This Miracle Moisturiser Is a Plant-Based Dream

From the niche new beauty brands doing something different, to the industry’s evergreen icons, Sophie Bew opens up AnOther’s dream vanity in this series…

1. Who should use it? Those who crave a no-fuss moisturiser, but also those who like to layer
2. How long until I love it? Depends on your proclivities, but it’s a pretty great all-rounder
3. How planet-/people-friendly is it? Ingredients are sourced sustainably and ethically, the packaging is all recyclable glass, and the outer packaging is made from recycled coffee cups – win, win, win
4. How do I use it? Warm a couple of pumps between the palms before pressing into the skin

Devised as the perfect skin prep, A.D.C. 01 by make-up maestro Adam de Cruz (he’s daubed the faces of Erin O’Connor, Marina Abramović and Sienna Miller to name but a few) is a high-performance plant-based moisturiser designed to cut your skincare regime down drastically. For him, less is definitely more – for both the environment, and your skin.

Pumped full of Gotu Kola (an Ayurvedic anti-inflammatory), mangosteen fruit extract (containing catechin, a phytonutrient that reduces blemishes, redness and puffiness), and the lusciously textured Korean perilla oil (which endows the skin with a dewy finish), De Cruz argues that after cleansing and toning, this cream is all you need – in combination with a bi-weekly exfoliation – and that make-up will glide on on top dreamily. 

I would argue that this truth is very subjective – as with any bold beauty claim. Personally, as a lover of acids, serums and masks – not to mention an addiction to switching it up on a near daily basis, in coalition with a capricious mood – the idea of just one cream for life is a kind of hell. But there are many, many one-cream groomers out there and they could do a lot worse than trying this one on for size, not least for its pleasing price tag, considering it contains so many natural actives. While the texture is great, and will leave the epidermis feeling pretty plump and dewy, it’s working hard to improve skin tone long-term. When I met with De Cruz, he begged me to try it on its own for just one week. I obliged and, even given my propensity for multiple products the cream held its own (I was back on the tiny-serum bottle the next day).

But it’s also a lovely cream to layer, providing you don’t wear it with any products containing silicone (it will pill into little grey bobbles all over your face once you start to apply make-up), but if you’re a plant-based product enthusiast, this shouldn’t be a problem. I, on the other hand, enjoy a bit of silicone now and then, in which case I’m sure to keep an eye on combinations. Whatever your habits, A.D.C. 01 could be good for both your skin and your beauty footprint.

A.D.C. Beauty is exclusively available at Harvey Nichols.