It all started back in 2016. I was scrolling through the beauty section of a magazine when I first laid eyes on the 1A All Day Mask by Allies of Skin. I bookmarked it. I read every glowing review. And yet, somehow, despite my best intentions (and numerous shopping cart flirtations), I never hit ‘checkout’. Life got in the way. Other serums came and went. But Allies of Skin remained on my beauty bucket list like that elusive ex you always meant to text back.
Fast forward to now—older, wiser, and with skin that no longer lets me get away with a skincare routine that comprises just a moisturiser and sunblock. When the opportunity to review Allies of Skin’s Copper Tripeptide & Ectoin Advanced Repair Serum was offered to me, I jumped at it. And let me tell you: it was love at first pump.
A Powerhouse of Ingredients (with Names You’d Need to Google)
Now, let’s talk about what’s actually inside this little bottle of wizardry. The Copper Tripeptide & Ectoin Advanced Repair Serum isn’t just riding on the coattails of a few buzzy ingredients—it’s a full-blown masterclass in skin repair and resilience.
At the top of the list is Copper Tripeptide-1 (1%). This isn’t just a fancy name for marketing fluff. It’s a clinically backed peptide that stimulates collagen and elastin, the dynamic duo responsible for firm, bouncy skin. It also helps reduce inflammation and speeds up wound healing, which explains why my post-spot red marks seem to vanish faster than usual.
Then there’s Ectoin (2%), an extremolyte derived from microorganisms that survive in the harshest environments on Earth. Translation? If it can protect desert-dwelling bacteria from dehydration, it can handle your urban skin battling air-con, pollution, and stress. It strengthens the skin barrier, soothes irritation, and acts like a bodyguard against environmental aggressors.
Also in the mix is Copper Lysinate/Prolinate (2%), which supports skin density and firmness, and Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 (2%), also known as the “botox peptide” for its wrinkle-relaxing effects. No needles required.
Put simply, this is not your run-of-the-mill serum. It’s skincare with a strategy.
Morning Glow, Every Day
I’m not usually one to wax lyrical about textures, but this beautiful blue serum deserves a standing ovation. It glides on like silk, absorbs like a dream, and leaves not even a whisper of residue. My skin practically drinks it up—none of that sticky, tacky nonsense that some serums try to pass off as “hydrating”. Within seconds, it disappears, leaving behind a hydrated, slightly plumper canvas that’s begging for the next step in my routine.
In fact, it pairs beautifully with Allies of Skin’s Multi Peptides & GF Advanced Lifting Serum. I’ve been making a cocktail of the two together in the evenings, and it’s like giving my face a personal trainer and a spa therapist all in one go.
I’ve been using this serum for just over two weeks now. Granted, that is not long enough to see significant results because our skin takes at least 28 days to renew and supposedly 40 to 56 days for all five layers of the epidermis to regenerate. But, even with these two weeks, there has been some noticeable difference. Each morning, I wake up to skin that feels smooth, hydrated and, dare I say it, luminous. The redness on my cheeks that has been bothering me for the past couple of weeks before I started on the Allies of Skin serum have also gone away.
According to the information on the Allies of Skin website, the Copper Tripeptide & Ectoin Advanced Repair Serum “has been formulated with potent active ingredients, to deliver 1.6x faster skin recovery in just 2 weeks.”
The most significant and immediate improvement was my skin texture. My cheeks feel velvety, my forehead smoother every morning. There’s a visible evenness to my skin tone – a result that I have not been able to achieve with any skincare product except retinol.
An Investment Worth Making
Let’s be honest—at S$230 for a 30ml bottle, this serum doesn’t exactly fall into the “impulse buy” category. But hear me out: I’ve splurged on countless products over the years that made grand promises and delivered little more than scented water. This one actually works. It’s thoughtfully formulated, incredibly effective, and should last a good while (I hope), since a little goes a long way.
Plus, there’s something to be said about the ritual of using a product you genuinely love. It makes skincare feel less like a chore and more like self-care. And as someone in her 40s who juggles work, life, and the occasional existential crisis, I’ll take all the self-care I can get.
The Allies of Skin Copper Tripeptide & Ectoin Advanced Repair Serum is available on the Allies of Skin website and Sephora Singapore.
