Review - UNIK Propolis Vitamin Synergy Serum

If you read my posts before you know of my love of honey and propolis in cosmetics so when I spotted a new propolis serum on offer with one of my favorite ebay sellers blueprint21 from a company I never heard of I decided to be adventurous and give it a go. 

I learned that UNIK stands for Unique & Natural Ingredients Knowhow. They say they are a new Korean cosmetics brand, that produces effective cosmetics with natural ingredients and unique combinations thought out by their research and development team.

The brand visual identity is clean, no fuss almost medicinal look. Serum comes in a 50ml glass bottle with a well functioning pipette. The packaging contains the full ingredients list, directions and other information in rather good English. Very user friendly to users that do not speak Korean. 

The serum itself is gold yellow in color and has a really pleasant mellow bergamot scent (that comes from Bergamot Fruit Oil that is part of the formula). The consistency of the serum is reminiscent of honey, it spreads easily and evenly and absorbs quickly leaving a slightly sticky finish at first, but stickiness goes away rather quickly. It is lightly moisturising and imparts some of that famous propolis glow and layers well with other serums and essences. It also feels slightly firming on skin. I like to use it as my final step before an occlusive layer that is a cream or oil as propolis is a natural sealant. The smell is really, really nice and natural but does not linger.

Serum consistency

 CosDNA analysis   is really clean and only ingredient listed as possibly comedogenic is Butylene Glycol, a moisturizing agent widely used in cosmetics. 

I also like that they state the exact percentage of their hero ingredients in the formula.
"The unique and optimal ratio, Propolis Extract 70% and Vitamin C (Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract) 12%, 2% Niacinamide and 0.04% Adenosine.This serum can help make calming, nourishing, brightening and wrinkle care with nature ingredients."

Looking at ingredients this serum should do what it claims. 

Propolis Extract - moisturizing, antiviral and antimicrobial and as such beneficial for acneic skin it is an ingredient suitable for sensitive skin that helps reduce redness it is also natural sealant, and as such it may help skin retain more moisture to maintain healthier and vibrant complexion.

Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract (Sea buckthorn ) -  an antioxidant Sea buckthorn promotes skin hydration, elasticity, and skin regeneration, and even helps treat and prevent acne. It may also be beneficial for rosacea.

Niacinamide - a skin-restoring ingredient that offers multiple benefits for aging skin. Among these benefits is the ability to visibly improve the appearance of enlarged pores, uneven skin tone, fine lines, dullness, and a weakened skin surface. 

Adenosine - good soothing and skin-restoring agent. Adenosine has proven anti-wrinkle benefits due to its ability to energize skin’s surface so it looks smoother and younger. 

There are also skin soothing ingredients like allantoin,centella asiatica extract, portulaca oleracea extract and other antioxidants that are beneficial for the skin. 

Looking at the formula it seems to be really suitable for skin suffering from acne.

So if you wanted to give propolis a go and you have troubled skin this might be a product for you. Also other skin types could use this product as long as you do not rely on it as your main source of moisture as its moisturizing capacity is light. 

I have been using this product for two weeks, twice a day and although it did not make me 10 years younger in two weeks it also did not cause any irritation or flare ups and my skin seems to enjoy it. Hopefully with continuous use I will see the anti aging and brightening benefits.