Product review: Dr. Sheth's Ashwagandha & Alpha Arbutin Serum.

A recently launched product by the company Dr Sheth's caught my attention, more specifically the ingredient Alpha Arbutin caught my attention. Being an ingredient known for its tyrosinase inhibition properties, I just knew I had to try it out. 

Starting off with the consistency, it's one of the most viscous serums I've used (more than The Ordinary's Niacinamide for comparison) Contains kojic acid in the form of encapsulated beads and each drop might give you 2-3 beads of varying sizes. 

Now for the application. I used 3-4 drops on my face and it seems to absorb quickly but leaves behind quite a sticky layer making me doubt its absorption. As for the Kojic acid beads, boy was I frustrated! A) You do not get an even distribution of kojic acid since it's microencapsulated in the form of beads and B) the damn beads don't dissolve easily hence making you apply more pressure on the facial skin than necessary just to get the beads to dissolve. I do not see the point of having kojic acid in the form of beads apart from the serum "looking pretty". Had it been Kojic Acid Dipalmitate in the liquid form along with the rest of the serum it would make the product more effective, long-lasting and user friendly

I began using this at a time when I ran out of most of my other active ingredients, therefore throwing it under the spotlight to see if it lived up to its claims. While introducing it into my routine, it broke me out initially (which was expected), but my skin had calmed down by the end of the week and accepted it. Two weeks into using it and there was no observable difference in any PIH spots. I also noticed that using it on damp skin reduces the sticky feeling just a wee bit and the beads also seem to dissolve better. (what effect water has on the efficacy of the serum, I do not know.)

By the 4th week, older PIH spots had faded while the recent ones were in the process of fading. 

This isn't magic in a bottle, rather it assists your pigmentation in the natural fading process thus speeding it up slightly. Prolonged usage should help in lightening PIH. On dark circles, this hasn't shown any effect. Overall a mediocre product that could use some improvements in the formulation.

However, with the recent Dr Sheth's fiasco, I've been more cautious while using the serum and regularly checking for signs of decay. My serum recently began turning yellowish but I still continued its application until a sudden breakout spell caused me to reconsider using this on my face.   

Repurchase status: Definitely no. Reason- it's the beads and the sticky, tacky feeling coupled with short shelf life. There are other alpha-arbutin based products in the market I'd like to experiment with.

Ingredient list: Purified water, Arginine, Alpha Arbutin, Glycerin, Kojic Acid beads, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, 3-O-Ethyl- L-Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Phenoxyethanol, Xanthan Gum, Withania Somnifera (Ashwagandha ) Root Extract, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Lecithin, Sclerotium Gum, Diazolidinyl Urea, Ethylhexylglycerin, Pullulan, Sodium Gluconate, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate