I had heard great things about the Kate McIver Secret Weapon serum from my friend in the beauty industry so when they asked to send me one, I was really excited to learn about the brand, and see how this serum worked on my skin. Serums can be so effective in your regime when you find the right one that works for you and they are one of my favourite skincare products to use.
Kate McIver : The Story.
It has actually a very sad story behind the brand ; Kate McIver founded the brand and created the serum 3 years ago whilst having chemotherapy for stage 3 breast cancer. She wanted a skincare treat, containing pure and gentle, but effective ingredients, that would help her skin keep in great condition and combat the harsh side effects of chemotherapy including dry skin, scarring & patchiness.
She found that not only did the formula help her skin, but it also helped a lot of other skin concerns including acne, melasma, dryness and irritation and and the Secret Weapon Serum was born.
She launched just one product and really focused on this, with plans to possibly expand the range in the future. The company is really small ; don’t expect a fancy website and big marketing, they wanted the product to speak for itself and it garnered quite a lot of interest and press when it launched, simply from word of mouth.
Unfortunately Kate McIver passed away just earlier this year in 2019.
The Secret Weapon Serum.
This ‘double’ serum is intended for everyday use, AM & PM if you wish and it contains a wealth of ingredients that target a multitude of skin concerns. They call it a double serum because of the concentrate of ingredients and also the texture is a little thicker than a normal serum, and is designed to be massaged into the skin. I find less it more and only a really small amount is needed under a moisturiser.
It’s a good all-rounder, nothing overly active or a concern for the more sensitive skin types and something that could benefit most people in their skincare regime.
Key Ingredients.
It has 13 ingredients in total including Borage, Rosehip and Evening Primrose oils which have essential fatty acids to make the skin plump and radiant. Evening Primose also is anti-inflammatory and can also help soothe acne skin. Rosehip oil is great for balancing the skin and reducing scarring.
Other ingredients include Argan Oil, Sea Buckthorn Oil, Camellia Oil, Vitamin E and Squalene. In combination these ingredients should help to brighten, nourish, balance and soothe the skin.
I started using this when I went on my lil’ Staycation a few weeks ago. I’m using it more as a day serum at the moment. It feels quite rich and oily in texture ; a lot of people will think of serum as a lightweight, watery substance whereas this I would class as a face oil fore sure.
My skin feels lovely and supple after use ; just the right amount of hydration, not overly oily and just….balanced.
It leaves my skin looking nice and bright and I haven’t had any breakouts or problems with the serum. Obviously I have only been using it weeks so I couldn’t tell you how it works on my pigmentation and dark spots / scarring, as this takes many months to turnover, but so far….a really good, solid, all-round serum.
It has no fragrance or perfume, it’s a vegan-friendly formulas and safe to use during pregnancy.
I find this a really good day serum for myself. It preps the skin beautifully for makeup and sits under my base really well and it seems to leave a lovely bright and fresh finish. The key to it for me is to treat it like a face oil and just use a couple of drops massaged into the skin, especially if you are combination like myself. Oiler skins may prefer this just as a PM treatment (the rosehip and argan make it really good for oily skins!) and if you are more dehydrated and dry then get it on day and night under your existing regime.
I know a lot of my makeup artist friends who prep their celebrity clients with this serum instead of primer and they absolutely love it!
10% of the RRP now goes to Coppafeel which is a breast cancer charity. The serum costs £39.99 for a 30ml size although I do believe they also sell 15ml bottles if you want a smaller one to try at first.
I really hope to see a few more products come from the range to compliment the serum, although I do get it was always supposed to be about 1 amazing product ; but I still hope to see them expand, and perhaps continue Kate’s legacy in some way. I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled.
Have you heard of the Kate McIver Secret Weapon Serum before? What is your one go-to-all-rounder for skincare serums? Let me know!
*press sample
