It always surprises me whenever it happens in real life: running into a beauty brand I have not yet tried, or even heard of or read about. Therefore a recent encounter at Brussels Kroonen & Brown makes for a beautiful memory to cherish. On the shelf there were three serums by Belgian Deutarium I had absolutely never heard of. It said anti-aging on one of the bottles so I obviously had to make a purchase.

Deutarium only make serums, which is reassuring to me. The product line is not massive, which is also good for a new brand. I read that their serums are free from parabens, silicones, colourants, perfumes and such. They have a high concentration of fruit acids, vitamin C and antioxidants. Everything is made in Belgium.

Serums overall are the foundation of my skincare – I rarely use creams anymore. Favourites include Odacité’s serum concentrates, which I mix with creams or facial oils. I use their Ac+R Acai-Rose and CaR Carotte concentrates daily since a few years. Herbivore’s Phoenix mixed with Prism are other favourites I use in the evenings. 

Although I like experimenting with new things, I’m also very loyal once I find something that works on my skin. Also I am really fussy with products. I have no problem with forking out big spondolicks on serums and other ointments, but the juice must be good. 

The Deutarium Skintonic is a very concentrated formula, it comes in a 15ml dropper, is colourless, has more tack than many other oil serums I use = thus does not leave a greasy residue, and absorbs well. After a week of regular use it’s a bit early to say more than I like the product a lot. In addition to being anti-aging (I’ll buy anything that’s anti-aging and/or limited edition) it’s also supposed to help with hyperpigmentation. Given that the sun is not yet fully out there, this part remains to be seen, but the product is meant to be good for prepping skin for the sunny season, given its high content of vitamin C and L-ascorbic acid.

Because we find ourselves in Central Europe, the website also boasts that Skintonic gives smokers a healthier looking skin. This must be a serious selling point for the company to list it as one of the Top 5 features of the product! 

One curiosity: Skintonic is rather odourless in the bottle. But it smells like bread on my skin. We’re talking actual bread, not croissants or couques au raisin. I’ve learned to live with this because I like the product and I use it in the evenings. It’s kind of fun to wake up to the smell of fresh bread even if it’s a facial serum. It literally smells like toasted rye bread. On a plus side, if you happen to share a bed with someone who’s a fan of boulangeries, Skintonic could really spice things up. ​