Review: Joanna Vargas Rescue Serum

Not long ago, I reviewed (read: raved about) Joanna Vargas’ Daily Serum, the liquorice-smelling, galactoarabinan-powered potion which Vargas herself refers to as a ‘green juice’ for the skin, and now here I am again reviewing another product from her highly coveted range: the Rescue Serum. I have been using this product since late February/early March, and if you follow me on Instagram you’ll have seen it numerous times, so I feel well qualified to discuss it in detail now. 

I’m not sure what it is about Joanna Vargas and her namesake line of products, but I am just obsessed. Maybe it’s the chic monochromatic packaging which, even in a world filled with stylishly packaged skincare, still manages to out-chic anything else currently available. Maybe it's the woman herself, and the fact that she has the most soothing voice since Lisa Eldridge. Or maybe it's the fact that she counts CHVRCHES frontwoman Lauren Mayberry and Paramore’s Hayley Williams, two of my absolute heroes, as clients. Or maybe, just maybe, it is a combination of all of the above. In any event, I’m obsessed. This is the third Joanna Vargas product I’ve tried now, and I’m fairly certain it isn’t going to be the last.

First things first, Rescue Serum is a Vitamin C-based serum, formulated to ‘brighten skin, boost radiance, even pigmentation, and strengthen skin’s elasticity at the molecular level’. As well as Vitamin C, Rescue Serum also contains elderberry extract, a powerful antioxidant, and plant-derived squalane, which moisturises and regulates the production of excess oil. All of this presents itself in an incredibly lightweight fluid which is nothing like the thick, tacky formulas of many Vitamin C products (Drunk Elephant, I’m looking at you), and yet just two to three drops is enough to effectively treat the entire face.

Used a.m. and p.m. for just over six months, Rescue Serum has led to a significant improvement in the overall clarity and texture of my skin. It’s almost hard to believe how much of a difference it has made, as there is absolutely no unpleasant scent, or any uncomfortable stinging sensation, both of which can be issues with other Vitamin C-based serums — again, Drunk Elephant, I’m looking at you. My only minor complaint concerns the packaging, specifically the lid, which cracked at some point in transit. Perhaps it’s just not one for travel!

At £120 (or $150 USD) Joanna Vargas’ Rescue Serum is probably one of the pricier Vitamin C preparations out there, but one bottle will last you a long time, and you don’t need to worry about any smelliness, or stickiness, or anything else that you absolutely do not want when investing in a high-end skincare product. You don’t just have to take my word for it, either: Allure included the Rescue Serum in their fabled Best of Beauty round-up last year.

This piece was originally published on Part Time Beauty in 2019.