I've been sceptical about skincare for most of my adult life. Not dismissive — I've always moisturised, always worn SPF — but sceptical about the more specific claims. Serums that promise to "restore elasticity" and "elevate luminosity" have always felt like marketing language designed to extract money from people who are anxious about ageing. I'm forty-four. I'm not anxious about ageing. I just want my skin to look like my skin, not like something that's been through a difficult year.
Last autumn it started looking like something that had been through a difficult year. I'd had a stressful six months at work — I'm a secondary school deputy head, and the autumn term is always the hardest — and by October I could see it in my face. Not dramatic ageing, just a dullness and a tightness that hadn't been there before. My skin looked tired in a way that sleep wasn't fixing.
I mentioned it to a friend who works in aesthetics. She didn't recommend a treatment. She recommended a serum. Specifically, she said: find something with hyaluronic acid, plant-based collagen, and peptides, and use it consistently for six weeks before you decide whether it works. That was the brief I took to the internet.
Why This Serum
The Super Facialist Vegan Collagen Plumping Serum matched the brief exactly. Plant-based collagen from the Acacia tree — not synthetic, not animal-derived — combined with hyaluronic acid and seaweed for hydration, copper and hibiscus extract for luminosity, and a peptide-infused formula designed for daily use. Vegan, which matters to me. Lightweight, which matters for daily use under SPF. At £29.27 for 30ml it was considerably less than the options I'd seen recommended in glossy magazines, and Super Facialist is a brand with a solid reputation for effective, accessible skincare.
I ordered it and committed to my friend's six-week test. One pump, morning and evening, after cleansing and before moisturiser. I took a photograph of my skin on day one so I'd have something to compare against.
The First Two Weeks
The texture is immediately pleasant — lightweight and slightly gel-like, absorbs quickly without leaving any residue. It layers well under moisturiser and SPF without pilling, which is the practical test for a daily serum. The smell is subtle and clean, not perfumed.
In the first two weeks I noticed the hydration before anything else. My skin felt less tight in the mornings — not dramatically, but the dryness that had been there when I woke up was less pronounced. I attributed this to the hyaluronic acid, which draws moisture into the skin and holds it there. It's one of the most well-evidenced skincare ingredients available, and it was doing what it's supposed to do.
Six Weeks On
At six weeks I looked at the photograph I'd taken on day one. The difference was visible. Not transformative — I want to be honest about that, because I'm still sceptical of transformative claims — but real. The dullness had reduced. The skin around my eyes and cheeks had a quality to it that I can only describe as more present — more like my skin at thirty-five than my skin in October. The fine lines around my mouth were less pronounced, which I attribute to the plumping effect of the hyaluronic acid and the collagen support.
My friend, who had recommended the serum and who I hadn't told I was using it, said at a dinner in week seven that I looked well. "You look less tired," she said, which is the most useful compliment in skincare because it's what you're actually trying to achieve.
Four Months On
I'm now on my third bottle. I use it every morning and most evenings. The improvement I noticed at six weeks has been maintained — my skin looks consistently better than it did last October, and the dullness hasn't returned even through the rest of the winter term, which was no less stressful than the autumn.
The 30ml bottle lasts me about six weeks at twice-daily use, which at £29.27 works out at roughly £5 per week. For a product that's visibly improved my skin and that I use every day, that's a cost I'm entirely comfortable with.
Who This Is For
Anyone whose skin is looking tired or dull and who wants a serum that's backed by credible ingredients rather than marketing language. Anyone who wants vegan skincare that actually performs. Anyone who, like me, has been sceptical about serums and wants something with a clear, evidence-based ingredient list before they commit. The lightweight formula makes it suitable for daily use under SPF, which is the only way a serum works — consistently, every day, for long enough to see results.
You can find the Super Facialist Vegan Collagen Plumping Serum here. If you're exploring more, these collections are worth a browse:
Six weeks. A photograph. A visible difference. I'm on my third bottle. The sceptic has been converted.
— Miriam Adeyemi, Birmingham
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