I usually use this toner 2-3 times a week leaving a good gap in between because its quite strong. In the same week I started the Minimalist serum, I had used the toner back to back with only 1 day in between and only in my t-zone area because I had enlarged pores. I used the serum in the same week back to back too for about 3 days before I noticed the skin in my t-zone area looked creepy and textured but the skin every where else was fine. I didn’t help by not following my usual rules when I start a new product- I add any new products slowly to my routine, using it 1-2x with gaps in between in the first week and working my way to daily in the 2nd to 3rd week.

Once I noticed the barrier impair, I dropped the Minimalist serum for about 2 weeks until my skin had fully recovered. I re introduced it slowly back into my routine and I haven’t had any issues since!

The serum itsself is super watery, with no noticeable scent. I believe if you use it the correct way, there will be no issues with it. It is a mix of ferulic acid, vit c derivate and vit e

Immediately upon application– the skin looks brighter but it offers no hydration support. It doesnt promise this anyway so I layer another serum on it. It pairs very well with other products due to its lightweight texture.

With continued use, the serum promises brightening and protection. I cant say for sure if my skin has been brightened by the product, but my skin looks nice. I also cant measure the amount of protection it offers lol however the product is a combo of 3 amazing antioxidants so I’m sure its doing its job. Its a relatively short ingredient list with the vit c derivate as the 2nd ingredient.

Verdict

I would buy this again and will recommend it. I’ve moved away from using Vitamin C only serums to antioxidant serums with a mixture of antioxidants. There’s nothing wrong with using a vit c only serum but why limit the benefits of antioxidants to just one? This serum is a good affordable antioxidant serum and its readily available. Just make sure you introduce slowly in the routine and be careful with using strong acids. This reminds me of the C E ferulic serum from Skinceuticals juts in terms of the ingredients.

Minimalist is available from a few outlets but the best place to get this from is BeautyBay. Why? Because Sephora & Superdrug charge £4.99 to ship Minimalist because it comes directly from the brand so I paid this in addition to normal delivery when I got it from Sephora( no longer available from Sephora). The UK Minimalist website also charges £4.99. At the time it wasn’t available on BeautyBay. When I checked BeautyBay, you pay their standard £2.95 shipping if you don’t meet the threshold for free shipping.

Minimalist VITAMIN C + E+ FERULIC 16% FACE SERUM is £9.95 at BeautyBay