i used to be afraid to try acid. mainly because i don't know how to counter the effect. but after reading numerous blogs and instagram reviews as well as some youtube videos, i know better now. before trying retinol, i've only used cosrx BHA and AHA. i like the BHA but not the AHA. i've tried the ordinary lactic acid as well and i didn't like it either. i also have tried the ordinary retinoid product, and it was so-so because back then i didn't know what to expect. after that, i knew better and i tried DE retinol. it was pretty strong and my skin suffered a bit when trying that, but after adjusting my serum (i used to only use one serum at night, but now i used two!), my skin condition got better. and then local brands started to release acid products, like bhumi, FSS, avoskin, votre peau and lately somethinc. i've tried votre peau one (if you're interested, you can check it here) and after that i bought somethinc because it was hype around the time i bought it. so let's hope it works..
this is the description from their website: taking your skin (&neck) care routine to the next level! introducing level 1% (encapsulated) retinol. encapsulated retinol 1% with the newest gentinol-200 technology from korea who has more greater stability, safe for sensitive skin, and formulated with a pH equivalent to skin pH 5-6 so it doesn't irritate your skin. ceramide and hyaluronic acid in this retinol protects the skin from free radicals, anti pollution and retain moisture level in your skin. encapsulated retinol penetrates skin cells, divides itself, detects skin problems in the targeted layers and repairs all the problems. at the same time, the encapsulated crystal particles also create a protective shield on the surface of the skin to prevent it from dehydration.
why is encapsulated retinol more effective? retinol works from the inner skin layer to the top, so it can target the right areas and achieve the desired results. with encapsulation technology, retinol does not easily evaporate into the air and exposed to UV light, so that its effectiveness remains protected and not oxidized easily.
ingredients: aqua, terephthalylidene dicamphor sulfonic acid, butylene glycol, glycerin, ceramide-3, triethanolamine, retinol, hydroxyethylcellulose, phenoxyethanol, allantoin, hyaluronic acid, disodium EDTA.
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| the bottle |
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| description at the back |
the packaging: this comes with no box, they seal the bottle with plastic sealing. the bottle is transparent green frosted glass bottle with dropper head. it only comes in 20 ml, which is a little bit odd. usually mini size is around 10 ml, and full size one around 30 ml. this falls in between. anyway, they put description in english and indonesian as well as ingredients list in tiny texts at the back of the label. usually retinol would come in dark glass bottle, so i have no idea about the packaging. perhaps since it's encapsulated so it doesn't need dark glass bottle? anyway, the dropper works well. my only complain is that obviously it's too short so when i was about to run out of the serum, it's harder to get the serum out.
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| the serum inside |
the scent: this has fresh scent, which is weird. the ingredients list doesn't list anything as added fragrance, and i believe retinol doesn't smell as good as this. the drunk elephant one smells rather foul. votre peau has added fragrance in its ingredient list. however, the scent is quite subtle, so it doesn't bother me.
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| how it looks like on my hand |
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| after patted it in |
the product: it's a light yellow liquid. i don't see separate layers from the outside, but the instruction says to shake it well before using, so i did. i don't count how many drops that i use, but around half dropper to three quarter for my whole face and neck. it spreads around easily as it's liquid, and it gets absorbed easily too.
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| the first picture is a week after i started using it for the first two weeks i use it every other day - no redness on 14/1 it's a progress pic where i started to use it daily, a bit redness 21/1 after getting used to using it daily, the redness subsides |
the result: at first, i use it every other night for about two weeks and then i try using it every night for around two weeks as well. during the first two weeks, i don't see any problem with it. no irritation, no flaky skin, nothing. i use it in watery serum slot. on top of this, i use a hydrating serum and an all-around anti aging serum. then i use it every night. i still don't get any problem using it every night, though i decided not to use it on sunday. since i have used retinol before, i notice that i can see the result on my forehead easily. usually my forehead area will be more glowy after using retinol. however, i don't see any difference in acne prevention. i still get acne, but it helps speeding up clearing small acne, but not the case with cystic acne. they website also says that it helps with brightening skin tone as well as lightening dark spots. well, i don't see those effects, but perhaps because it's not long enough to see the result. lately, since i've been using it together with vitamin c and bha (though all of them are low percentage and not together at one time. vitamin c in the morning, bha in the afternoon and retinol at night), i have no problem, no irritation at all.
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| similar progress result on the other side using it every other day don't give me redness but using it every day makes my skin red a bit but after awhile it subsides |
anyway, this is really a good start if you want to try retinol. it's gentle enough and it really doesn't irritate your skin. price point, since this only comes in 20 ml, the price is pretty reasonable. however, this is quite popular so it gets sold out quickly. compared to votre peau, this one is definitely a bit stronger, but both are still gentle. as for me, i like somethinc better than votre peau. anyway, there are other brands that has retinol, like bhumi and avoskin, and i haven't tried them, so until i finished try them all, i won't make any decision on which to repurchase yet. anyway, if you have tried them, please do tell me about it.
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