Launched in 1952 and currently owned by L’Oréal, Biotherm is a French beauty brand that specializes in skincare and bodycare. (It used to carry makeup products.) The brand’s Blue Therapy range is positioned as an anti-aging range, and Serum-in-Oil Night is one of its latest releases.
Blue Therapy Serum-in-Oil Night (30ml, £44) has a gel consistency when dispensed and it turns into a half-serum-half-oil consistency when applied. The product spreads well on the skin but it can take some time for it to be absorbed into the skin.
Some of the main moisturizing ingredients in this product are glycerin, glycine soja oil, caprylic/capric triglyceride, isononyl isononanoate, pentylene glycol, stearic acid, rosa canina (rosehip) fruit oil, ribes nigrum (blackcurrant) oil, helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, and palmitic acid.
The product contains antioxidants such as glycine soja oil, algae, algae extract, rosa canina (rosehip) fruit oil, astaxanthin, ribes nigrum (blackcurrant) oil, haematococcus pluvialis (astaxanthin) extract, and tocopherol (vitamin E). (Blackcurrant oil contains gamma linolenic acid (GLA), which has antioxidant properties.)
It contains adenosine, which is an anti-irritant and a cell-communicating agent. Gamma linolenic acid (GLA) in blackcurrant oil also functions as a cell-communicating agent.
It contains ceramide 3, which helps repair the skin’s barrier system.
It is paraben-free.
However, the product contains alcohol (denatured alcohol). It is sixth on the ingredient list and the amount is fairly large. (Alcohol can cause free radical damage.) It also contains benzyl alcohol, which in itself can be irritating, but the amount is very small.
It contains rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract. It can function as an antioxidant but its fragrant components can be potentially irritating.
It contains fragrance (parfum) and other scenting ingredients. The fragrance is quite pleasant but some people may find it to be on the strong side.
With a fairly large amount of alcohol, I hesitate to recommend this product to anyone. If formulated without alcohol or other problematic ingredients, this would be an outstanding product which contains a wealth of skin-benefiting ingredients.
(Some ingredient information is from Paula Begoun’s Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary.)
(The product featured in this article is provided by Biotherm.)
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{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
I got quite a large sample of this but had to stop using it because I started to breakout. I don’t know if it was too rich (Estée Lauder Night Repair also gives me little bumps under the skin) or if I got irritated. The scent of the product is the same as in Aquasource cream-gel also from Biotherm wich my skin loves. I wanted to try Aquasource Nuit but it also contains alcohol as a main ingredient. Strangely the only night serum my skin seams to tolerate is Kiehls Midnight Recovery (also from the L’Oreal group). It’s not really a serum but rather an ultra fine oil.
Hi CedriCeCCentriC,
It is great to hear from you again! :)
It can certainly be difficult to determine why a certain product might make one’s skin break out. It may be that it is too rich. Also, alcohol in skincare products can cause inflammation, which can cause the skin to produce more oil, which may then cause breakouts. I suppose, in the case of the Serum-in-Oil, it could be due to one or both of the two reasons.
Thank you very much for posting your comment again! :)
Ooh. Good call on the alcohol. Thanks for the review.
Hi Steph,
You are very welcome, and thank you very much for stopping by! :)
I need a good skin cream for nighttime, but my skin is really sensitive. I haven’t tried this one yet, but I’m hesitant. Do you know if this would be okay for sensitive skin?
Hi Jane,
Due to the alcohol in this product, I wouldn’t recommend this product to those with sensitive skin.
Thank you very much for your question! :)
Hi PJ!
This is such a good post and nice review of the product. Anyways, it is so nice to know that it contains adenosine, which is an anti-irritant and a cell-communicating agent. I will definitely purchase one.
– Marie
Hi Marie,
I am glad that you enjoyed this review, and thank you very much for posting your comment! :)
Great review! I am kinda hesitant to use this product for its alcohol content. I have noticed that everytime I use products with alcohol content it makes my skin dry. I guess i have to pass on this one though it seems like a great product to try out.
Hi Marga,
Thank you very much! Skincare products with alcohol as one of the major ingredients can be potentially drying for the skin, and I generally don’t recommend them. (Alcohol can also have other adverse effects on the skin.)
Thank you very much for stopping by! :)
Great post, Thanks for sharing!:)
Hugs, Brittany, xx
Hi Brittany,
You are very welcome, and thank you for reading the post! :)