Why You Should Add an Organic Facial Serum to Your Skin Care Routine

A super powerful and antioxidant-rich member of the Puristry product family, Puristry Vine Therapy Serum is a multi-functional, skin-strengthening concentration that’s truly therapeutic for your dermis. Built around the goodness of grapes and algae, it combats visible signs of aging, environmentally stressed skin texture, and dull pores which are resistant to absorbing moisture. It’s an ideal product to tag team with your favorite moisturizer this fall for consistent hydration maintenance and ultra light resurfacing.

For an everyday health boosting skin care routine, follow a gentle cleanse with our Vine Therapy Serum, then lock it all in with a plant-based hydrator, like our Restorative Facial Oil or Seaberry Moisturizer. The unique formula of this serum (grapes and algae are a match made in heaven, we promise) will help you reach your smooth skin objectives; sans scary peels or harsh ingredients. You’ll officially be in the “I use serum and know what it is” club. That said, don’t worry: we’ve put together a little serum cheat sheet below for those of you how are still a little baffled by skincare taxonomy.

Grape Seed Oil for Skin

The name “vine therapy” refers to the Vine Therapy Serum’s star ingredients: grape seed oil and grape seed extract, both derived from the Vitis vinifera grape vine. Rich in essential fatty acids and Vitamin E, grapes are finally having their moment in organic skin care, and we think you’ll agree that they’re deserving starlets.

Grape seed oil is particularly potent for skin, thanks to its high composition of Omega-6 fatty acids, which function as building blocks for new skin generation. Omega 6 fatty acids produce a more youthful, healthy complexion when applied topically, and are essential for the proper functioning of a healthy skin barrier. The primary Omega-6 present in grape seed oil is called Linolenic acid, a fatty acid that’s especially effective for soothing external signs of inflammation and visible skin stress, like redness and flakiness. In our Vine Therapy Serum formula, grape seed oil promotes elasticity and enhanced skin texture, while strengthening and protecting skin’s natural moisture barrier for greater retention of hydration (equaling more plumpness and tautness when used over time).

This skin healthy serum is also enhanced by our inclusion of grape seed extract, a powerhouse ingredient that contains plant compounds called oligomeric proanthocyanidins, or OPCs. OPCs are powerful and hard-to-find antioxidants, which play a crucial role in preventing and reversing skin damage caused by environmental exposure (particularly UV damage). Research has also shown that grape seed extract bonds to collagen for increased skin density and elasticity – thanks to concentrated levels of it in our organic facial serum formula, you’ll see rapid textural improvement after only a few uses.

As a pair, grape seed oil and grape seed extract protect and nurture skin that’s seen many summers, with resultant healthier skin cells to show for it. Who knew that the byproducts of wine production could be so key in solving the anti-aging puzzle? Your epidermis will be in grape shape in no time (sorry, not sorry).

Other Good Stuff for Your Skin

Our Puristry Vine Therapy Serum Formula is a targeted combination of super healing ingredients (the aforementioned ‘good stuff for your skin’) that work together to address a myriad of aging concerns. We’ve stuck to our roots by using certified organic ingredients, to ensure that only pure, potent, and cold processed ingredients are sinking deep into your precious skin. So what else have we snuck in?

Working synergistically with our grape-derived all star ingredients, this organic facial serum formula also includes plumping algae extract. The list of medicinal skin benefits of algae is long, so we’ll give you some of the greatest hits. It’s been used for thousands of years to promote skin hydration, thanks to its almost unbelievable natural property of moisture retention. Applied to your skin in an absorbable carrier (we use organic aloe water), it’s immensely effective for deep skin conditioning and increased suppleness. It’s also an antioxidant powerhouse, meaning it kicks in the same anti-aging mechanism as grape seed extract, effectively tackling the pesky free radicals causing skin cell deterioration. And finally, algae extract is rich in vitamins A, B, C, and E, so it’s essentially your topical multivitamin. Bless.

The cult that’s grown around coconut derived organic beauty products in the last two years isn’t all hype – there’s a large body of research around the incredible benefits of this tropical fruit, particularly centered around its uniquely high composition of medium chain fatty triglycerides. MCTs contain fatty acids that are easily absorbed by the skin; they effectively strengthen connective tissue, resulting in a firmer and more youthful overall appearance, and a stronger cellular composition. Our formula features coconut oil and extract, which, in addition to providing MCT fatty acids, are also both natural antifungal and antibacterial ingredients that ward of pathogens that can exacerbate acne and other skin irritations. As a duo, coconut oil and extract effectively work together in this organic facial serum to dissolve hardened sebum and dry skin that may be contributing to persistent dullness and superficial breakouts. They play an essential role in the Puristry Vine Therapy Serum formula, and contribute to skin clarity, elasticity, and lasting hydration.

We’ve included Acerola in the formula because of its diverse nutrient profile and remarkable mineral content. Acerola is a cherry-like fruit with high antioxidant activity and an abundance of vitamin C, vitamin B, calcium, iron, bioflavonoids, phosphorus, malic acid, pantothenic acid, potassium, and magnesium. Whew! If you’re not impressed by that lineup of nutrients, consider that it’s a holistically healing ingredient that protects against free radical damage while gently reversing signs of previous exposure, like sun damage and discoloration. Vitamin C is an especially powerful natural skin brightener, with gentle resurfacing properties that encourage the sloughing off of damaged skin to reveal brighter, non-damaged skin beneath. Acerola also works to increase the production of collagen, resulting in reduced wrinkle depth and greater elasticity.

Let’s Talk Serums, and Why They Should Be Part of Your Skin Care Routine

So now you’ve got the breakdown on Puristry Vine Therapy Serum, but perhaps you’ve still got a few lingering questions – namely what exactly is a serum, and how exactly should I use it? Great questions, let’s dive in.

Hailed as “underwear for the skin,” serums are a sometimes misunderstood little elixir. They’re often overlooked as an optional step in the average skin care routine, somewhere between cleansing and moisturizing. The reality? They’re actually an important part of any basic skincare routine, and once you add one, you’ll never look back.

A good organic facial serum will extend and enhance your other products, and activate ingredients that would otherwise remain unabsorbed by your fickle skin. They tailor a basic skincare routine to particular sensitivities, and intensify the effectiveness of the overall regime and its goals. So whether your priority is anti-aging (targeted by our Vine Therapy Serum formula), or another specific skincare objective, incorporating a serum into your everyday skin-loving regime will help you get there.

Despite the market being saturated with a multitude of products labeled “serum,” each with a different list of ingredients and different benefits, there is in fact a unifying composition that allows them all to be part of the same club. Serums are composed of smaller molecules than other products, allowing for more intense and effective absorption deep into the skin’s epidermis. The good ones are made up of intensely concentrated active components – beneficial fatty acids, antioxidants and vitamins – which target specific skin concerns at a cellular level. This intensely penetrative property means that facial serums contribute to the restoration of cellular growth, so they’re a key step for mature skin as well as younger skin in need of effective exfoliation. And most are water based, meaning that water-soluble ingredients like Vitamin C and hyaluronic acid are effectively delivered for maximum potency.

The rule of thumb for application is to use a super conservative amount, then apply evenly over your entire face. While moisturizers are designed to lock in hydration, serums are designed to directly deliver specific targeted treatments. This means that you need to take care to effectively cleanse before applying your organic facial serum, to ensure that your skin is prepped for absorption. Post serum, finish your routine with a plant-based moisturizer to lock in the active ingredients, protect your skin’s outermost layer, and deliver nourishing moisture. In other words, cleanse, treat with serum, moisturize – that’s the scaffolding for a basic routine. The rest is up to you, and remember that layering serums is an option if you’re looking to address a few different concerns at once.

Skincare should be soothing, not stressful! It’s our goal to provide easy-to-understand product breakdowns and deep dives, so you know what you’re putting on your face and why. Keep up with us here at our Puristry Blog for more product stories, and let us know what you think!