I normally don't do skincare reviews but I was sent this lovely product that I had great results with that I had to review it. When I first heard about retinol products, I didn't think they were for me. I made the association of retinol products to helping wrinkles and I thought "I'm twenty two, I don't really have any wrinkles to take care of". As I did more research though, it turns out that retinols do more than just help with fine lines and wrinkles.
Enter FutureDerm Time Release Retinol 0.5% Gel. This is the baby of Nicki of the science based beauty blog, FutureDerm. She is a fellow beauty blogger and after I found out more about retinols and her retinol product, I jumped at the chance to try it and review it.
(you can tell I really used it since the label is starting to wear off)
Cruelty Free? They are cruelty-free.
Packaging: This is packaged in an opaque cylindrical tube with a pump dispenser. The pump dispenser is a great one because you can dispense as little as you want with no mess. Originally I had hoped that the container was clear so I could see how much product I have left but I found out that retinol is light sensitive (meaning the ingredient degrades due to light exposure) so I actually appreciate that the container is opaque.
Product Description: "A concentrated retinol formula, FutureDerm Time-Release Retinol 0.5 contains 0.5% microencapsulated retinol in a lightweight gel formula that is perfect for use together with your other favorite moisturizers. Most retinoid creams are thicker, taking up to 30 minutes to absorb into the skin. Ours feels like it absorbs in under a second, so you don't have to wait before applying other moisturizers.
Retinol 0.5% is supposed to help
Packaging: This is packaged in an opaque cylindrical tube with a pump dispenser. The pump dispenser is a great one because you can dispense as little as you want with no mess. Originally I had hoped that the container was clear so I could see how much product I have left but I found out that retinol is light sensitive (meaning the ingredient degrades due to light exposure) so I actually appreciate that the container is opaque.
Product Description: "A concentrated retinol formula, FutureDerm Time-Release Retinol 0.5 contains 0.5% microencapsulated retinol in a lightweight gel formula that is perfect for use together with your other favorite moisturizers. Most retinoid creams are thicker, taking up to 30 minutes to absorb into the skin. Ours feels like it absorbs in under a second, so you don't have to wait before applying other moisturizers.
Retinol 0.5% is supposed to help
- fight fine lines and wrinkles
- smooth mottled or rough skin
- aid mild to moderate acne
- alleviate the appearance of age spots
- maintain and build skin firmness
My Thoughts on the Formula/Wear Time:
Before I get into the product, I need to give you some background on my skin and the concerns I wanted to address. I have very very acne prone skin, relatively normal with an oily t-zone. I have many post-acne scars in the form of pock marks on my temples and hyperpigmentation. After many years of using benzoyl peroxide, my skin is fairly resilient and not too sensitive. I used this at night with benzoyl peroxide (and a good sunscreen) in the morning.
When it comes to my experience, I was honestly surprised as how well my skin acclimated to the retinol. I was ready to be overly cautious since I know retinol products can take some getting used to. To my surprise, I experienced no "purging" of my skin, no reaction to the retinol and I was able to use it daily (with a good sunscreen). I won't recommend that you do this as everyone's skin is different and your experience might be different. I've been using this for over two months by the way just to test this.
My goal wasn't to help fix my acne but to soften and smooth my rough skin around my temples and help with post-acne hyperpigmentation. The results are that it works great at helping smooth my skin and help my post-acne hyperpigmentation. My skin definitely feels softer and the area around my pock marks on my temples seems to be softened. I don't have any fine lines or wrinkles really so I can't attest to it helping that. A side effect is that the mild acne around my temples improved.
Skincare products are subjective but if you are looking for a gentle but effective retinol that works to help soften and smooth your skin while still being strong against mild acne and hyperpigmentation, this is for you. This may also help if you've got fine lines and wrinkles. If you have very severe acne, I think you're better off with a Beta Hydroxy Acid (BHA) product (like Salicylic Acid).
Here is a picture of my skin before using the Futurederm Retinol and afterwards. I know the before picture is quite bright but I'm hoping you can see how softened the area around my temple is and all the acne around my temples have gone. This is unretouched by the way.
Would I purchase again?
At $54.95, it is a splurge but I love that I'm able to not only support a small business, but also a fellow beauty blogger. If you've found other retinol products to be too harsh on your skin, this is worth a try. I've been using it for over two months and still have tons left over so it's going to last me ages. I'll definitely save up for this and you do save 10% if you purchase a bundle of three. They often have sales so you may want to wait and catch it on sale.
I need to stress that my experience is my own and I can't guarantee that your experience with the product will be similar to mine. Skincare of course is subjective and I only hope that if you have similar results to mine.
Disclaimer: I received this product for review. I am not being compensated for this post and all my opinions are my own and honest. None of the links in this post are affiliate links.
Before I get into the product, I need to give you some background on my skin and the concerns I wanted to address. I have very very acne prone skin, relatively normal with an oily t-zone. I have many post-acne scars in the form of pock marks on my temples and hyperpigmentation. After many years of using benzoyl peroxide, my skin is fairly resilient and not too sensitive. I used this at night with benzoyl peroxide (and a good sunscreen) in the morning.
When it comes to my experience, I was honestly surprised as how well my skin acclimated to the retinol. I was ready to be overly cautious since I know retinol products can take some getting used to. To my surprise, I experienced no "purging" of my skin, no reaction to the retinol and I was able to use it daily (with a good sunscreen). I won't recommend that you do this as everyone's skin is different and your experience might be different. I've been using this for over two months by the way just to test this.
My goal wasn't to help fix my acne but to soften and smooth my rough skin around my temples and help with post-acne hyperpigmentation. The results are that it works great at helping smooth my skin and help my post-acne hyperpigmentation. My skin definitely feels softer and the area around my pock marks on my temples seems to be softened. I don't have any fine lines or wrinkles really so I can't attest to it helping that. A side effect is that the mild acne around my temples improved.
Skincare products are subjective but if you are looking for a gentle but effective retinol that works to help soften and smooth your skin while still being strong against mild acne and hyperpigmentation, this is for you. This may also help if you've got fine lines and wrinkles. If you have very severe acne, I think you're better off with a Beta Hydroxy Acid (BHA) product (like Salicylic Acid).
Here is a picture of my skin before using the Futurederm Retinol and afterwards. I know the before picture is quite bright but I'm hoping you can see how softened the area around my temple is and all the acne around my temples have gone. This is unretouched by the way.
Would I purchase again?
At $54.95, it is a splurge but I love that I'm able to not only support a small business, but also a fellow beauty blogger. If you've found other retinol products to be too harsh on your skin, this is worth a try. I've been using it for over two months and still have tons left over so it's going to last me ages. I'll definitely save up for this and you do save 10% if you purchase a bundle of three. They often have sales so you may want to wait and catch it on sale.
I need to stress that my experience is my own and I can't guarantee that your experience with the product will be similar to mine. Skincare of course is subjective and I only hope that if you have similar results to mine.
Disclaimer: I received this product for review. I am not being compensated for this post and all my opinions are my own and honest. None of the links in this post are affiliate links.
I love this product too! *high five*
ReplyDeleteThis was on my Best Skincare products of 2012 list! Love it :) So glad it works for you :)
ReplyDeleteMultivitamins and breakfast cereals were two of the largest sources of retinol , though many brands get some of their vitamin A from beta-carotene.
ReplyDeleteI use this skin care brand MySKINBAR from Singapore... it was fantastic in clearing my acne and yet did not have any side effects!! Super stoked! After years of suffering from acne, trial & error and lots of money wasted, I finally found something that worked for me. This isn't an ad or anything, just hope it helps someone cause I know how painful it is to have acne.
ReplyDeleteYou can read more about it on my blog http://pockmarkfats.blogspot.com if you're interested.