Petals of Honor — Korres Wild Rose Active Vitamin C Brightening Oil
For years, I’ve been waging war against the dark spots that decided to stage a hostile coup and take over my complexion. There’s one particular spot that I admittedly obsess over — in large part because I know I’m responsible for its emergence. See, when I was in my early 30s, I started experiencing breakouts — a rather unexpected phenomenon given that I never grappled with acne as a teenager, and I foolishly thought that one of the few advantages of aging was that I’d never have to worry about pimples. Wrong! When confronted with the most barbaric breakouts of my entire life, I freaked out and ignored all the wisdom I’d acquired over the years, squeezing and poking at every bump on my face — especially one insanely alarming mound below my left eye that, to me, looked like the Mount Everest of zits. I paid for my impulsiveness when I popped that pimple and watched in horror as the now-flattened protrusion on my face transformed into a dark blotch — one that hasn’t left since. If only I’d been patient enough to let that blemish treatment work! But hey, there’s no sense crying over spilled milk (or popped pimples) so, since then, I’ve been on a constant skin-brightening mission and, though the spot hasn’t faded in its entirety, it has become a bit less prominent. One of the products that’s helped throughout this gradual transformation has been the Korres Wild Rose Vitamin C Active Brightening Oil ($54 at Sephora.com). Over time, the oil has helped to make that blasted dark spot less prominent — it’s not gone by any means, but it seems to be closer to the exit door than ever before.
In my experience, it takes months of continuously using the Korres Wild Rose Vitamin C Active Brightening Oil to see a notable difference when it comes to minimizing any old dark spots, but it does eventually deliver. Moreover, this delicious-smelling elixir gives your complexion an instant boost of radiance, and that’s really its most enticing feature. The oil features 94.5% natural ingredients — among them apricot kernel oil, which has long been used to treat topical inflammations and which is packed with fatty acids, antioxidants, and vitamins A, C, and E. Another easily absorbed, non-comedogenic (meaning it won’t clog your pores) botanical extract in the formula is sunflower seed oil, a substance known for it high concentration of vitamin E and, as a result, its ability to protect the skin from sun damage. Sunflower seed oil also contains vitamins A, C, and D, which help the skin create a protective barrier that, in turn, improves its ability to retain moisture. Ginger root extract, meanwhile, fights redness and irritation while also boosting circulation, thereby improving the skin’s appearance. Another interesting ingredient in the formula is Physalis Angulata extract, also known as mullaca and cutleaf ground-cherry, an active ingredient that regulates the activity of serine proteases (proteolytic enzymes naturally found in skin) and, in turn, strengthens the skin’s barrier function and helps to maintain and repair skin collagen.
And, of course, this oil contains extracts of two rose species: Rosa Gallica (also known as the French rose or Gallic rose), which is used as a gentle toner with anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, and rosehip oil derived from the seeds of the dog rose or Rosa Canina), which contains high levels of vitamin C, a key ingredient in any skin brightening product.
Every time I apply this oil, I marvel at how it gives my skin a radiance boost — it’s like a flood light for my complexion! Sometimes, right after I apply the oil, my face turns beet red for a few seconds but that redness quickly dissipates, at which point I’m left with a dewy, glowing, vivacious complexion. Moreover, the oil is absorbed nearly instantly, which I credit to the clever use of apricot kernel oil and sunflower seed oil, and leaves no greasy residue behind.
The smell, meanwhile, is as enchanting as a bed of roses. When you look inside the clear bottle, you can even see wild rose petals floating inside the golden elixir, adding to the product’s allure and its overall romantic overtones.
