The Luxe Botanics Discovery Kit let’s you try the entire range!

The problem with buying skincare is that unlike a lipstick, kohl pencil or even eye shadow you cannot swipe or swatch it and decide in that moment, right there at the counter, that it works for you. Well, you can, but you could end up taking home a cream or serum that does absolutely nothing for your skin type.

It takes at least 28 days – the time required for the body to shed dead skin and new skin to emerge – to see if a cream or serum works. So if you’re going to get a sample in a sachet, you’re going to need a few. But you will only need one Luxe Botanics Discovery kit to find out if its products work for you.

Comprising 10ml tubs each of Marula serum and pre cleanser, Camu Camu serum, moisturiser and cleanser, and Kigelia serum and moisturiser, it has you covered for a few weeks – you only need a few drops – letting you try all the Luxe Botanics products for yourself. Those with rough, dry skin will find using a couple of drops of the Marula oil, which is rich in fatty acids, antioxidants and essential amino acids, hydrates the skin and leaves it feeling soft, supple and radiant with fine lines softened. The Camu Camu trio, with high levels of vitamin C, amino acids, flavonoids and B vitamins, helps restore radiance and unify skin tone, while strengthening the skin’s natural barrier. Kigelia africana is a relatively new ingredient for me but has been well-known and used for centuries in Africa for its anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and DNA repairing properties to help keep skin firm (African women have been known to rub it on their chests, necks and tummies to keep them firm).

All the key ingredients, Marula, Camu Camu and Kigelia Africana, are organically grown, and harvested and processed by local communities in Kenya, Brazil and Malawi respectively before being scientifically formulated with botanic and natural ingredients to enhance the hydrating, brightening and clarifying benefits. The products are completely free from parabens, phthalates, sulphates, DEA, petrochemicals, formaldehyde, triclosan, or cosmetic fragrances. Additionally, every Discovery Kit you purchase helps provide a woman in Malawi with a day of business training. This in turn helps grow and establish her business, thus lifting herself and her family out of poverty. So while you’re pampering your skin, you’re also helping a family out of poverty #win

The beauty of this kit is that it lets you play around with the serums and moisturisers to create a routine that truly works for you. For instance, I use the hydrating Marula serum at night (it is a tad heavy for the day in humid weather, but will work perfectly well in cool or even dry climes) and the brightening Camu Camu moisturiser during the day to reap the benefits of both. Sometimes, I alternate use of the Kigelia with Marula or even layer the two for a boost of benefits.

The serums sink in to prevent dehydration while I sleep in an air-conditioned room, and I find my skin softer and smoother the next morning. The Marula pre-cleanser has proved a little more challenging to use, feeling a bit heavy (or did I use too much?). Which brings me to the only problem I have with this kit.

It’s the tubs. I remember when I first received it, I was excited to get samples that weren’t in a sachet, that could be closed and reused without the air degrading ingredients. But while tubs are better than sachets, I would prefer dropper bottles best as that eliminates the need for me to dip my fingers into the tubs or the need to try to pour out two drops at a time (which almost never happens). This can however be avoided by decanting the serums into old minis I’ve saved – which is small price pay when you’re getting skincare that is minus nasties and big on benefits.