Our Product Development Manager, Kate, recently gave me a lab sample of a new product she and Paula are working on for the RESIST line. It’s a serum with retinol, an ingredient which typically makes me run scared. It’s not that I’m unaware of what a great ingredient retinol is for skin (if you’re only going to use one antiaging ingredient beyond a good sunscreen, retinol or retinoids should be it), but my skin and retinol don’t have the best relationship. In fact, retinol is sort of like the out-of-town relative you love to have visit, but for no more than a couple of days. Beyond that, things start unraveling. The shine wears off, and you’re reminded of why you don’t suggest said relative stay for a whole week.
Kate can get very enthusiastic about the Paula’s Choice products in development, and she was practically giddy over this serum. Her enthusiasm was contagious, as I willingly agreed to try it, past history with retinol be damned. Imagine my surprise when I actually liked the product. I really liked it because after using it for just one night, my skin looked better. It was smoother, brighter, and, if I’m not mistaken, a bit firmer too (or at least it felt firmer). Being aware of the placebo effect, I kept using the product and monitoring the results. That’s when things got interesting…
By the fourth night in a row of using this concentrated retinol serum (it has an amazing texture and is really easy to apply) I was sure the results weren’t just placebo. How? Because in addition to my skin, including minor wrinkles, looking better, it was also looking worse—a side effect I’ve experienced with other retinol products, but this was different…it was a better kind of worse.
Allow me to explain: Lots of people cannot tolerate efficacious levels of retinol (at least not daily) because they get a strong kickback as it works. Redness, peeling, or skin feeling sunburned are not uncommon side effects. I’ve experienced all of these in the past, which led me to develop what I thought was a case of “retinol-itis.” The cure? Avoid anything with retinol, period. But I’m glad I wasn’t so resolute about that because I discovered the side effects from this retinol serum were brief and fleeting. I adjusted usage to once every two days, then two days off, and my skin acclimated beautifully! The initial peeling and minor sensation of sunburn (there was no visible effect) went away—and my skin keeps improving! Not only are my fine lines becoming much less apparent (though, full disclosure here, they weren’t all that obvious to begin with), but my skin tone is much better and minor freckles are fading. It appears I can finally use retinol as an ally in my fight against signs of aging!
All of this is to let you know I am over my retinol-itis thanks to this potential new serum from Paula’s Choice! I’ll make sure Paula gives this retinol serum strong consideration for approval. It’s a marvelous formula that I know our RESIST customers will love.
