If you follow me on IG you will have probably seen this
sleek black bottle appear in many of my routines…. allow me to introduce Jordan
Samuel etOILe with Retinol, your new best friend.
Anyone who is familiar with Jordan Samuel has probably
already tried his antioxidant packed facial oil etOILe (if you haven’t you
must!! My review here), this is essentially the same formula but with the
inclusion of 0.2% retinol. The only other differences are that this treatment oil
doesn’t have CQ10, Vitamin C and Squalane which the etOILe oil has.
Back in April when I had the pleasure of meeting the man
himself, and many others from the IG ‘Skincare Community’ at the Jordan and
Jane (Scrivner) Event, this was on my list to purchase directly from him. I had
been waiting to get my hands on this as soon as it was released, which luckily for
me wasn’t long before the event, so I didn’t have to wait too long! I hadn’t had
much experience with retinols other than a sample of Sunday Riley
Luna, which to be honest didn’t rock my boat due to the added colourings and
high price tag. I knew I wanted to delve into the world of retinol and knew
that I wanted to start with this.
The reason being, the formula is gentle but is still
designed to pack a punch with consistent use. Consistent being the word. Over
time low percentages of retinol used frequently can contribute to reduction and
tightening of pores as well as firming the skin and improving elasticity.
Vitamin A (otherwise known as retinol) is known to help the skins structure and
assist in reversing damage caused by ‘free radicals’ which are essentially
organic molecules that are responsible for skin aging and tissue damage. These
can be formed through natural physiological processes (breathing and breaking
down food) as well as from the environment and can be a result of pollution,
cigarette smoking, stress, diet, drugs etc, so prevention is better than cure. Retinol
is big business in the anti-aging world and I can totally see why. Paired with
other antioxidants such as Vitamins C and E there is a good chance you can
prevent cellular damage and if topically applied and consumed regularly
antioxidants can neutralise free radicals thus preventing them from causing
more damage. Magic!
Initially I wanted to include retinol purely for anti-aging
purposes, at the age of 26 I knew I needed to jump on the bandwagon if I want
to look like Susan Sarandon at 70! In addition to that I had high hopes of it assisting
with getting rid of PIH (post inflammatory hyper-pigmentation) which wasn’t
fading as quickly as I’d like. Roll on a couple of months down the line, I was
faced with the most congested skin I’d had in a long while and this is when I
realised I had a gem in my hands…
Due to the low percentage of retinol and it being oil based
I started using this every other night straight away. Some people build up
usage but I knew my skin loved etOILe and it had responded well to SR Luna, so
I was sure it would be ok. I’m pleased to confirm I wasn’t wrong :)
On the nights I use this I like to keep my routine fairly
simple and gentle, so as to get the maximum benefit from the treatment. I’ve
played around using other oils, balms and moisturisers on top but to be honest
I find it most effective when used on its own as a final step. I prep by
cleansing and applying a hydrating serum (ideally Jordan’s hydrate) and then massaging
4-5 drops directly over the top and pressing it into the skin. The addition of a
hydrating serum is a must for me as it gives a buffer, minimising
any potential irritation and boosts the performance of the retinol action. It
absorbs just as well as etOILe and has an identical texture in my opinion, leaving
no stickiness or oiliness to the skin. It layers extremely well with any other
product I’ve tried underneath/over the top and I haven’t experienced any
dreaded piling.
Upon application, it makes skin glow. But the real magic
seems to happen when I’m asleep. If I hit the pillow with any small lurking
spots it seems to zap them overnight and gives an overall healthier, plumper
appearance to my skin come morning.
I have been using this retinol for just over 2 months with
consistent use, and feel confident in saying it has benefitted my skin in more
ways than one. In earlier June, I removed regular use of facial oils out of my
routine (see my previous post here) and just solely used this. That’s where I
began to see real results. My congestion started to decrease fast and any under
the skin lumps I had were healing much quicker leaving no scarring behind.
During my bout of ‘unruly skin’ I had a period of purging where some of the
congestion came to the surface. This in turn created quite a few spots dotted
mainly around my chin, cheek and jawline areas. At the time, I felt rather
overwhelmed and unsure of how to deal with it. But instead of doing what I
would usually do (throw a ton of products at it in the hope of clearing my skin
fast, we’ve all been there!) I decided to take a more sensible approach. I
stripped my routine back to basics and picked a few products to be consistent
with. This being one of them, and my skin is all the better for it. I actually
enjoy the simple but effective routine on the days when I incorporate this, and
look forward to waking up knowing my skin will always look better than it did
the night before.
In addition to the above there has been an improvement in
existing PIH but I wouldn’t go as far as saying it has faded it completely. Yet…
I am hopeful that in the months to come I will see a bigger change in that area.
Overall so far, I would say the biggest noticeable changes are that it has
smoothed out the texture of my skin, created a more uniform brighter look and
decreased the amount of congestion I usually have. Much better results than I had
expected…
Over the coming months, I will potentially start to use this
every night with another moisturiser or oil to see how my skin fares, as I have
not suffered with any side effects in the form of redness, dryness or flakiness
with this. I know a certain percentage of people can suffer with those issues
as result of a stronger more potent retinol, but I honestly couldn’t be dealing
with that even if it turns me into a goddess months down the line! There is no
way I could persevere with something that burns my face off and causes my skin
to peel like a snake!
In my opinion this formula is a fantastic starting step into
retinol, I think it would work well for all ages but perhaps suited to a more
younger skin (25-35’s) that is looking to prevent rather than cure when it
comes to aging. In the long-term retinol is known to increase cell turnover and
stimulate collagen production, leaving skin plumper, creating a more refined
appearance. With that considered I’m still not sure how effective a gentle
retinol like this one would be at reducing deep wrinkles and lines. I would say
if your target is to improve skin texture, reduce congestion, slow down the
aging process and reduce the appearance of fine lines, then this is a must for
you. But if you suffer with severe PIH, scarring, sun-damaged aging skin then
maybe something a little stronger would give you better quicker results.
Packaging wise, I love the black and white design but that’s
not just for show, the miron glass gives it a shelf life of around 6 months to
1 year (if I remember rightly). On the basis it’s kept in a cool environment.
Preferably a fridge. I personally can’t be arsed to have to remember to take it
out before walking up the stairs! So choose to keep it in a dark area of my
bathroom. I would recommend only buying a retinol product that is packaged in
an opaque container anyway, as that will eliminate its exposure to air and
light. Otherwise the formula will break down and deteriorate.
Ingredients:
Organic Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Argania Spinosa (Argan)
Kernel Oil, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed (Marula) Oil, Vaccinium Macrocarpon
(Cranberry) Seed Oil, Organic Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil, Rosa
Canina Fruit (Rosehip) Oil, Organic Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit (Seabuckthorn)
Oil, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Retinol, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E).
So, there you have it! My new favourite addition to my skin
routine! It is a powerhouse of a product which holds so many benefits, and at
$43 for 30ml I think it’s extremely fair priced. Those of you that are Jordan supporters will already know this, but it can only be purchased directly
from his website in the US. Link here
Also, if you don’t already, I would highly recommend
following Jordan on Youtube. His videos are extremely informative and he is
bloody hilarious! Link here
Have you tried a retinol in oil? I would like to try Pestle and
Mortar Superstar next to see how it compares but will re-purchase this at some
point for sure!
Thanks for reading xx
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