Beauty Skincare This Brightening Serum Makes My Skin Feel Like Velvet — and It's 25% Off My face is so soft, the Velveteen Rabbit is jealous. By Rachel Nussbaum Rachel Nussbaum Instagram Twitter Rachel is a journalist, writer, and editor who specializes in the beauty and wellness industry, writing about the best, safest products the industry has to offer for InStyle, Byrdie, and Shape. InStyle's editorial guidelines Published on July 25, 2022 @ 11:00PM Pin Share Tweet Email We independently research, test, review, and recommend the best products—learn more about our process. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission. Photo: Courtesy The Organic Skin Co Anyone hooked on checking their Instagram story viewers knows it's frigging tough to break a habit. But sometimes routines become so second nature, they turn limiting; I'm definitely guilty of avoiding change, especially when I find a good, easy morning routine. Yet thanks to the outstanding effects of The Organic Skin Co.'s Vitamin Sea Serum, I've finally welcomed a newcomer to the fold. The New Zealand-based line recently launched on Amazon, and as someone who's thirsty for any taste of Kiwi culture, I eagerly took the brand up on its offer to send product samples (if only the country's gun laws could migrate next). Like any beauty editor who's broken out from product testing gone wrong, I cautiously patch tested the formula on my hand — and was immediately awed by how soft my skin felt. It was otherworldly. I couldn't stop touching my hand if I wanted to. As you can probably tell from the name, the serum's ingredients are a medley of organic, vitamin C- and antioxidant-heavy botanicals and marine extracts. The red seaweed is hydrating and rich in peptides, polysaccharides, and carotenoids, and it also uses New Zealand black fern, amla berry, honeysuckle, jojoba oil, and sodium ascorbyl phosphate, all of which contribute to velveteen skin. Courtesy Shop now: $26(Originally $35); amazon.com What's unusual about the brand, though, is its use of pressurized carbon dioxide to extract chemical compounds from plants, in contrast to the high temperatures and solvents usually used to create extracts. Per the company, that means none of the ingredients' nutrients are lost in translation, making for more concentrated, potent skincare. Because the carbon dioxide evaporates completely, the process is waste-free; as an added bonus, the brand also plants one tree for every product purchased. After using the Vitamin Sea Serum for a few weeks, my skin feels plump, plush, and surreal to touch (contact that's bad news for my acne, but whatever). While the ingredients are anti-aging, I admire that The Organic Skin Co. defines youth as an attitude, not an image. As the brand's cited inspiration, author Samuel Ullman, wrote, youth isn't an age or characteristic, but a mindset, will, and vigor that transcends time. You can shop the The Organic Skin Co.'s editor-approved $26 Vitamin Sea Serum on Amazon.