For a long time, my unofficial hobby was finding the perfect serum for my sensitive and rosacea-prone skin. I tried the Ordinary (no glow detected), Naturium (little reduction in redness), and Summer Fridays (too expensive to repurchase). I tried Youth to the People (same issue as Summer Fridays), Niod (almost there!), and La Roche-Posay (I can’t even remember). I knew that I had to stop, but the only way out was through. In hindsight, I was maybe a touch obsessive. Then, one lunchtime, Purito’s Centella Unscented Serum popped up on a K-beauty site, promising to “support the skin’s barrier and nourish stressed-out complexions.” After a week of use, I knew I’d found the grail.
Centella and madecassic acid soothed my redness. Glycerin worked to quench dehydration. Ceramide NP and niacinamide teamed up to strengthen my skin barrier, and four different peptides plumped fine lines. My epidermis sighed in relief. But this is when I tell you that old habits die hard. One day, down a YouTube wormhole, I was watching Susan Yara of Mixed Makeup review Julianne Moore’s skin-care routine. Yara was joined by Alex Padgett, a cosmetic chemist. In the video within a video, Moore started talking about Biologique Recherche’s Elastine Serum Authentique. My brain’s pleasure centers lit up: I could feel the urge to serum-quest once more. Then, back in the review video, Padgett paused the screen. “You know, there are other products that don’t cost $76 that also use peptide technology.” Padgett continued, “Purito Centella Unscented Serum has all the same peptides as the Biologique Recherche.” It felt like watching the dork take off her glasses in a ’90s movie: Was I really searching for something that I had all along?
Since then, I’ve called off the search. There are no more “what if?” pangs. My skin loves the Purito serum; it’s plump, hydrated, bright. My rosacea is calmer, too, and when I do get flare-ups (too much coffee or wine, too little sleep), the serum helps to restore it back to normal. Did I already mention that it comes in a 60-milliliter bottle? I feel like I’m scamming Purito every time: I’d gladly pay the same price for a standard 30-milliliter. If I add up all the products I’ve bought over the past three years — and pretend that I live the kind of life where I was buying Biologique Recherche products instead — then I’ve basically been making money post–switching to Purito. The only feeling better than a great skin day? Feeling like I’m getting a really good deal.
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