If you’ve been following me for some time, you’d know that I’m all about customizing my skincare routine. It gives me room and a lot of freedom to deal with specific issues depending on my skin condition that changes from time to time. I’m also a firm believer that there is no such thing as a one miracle, do-it-all product. No matter how perfect a product is, it needs others to create one harmonious unity. Hence, the customized routine.
Odacité has a line called Serum Concentrate where each of the serums contains highly concentrated dose of actives and formulated to target a specific skin issue. With numerous ways in incorporating it into the routine, this line excites me A LOT!
With 18 serums to choose from, it can be quite a task. But being the girl who struggles with hyperpigmentation, naturally, I opt for Odacité Pa+G as my first (out of three).
What it is (from the website):
Multi-active rejuvenating serum that helps to reduce the appearance of age spots while visibly slowing signs of aging. Papaya seed oil is rich in fruit enzymes that help to fade brown spots and slough off dead skin cells, unveiling a fresh and more even-toned glow. Geranium oil combines with Lemon oil encourage a more evened-out skin tone and provide wrinkle-reduction. In aromatherapy, Geranium oil is known to have a harmonizing effect on the mind & body, helping to avoid emotional roller coasters.
The key ingredient here, in my opinion, is the papaya enzyme. I used Mario Badescu Enzyme Revitalizing Mask a few years ago and it had a similar ingredient. I loved that mask because it truly revitalized the skin after a short session of 20-30 minutes and it was a hello-glow moment afterwards.
Early this year, I was trialing a product in development that also has papaya enzyme in it. And it worked pretty nicely in combating dullness (hint: it was Evete Naturals Face Scrub). After using Odacité Pa+G, I started to connect the pieces together and find the common thread. It really is the papaya enzyme that works so well on my skin.
The consistency of the Serum Concentrate is in an oil format. Pa+G is pretty much clear in color with the slightest yellow tinge. It supposedly has a scent of Geranium which is known to have a harmonizing effect on the mind and body, helping to avoid emotional roller coasters. To me however, I can sense the papaya enzyme speaking to me. There’s this familiar trait of scent that makes me remember of the Mario Badescu and Evete Naturals product I talked about earlier. Though I like it, it is quite strong and alters the scent of the emulsion when mixed together with a product.
With the height of just under 8 cm, this tiny, pocket-sized bottle is potent. Like, holy guacamole. I didn’t expect it to give results in a matter of one week with continuous use, night and day.
I kid you not. I swear, adding Odacité Pa+G has really turned the way my skin look for the better. I notice my skin become much more even-toned, more so than usual. Less blotchy. And it makes my skin smoother in texture. And yeah, there’s that glow we all love.
Now, coming to the crème-de-la-crème, highly anticipated promise is it really does fade my hyperpigmentation! I’m not saying they’re gone without a trace. But the fact that I can see them become fainter and less visible right before my eyes, is mind-boggling. Some of my newer-born post acne spots fade at a faster rate when I use this. The ones that looked red don’t look that red anymore. The ones that were noticeably darker slowly turn lighter in shade.
Also, the dark spots on my cheeks have also toned down. As much as I love them freckles, there’s nothing wrong with them fading simply to prove that a product is working. Unless I could be a complete airhead and don’t apply any brightening treatment to the area *HA*.
No, I’m not that crazy.
All of these results are even more evident once I put my base complexion products on. I find I can be less meticulous when applying my concealer. My skin look, dare I say, more flawless. I mean, I can still see spots here and there, but they’re not as prominent or contrast compared to before, especially those nasty PIHs which have been bothering me for a while.
Come on, is this for real or what?! See, I’m telling you, papaya enzyme is being such a great friend for my skin.
Odacité Serum Concentrate can be used in several different ways. We can mix 2-3 drops into moisturizer or face serum, apply it on its own or as a spot treatment (depending on the variant). Alternate the schedule. I find no reason why I can’t use different types on different zones on my face, but I see it as too tedious at the moment.
The way I use Odacité Pa+G is to mix it with a serum or face oil; 3 drops at nighttime and 2 drops in the morning (not forgetting sunscreen of course). I don’t like it as much mixing it into my moisturizer because I really want this to sink in deeper and that is more feasible with my serums and face oils. With serum, I have used it with Aurelia Revitalize & Glow Serum, KYPRIS Antioxidant Dew, Antipodes Apostle Serum, Kahina Brightening Serum and they all work well together. Some of the face oils I tried that make a great combination are Leahlani Champagne Serum and Trilogy Rosehip Oil Antioxidant+. I thought about mixing it with KYPRIS Beauty Elixir II, but it’s a powerhouse full of actives on its own and I don’t want to over-nourish the skin at the risk of breaking out due to overloading so many ingredients at once. Remember, too many good things is never good either.
What I’ve learned from the whole experience is that not only Odacité Pa+G works as advertised but it is also an awesome booster. It’s a great add-on for extra brightening effect, especially when mixed with products that promised similar things (including AHA). Just a few drops and I’m reaping the benefits. WAY TOO EASY!
One thing. At USD 39 for 5 ml, Odacité Pa+G is not cheap. If we’re about to purchase this in a conventional 30 ml size, that would cost us a staggering USD 195. OK, maybe it could be 10-15% cheaper, but still, it’s on the luxury side of things. There are several factors that play a part in the high price. The quality of the product with high grade oils and organic ingredients. The bottle isn’t just a run-of-the-mill dropper bottle either. It’s made out of Miron violet glass (the very same in May Lindstrom The Problem Solver) that will preserve the serum from harmful effects of light and prolong the shelf life and potency.
Finishing this up is a piece of cake. Even with 2-3 drops per use, I didn’t even notice it was down to half a bottle already by the time I hit the second week. Then I kind of took a break because I don’t want it to run out too soon! Plus, I had another hormonal breakout scene sometime ago and I needed to deal with that first. It’s a bit of an effort now; I have to tilt the bottle to get the liquid into the dropper. I will finish it in no time by now and plan to repurchase it sometime early next year for another intensive treatment.
With the darling results I’m getting versus the high price, I see Odacité Pa+G as an investment. A budget that I can allocate once in a while. A treat I’m willing to pay. And did I mention it’s effortlessly easy to use?
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