Dr Dennis Gross Clinical Concentrate Radiance Booster

What is it?
'A professional-strength time-released concentrate that can be mixed into your favorite products to enhance their benefits, or used alone to visibly optimize skin’s healthy appearance for a refreshed, youthful, radiant complexion.'

Who is it for?
Anyone lacking radiance, vitality and my obsession - 'glow'.

But who can actually use it?
Everyone bar extremely sensitive. But even then I would buy it and avoid cheeks etc...that's me though. You do you. I have no pain threshold anywhere on my body except my face. Bring. It. On.

What’s in it?

Yucca Glauca Root Extract, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polyacrylamide, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Centella Asiatica Extract, Quercetin Caprylate, Pyruvic Acid, Tartaric Acid, Linoleic Acid, Bisabolol, Resveratrol, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Citrullus Lanatus (Watermelon) Fruit Extract, Retinol, Salicylic Acid, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Ellagic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ceramide 2, Symphytum Officinale Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Extract, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate, Saccharide Isomerate, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ferulic Acid, Gallic Acid, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Commiphora Myrrha Oil, Copper PCA, Sodium PCA, Mandelic Acid, Tetrapeptide-21, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Extract, Glyceryl Oleate, Acrylates/Carbamate Copolymer, Butylene Glycol, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Zinc PCA, Urea, Laureth-7, Polysorbate 20, Disodium EDTA, Phytic Acid, Octoxynol-9, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance.

Possibly acne/allergy/troubling for some ingredients?

Fragrance, albeit a teeny amount.

Acids. But then that's kind of the point....

Natural? Organic? Man made? Vegan?

Vegan. 

Tested on animals/sold in China?

Cruelty-free.

What's not in it?

Parabens

Sulfates 

Phthalates 

How do you use it?

Apply daily in serum stage - am or pm. I prefer to use it in the morning - I don't particularly need a 'healthy glow' in the evenings, although it would obviously work to help resurface etc overnight. I would definitely travel with it as a multi-purpose serum if I had to pack light. But let's face it, I'm more likely to pack a ton of skincare and no shoes.

What’s good about it?

This is a typical US formulation, in that it contains a bit of everything. Think of a massive buffet of skincare ingredients laid out before you. The French are picky, take 2 or 3 main ingredients and then use those throughout their range in different strengths depending on the products. The Far East usually focus on one key ingredient - take SKII as a case in point, and then build an entire range around it. The American formulators, however, in a lot of cases, fill the plate with everything. It's much more of a 'throw everything at the wall and something will stick' mentality. That's not a bad thing, like the other regions, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

In this case, a lot of ingredients give you a product that does a little of everything and works quickly. Most acids, including pyruvic to help with hyperpigmentation, tartaric - AHA, glycolic to exfoliate and linoleic to help cell reproduction and turnover, retinol - obvs and peptides just to be getting on with. 

What’s not so good about it?

I would normally be concerned about overkill and maybe the danger of the ingredients cancelling each other out, but based on my usage so far and that like all forms of potato, I have yet to meet a Dr Gross product that I didn't like, I am completely giving this the benefit of the doubt.

Similar products?

Rose Radiance Skin Serum - Aromatherapy Associates (nowhere near as acid-laden though)

Vinoperfect Radiance Serum - Caudalie

Advanced Active Radiance Serum - Murad

Good Genes - Sunday Riley

Revitalise and Glow Serum - Aurelia

Get Up and Glow - OSKIA

Exchange rate – does it punish the UK?

Not yet no. Because I haven't found it here yet!

Dennis Gross MD Clinical Concentrate Radiance Booster is $68.00 from Sephora and available here: www.sephora.com