Tried and tested: Sukin Purely Ageless

Being a Piscean, I’m definitely the kind of person to devote myself wholly to things. In this instance, it’s a thorough skin care routine where I have been known to use up to eight products in a single night to look after my complexion. I understand that it’s about quality and not quantity when it comes to ensuring your skin looks nice and healthy, which is why I’ve also always steered towards chemical-based formulas rich in actives to address niggling issues like elasticity, luminosity and fine lines, and have often overlooked natural skin care as I didn’t think they’d perform as well.

However, the last couple of weeks have called upon a change. Australian beauty brand Sukin (they're also vegan and cruelty-free) has just launched the Purely Ageless 14 Day Challenge, and I’d been tasked to not only try the Purely Ageless range, but to also see if I could notice a difference in my skin in just two weeks.

Here’s what I thought about the Purely Ageless natural skin care range, which comprised of the Hydration Elixir, Rejuvenating Day Cream, Restorative Night Cream, Reviving Eye Cream, and Intensive Firming Serum.  

#1 / It made me fall in love with oil-based formulas

To be completely honest, I’ve never been the kind of person to enjoy using oils as they tend to make my skin feel sticky or look overly shiny, especially immediately after application. As for Sukin’s Purely Ageless Hydration Elixir? I couldn’t get enough of the natural facial oil. I was wary when I first started so I used just two drops at night to give my skin a drink of hydration. But towards the end of week one, I was going for two applications daily - two to three drops in the morning before applying the day cream, then another two to three drops at night before applying the night cream.

Although I do admit at one point I was a tad too enthusiastic and went for up to five drops of the Elixir, which was definitely too much for my face. The fix was simple - I simply massaged the excess down my neck and decolletage.  

I loved that the facial oil was boosted with vitamin E to nourish and improve skin elasticity, and I think that this product would work perfectly for all skin types. Something else that I noticed after using this product, in particular, was that I didn’t need to use a foundation with as much coverage. Most days I got away with a BB cream or medium coverage foundation lightly patted across areas prone to redness, such as around my nose.

On closer inspection, I actually realised that all the products were oil-based, but none of them made me look overly shiny come midday. On the ingredients list, I spotted oils like macadamia ternifolia seed oil, argan oil, crambe oil, argania spinosa kernel oil and lavender oil to nourish, and they worked a treat for me.

#2 / It made my skin look radiant as ever

Going into this Tried and Tested, I was worried that I wouldn’t see obvious results as I’d been using chemical-based skin care with lots of active ingredients for years prior. I thought the only way to really see if the natural skin care products lived up to their claims was if I stuck to using them for the two weeks as a minimum… turns out I didn’t even need that long. Within days my skin looked glowing, as if I’d been getting plenty of sleep when I definitely hadn’t (this year has been insane, to say the least), and my skin elasticity had improved slightly. 

The ultimate compliment came from three beauty editors that I saw within a couple of days of starting the regimen, who all said that my skin was glowing, and I looked really fresh-faced. Score!

#3 / The textures of the products were amazing

All the products in Sukin’s Purely Ageless range were really luxurious: the Reviving Eye Cream and Intensive Firming Serum were really silky, the Hydration Elixir was lightweight yet ultra nourishing, and the Rejuvenating Day Cream was rich and balmy, making it perfect to slather on dry skin. 

One product that I really enjoyed using was the Sukin Purely Ageless Intensive Firming Serum, which offered an instant tightening effect after applying, but wasn't uncomfortable at all. In fact, it made me feel that the product was working right away. I also noticed that this anti-ageing skin care product contained argan oil, which surprised me as the formula was nourishing but didn't feel heavy or sticky at all. 

I also really enjoyed using the Sukin Purely Ageless Restorative Night Cream, which is boosted with macadamia oil, cocoa butter, and vanilla planifolia to soften and increase luminosity. In addition to these ingredients, this nourishing natural skin care product also contained something called euphorbia cerifera, which is also known as candelilla wax, which gave the formula a richer texture to keep hydration locked in overnight.

The plusher formulas also meant that I didn’t have to use as much at a time. In fact, I only needed about half a pea-sized amount of day cream and night cream with each application - which is barely anything at all!

It has also been drilled in my head to always go for products with heavier textures only in winter as that’s when your skin is usually drier and requires more nourishment, but I found that these products worked perfectly towards the end of summer, too. Since I go from an air-conditioned car to air-conditioned office on a daily basis (where I can sit in cold air for up to 11 hours at a time), it actually made a lot more sense to be loading up on richer products to protect my skin all day long… and it showed on my skin.

#4 / The range made me aware of new ingredients

Being a beauty editor, I thought I was pretty well-versed when it came to knowing my skin care ingredients. How wrong I was. Sukin’s Purely Ageless range utilises a host of newer ingredients such as pure ribose (a super sugar derived from corn seed), paracress extract, crambe oil, white hibiscus and baobab to address wrinkles, fine lines, hydration levels and skin plumpness. These ingredients have been clinically tested to show that they really do improve the quality of skin.

#5 / I liked how the products could be mixed and matched

What I also really liked about the products was that they could be mixed and matched; you didn’t have to use the Firming Serum in the morning and you didn’t have to use the Hydrating Elixir at night. As silly as it sounds, I really learned to read my skin. How’s my skin looking this morning? What’s the weather like outside? How does my skin feel at night after a long day at work, followed by the gym? Depending on what I thought my skin needed at the time, I adjusted my routine accordingly.

The verdict

All in all, I was really surprised by how well these natural skin care products worked and how they left my skin feeling. Plus, I don’t know if I would have realised just how effective these natural ingredients are if I didn’t use these products consistently as part of the Purely Ageless 14 Day Challenge.

I was impressed with how well these new products performed, and how the products really plumped up my skin, smoothed the texture, improved luminosity, and made my skin feel firmer and look more hydrated. I also think this range would work well for all skin types, especially those with dry skin or sensitive skin. 

I definitely had a favourite in the range - the Hydration Elixir - and this is definitely something I will continue using.

Want to give the Sukin Purely Ageless range and the 14 Day Challenge a go for yourself? Head to this page to join the challenge.

Our Review Crew® recently tried Sukin's Purely Ageless range, here's what they thought of the products. 

What's your favourite skin care texture and why? Let us know in the comments below. 

Main image credit: Sevak Babakhani