Brightening, firming, exfoliating, & hydrating essence / 1.7 oz

Vintner’s Daughter Active Treatment Essence is a nutrient-rich hydrator that is just as multitasking as its partner, the cult favorite .

Like the Serum, the Essence features Vintner’s Daughter’s signature Phyto Radiance Infusion, a blend of 13 of the world’s most nutrient-rich botanicals; in the case of the Essence, those botanicals are infused into a water base through a temperature controlled process, while the Serum contains those botanicals infused into an oil base. This reveals the purpose of the Essence: your skin barrier is composed of both oil and water and responds best to a blend of the two. With its water base, the Essence serves as the perfect partner to give your skin the full nutrition it needs.

But it also takes things a step further: after the infusion process, each bottle of the Essence goes through a fermentation process that amplifies the effect of the Infusion’s nutrients, assisting with penetration.

Oh, and that’s not all. Vintner’s Daughter also added two sizes of hyaluronic acid – long-chain to draw in hydration and plump skin and short-chain to boost firmness — as well as plant stem cells to brighten and promote elasticity, stabilized vitamin C from kakadu plum, marine microalgae, still more pre- and probiotics to strengthen skin’s barrier, and micro-exfoliators (lactic acid, phytic acid, and enzymes).

The overall effect has been described as “moonlight on skin,” which is as fabulous as it sounds. Paired with the Active Botanical Serum, can you think of anything else your skin might possibly need? We can’t. Oh, wait: sunscreen. And cleanser. But aside from that…you’re done. You’re just done. How blissfully simple, and yet totally uncompromising.

A few key notes:

- Each bottle ships with a complimentary sample so that you can try it out first, which we hope will make it easier for you to take the plunge — because we are sure you'll love it.

- The Essence formula, like the Serum formula, contains no fragrance and just smells like its ingredients. Due to the fermentation process, it has an apple-cider-vinegary smell. We’re into it.

- It also may give your skin a tingly, “Ooh, it’s working!” feeling. Sensitive types, you may want to use the Essence every other night when you first give it a try.

(We know, it's pricey. It's also worth every penny. Still mulling it over? Try our .)