(September 2021 update: I’ve switched to using the Renew Pure Radiance Oil from True Botanicals. My skin loves it and it’s not as expensive as the Vintner’s Daughter Serum.) Investing in self-care pays off at different rates. Some investments, like sun protection or avoiding processed food, only begin to pay off after months or years of consistent practice. Other investments in self-care—like the Active Botanical Serum from Vintner’s Daughter—pay off much sooner than that. Here’s my honest and unfiltered Vintner’s Daughter review.
There is no cheap filler in this natural skincare serum. The Vintner’s Daughter Active Botanical Serum only uses the best-of-the-best ingredients (more on that below!) and made a visible difference on my skin.
GET THE ACTIVE BOTANICAL SERUM HERE
My Results
My 33 year old skin has visibly improved with this serum. Having a new baby over the winter left my skin looking dull and haggard. So this was the perfect opportunity to test a quality radiance oil like this.
The biggest single difference in my skin is a dewy smoothness, with an element of clarity.
Here’s other changes I’ve seen in my skin since using the Active Botanical Serum for the last three weeks:
- Inflammation is decreased.
- Little lines, especially the horizontal lines across my forehead, are lessened.
- My skin feels plump to the touch.
- Little dry patches disappeared, without creating an increase in oiliness in other parts of the face.
- It has not created any new breakouts (to which I’m prone!) but has allowed old blemishes and marks to heal faster than usual.
- I’ve been using this as a nighttime eye treatment too, with good success. The skin doesn’t look at all crepe-y, but instead appears brighter, slightly plumper, more youthful. That is a major plus when I’m up four times a night with a baby!
Overall, I feel much more confident going makeup-free since using this serum.
My Routine
Of course, my use of the Active Botanical Serum is done in conjunction with other beneficial skin care habits. I drink a heck of a lot of purified water, almost always with a fresh squeeze of lemon. I wear zinc oxide sunscreen every day, and hats on days when I’m outdoors. I’m fastidious about cleansing my skin at night, beginning with oil cleansing and finishing with a creamy cleanser on my Clarisonic facial brush. And to top it all off, I supplement with liver capsules, vitamin D3 and collagen.
All these habits merely set the stage for exceptional products, like the Vintner’s Daughter Active Botanical Serum, to work their magic.
The combination of my daily self-care habits with this serum has given me results I’m very happy with.
Quality Matters in Facial Oils
Some skincare products, such as cleansers and lip balms, are sometimes fine in their cheaper iterations. But when it comes to facial oils, it’s highly important to get a top-quality oil.
There is a wide range of quality when it comes to facial oils. That’s because an oil can be 100% natural and 100% organic, yet not great for your face. How, you ask?
Plant-based oils are notoriously fragile. Many low quality—and thus lower priced—facial oils contain ingredients that have been refined or even bleached using high heat. This kind of harsh processing, at best, diminishes the nutritional value of the ingredients and, at worst, can lead to rancidity.
I suspect people are using compromised oils more than they realize. Even with so-called “natural” oil, which appears to be natural and good for skin, may have been degraded into a lifeless and potentially problematic entity due to improper processing or packaging.
Inside the Ingredients
There is no cheap filler in the Active Botanical Serum. Each ingredient can stand on its own as being among the “best of the best” for skin that the natural world has to offer.
Ingredients: grapeseed oil, hazelnut oil, bergamot peel oil, avocado oil, calendula, rose absolute, carrot seed oil, evening primrose oil, rosehip seed oil, lemon peel, lavender flower, alfalfa leaf, nettle leaf, dandelion leaf, frankincense, neroli flower oil, rosemary leaf extract, sea buckthorn fruit, turmeric root oil, cypress leaf oil, jasmine flower, tamanu oil.
| Extremely Safe | Reasonably Safe | Proceed with Caution | Insufficient Data |
Grapeseed as the first ingredient makes sense, as it is well tolerated by many skin types, and its obvious connection to the brand name, Vintner’s Daughter.
Hazelnut oil is not only rich in linoleic acids, but it has a relatively small particle size which allows for better skin penetration. I’m surprised that I don’t see hazelnut oil more often in facial serums or oils, because it works so well in a formula like this.
There’s a few ingredients in here which help to slowly brighten skin, such as bergamot oil, rosehip seed oil and lemon peel. I find that higher concentrations of lemon-based ingredients can be irritating for my sensitive skin, but that hasn’t been the case with this serum.
There’s something else very important to note in this ingredient list: All ingredients have been disclosed. When you find a product that stands by all its ingredients—like this one—that’s a good thing.
Finding the word fragrance on the ingredient lists of other products means the company behind the product has chosen to not disclose all ingredients. Thanks to the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act of 1966, fragrance is considered proprietary information and allowed to be hidden from consumers. So while you see that single word on the label, it may contain any number of secret ingredients.
But here’s the good news: more and more companies are choosing to disclose all ingredients in their cosmetics, thus empowering consumers like you to make a choice with your eyes wide open. Transparency matters. And that’s just another reason I love this product.
How To Use
Put 6-8 drops of the serum in the palm of your hand. Gently rub the serum between your palms. Then place the full hand on either side of the face and press firmly.
Vintner’s Daughter calls this the Push/Press Method.
Where to Purchase
The Active Botanical Serum from Vintner’s Daughter is $185 for a 1oz glass dropper bottle.
GET THE ACTIVE BOTANICAL SERUM HERE
Highly Recommended
The Active Botanical Serum works well for all skin types, but is especially useful for aging, hormonally challenged and acne-prone skin.
This product is part of my popular guide to natural skin care, 97 Remarkable Natural Skincare Products.
*This post is not sponsored. All opinions are my own.
**Products get makeovers too. Be sure to check if this product has been recently re-formulated before using it yourself.
