mini view: retinol

drunk elephant a-passioni retinol cream

Of all the things I have ever put on my face in the name of "skincare",  retinol is definitely the most mysterious. I am super suspicious of anything that promises to smooth without an exfoliant, and because my skin is already very sensitive, if something COMES with a "this is really strong" warning, I tend to hold off.  Then this nifty little cream showed up, and I'll admit, my brand loyalty to DE won me over. 

The first time I tried it, I was way too excited and not only squeezed the tube the wrong way (it's super sensitive and requires A Gentle Touch, which I have never possessed) but put way too much on. The peeling was swift and brutal. But after two days of gently exfoliating and apologizing profusely, I was GLOWING. A week passed before I felt brave enough to try it again, and this time I mixed a pea-sized amount into a few drops of my facial oil, and used that to spread it across my face. After a couple weeks of this, I could see a marked change in not just the texture of my skin, but in areas where I still have faint scarring from my cystic acne. 

With all that said, this is a VERY strong product, and I strongly advise against trying to rush its work. I heard from some people who said they had used it three times a week and were fine, but that seems like fake news to me. Skincare is a process, and quick results won't last. 

A-Passioni is a GREAT addition to the toolkit for anyone who has an established routine, and is looking to even out skin tone + texture. It is NOT a standalone product, you definitely need to hydrate your skin afterwards. As always, try it out and WAIT to see how your skin reacts, then adjust amount/usage rate, etc. 

Have you tried a retinol product? Have you tried this one? WHAT DID YOU THINK?!

x Justina