“It is an affordable and effective anti-aging serum!”
The first time I heard about the organic brand “Poppy Austin” a friend told me about it. I wasn’t really sure about which product of Poppy Austin’s facial skin care portfolio I wanted to try out first. But I finally decided to try out the Retinol Serum as first product, because I have been interested in this active agent for quite a while now.
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Are There Any Truths about the Retinol Mythos?
Retinol is just another name for Vitamin A. It has established itself as an ingredient for skin care products because it is said to have excellent cell-communication properties. Thus it can effectively stick to skin cells and help them – of course, this is only possible in the upper dermal layer because products that are applied on the skin’s surface only have a limited possibility of seeping through more layers of the skin.
With its specific properties Retinol can remove free radicals from the skin, stimulate the production of collagen and hereby counter premature skin-aging.
For me this active agent sounded really fascinating and I couldn’t wait for the Retinol Serum from Poppy Austin to arrive. I wanted to test it immediately.
Retinol Serum – First Impression
The serum is delivered in a transparent plastic bottle with 60ml content. The liquid itself is clear with a slightly yellow touch. You can sometimes read that Retinol is photosensitive (for example just like Vitamin C), but I guess the scientists from Poppy Austin thought about this while making the packaging design and the potions’ durability.
The Retinol concentration within this serum is at 2.5%. This is said to be an effective level of Retinol, being able to unfold its anti-aging properties for the skin.
Having said that, the Retinol Serum also contains a number of other important active agents:
- Hyaluronic Acid is a natural active agent. It has the ability to store great amounts of water in our skin. With this, it can support the skin’s protection barrier as well as its moisture balance.
- Witch hazel, Aloe Vera, Geranium- and Tiger Grass extracts are all-natural substances that are oily and therefore can reduce the moisture loss of our skin, but are also anti-inflammatory and antibacterial at the same time.
- Glycerin is another hydrating active agent and is often used in skin care products like creams and lotions.
- Other than that, I already mentioned, Poppy Austin is an organic brand. Therefore all unwanted ingredients that are said to cause allergic reactions or irritate the skin should not even appear in this product.
Recommended Treatment with the Poppy Austin Retinol Serum
This serum can be used up to twice a day on cleansed facial skin. The concentration of this Retinol Serum is rather high, that is why you should start the treatment with applying it only once a day, preferably in the evening. In the beginning it can cause redness and flaky areas on the skin.
I did not have these problems, but you should still take into account that there is a possibility for this to happen. This being the reason I planned the first treatment with the Retinol Serum on a Friday evening. Why? This way my skin would have had enough time to recuperate over the weekend and I wouldn’t need to go to the office while my skin had any of these red spots or other abnormalities.
Retinol itself is a bit irritating for the skin. At the beginning of the treatment the skin needs to become accustomed to it, particularly because the Retinol concentration in the Poppy Austin Serum is rather high.
During that initial time, the skin should not be irritated additionally by any aggressive skin cleansing, facial skin care products with lots of active agents or excessive sun baths. This way the skin is able to slowly get used to the new active agent Retinol and is not stressed by other factors.
Which Effect does the Poppy Austin Retinol Serum Have?
I am already using the serum for a few weeks now and noticed the first results. My complexion has gotten better – there are less red spots and impurities. I have mixed skin which is dry and oily at the same time – even these differences have been reduced and the skin is now easier to handle.
I might be imagining things, but I think my skin’s pores look smaller. Once the pores are enlarged it is impossible to permanently get them smaller again, at least not with only cosmetic aid. But an optical minimizing is better than getting no effect at all. Enlarged pores need a lot of patience and a disciplined regular treatment of special active agents before you can notice any results anyway.
I will definitely continue the treatment with Poppy Austin’s Retinol Serum, because I am curious if the brightening effect will occur and if my complexion will glow even more. But up to now the purchase was really worth it, even if the final effect has not shown yet.
My Conclusion
The Retinol Serum by Poppy Austin is definitely worth a try. It is affordable and also makes a high-quality and useful present for others.
If you tend to have really sensitive skin I would recommend a product with a lower Retinol concentration. The skin needs to get accustomed to the new active agent and during that time it can show temporary intolerances and flakiness.
I still think that Retinol is an interesting active agent and I will inform myself if there are any other useful skin care products in this area. Also I think the brand Poppy Austin has good quality so that I might try out their Vitamin C Facial Cleanser for sensitive skin as next product.
I hope you enjoyed my review and could get some useful information!
