Over the past few years, I’ve tested a lot of skin-care products, and am always excited when I see even the smallest improvement in my complexion and skin health. It takes a lot for a product to deliver any noticeable changes, let alone for one to do it in a short period of time, which is why I was so utterly blown away the first time I tried Comfort Zone Sublime Skin Intensive Serum ($139).
To put it simply, this product is on a whole other level. It’s a literal time machine for your face, and what it’s able to achieve is nothing short of magic. Honestly, calling it a “facial in a bottle” would be an insulting understatement. After just a handful of days of using it, I noticed a radical visible difference in the appearance and feel of my skin. Not to be dramatic, but hands down, this is *the* single most significant difference I’ve seen from a product in my career.
This stuff is so good that my mom recently asked, unironically, if I’d gotten work done after I sent her a photo of my face, and my friends kept asking me what makeup I was wearing when I wasn’t wearing anything at all. At that point, I had just applied the serum for the second time—like I said, *magic.*
Stress, dry weather, and Southern California’s hard water have been unkind to my complexion, and this formula feels like the save my skin has needed for years. Ever since adding it into my routine, my visage has looked plump and supple, and has taken on a glow that I fully believe comes as a result of rejuvenating the health of my skin as opposed to focusing on a short-term aesthetic fix. What’s more, it’s filled in some of my smile lines, which explains why people keep asking if I got filler.
Comfort Zone Sublime Skin Intensive Serum — $139.00
Refills $129
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The formula
There are three main ingredients that give Comfort Zone Sublime Skin Intensive Serum its ability to mimic the effects of injectables. The first is a biomimetic hexapeptide (a compound made up of five peptides that are structurally similar to the ones that naturally occur in our skin) that’s typically found in Botox. When used topically, it’s said to deliver “Botox-like activity” while targeting expression lines and wrinkles.
Next on the list is Achillea Millefolium, aka yarrow flower, which is cultivated through regenerative agriculture at Comfort Zone’s headquarters in Parma, Italy. The botanical extract is known for its ability to improve skin thickness and decrease wrinkles, and has been clinically studied to stimulate collagen synthesis by 35 percent or more, “and reduce collagenase, the enzymes which cause the loss of native collagen.”
Finally, there’s macro hyaluronic acid, which instantly plumps and hydrates the skin while creating a suppleness that allows the other ingredients to really get in there. It also gives that immediate ‘filler effect’ appearance.
Three more key ingredients round out the concoction: Paeonia albiflora extract, which supports the skin barrier; Plantago lanceolata, which stimulates and protects skin proteins; and acetyl hexapeptide 9 and 11, which increase collagen production.
To confirm the efficacy of the formula, Comfort Zone’s team ran an in-house clinical trial with 40 women as well as a self-assessment survey with 60 additional women. After 28 days, the clinical trial crew saw a 25 percent reduction in wrinkle depth, while 93 percent of the self-assessed women confirmed their faces looked younger.
The packaging
The Intensive Serum’s glass packaging isn’t just elegant, it’s also planet-friendly. This is a refillable product delivered in a plastic-neutral, carbon-neutral package from a certified B-corp (we love). The brand is not just focused on skincare science at its labs—it’s making serious moves to counteract climate change at its regenerative agricultural center in Northern Italy.
Speaking of, this serum is made from 99% natural origin ingredients, many of which are derived from the aforementioned agricultural center. And because it’s completely formulated, tested, and produced in Europe—where the government is stricter on ingredients and animal testing is outlawed—it’s a cruelty-free, health-centered product, free from animal derivatives, silicones, mineral oils, and artificial colorants.
The reviews
I’m not alone in my love for this product: Online reviewers have virtually identical experiences and sentiments to my own. “I see improvements after 1 week only, my skin is softer, smoother and feels hydrated, radically feels more [sic] younger,” writes one fan. “Sublime by name, Sublime by nature. Seriously, this product is really good. After only a few weeks, my husband, yes my husband, who never notices anything [editor’s note: lol], can see the differences in my complexion,” says another.
At $139 for a 1 oz bottle (and $129 refills), this is certainly a luxury product. But if it’s within your budget and you’ve been considering injectables to treat your fine lines, give this stuff a go first—it’s a non-invasive, low-risk, significantly less expensive alternative. Plus, it actually targets your skin’s health, which is a better long-term strategy anyway.
This might sound like a lot of hype for a serum, but I promise you I wouldn’t be here writing this 850-word review if I didn’t experience something remarkably impressive. Personally, I think it’s worth every penny… and then some.