The best face serum ever... on a budget!

An ongoing quest of mine is to find the perfect face serum for the perfect price. I have had eczema since I was a baby, and although it's a lot better now, my skin is still very dry and sensitive. I've heard all about the "pregnancy glow" that lucky women are supposed to get- but sadly, I am not one of them. Instead, since falling pregnant I have been "enjoying" the combination of adult acne and dry patches... nice! 

Most cheaper high street face creams are full of additives and chemicals, and tend to make my skin come out in angry hives. The few serums and creams I have tried that do agree with me are very expensive, costing over £20 a bottle. One avenue I had never pursued was the natural, handmade serums available- until 2 weeks ago, when The Apothecary sent me a jar of their Eye & Throat Serum to try and review. 

Old-fashioned, charming box

The serum arrived, with the packaging fitting right in with "The Apothecary" branding. The old-fashioned script and cardboard box looked like it contained a concoction from a chemist of past times. The little glass jar inside added to this theme, and I was very excited to open it. 

The aromatherapy cream is fragrant, but I found the scents difficult to place at first. It contains rosehip oil, celery seed and collagen gel, as well as essential oils like jasmine, rose, calendula and frankincense. There is a very detailed description of the natural ingredients and their benefits on Etsy, and I think it would have been perfect if there had been a little note included in the box with this information. 

Cute little glass jar

Immediately after the first application, the skin on my face felt moisturised and soothed. About 10 minutes later, I noticed that my skin was smoother with fewer laughter lines (!) and the colour was much more even. My cheeks have been red in recent weeks, and even one application of this serum calmed them right down. 

Although the seller recommends using this cream once a day, I have been using it morning and night since I got it 2 weeks ago. The jar looks deceptively small- I have been using a lot each time, and it  is still over half full.  When I use it in the morning (around 5 minutes before I put makeup on) I have found that I no longer need primer under my foundation. This serum is perfect as a nourishing makeup base. Since discovering this cream, my acne and dry patches have totally vanished, my skin is really even in both texture and colour, lines have become much smaller and I feel great! 

I have also used the serum on a persistent patch of eczema on my finger, whenever it flares up. Straight away, the patch appears much less inflamed, and by the evening it is all but healed, with the itch gone out of it. 

This is, by quite a large margin, the best face serum I have ever used, and at £12.50 a jar it is more affordable than high street serums. Double bonus! The Apothecary has a whole range of skin creams and perfumes, for various specific skin conditions. I recommend this product 100%, and will definitely be buying more once my jar runs out.