SKINCARE | Farmacy Invincible Root Cell Anti-Aging Serum Review

Back in December, I was very impressed by the green beauty brand Farmacy (review of the New Day Exfoliating Grains is here) in terms of results, ingredients and overall company practices. If this is your first time reading about Farmacy, the key ingredient in every one of their products is the patented Echinacea GreenEnvy™ which is a variant of Echinacea purpurea grown on a farm in upstate New York. Echinacea purpurea has a very high concentration of cichoric acid which inhibits the enzyme hyaluronidase from breaking down our beloved hyaluronic acid (HA) in our cells and also protects collagen from free radical damage. Both are things that no one should say no to!

While December's review was for more of an entry level product into Farmacy, the Invincible Root Cell Anti-Aging Serum* (30mL/$84.00 CDN) is where its at when it comes to seeing results. As we all know, serums are the most expensive product in any skincare routine because the "good" ingredients are at their most potent concentration. What makes this serum a stand-out product is that it is only the second serum I have used/seen that uses different molecular weights or forms of HA in order to ensure that every level of the 23-28 layered epidermis is hydrated - three forms to be specific resulting in a hyaluronic acid triple threat!

HA can range from low to mid to high molecular weight which means that a high molecular weight HA will absorb into the uppermost layers of the epidermis while the lower molecular weights will be absorbed into the deepest layers. Hitting the deeper layers is what you want as we want to get as close to the "machines" and mechanics of cell repair as possible. I have discussed varying HA weights in a previous post (here) for anyone who wants to nerd out a little. Serums like this one may take longer to see results, but when you do they are far more long-lasting meaning that even if you stop using this product, your skin will not suddenly look awful the way it can be with certain other serums. You will notice in the ingredients list that there is not a single silicone in this serum (anything with "cone" in it) which means that you will not see that "instant anti-aging effect" of smoothed out fine lines and wrinkles right away. When it comes to anti-aging at the cellular level, this is a good thing. If you ever see an anti-aging product that says that lines and wrinkles will be instantly eliminated, you can bet on your unborn children that there is a silicone SOMEWHERE in the ingredients list. Often in the first half of the list.

The serum comes with a "self-dosing" dropper, which means that once you unscrew the cap, the turning mechanism causes product to be drawn into the dropper for the perfect dose of serum!  The texture is almost like water and dries down to a weightless and smooth finish. Seeing as how the texture is so light, outward pressing motions are best for application.

Ingredients: Water, Glycerin, Patented Echinacea Purpurea ‘Greenenvytm’ Root Extract, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Propanediol, Polysorbate 20, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Strelitzia Nicolai Seed Aril Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Echinacea Purpurea Extract, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Amino-Esters-1, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Salicylic Acid, Solanum Muricatum Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Sorbic Acid, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Lawsonia Inermis Extract, Ocimum Basilicum (Basil) Extract, Pearl Powder (Margarita Powder), Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract.

If you have been using silicone-based anti-aging products and are looking for a serum that addresses hydration and anti-aging at a more "cellular" level, I would suggest giving this serum a try as the thirst level of your skin will eventually decrease. When I first started using this in January, I needed a face oil on top of moisturizer, but eventually my skin needed one or the other not both. It may have been the change of seasons or THIS!

Final verdict: After that entire spiel, I need to answer the question of "Did this serum actually work?" I have good skin and few fine lines so I didn't expect to see a vast improvement from how my skin was prior to including the serum in my routine. However, I did notice that the redness in my cheeks lessened as I needed less foundation to even out my skintone. I also noticed that when I started reviewing another supposedly "brightening" skincare line after using this serum, my overall skintone did not look quite as radiant which was odd considering I was reviewing a line that was supposed to do just that! It was then that I realized it must have been the Invincible Root Serum! 

Farmacy is available at www.farmacybeauty.com and www.sephora.ca

Product provided by Brandbacker.