Insta Natural Age-Defying Retinol Serum Review

Insta Natural Age-Defying Retinol Serum - $23.75 US

I received this product as part of an advertorial. 

I have been using retinol for over a year now and I have to say its one of the best facial products out on the market.  Retinol it vitamin A but in a lesser form then retinoids. While retinol can be purchased over the counter at any beauty store, for retinoids you need a doctors prescriptions.  Both give you amazing results, however do the higher levels of retinoids you get faster results.   Nonetheless it can also cause a massive amount of burning and peeling which many quit using before the treatment can fully run its course.  Hence retinol which works slower but helps to minimize the peeling and burning.    However with all being said, while with retinol you can still experiences the same side effects as retinoids, the negative effects are less.   Retinol causes what is known as cell turnover.  In order to achieve this you need to use products that actually help this to happen.  Retinol, retinoids, vitamin C, BHA and AHA are all forms of agents that cause cell turnover.

When I first decided to use retinol, I was 31 years old and realized that my skincare routine needed to change with my growing age. I decided to first started out with .5% in order to avoid a massive irritating and then moved up to 1%.  I did have slight irritating and peeling for a short while but it was nothing to write home about.  Its best to start in a smaller percentage before going for the big guns of 2.5% like this product contains.

When Insta Natural asked me to review this product I decided to give it a try based on its ingredient list. Insta Natural states that its formula contains "2.5 Retinol, 20% Vitamin C, Vitamin E, 10% Hyaluronic Acid, Fruit & Plant Acids and other ingredients."  I started using this product but had to discontinue once I found out I was pregnant. While there is no medical proof that retinol will harm a fetus when applied topically, (not orally) nonetheless its best not to risk it.  However in the short time I did use it, the results were great. What I liked about this product is that it contained vitamin C and hyaluronic acid which are all good for the face.  What I didn't like about this product is that it contained witch hazel.  According to the medical journal articles of dermatology, products that contain witch hazel or alochol cause collagen breakdown.  So I NEVER put anything on my skin that contains either of these two ingredients.  However with that being said, the amount is also a factor and this product does not state how much of the witch hazel is actually in the bottle.  I noticed after using it for two weeks that the fine lines around my eyes looked diminished.  The hyaluronic acid helped to plump out my skin and the vitamin C help to fade out my brown spots from prior pimples. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps to brighten the skin and improve hyperpigmenation in many.  So this ingredient is like a magic cure.

However with all that being said, when using retinol, retinoids, vitamin C, BHA or AHA you must use a SUNBLOCK at ALL times when leaving the house during daylight hours. If not then you run a high risk of your skin burning badly with the sun.  Moreover, all the work you are trying to do with retinol to reverse wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, signs of aging, brown spots and so on will not change.  Many people fail to see this point. So if you aren't going to use sunblock that is broad spectrum protection (UVA/UVA) and at least 30 SPF and over, then don't buy this protect as you are only wasting your money.  It's very important when using products like this you follow the rules as stated and protect your skin during the day from the harmful rays of the sun which are MASSIVE contributors to wrinkles, hyperpigmenation, brown spots and more.

Nonetheless this product is good if using something with witch hazel doesn't bother you.

Keep Smiling

Dayana

FTC:  I received this product as part of an advertorial however I was not paid for my review and all opinions are solely my own.