I’d never used a retinol product before and this is a pure retinol product (0.2%) which is known to be more effective in fighting signs of aging.
To give my skin time to adjust to the L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Laser Pure Retinol Night Serum I started slowly, using it twice in the first week, every second night in the second week and then pretty much every day, wearing an SPF30 moisturiser the during the day.
While getting 3-4 drops out of the classy glass bottle with a pipette seemed harder than it sounds (quite a thick, surprisingly white serum) it easily spread over my face and absorbed quickly. I follow it with night cream.
As well as my skin being more moisturised, radient and smooth (as promised on the box!), an area of pigmentation has significantly faded and I have fewer blemishes. I’ve noticed some minor dry skin peeling and some occasions my skin has felt sensitive and gone quite red, but these effects have definitely not been enough to put me off continuing.
At the end of the first week my eyebrows were due for waxing and I the fact my skin would be more prone to burning in this manner never crossed my mind! It hurt a lot more than usual and the area was sensitive a good 24 hours but I was lucky that visually there was really no damage. When I was bothered by the post wax tenderness something back in my memory led me to google the link between retinol and burns and I will be sure not to do this again.
I’d have loved to try the L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Laser Pure Retinol Night Serum in conjunction with the Laser Night Moisturiser recommended as a companion product on the box. I also look forward to seeing the results after several months of use.
I am a long time retinol user, including prescription grade, so I wasn’t expecting any adverse effects from this one. I still cautiously introduced it, twice a week to start, then every second day in the second week and then every night for the last few days of using it. I also ensured that I wore sunscreen every day. I did not experience any irritation at all. My skin did feel drier than normal though, the morning after the last night of trialling it.
This serum is easy to use as you only need a few drops applied to a clean face and as it is quite thin, it spreads easily. You then just apply a moisturiser afterwards and that’s it (this is known as ‘buffering’ and also lessens the chance of any irritation.) I find this great for nights I don’t feel like doing an elaborate routine but still want to get results. The trial period was not long enough to gauge the results of this product as retinol is a marathon not a sprint. But no irritation during that time is a result in itself. From previous retinol use, this product is comparable so I would expect to see results over time.
One thing I don’t like about this product, and it’s the same for every L’Oréal product that I’ve tried, and that is the smell. I find all L’Oréal products to be heavily perfumed and this is really unnecessary in facial products. This alone is enough to put me off purchasing this.
I will keep using this product until it’s finished but it won’t replace my usual retinol and I’ll probably just alternate it with that. I also prefer to use a retinol once or twice a week as there are other skincare products l like to use, such as exfoliating acids, which can’t be used at the same time as retinols. If you’re a first time with retinols and you don’t mind heavily perfumed products, then this could be the one for you.
Tips: Follow the instructions carefully when introducing this to your routine to avoid any irritation.