Review | Drunk Elephant A-Passioni Retinol Cream

In almost every medical article I read - it says retinol is the only skincare in this world that can reverse fine lines. So I introduced retinol into my regular skincare routine  I thought I’d get the Drunk Elephant retinol cream since Drunk Elephant is known for its green skincare reputation and it has 1% retinol, which is the highest percentage retinol in off-shelf skincare. 

If your main skin concern is fine lines & wrinkles, do read on to find if the product is suitable for you.  

Brand name: Drunk Elephant

Product name: A-Passioni Retinol Cream 

Purchase from: Sephora, Shopee

Price: RM340 / 30ml

Price breakdown: RM11.30/ml

Pros:

• Contains 1% vegan retinol which considered as pretty mild. If you have never use retinol before, this might be a good product to start with. I am surprised to find that the retinol derived from vegan sources. This is also the highest percentage of retinol that you can get from off-shelf skincare.
• Contains Vitamin F fatty acids that calm the skin while the retinol works on its thing.
• Targets 5 skin concerns - (1) improve skin texture, (2) eliminate fine lines and wrinkles, (3) even the skin tone, (4) fight against environmental stressors and (5) improve skin suppleness. With just 1 product you are able to do so much and financially speaking, it is quite worth the money.
• Unlike other retinol on the market, this one is considered mild, hence suitable for any age or skin type. 
• It does show results if you are discipline enough to use it on regular basis, however, you have to be extra careful in introducing retinol into your skincare routine. 

Cons:

• Not recommended for sensitive skin. This is not an exclusive downside for this product, it is a general fact for all retinol-based products. 
• Although the product claims to be mild, I still find redness on the high side of my cheek even after a thin layer of an application. I also have a habit of mixing the retinol with serum, so I believe it can be pretty strong if you have fussy skin like mine.
• The cream has a yellow turmeric color with strong pigment. It does make your skin yellowish after application. 

Tips to use Retinol:

• If you’re at the early stage to introduce retinol in your skincare routine, use very small amount and mix it with your regular serum. This will tone down the harshness of the retinol and giving your skin some time to slowly to adapt to it.
• The ideal time to apply retinol is before sleeping. Do wash it off right after you wake up. Do not leave it for long hours. I usually put it on for about 6 hours max. 
• I will be extra careful not to get my skin exposed to the sun and apply heaps of sunscreen during the day. 
• When introducing the retinol to my skincare routine, I get it going once every fortnight, then slowly increase the frequency to once every week and finally twice a week. 

Overall, I am extremely happy with this retinol cream. I will definitely repurchase this to slow down the aging process on my skin.