The Beauty Gypsy Review: Peter Thomas Roth Vital-E Microbiome Age Defense
Meet my new day cream & eye cream loves: both from the Peter Thomas Roth Vital-E Microbiome Age Defense range.
It absolutely WAS NOT love at first sight though.
First of all, I don’t like any product that purports to “anti-age” you. Granted that I don’t have wrinkles yet and may change my tune later but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with showing your age. Gracefully. Rather like earning your stripes.
Secondly, there’s the pretty solid texture that reminded me of frozen coconut oil. As usual, I didn’t read the instructions first time ‘round (who in the world makes it a habit to read instructions before putting on a moisturiser??) and it felt like I was rubbing wax into my face. Then the label revealed that you have to warm it between your fingers first – and that’s when the beauty of these products really shone through.
Rubbing it between your fingers transforms the waxy balm into a cream that goes on with a soft, primer-like finish (which is the perfect base for makeup). It seems a little too lightweight – more ideally suited for oily complexions in summer – than my currently dry and flaky one in winter. But it’s surprisingly emollient and hydrating, thanks in part to the tucuma butter I guess, which is full of fatty acids and also boosts skin’s natural hydration levels.
Then the inulin (prebiotic) and bacillus (probiotic) come out to play, boosting the skin’s microbiome. Which, in non-science-y language, means it strengthens the skin barrier, helping protect our complexion against environmental aggressors like pollution. Our microbiome has become the root of several health studies and wellness products and I am happy to finally see a brand finally bring it into the skincare orbit.
And finally, the butterfly ginger root extract, which is known to protect the skin against blue light. Which is good since I am facing my iPhone/iPad/MacBook all day long. Blue light has been known to cause premature ageing (hence the Age Defense part, which I now understand) – not at the same rate as the sun’s UV light but enough to step up fine lines, micro wrinkles and dark spots.
I have been using both the eye cream and moisturiser for a month now and my skin definitely feels smoother and more supple. It feels far less sensitive despite the chilly winds and definitely more balanced. My under-eye area has less fine lines (though the dark circles remain, sadly enough).
All in all? Both these are keepers and I am glad that I pushed through my initial impressions and kept going.
Is there a product that surprised you even though you didn’t like it at first go?
Anubha Charan is the founder of The Beauty Gypsy and a beauty journalist with more than 25 years in the industry — as the former Beauty Director at Marie Claire, where she worked with the magazine's Paris headquarters, Managing Editor at Vogue, and Beauty Editor at Cosmopolitan. She trained in perfumery in Grasse, France, and spent six years reporting on beauty from Paris.
Her work has also appeared in Travel + Leisure, WebMD, and Architectural Digest, and she is the co-author of Paris Bath & Beauty, a book on French beauty rituals published by Simon & Schuster.
