Review: Artichoke Intensive Skin Barrier Ampoule (AXIS-Y)

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I’ve been testing out a number of AXIS-Y products lately, and the latest one is the Artichoke Intensive Skin Barrier Ampoule. Ampoules are pretty much a supercharged serum that contain a high concentration of actives. They act as an immediate boost to your routine and can be switched up according to your skin condition.

The difference between ampoules and serums is that serums are typically used twice daily, whilst the much stronger ampoule is only used on occasion. It should also have a more specific formulation, focusing on just one or two skin benefits rather than multiple.

The Artichoke Intensive Skin Barrier Ampoule is available at AXIS-Y for USD$25, so head on over if you’d like to check it out or pop over to their Instagram to find out about more of their range. And now, it’s onto the review!

Product Description

With artichoke as a core ingredient (obviously), the Artichoke Intensive Skin Barrier Ampoule claims to have two main functions – to calm and heal through delivering rich antioxidants, nutrients and hydration. The use of phytonutrients also defend against bacteria and pollutants, preventing future breakouts and irritation. Inspired by community interviews, AXIS-Y‘s goal was to create a product that could be used by all skin types, but especially helping sensitive and irritated skin – and yes, they delivered.

Part of the 611 series, this again uses 6 base ingredients, 1 core ingredient, and 1 effective technology. A break down of the ingredients and their effects as below:

Base Ingredients

• Centella Asiatica (50,000ppm): Works to boost your skin’s natural healing process to prevent acne scars
• Burdock Root: Has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties to treat harmful skin cells
• Licorice: Brightens and calms inflammation of sensitive skin, in particular rosacea or irritation from pollutants
• Tea Tree (200ppm): Soothes irritation with anti-inflammatory properties
• Aloe Vera: A soothing, anti-inflammatory agent
• Okra: Delivers deep hydration to support the development of healthy skin cells

Core Ingredient

• Artichoke: Improves moisture retention and builds up cell wall density for to tighten and minimise pores

Effective Technology

• Hawkweed Extraction Method: Hawkweed is extracted using an ultrasonic extraction method. This minimises the destruction of useful ingredients, allowing for benefits like excellent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and skin improvement effects. It also reduces the risk of skin irritation.

Packaging

For a review on the design and aesthetics of the unit carton, please see my Spot the Difference Blemish Treatment review. Instead, let’s talk about the actual product packaging. It’s very simple but has a youthful, clean design that’s consistent with the rest of their brand.

The ampoule comes in a simple 30mL bottle, with a clear glass bottle. The green is very pretty and is used across all of their packaging. Most of the bottle is covered by the label (which also have a nice design, by the way), but the transparency means that you can still see the product. I like being able to see how much I have left of something, though the tinted green means you must dispense the product to check consistency – that is, if you have had it for a long want and want to check if it’s still fresh.

Applicator wise, the bottle uses a matte finish white dropper. It picks up a good amount of product, since I use almost exactly one dropper of product per application – and is easy to control too. I especially like that it has an angled tip, making it easy to place the ampoule directly onto your face.

Overall, the quality of the packaging is nice. The simple shape means it’s easy to store. The glass bottle feels sturdy but it isn’t too heavy either, just in case you want to take it in an overnight bag. The cap also screws on smoothly and securely – I have no issues with leakage at all.

I like the aesthetics too and, as usual, think that all AXIS-Y products look great as a gift. If you are looking for a Christmas present for a skincare lover this Artichoke Intensive Skin Barrier Ampoule is also available in their Back To Basics Set (USD$68) and Go-To Refresh Set (USD$124).

Personal Experiences

The Artichoke Intensive Skin Barrier Ampoule has a thin, lightweight consistency and, as a concentrated ampoule, is easy to integrate into your current skincare routine – just pop it on after your toner and prior to your serum. It absorbs fast and has essentially no scent. It’s a great product for layering up too so, whilst it’s probably best used at night, may also work beneath your make up.

This formula is recommended for all skin types but, personally, I would recommend it for normal to oily skin types. I have combination skin which is usually very oily, but have been suffering from extremely dry skin for weeks now. My opinions, this time around, would best reflect for people with combination-dry skin.

So after using the ampoule for around four weeks, I think that it’s actually stronger at ‘calming’ than it is at ‘healing’.

This product is great for reducing redness and soothing sensitivity – it gives your skin a boost of immediate hydration and my pores have visibly tightened too! However, I don’t see much in regards to moisture retention nor preventing further break outs. I would recommend further targeting those two concerns through the rest of your skincare routine.

And here’s the verdict!

SO WHAT IS IT?

An artichoke-based ampoule to heal and calm skin

THE GOOD

• Good price point
• Very pretty and easy to store packaging
• Easy to use dropper applicator
• Non-irritating ingredients suitable for sensitive skin
• No noticeable scent
• Fast absorbing and easily layered within your routine
• Gives a boost of immediate hydration and soothes skin
• Visibly tightens the appearance of pores

THE BAD

• Minimal results for moisture retention and preventing further break outs
• Although it can be used by all skin types, it may not have enough moisture benefits for very dry skin

RATINGS

• PRICE POINT | 3/5
• PACKAGING | 5/5
• CALMING | 4/5
• HEALING | 2/5
• ABSORPTION | 5/5

OVERALL RATING? 7.6/10

WOULD I RECOMMEND?

I liked some of the benefits from this ampoule and I’ll be continuing to use up the bottle. However, it was unfortunately not the perfect fit for my skin at this point in time. Once it’s back to normal though, I’d be keen to give this another shot because it feels so good on and I really love what it did for my pores.

I would mostly recommend this product for people with sensitised skin, in particular those with normal to oily skin types.

WHERE TO GET IT FROM

If you’re keen to try out the Artichoke Intensive Skin Barrier Ampoule too, head on over to the AXIS-Y website or check out their Instagram!

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