I’ve Been Using Retinol for a Month, Here's What Happened
Thank you Olay for supporting my family by sponsoring this post.
It’s 2020 and although I am not one to really make resolutions, I do have goals. They are more life goals in general and if 2020 isn’t the year that they become reality then that’s okay. But this year also means that I turn 33 which for some reason feels rough. Maybe because it's my mid-thirties? Or the fact that I am a mom of three kids, a homeowner, a pet owner and a business owner? I'm not sure.
What I do know is that since I turned 30 I have been at war with myself and my aging. You may have been around for the bangs or Botox decision I was making? The bank account ensured that bangs won, and I then spent the next three years growing them out (DON'T LET BANGS WIN). The fact is that I hated the aging that had started to show up in my skin (blame the years of tanning beds), but surprisingly I have yet to actually do something about it. I rarely have the energy to wash my face before bed, I hate spending money on products that my sensitive skin will probably react to and so, I’ve been sitting here for three years complaining about something that I wasn't doing anything to fix (PEOPLE, that is my biggest pet peeve). I needed to not be a hypocrite, so I started to research.
I started looking for something that guaranteed results but wouldn't burn my skin into oblivion in the process. I also wanted something that could fit into my daily routine and not break the bank. Retinol seemed to be everywhere for guaranteeing results, being easily attainable, and fitting into a regular skin-care routine. But it still left me with questions like, what actually is it and how does it work?
What is retinol and why did I decide to start using it?
Fun Fact, Retinol is the #1 searched skin-care ingredient, #1 recommended ingredient by dermatologists, and in the last 5 years, there have been 5,000 new retinol products introduced to the skin-care market.
Retinol is a form of Vitamin A, that encourages your skin cells to turn over faster than they would normally, making way for new skin. It’s like spring cleaning for your skin—out with the old and in with the new. New skin means your face will look brighter, smoother, YOUNGER! However, not all retinol products are created the same. Some have been known to have harsh side effects (we’re talking burning, peeling, redness, irritation) which gave the ingredient a really bad rep. Or, on the flip side, people didn't give the product enough time to do its magic, and stopped before the results were visible. It takes 28 days for you to see any results from Retinol and 90 days to really see the ingredient do its thing.
Now, skin-care companies are researching how to create products that still give you the results you want but without the side effects. Formulated properly, retinol can be powerful, versatile, potent and effective. The thing you have to remember is that a higher percentage of retinol, doesn't necessarily mean better results and could actually mean more side effects. Spending big bucks on high percentages isn’t always the best—or most effective—route.
Retinol also has a bad rep for being very drying but with the proper formulation using Vitamin B3, you can now get retinol creams that aid in water retention in your skin instead of drying it out. Olay’s Retinol24 has this.
So, with all of this info, I decided to try Olay’s newly launched Retinol24 collection, which includes three different products; a Night Serum, a Night Eye Cream and a Night Cream. You can choose which product will fit best in your routine; you only need one to see the benefits. I chose the Night Moisturizer because I really like my lineup of serums that I already use.
Why Olay? Well it took them 10 years to develop this formula, finding the perfect balance of retinol that’s time released into the skin so it’s gentle enough to use every night (even with my sensitive skin)! And while it’s gentle, it’s also very effective. You can expect to see the same results as the high end and prescribed versions after using it for 28 days. More retinol in Olay’s formula actually makes it into the skin than most prestige/mass retinol products on the market today. If it doesn’t get into the skin it can’t do its job!
It’s proven to:
- Improve fine lines and wrinkles
- Improve skin texture
- Brighten skin tone
- Diminish dark spots, acne scars
- Improve collagen production
- Improve hyaluronic acid production
After a month of using the Night Cream, I have started to see a difference in my skin tone. After having three babies, my melasma was pretty prevalent around my mouth and on my forehead, which is all thanks to those drastic hormonal changes my body has had to go through, and in the last month, those spots have faded drastically. My skin also has a smoother texture to it, making my makeup sit a lot better on it. And although slight so far, I have noticed the small lines around my eyes less noticeable.
I have been documenting this transformation below:
Before and After
I am super happy with the results I have seen in only one month. I’m even going to be bold and say this is probably the best results I have seen with skin care in the many products I have tried. See, the results have also inspired me to be consistently washing my face before bed so that I can see more results. I now even wash my face and do my skin-care routine when I'm dead tired and it has taken me three hours to get the kids to bed—which is saying a lot. It’s only been a month but I’m looking forward to the results I may see in using it for longer.
Stay tuned.
Katie-Rose