What is the quickest way to get glowing skin?
A. Hydration
B. Vitamin C
C. Exfoliation
D. Why do I have to choose?!
If you’re anything like me, you went for option D. You want all the goodies, preferably in one product so you can save time and money.
Lumene Valo Glow Boost Essence covers almost all bases. It doesn’t exfoliate skin, but it’s got plenty of Vitamin C and hydration to make up for it. Good enough?
What’s In Lumene Valo Glow Boost Essence?
HUMECTANTS TO HYDRATE SKIN
Ever wondered what’s the secret behind Korean women’s glass-like glow? Hydration.
When your skin has all the hydration it needs and more, it glows as if lit from within. That’s not the only thing hydration does, either. It also plumps up the skin so your fine lines and wrinkles look smaller and makes it silky soft to the touch.
So what kind of stuff gives you enough hydration to make your skin glow?
Humectants. That’s a fancy way of calling those moisture-magnets that attract water from the air into the skin. My fave is hyaluronic acid: it can bind up to 1000 times its weight in water.
Lumene Valo Glow Boost Essence contains TWO forms of hyaluronic acid. Can you wrap your head around how much hydration that is?
Plus, it has a few other humectants like glycerin and butylene glycol. They’re less sexy, but still get the hydration job done.
Related: Why You Should Add Hyaluronic Acid To Your Skincare Routine
Struggling to create an anti-aging routine that really works? Download the “Best Anti-Aging Skincare Routine” below to get started. It features product recommendations + right application order:
VITAMIN C TO BRIGHTEN SKIN
Vitamin C is an anti aging superstar:
- It fights free radicals
- It boosts collagen production
- It brightens skin
- It fades away dark spots
Lumene Valo Glow Boost Essence gets its vitamin C from cloudberries (amber-coloured berries that also have moisturising omega-3 and -6 and Vitamin E) and ascorbyl glucoside, a synthetic vitamin C derivative.
Here’s where it gets tricky. Pretty much all of the studies done on the collagen-boosting and dark spot-fading powers of Vitamin C were done on the pure form, L-ascorbic acid.
But that’s irritating as hell, so it makes sense for Lumene to gets its Vitamin C from gentler, natural sources sources. But these are NOT as powerful enough as L-ascorbic acid (the pure form of Vitamin C).
If you’re serious about anti-aging, natural Vitamin C sources don’t cut it.
Related: Types Of Vitamin C Used In Skincare
Texture
Lightweight. Sinks in immediately.
Fragrance
Synthetic citrusy scent. It’s so subtle it doesn’t bother me (or my skin, for that matter).
How To Use It
In the morning, right after cleansing.
Performance & Personal Opinion
Already after a few days of using Lumene Valo Glow Boost Essence, I noticed my skin had a natural glow.
It was dewy – without highlighter. Softer to the touch and more hydrated. When I go out in this freezing February weather, my skin isn’t screaming for more moisture.
I don’t have any dark spots or sagging, so I can’t comment on that. But then this essence isn’t designed for that. Its job is to give your skin a bright glow. That, it delivers.
That’s why I’d recommend it to younger (under 30) women who are just looking for a glow boost. Once you’re ready to up your antiaging game, switch to a more powerful form of Vitamin C.
Who Is This For?
- Young women who want glowing skin.
- Sensitive skin that can’t tolerate L-Ascorbic Acid.
Who Is This NOT For?
If you’re serious about anti-aging, get yourself a L-Ascorbic Acid instead.
Packaging
A bright orange bottle with a pump applicator. It’s eye-catching and practical.
Does Lumene Valo Glow Boost Essence Live Up To Its Claims?
| CLAIM | TRUE? |
|---|---|
| A super concentrated, miracle boosting serum for brighter-looking, intensely hydrated skin. | It brightens and hydrates skin, but it’s not particularly concentrated or miraculous. |
| Containing our unique new Nordic-C radiance enhancing and energizing technology with berry extract from antioxidant-rich Wild Arctic Cloudberry and Vitamin C, along with Pure Arctic Spring Water and two types of Hyaluronic Acid, the hydrating formula works to promote the appearance of more youthful-looking skin that feels plumper, smoother and looks more radiant. | Note how they say it contains all this stuff, not that this stuff is what makes the serum work. These Nordic berries don’t work as well as L-Ascorbic Acid (the pure form of Vitamin C). |
Price & Availability
£29.90 at Feel Unique
Do You Need It?
Let’s put it this way: it’s a nice-to-have, not a must-have.
Dupes & Alternatives
- Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum ($80.00)
- Paula’s Choice C15 Super Booster ($49.00)
- Skinceuticals CE Ferulic ($166.00)
Ingredients
Water, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Glycerin, Rubus Chamaemorus (Cloudberry) Fruit Extract, Rubus Chamaemorus (Cloudberry) Seed Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Betaine, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Saccharide Isomerate, Ascorbic Glucoside, Xylitylglucoside, Sodium Hyaluronate, Xanthan Gum, Anhydroxylitol, Trehalose, Urea, Disodium EDTA, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Maltodextrin, Xylitol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Citrate, Adenosine, Pentylene Glycol, Serine, Citric Acid, Algin, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium Phosphate, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Pullulan, Potassium Phosphate, Limonene, Linalool, Citral, Fragrance
Would you say the vitamin C concentration is enough to provide a bit of photo-protective effect/enhance the effect of my sunscreen? I’m always hasty when they don’t say the concentration of vitamin c on the label!
Emma, yes even a little bit help. But you’d get more benefits from a 15% L-Ascorbic Acid serum.