Havess Ageless Beauty Bundle

Bakuchiol 1% Face serum

• Bakuchiol 1%. A compound found in Psoralea corylifolia, native to India and Sri Lanka. It behaves like retinol in the research without being a retinoid. We use 1%; the trial that put it next to retinol used 0.5%.
• Rosehip CO2 Oil. Cold-pressed and rich in vitamin A, from wild rose bushes native to the southern Andes, Europe, north-west Africa and western Asia.
• Native Orange Pearl. A cellular extract from Maclura cochinchinensis, native to Queensland and northern New South Wales. Nobody else in the category uses it.
• Aloe Vera Leaf Juice. Certified organic, and the base the whole formula is built on.
• Lotus Pink Absolute. An aromatic oil from the pink lotus, sweet and earthy. The lotus represented beauty, life and resurrection in ancient Egypt.

Kakadu 20% Vitamin C Complex Serum

• Kakadu Plum Cellular Extract. Among the richest known food sources of vitamin C of any plant.
• Desert Lime Cellular Extract. An Australian native that carries ferulic acid naturally — the same vitamin C and ferulic pairing you'll find in serums selling for over $200.
• Finger Lime Caviar Cellular Extract. A citrus native to Australia, named for the caviar-like beads inside the fruit.
• Encapsulated Vitamin C. Encapsulated for stability in the bottle.

The 20% describes the whole complex — not 20% L-ascorbic acid. Those are two different formulations with two different tolerance profiles, which is exactly why this one doesn't sting the way a 20% L-ascorbic serum does.

The full ingredient list for both products is under Directions and safety below.

1. Two steps, not twelve: Vitamin C in the morning, bakuchiol at night. Each serum does a job the other one doesn't.
2. A retinol-free evening step: Bakuchiol at 1%. In a randomised, double-blind trial on the ingredient, the retinol group reported significantly more scaling and stinging.
3. A vitamin C complex, not straight acid: The 20% describes the whole complex — three Australian natives with encapsulated vitamin C — which is why it doesn't sting the way a 20% L-ascorbic serum does.

The trial that started the conversation

In a randomised, double-blind trial published in the British Journal of Dermatology, 44 people used either bakuchiol or retinol for twelve weeks. Both groups saw comparable improvement in the appearance of wrinkles and uneven tone. The retinol group reported significantly more scaling and stinging. (Dhaliwal et al., Br J Dermatol 2019;180(2):289–296.)

That research was on the ingredient at 0.5%, in a different base — not on our formula. A single study of 44 people is grounds for saying the research suggests something. It isn't grounds for calling it proven, and we won't. We'll always tell you that.

A second study, on reactive skin

A separate four-week study followed 60 women aged 40 to 65 with reactive skin. Barrier measurements didn't move from baseline, and skin moisture rose by 16%. Again: on the ingredient, not on our formula.

Why we stopped at 1%

You'll find bakuchiol at 2%, and at 4%. The trial that put it next to retinol ran at 0.5% — half what we use. More isn't shown to work better, and more is where irritation starts. A pharmacist's job is to pick the dose that works and stop there.

The number, first

The 20% on this bottle describes the entire vitamin C complex — Kakadu plum, desert lime and finger lime caviar extract together — not 20% L-ascorbic acid. We'd rather explain the number than let you assume it, because the two behave differently on skin.

The three natives

Kakadu plum carries among the highest recorded vitamin C content of any plant. Desert lime carries ferulic acid naturally, and vitamin C paired with ferulic acid is a long-established combination in topical antioxidant formulation. Cellular extraction is used so the extract carries more of the plant profile than an isolated compound would.

What we can and can't claim

The published literature on topical vitamin C concerns the ingredient, not this finished formula, and we haven't run a trial on this product. Where we can't cite something on our own formula, we say so rather than borrowing someone else's result.

One thing we will not tell you: that this replaces sunscreen, or adds protection on top of it. It is a cosmetic serum. Wear SPF every morning.

Directions

Bakuchiol 1% Face serum — One to two pumps on clean skin at night. Massage into the face and neck in an upward circular motion, then follow with moisturiser. Sunscreen every morning. Patch test on your inner arm for a couple of days before you start.

Kakadu 20% Vitamin C Complex Serum — One to two pumps on clean skin in the morning. Massage into the face and neck in an upward circular motion, then follow with moisturiser and sunscreen. Patch test on your inner arm for a couple of days before you start.

Ingredients

Bakuchiol 1% Face serum — *Aloe Vera Leaf Juice, Glycerine, Caprylic/Capric Triglycerides, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Jojoba Esters, Tocopherol , Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil (Jojoba Oil), *Cocos Nucifera Oil, Isoamyl Laurate, Bakuchiol Oil, Acacia Senegal Gum Xanthan Gum, Gluconolactone, Rosa Canina Fruit (Rosehip) CO2 Oil, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract (Lotus Pink Absolute), Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate (Hyaluronic Acid), Maclura Cochinchinensis (Orange Pearl) Cellular Extract, Sodium Phytate, Sodium Benzoate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate. *Denotes Certified Organic

Kakadu 20% Vitamin C Complex Serum — *Aloe Vera Leaf Juice, Aqua, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Dimethicone, Propylene Glycol, Ascorbic Acid, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit (Kakadu Plum) Cellular Extract (and) Citrus Glauca Fruit (Desert Lime) Cellular Extract (and) Citrus Australasica Fruit (Finger Lime Caviar) Cellular Extract, Glycerine vegetable, Acacia Senegal Gum, Xanthan Gum, Propanediol (Palm Free),Glyceryl Caprylate / Glyceryl Undecylenate (natural preservative), Lecithin, Sclerotium gum, Pullulan, Sodium Metabisulfite, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hyaluronate (Hyaluronic Acid), Silica Minerals, Tocopherol (Natural Vitamin E), Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, p- Anisic Acid. *Denotes Certified Organic

Warnings and precautions

For external use only. Avoid contact with eyes. If contact occurs, rinse thoroughly with water. Discontinue use if irritation occurs. Consult a healthcare provider before use if pregnant or breastfeeding. Use sunscreen during the day while using this product, Store below 25°C.