St. Botanica, a brand that has been around for what seems forever! I remember as a teenager browsing through the shelves of Health & Glow and coming across their shampoos and body lotions and leaving it back on the shelf because ain’t no student going to have that kind of money. Times have changed (still am broke though), and St. Botanica has a large presence and a larger range of products for its customers.
When my cousin, a dermatologist, recommended introducing Vitamin C into my night routine, I did a little bit of digging through the internet, and given that I had another serum by St. Botanica, went with their Vitamin C serum – The St.Botanica Vitamin C 20%, E % Hyaluronic Acid Professional Facial Serum.
This serum is one of their bestsellers and is from their extremely popular Vitamin C line, which also includes different forms of face wash, face and eye masks, serums, day and night creams, and sunscreens.
After I started using this, I have fallen in love with Vitamin C and have tried to incorporate it into almost every other routine of mine. With that, let’s move onto understanding what is in this product, how these ingredients work, and a little on St.Botanica as a company.
St.Botanica products are available in a lot of beauty stores like Health & Glow, and I have even seen them on the shelves of some of the larger supermarkets (usually their shampoos). They also sell via their online platform, and other e-commerce websites like Nykaa.
This serum retails at INR 1,799 for 20 ml.
As always, I buy through Nykaa and picked this up for INR 899 when St.Botanica had a half-price sale going on. I recommend wishlist-ing this product and waiting for a sale (currently the product is being sold for INR 1,499).
St. Botanica - Scientifically Natural
St.Botanica is a premium Indian brand that sells across India, USA, Australia, Singapore and the UK. With the tagline “Scientifically Natural,” St.Botanica believes in using science to bring the best out of nature and natural botanics, to deliver to their customers that perfect skin or hair care product.
All of St.Botanica’s products are designed and manufactured in India, and they claim that all their ingredients are ethically sourced, natural, safe and skin-friendly. They are PETA certified cruelty free & vegan, and are also a member of the PETA’s Beauty Without Bunnies Program. St.Botanica does not use mineral oils, parabens, phthalates, sulfates, and are dermatologically tested.
On St.Botanica’s international website, the brand mentions that they do not use silicone, however, it is not clear if the products available in India are silicone free as well. They have cleared all the quality tests by the Cosmetics, Toiletries and Fragrances Associations (CTFA) of the United States, and their products and ingredients are tested and approved by SGS Hong Kong and Analycen Sweden – I am assuming this is more from an international sales perspective.
What's in my product?
Ingredients: Purified Water, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (Vitamin C) 20%, Vegetable Glycerin, Botanical Hyaluronic Acid (Cassia Angustifolia Seed Polysaccharide), Polysorbate 20, Dimethyl Sulfone (MSM), Witch Hazel (Hamamelis Virginiana) Extract, Aloe Barbadenis Leaf Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Cold Pressed Oil, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Extract, Centella Asiatica (Gotu Kola) Extract, Equisetum Arvense (Horsetail) Extract, Di Sodium EDTA, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Xanthan Gum, Pelargonium Graveolens (Geranium) Essential Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Essential Oil, Salvia Sclarea (Clary Sage) Oil, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Citric Acid
Green - Yay!! Blue - Good/Fair Orange - Bleh! Red - Nope!
In all honesty, this is the kind of ingredient list that you want to see on any product that claims to use natural ingredients or natural botanics. As you can see almost every other ingredient is highlighted, and the ingredients in grey predominantly being emulsifiers, texture enhancers, binding agents, stabilizers and preservatives.
The only issue that bothers me is the presence of several sensitizing ingredients as well as essential oils that can wreak havoc for sensitive skin types.
The most common misconception when it comes to skincare is that natural is better and natural products are safer, however, it is almost always the other way around – with a majority of the natural ingredients being quite sensitizing to the skin. The product is loaded with essential oils (all marked in red) that have been known to sensitize the skin, as well as citric acid – which in its natural form can present a plethora of issues for sensitive skin types. So for all my sensitive skin type beauties, please do a patch test before using this product.
Keeping this is mind, let’s move on to understanding the amazing skin goodies that are in this product -
1. Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (Vitamin C)
Vitamin C is truly a magical ingredient that when used, has a number of benefits including brightening uneven skin tone, reduction of dark spots, is a strong antioxidant and helps reduce free radical damage, and is an amazing anti-aging agent.
However, Vitamin C in its purest form - L-Ascorbic Acid - is known to be a very unstable ingredient, works best at lower pH levels, and reacts very quickly to light (photosensitive) and air. Once oxidized, Vitamin C will turn brown in colour and have a distinctive odor, this doesn’t mean you can’t use it, but it will be less effective.
For this reason, most brands prefer to use other derivatives of Vitamin C, like Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (SAP), which is a sodium salt of Vitamin C that is very stable as well as water soluble. Though SAP is just over half as effective as L-Ascorbic Acid (potency of 55%), it has been proven to have several benefits –
It has been proven to be stable and effective upto pH 7 – Our skin naturally has a slightly acidic pH of 4.5 – 5.5, with oily and acne-prone skin types having a higher pH – making SAP more effective for oily and acne-prone skin types
SAP has been shown to be collagen boosting and can help fade brown spots
1% SAP has been proven to have a strong antimicrobial activity on acne causing bacteria
5% SAP can strongly improve the inflammatory and non-inflammatory wounds (lesions) caused by acne. Some studies have even suggested that the results were similar or even better than 5% benzoyl peroxide (popular ingredient proven to help with acne)
In general when we look at Vitamic C, concentrations of 10% and above are typically used for targeted treatment or serums, concentrations of 15% in lightweight formulations are ideal for layering to help with dull and uneven skin tone, and concentrations of 25% are preferred for stubborn dark spots.
The St.Botanica serum, a lightweight formula and in a 20% concentration should ideally work wonders in getting rid of dullness, uneven skin tone, and even helps with acne-prone skin.
Please Note: While Vitamin C in every form and every derivative is going to do wonders for your skin, there are a few things you need to keep in mind while using it –
The higher the potency of the Vitamin C derivative, the more unstable and sensitizing it can be for your skin. The below table is to understand how potent a derivative is, compared to the purest form of Vitamin C, i.e., L-Ascorbic Acid (L-AA) – For example, L-AA is 1.8 times more potent than SAP or SAP is approx. 55% as potent as L-AA (Source provided below):
Vitamin C is sensitive to sunlight, and exposure to light and air will oxidize it. It is important that Vitamin C products are stored in dark spaces and exposure to sunlight is avoided. Vitamin C products that come in an open jar, are more often than not an absolute waste of a product. Select Vitamin C products that come in sealed bottles and tubes, with dispensers or nozzles.
Given the photo-sensitive nature of Vitamin C, I prefer to use Vitamin C in my PM routine rather than my AM routine. Only when I am 100% sure that I would not be going out anywhere, would I use it in my day routine. There are studies that have proven that paired with Vitamin E as well as a good sunscreen, Vitamin C would boost the efficiency of the sunscreen, as well as that derivates such as SAP are more stable and not as sensitive to light as pure Vitamin C. However, my approach is - when I can easily accommodate it in my night routine, why bother applying it in the day and wondering if it’s working or not.
Pairing Vitamin C with other products can be very tricky since Vitamin C is one of the most unstable key actives available. I have spoken about the myth surrounding the pairing of niacinamide and Vitamin C, and my take on it in a previous blog that you can access here. Another common question is regarding the pairing of Vitamin C with AHAs, and honestly the verdict is not out yet. The most common point of view is that Vitamin C and AHAs work at different pH levels with both of them being acidic in nature, either leading to over-exfoliation of the skin, or the product with a higher pH countering the other and rendering both the products ineffective. The other line of thought is that since both are acidic in nature an AHA will help exfoliate the skin while the Vitamin C can reach the new skin and work its magic, and also that pH neutralizing cannot happen in a span of minutes, and not even a few hours. My personal opinion has always been “Better safe than sorry” and choose to avoid products that might clash.
2. Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
A natural product that is almost 99% water, and yet delivers a host of benefits. Aloe vera has been touted to be a wonder drug to many skincare ailments as it contains a multitude of skin goodies. We have discussed the various benefits of aloe vera leaf juice extracts, how it works, and how safe it is in the previous blog – you can access it here.
3. Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E)
Tocopheryl Acetate is a commonly used derivative of pure Vitamin E in cosmetics. While it might not have the same potency and is poorly absorbed into the skin compared to pure Vitamin E, tocopheryl acetate is more stable as well as has a longer shelf life (In general derivatives of any pure form of an ingredient tend to be more stable but less effective).
This form of Vitamin E is less effective in helping against UVA caused sun damage (which is what Vitamin E is well known for – photoprotective properties), but when combined with higher concentration of Vitamin C (>15%) has shown to work well together and give broad spectrum protection while doubling each other’s effectiveness.
The St.Botanica Vitamin C serum has a 20% concentration of Vitamin C, and combined with tocopheryl acetate, can work well to provide broad spectrum protection to the skin from sunlight. Also, when combined, these vitamins would enhance their antioxidant properties to get rid of free radicals from the skin and act as a terrific anti-aging product.
4. Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Cold Pressed Oil
Jojoba oil, is called an oil and has the texture of an oil, but in reality is a wax. It is very stable and requires extremely high temperatures to make it react – and unless you’re on a ‘Journey to the Centre of the Earth’, you have nothing to worry about.
How it works? Jojoba oil has a number of unique properties that are extremely difficult to find in other natural and synthetic ingredients. Let us understand what these are and how they work:
Jojoba oil is structurally similar to sebum that is produced in our skin, as both of these are wax esters. The ongoing urban legend is that jojoba might be able to trick the skin into reducing its production of sebum as it mimics the structure of sebum. This would help reduce excess sebum production witnessed by oily and acne-prone skin types. This theory however is not proven till date and should be taken with a pinch of salt.
Jojoba oil is uniquely moisturizing as it gets absorbed into the skin through the pores and fills into all the tiny spaces between the skin cells to give the skin a soft and supple feel.
Jojoba oil is occlusive in nature, meaning, it stays on the surface of the skin and forms a moisturizing and protective barrier on the skin hindering any trans epidermal water loss.
How safe is it? Jojoba oil is hypoallergenic in nature and is generally considered safe to apply topically. However, there have been a few rare cases where jojoba oil has caused an allergic reaction with symptoms including rashes, itching and some skin sensitivity. As always, before using any new product make sure you do a patch test - especially for products that contain natural ingredients.
5. Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Extract
Green Tea, my absolute favourite natural ingredient to both consume and apply on my face – I write this as I’m sipping green tea from my travel mug!
Green tea is brimming with antioxidants and the ever popular EGCG and other potent catechins, that has been proven to help prevent cell damage, reduce the formation of free radicals in the body, decreases the number of sunburn cells, and even inhibit DNA damage.
If you haven’t read my previous blog where I have harped on and on about how I love Green tea, how amazing it is, and how it exactly works – you can access it here
6. Centella Asiatica (Gotu Kola) Extract
Unless you have been living under a rock, you have been introduced to the wonders of Korean skincare, or better known as K-Beauty. Centella is one of the key ingredients in many popular Korean skincare products, and you will find multiple lines that hero and champion this ingredient.
In India centella is called Brahmi, a herb that is used extensively in Ayurveda for a multitude of purposes.
How it works? Centella Asiatica is a potent antioxidant and is touted to be a hydrating skin-saver. Let us try to understand how this work, and what effects we can see on our skin:
The main actives in centella are two types of acids – Asiatic acid and madecassic acid which are also called centellosides. These centellosides have the ability to stimulate the synthesis of hyaluronic acid and other water binding structures in the skin and helps in keeping the skin moisturized.
The centellosides are potent antioxidants and studies have shown that even in small concentrations, the ingredient can help in increasing the antioxidant levels in our skin.
Studies have also shown that madecassic acid has the ability to stimulate the synthesis of collagen in our skin, and paired with centella’s ability to bring the connectivity tissues of our skin to its normal state, can act as an anti-aging agent and can even be used to treat cellulite and stretch marks.
The antioxidants in centella have also been noted to help with inflamed, itchy and irritated skin, and is ideal for sensitive skin types.
How safe is it? Centella is very safe, both for application on the skin, as well as for consumption. In India, it is used in several ayurvedic medications, ayurvedic and herbal oils and is even included as an ingredient in many of the local dishes. My mom makes a delicious buttermilk dish with it, and we all know - “Mother knows Best”
Others
Botanical Hyaluronic Acid (Cassia Angustifolia Seed Polysaccharide) – This is basically a strong water binding sugar found in the seeds of the Cassia plant, a plant native to India and is more commonly known as the Senna plant. With a similar structure to Hyaluronic Acid (HA), it mimics the effects of HA and helps lock in water, moisturize and soften the skin and plump out fine lines and wrinkles. Low molecular weights of HA can penetrate deep into your skin, and when a formulation is combined with ingredients such as Vitamin C & E, it can help carry those ingredients into the layers of the skin which can help repair the skin from within. There is no doubt about what HA can do for the skin, however, some studies say daily use of HA can lead to drying out of the skin in the long run, and there have been some instances of HA at low molecular weights causing skin irritation.
Witch Hazel (Hamamelis Virginiana) Extract – An ingredient loved by some and completely avoided by others. Witch hazel is best known for its astringent, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial properties combined with high tannin content which is a potent antioxidant, all in all a wonderful ingredient especially for those with acne-prone skin. So then why do some people choose to avoid it? Most natural extracts, especially those that are not water soluble are derived by processing the ingredient with alcohol, and once processed the alcohol evaporates – but some amount does remain. Witch Hazel uses one of the highest amounts of alcohol while processing, and this is one of the main reasons people refrain from using it. St.Botanica’s Vitamin C has most probably used an alcohol free distill as we do not see any alcohol mentioned in their ingredient list.
Citric Acid – Citric Acid is an AHA and can act as exfoliant when formulated correctly. However, if used at the high concentrations required for it to have exfoliating properties, citric acid could severely sensitize the skin. In skincare, citric acid is predominantly used in very small amounts, to balance the pH of the product in case it is more alkaline (pH > 7). A lot of people prefer to skip on a product if it contains citric acid as it can be sensitizing and could cause skin issues for those with sensitive skin.
My thoughts on the product
When I got this product, I wasn’t a big fan – mostly because I wasn’t seeing results immediately or even temporarily like I did with my HA serum. However, over time this has become one of my favourite products, and makes me feel really good when I apply this.
So as usual, let us break it down to packaging, touch & fell, how-to-use and changes (if any) I have noticed in the time frame I have been using the product.
1. Packaging
The outer packaging is a thin but sturdy
cardboard box in the colours of the product line, in this case, white and orange. The packaging speaks about the product and who it is best suited for, the ingredient list, how to use the product, storage instructions and precautions.
The product comes in a dark brown solid glass bottle, with a dispenser pump as well as a cap for the dispenser to ensure that the least amount of light and air enters the bottle. The dispenser pump doesn’t seem to work correctly, either dispensing too much or too little of the product, and seems to be an issue with the design.
I like that the bottle also mentions the how-to-use which is great for folks like me who throw away the outer packaging once I open the product. I do think they should have also clearly mentioned on the bottle to keep it away from sunlight, which is mentioned on the box but not on the bottle.
Neither the outer packaging nor the colour schemes is particularly eye-catching, and especially if I were someone who spent INR 1,799 for this, I’d want this to look amazing on my nightstand or dressing table. I like the glass bottle, but the labelling is shabby at best (the bottom of the label is almost off the bottle and is coming off) and just doesn’t do justice for the price it sells at.
2. Touch & Feel
The serum is a lightweight product, and spreads quite well. The instructions recommend applying 3-5 drops, however with the pump dispenser you’ll get too less with one pump, and too much with two pumps – I do go for 2 pumps and use it on my neck and if there’s enough product even till my chest.
The product is predominantly colourless, with the slightest tinge of brown. It has been this way since I received the product, so I am assuming that this is how the product is, and not that it has gotten oxidized.
The serum definitely has a fragrance, and I think those can be attributed to the essential oils in it. The serum smells like some herbal concoction, with the slightest ‘citrus-y’ fragrance. In my opinion, if you’re going to use fragrances in a product, might as well make it nice.
The product absorbs extremely well and quickly into the skin. It leaves behind a very thin layer on top that doesn’t seem to budge and does seem to make the skin slightly softer. The serum is slightly tacky (like the teeniest bit), but doesn’t suffocate or make the skin feel heavy. This is good as the serum needs to be followed by a moisturizer, and a heavy serum could make the whole process an ordeal.
3. How-to-Use
The general rule of thumb while using any skincare products is to go from thinnest to thickest in terms of consistency
The packaging on the serum recommends to, “Do a patch test on a small area of skin & then start by applying 3 – 5 drops of St.Botanica Vitamin-C serum followed by your moisturizer once daily.” It is imperative to follow up any serum with HA or its derivative with a moisturizer. If there isn’t enough moisture in the atmosphere and if you are a dry skin type, the HA might then draw out water from your own skin that could lead to drying out and aging your skin in the long run. Even if you stay in a humid region and/or are an oily skin type, it would be safer to use at least a light gel-based moisturizer that can provide the water HA would need to deliver its benefits.
4. On using it for over a month
I have normal to combination skin (oily T-Zone), my skin doesn't breakout very often, but I do get very painful deep-seated pimples during my time of the month. My skin concerns are mostly unevenness of skin tone, dark spots/moles on my face - I lost count of how many of those I have, whiteheads on the nose, appearance of fine lines on my forehead and around my eyes, and a small degree of sensitivity.
If you are looking for quick results, this product isn’t for you. In my opinion, Vitamin C products are anti-aging in the preventive sense, and if applied from mid-20s can help prevent the signs of aging rather than target the issue of aging.
I have fine lines starting to form on my forehead and around the corner of my eyes when I smile. After using the serum continuously for about 3 months, I started to notice that the wrinkles around my eyes had started to reduce, and the skin in that area started to look a whole lot clearer. Also, my skin looked more even toned (had slightly darker tone on the sides of my face and under my lip) than it was before. Overall, my skin felt great and looked amazingly fresh.
Final Thoughts
This serum has introduced me to the world of Vitamin C and their many benefits. This is also the product that taught me patience with skincare! I might not necessarily buy this product again, especially if I do find another wonderful Vitamin C serum that works for me, but this is a product I would definitely recommend if someone were trying to introduce Vitamin C into their skincare routine.
The only reason I do not like this product is because of the presence of some essential oils. Also, I don’t think there’s value for money here - I can get (and have gotten) more potent and yet stable Vitamin C products for lesser.
Overall Rating: 4/5
For Oily and Acne-prone skin types (and oily combination skin type), if you’re looking to incorporate Vitamin C in your routine, this is the product for you.
For combination and normal to dry skin types, this would be a great product to introduce yourself to Vitamin C and then depending on how sensitive your skin is, you can go for stronger and more potent formulations.
For sensitive and very sensitive skin, there are some wonderful ingredients that could help with your skin issues, however, at the same time the product also includes some ingredients like citric acid and essential oils that could be potentially sensitizing in nature. Would recommend doing a patch test first and then going ahead with this product.
Source:
Potency levels of the various derivatives of Vitamin C - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfyA-3_L2a8
Disclaimer: I am not a dermatologist. The product review is my personal opinion on the product, and what I understand from articles available online. The description on ingredients has been sourced from websites that specifically look to provide information on commonly used ingredients in skincare and make-up. If I have mentioned anything incorrectly or wrong, please do reach out to me, and we can update the same.
Wherever I have mentioned a specific fact or figure, these have been sourced either from Paula’s Choice Ingredient Dictionary or INCI Decoder, and Journal sources listed on these websites. I neither take credit for this information, nor can I guarantee the accuracy of these facts and figures and do not take responsibility for the same.
My main aim is to help people understand the various ingredients in their skincare and how those ingredients work, to help make intelligent purchase decisions with regards to skincare.
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