Okay, so I went down a rabbit hole on Ourself‘s $180 “clean” serum because the marketing is *so* slick. But the ingredient list? It’s giving major greenwashing vibes.
They tout “skin-rehab” but the third ingredient is a PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil—a known penetration enhancer that can trigger irritation in sensitive folks. That’s not rehab, that’s a gamble.
It’s a watery, runny serum that claims to “rebuild the skin barrier” in 14 days. The price tag is steep, but the peptide blend is legit.
Copper Tripeptide-1
Fast-acting collagen signaler—the real workhorse here.
Ceramide NP
Good for barrier repair, but it’s buried below the polymer.
Hyaluronic Acid
Standard hydrator, nothing special at this price point.
Photo: Kaeme / Unsplash
The hero actives are solid, but the delivery system is sus. That polymer I mentioned? It’s there to make the texture feel silky, but it can form a film that traps bacteria—not ideal for breakout-prone skin.
- Copper Tripeptide-1: Boosts collagen, reduces fine lines
- Ceramide NP: Repairs barrier, but undercut by film-formers
- PEG-40 Castor Oil: Can sensitize skin, ironic for a ‘calming’ serum
- Glycerin: Humectant, fine, but boring
Photo: Alexandra Tran / Unsplash
It feels like water with a slip—absorbs in 10 seconds, leaves zero residue. First week, my skin looked plump, but by week two, I noticed a few tiny red bumps on my cheeks. Classic irritation from that castor oil derivative.
The surprise? It didn’t break me out fully, but it didn’t calm my redness either. The “rehab” promise fell flat because the base ingredients work against the actives.
Photo: simon / Unsplash
My fine lines looked slightly softer, but my barrier wasn’t stronger—if anything, my skin felt drier by day four. The glow was real, but the irritation wasn’t worth it.
Photo: Content Pixie / Unsplash
It’s a decent peptide serum trapped in a “clean” lie. The polymer undermines the entire premise—and at $180, that’s a hard pass.