When I ask my dermatologist about the absolute most necessary products we should all be using on our skin, she breaks it down pretty simply: antioxidants (like Vitamin C), sunscreen, and retinol. According to her (and most other derms), if we all used those three ingredients on our skin every day, our skin would be pretty darn radiant. Simple, right? Not so fast.
Especially when it comes to retinols, there are so many options on the market at a dizzying array of price points, how to decide? Plus, my fellow skincare junkies have probably experienced trying out a new retinol product only to end up with major skin flaking a few days later. Yuck.
But it turns out, that doesn’t have to be the case, as proven by the new retinol regimen that I’ve been on for the past month. And I’m wearing less makeup because of it.
Scroll on for what happened when I tried out the just-launched Retinol24 collection from our friends at Olay.
First: Did you know that retinol is the #1 most searched skin care ingredient on Google? It’s also the #1 most dermatologist recommended ingredient, making it something that we should know about and have in our skincare arsenal if we want our skin to be its very best. Daily use of retinols improves fine lines & wrinkles and makes skin brighter and smoother. It also helps even out dark spots and makes pores smaller. It’s basically the most powerful ingredient we can be using on our skin at home.
Y’all know that I’m always way too excited about new cutting-edge skincare to hit the market, so when Olay asked me to try out their Retinol24 formula for 28 days and report back, I signed right up. Here’s what sets it apart: Olay Retinol24 is optimized for potency and skin penetration, while providing 24 hours of hydration and virtually no irritation. Basically, it WORKS without flaking and dryness so often associated with retinols.
Here’s exactly how I’ve incorporated the products into my own nightly skincare regimen over the past month:
- Every night, I remove my makeup with a gentle cleansing oil. Then, I use a cotton pad to swipe on a probiotic-packed toner, which removes any final traces of makeup and preps my skin for the active ingredients I’ll be applying next.
- Next I use my fingers to smooth the Retinol24 Night Serum all over my face, giving it a powerful boost of Vitamin B3 + Retinol complex deep into the skin’s surface layers. This product is key – I noticed a brighter, smoother complexion even after using it for just one night, with zero irritation or redness.
- Then I use a gentle face oil to lock in moisture. If you didn’t use the serum, this would be the step where you could use Olay’s Retinol24 Night Moisturizer instead of or after your oil for anti-aging ingredients that are also super moisturizing. One thing I really like about these products: while many retinols degrade when exposed to air and light, Olay’s proprietary formula remains stable from first use to last.
- Final step: Retinol24 Night Eye Cream. As a true eye cream junkie, I can attest that this is a new fave. The first place that I’ve started to see some signs of aging are those fine lines right under my eyes, so I slather eye cream on religiously. I’ve actually been using this one morning and night, and have seen improvement in my skin’s texture and tone in the undereye area. It penetrates deep into the delicate skin surface around eyes with zero irritation, and I wake up looking bright-eyed and feeling that plumped up skin that is so hard to come by in the winter. Since I’ve been using retinols for awhile, my skin can deal with layering the eye cream and the serum… but if you’re new to retinol, it’s better to start with just one product and work your way up to avoid irritation.
Final verdict: the Olay Retinol24 collection is super effective in turning over skin to reveal brighter tone and a more youthful texture without any irritation or flakiness — making it a great solution for people who may have tried retinols before and given up. And the price point is a fraction of what I’ve spent on other high quality retinols in the past, so I can keep it up without spending a fortune.
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If y’all are curious about whether you might need a retinol in your life, head over to Olay’s site to try out their retinol simulator — you can upload a selfie and, based on their scientists’ clinical results, see how your skin would look after using Retinol24 for 28 days. We all did it in the office, and it’s kind of awesome.
This post is sponsored by Olay. All opinions expressed are my own.
Let me know in the comments if you give it a try, and how your experience has been with retinols in the past.
