Manuka Doctor Drops of Crystal Cashmere Touch Serum 30 ml

Manuka Doctor Drops of Crystal Cashmere Touch Serum - 30 ml=== OVERALL ===Serums come at a premium price and whether they are worth shelling out for is determined by ingredients and formulation. Other reviewers have raved about this product and it does indeed contain some excellent ingredients (such as capric triglyceride and sodium hyaluronate) and is mostly composed of good quality ingredients.However, headline ingredients manuka honey and bee venom are way down the list, and any potential benefits are ruined by the inclusion of several irritants (including fragrances, linalool and limonene) and by the fact that the no.3 ingredient is denatured alcohol (ethanol). I cannot stress enough how bad it is to have this much alcohol in a skincare product.This alcohol is proven to dry and irritate the skin long after application, and to cause free radical damage. The reason the gel feels cool on application is because alcohol is breaking down the surface of the skin and evaporating. One reviewer mentioned this serum caused her skin to flare up, and alcohol-based products are proven to cause break-outs in all skin types. One to avoid.=== THINGS I LIKE ABOUT THE PRODUCT ===* Contains some excellent ingredients including moisturiser capric triglyceride (which the skin can use to repair its surface and resist moisture loss) and skin-identical repairing ingredient sodium hyaluronate.* Unlike some other cosmetic bee products, this product does come with a warning that it should not be used if allergic bee stings; this is important because bee sting allergy can be fatal! It's surprising how many bee products contain no such warning, however.* Harvesting bee venom can involve cruelty to bees (basically, painful death) but there are ways to harvest it without cruelty and this product claims it does so=== NIGGLES ===* The serum is to be applied morning and night and, since the bottle only contains 30ml, you'll go through it pretty quickly* Highly perfumed. I could smell the product when the bottle was still sealed inside a plastic-wrapped box. On application, the product smells just like hairspray and that smell does linger* On application, the gel is sticky (as well as smelling of hairspray). It leaves the fingers sticky and leaves a thin, sticky film lying on the surface of the skin* I couldn't find out what the evidence is for the efficacy of various plant extracts such as Pistacia Lentiscus, Cassia Angustifolia Seed and Solanum Lycopersicum Solanum Lycopersicum (tomato leaf)* Honey is primarily sugar with some amino acids, peptides and vitamins and plays a role in wound-healing, has anti-inflammatory properties and also functions as an antioxidant. Manuka honey is produced in New Zealand from bees that pollinate the native manuka bush and is promoted as a special kind of honey. It’s similar to standard clover honey except it’s said to contain more methylglyoxal, a chemical that may have antibacterial and antiviral properties, depending on the type of bacteria or virus. None of this seems convincing proof manuka honey is going to provide much benefit to your skin when contained in small quantities in cosmetic skincare products.* Despite the fact the brand has the word "doctor" in it and appears in clean, white, almost clinical packaging, it is simply a cosmetic skincare product. I wonder if "doctor" and "manuka" were placed side-by-side to tap into both natural and medicinal beliefs consumers may have about cosmetic skincare products.=== PACKAGING & PRICE ===The product comes boxed in a stylish white cardboard box with golden branding. The gel comes in a clear plastic bottle with a golden pump dispenser protected by a snap-on plastic cap. The bottle is not especially high-end; nevertheless it does dispense as little or as much as you want so it's no problem to use. Currently for sale at £29.99.

First point to note is that unlike a lot of premium-price serums, the packaging of this (both the outer box and dispenser) is very high quality; the pump is comfortable and easy to use, and I found 3 pumps gives the perfect amount for full face coverage.The fragrance isnt unpleasant, but its not particularly lovely; its sort of a chemical-floral scent - I found it doesnt really matter in the long run though as it fades quickly and is typically covered by any cream you add on top (so it begs the question why include it, but hey ho)When applied it dries very quickly (probably due to the amount of alcohol in it); it doesnt dry tight like some, but it does sting a little until you add your cream or oil; Not sure if this is the effect of the alcohol or some other ingredient but Im pretty sure stinging isnt a sensation youd want on your skin...That aside though (and thats why it lost one star), it does feel nice on the skin after a short while, and I think has helped brighten my skin a little - nothing astounding but at least it seems to do "something". I havent noticed anything in the way of pore reduction, wrinkle minimising or tone evening - but skin does seem subtly refreshed.

This serum comes in an expensive looking rigid, pump action plastic bottle with a lovely gold top. It took a while for the pump to work, in fact I was beginning to think it was faulty and it's not the sort you can remove to rinse in warm water. The serum itself is a clear golden coloured gel rather than one of the creamy types. Once applied to the face it absorbs into the skin well and only leaves a satin tinge of a shine. I did think that it left my skin slightly sticky though which I'm not too keen about. Fine lines seemed smoothed away and my face in general did look a little smoother and younger. The main thing I didn't like was the very high perfume, and while the smell was actually quite pleasant, I do find my skin won't tolerate strongly perfumed creams and lotions beyond more than a few days. It's one I will have to use with care and several days breaks.

There's certainly a touch of class with this serum product. The gold container sets the tone for product, which not just looks good but feels good too. The serum is dispensed via a pump, and a small drop blob on your fingertip is enough for a few inches. It's immediately cooling so you can easily feel where it is applied should you not apply in front of a mirror.Most importantly is how it performs. If has an immediate effect, tiny wrinkles are filled out as the skin plumps up. Don't be expecting miracles (from this or any other serum/cream). Serum offers benefits over normal creams, where the active ingredients thicken the product rather than thickening agents. These also allow the skin to breathe better since the serum penetrates the skin more efficiently. To this end, my skin didn't feel moisturised, plumper yes, but the surface was not particularly different to feel like with creams. This I assume is due to that quicker absorption and the fact that my dry was a little dry. As tempted as I was to just go and apply more, I noted that on less dry areas of my face, I could still feel the serum, so further proof it was absorbing well.Serums are a very efficient way of delivery skin care and they also last longer because less is more. I found this serum delivered a very pleasant experience and look forward to building up a more vibrant tone as my skin becomes more moisturised.