If you missed the make-up free Pamela Anderson during Paris Fashion Week last month, you must be a Luddite. In our culture now dominated by too-elaborate-for-their-own-good makeup tutorials and cartoonish Instagram filters, bare complexions have become scarce, dare I say exotic. So, the close ups of healthy, well-aging 56-year-old skin were affirming. And necessary. The unanticipated moment offered permission to embrace the skin we care for on the daily. If you’re skincare obsessive, I know you didn’t miss the subtle product placement in that same Vogue video. The secret behind Pamela Anderson’s fresh-faced radiant glow: Orveda skincare.
I’ve been an Orveda fan since its launch in 2017. The forest green bottles and jars have held a special place on our overflowing vanity since my first encounter. Over the past year, I’ve been lucky enough to receive three professional treatments that featured Orveda products exclusively, so I can describe first hand the undeniable glow I experienced after every facial. From this point forward, I’ll invoke the reference to her: my very own Pamela Anderson effect.
More recently, Orveda has launched a highly innovative Omnipotent Concentrate. Since I’ve only just gotten started on it, expect a full report in a few weeks or so. I am, however, finishing one and opening another bottle of my favorite product from the brand–The Vital Sap. This essence has been my most reached for liquid step, of late, and I’m easily on my 4th or 5th bottle. Since it’s hands down my favorite Orveda formula, and one I consider an excellent entry point to the brand, I’m sharing my enthusiasm in a bit more detail below.
What is The Vital Sap?
In short, this Orveda hero is a hydrating essence. Yet, it’s so much more. A multi-tasker like no other, The Vital Sap revitalizes a dull complexion instantly, provides glow-boosting microexfoliation, minimizes the appearance of enlarged pores, all while brightening and firming the skin over time. Oh, it also balances the skin’s delicate microbiome, making it the great pH equalizer.
What’s in this Orveda essence?
The Vital Sap uses a 15% concentration of 10 carefully selected ingredients to improve the overall health of the skin. Here is a quick breakdown of the magic.
- Glycerin, Bamboo Water, and 2 forms of Hyaluronic Acid: hydrates
- Seaweed Extract: energizes and revitalizes
- Papaya Enzyme: smoothes, exfoliates, brightens
- Bio-Fermented Marine Enzymes, Bio-Tech Preptiotic, and Bio-Fermented Kombucha Black Tea Extract: restores skin barrier health for optimal product absorption
- Galbanum: lends the formula its sharp, green scent and antimicrobial healing benefits (it’s one of my all time favorite aromas in skincare)
How I apply The Vital Sap
Until this year, the essence was called The Healing Sap and each box included a sleeve of cotton pads. The formula is unchanged but has been renamed. And now, the Vital Sap comes with a brush applicator. Quite a fancy one, too. And I love it. But for face masks. I apply this juicy “sap” by splashing a few drops in the palm of my hand and pressing directly into the skin. Since the liquid is quite viscous, you’ll notice very little product is needed per application. Read: this bottle will last months. Even with twice daily use, which is what Orveda recommends.
Why does the Orveda Vital Sap make such a difference?
I’ve only been diligent with my daily essence application for a couple of years. And of all the formulas I have tried, the one by Orveda ranks pretty high on the list. Because of how hydrating the Vital Sap is, my skin maximizes the efficacy of other serums that follow. Imagine drawing a dot with a marker on a piece of paper towel or a napkin. If the paper towel is dry, there is just a small dot but if you draw it on a piece of paper towel that is wet, the dot expands as ink travels deeper and wider. Same goes for applying a serum on dry vs hydrated skin. Having gone through multiple bottles, I confidently say this is one that is absolutely worth the splurge.
