Super Renewal Serum
An interesting formula in a beautiful bottle, but a serum that struggles to distinguish itself.
I purchased this product with my own money from laurelandreed.com.
The Backstory
I was initially drawn to Votary for its botanical approach to skincare, combining plant oils with more targeted ingredients. I was also rather taken with the packaging. Those beautiful green glass bottles certainly know how to get my attention.
Super Renewal Serum came to me through a Laurel & Reed bundle, where its inclusion seemed like particularly good value. I was curious to try the brand, although I wasn’t specifically looking for a botanical alternative to retinol.
I already use a prescription retinoid, my skin is fairly resilient, and photodamage and loss of firmness aren’t among my primary concerns. I don’t particularly need a gentler alternative, and I wasn’t expecting dramatic results. This inevitably shapes my assessment, because I’m not really the product’s intended audience.
Formula & Claims
Votary positions Super Renewal Serum as a gentle alternative to retinol. Its principal active is silybin, derived from milk thistle, which the brand highlights for its potential to improve firmness and signs of photoageing.
It’s paired with bakuchiol, hyaluronic acid, and an assortment of botanical oils, including grape seed, pumpkin, cranberry, meadowfoam, chia, pomegranate, and borage.
The formula is more interesting than the experience might suggest. Both silybin and bakuchiol have promising research behind them, although the evidence doesn’t establish that this particular serum can deliver results equivalent to retinol.
Nevertheless, I appreciate the formulation, and I can see its appeal for someone seeking a gentler approach to skin renewal.
The Experience
Super Renewal Serum is a milky white serum with a fairly forgettable texture. It comes in one of Votary’s beautiful green dropper bottles, although the product inside is considerably less distinctive.
The scent is subtle, slightly green, and a little bitter. Nothing unpleasant, but nothing particularly memorable either. The overall experience feels somewhat clinical, which isn’t necessarily a criticism, just not something that makes me look forward to using it.
I haven’t noticed any remarkable results, although with several products already providing overlapping benefits, it’s difficult to isolate what this serum might be contributing.
I continue using it partly because I already have it, and partly because I like the possibility that its ingredients are doing something beneficial behind the scenes. Hardly a compelling argument for repurchasing.
Final Words
Super Renewal Serum is easier for me to appreciate on paper than in practice.
The formulation is thoughtful, and I can understand its appeal for someone looking for a botanical alternative to conventional retinoids. But it doesn’t fill any gaps in my routine, and the experience itself offers little to get excited about.
At approximately $123 for 30 ml, I’d need a more compelling reason to purchase it separately. Getting it in a bundle made the experiment worthwhile, but I don’t think I’d seek it out again.
I’ll happily finish the bottle. I just don’t expect to miss it when it’s gone.
