I use almost entirely Drunk Elephant products for this particular routine. A-Passioni is one of their newer offerings, and it it a plant-based 1% Retinol cream. I became an early adopter of this one, and I have found it to be the MOST effective retinol cream that I have tried. It should be noted however, that I have only tried over the counter, consumer based products, and never prescription. That being said, even though I had been accustomed to using Retinol for about 3 years, I still had to slowly build up my usage of this one. I experienced redness, and flaking of my skin when I went to fast. So my advice, whether this is your first time using Retinol, or your first time using this brand’s Retinol…. is to take your time and start slow. Start with one night per week, and do so after you have applied moisturizer. I now do this routine 2-3x a week, and I am quite happy with that frequency. So let me tell you how I started and how you can avoid or reduce the redness and peeling associated with Retinol.

1.) First, I apply the C-Tango eye cream. One pump is enough for both eyes. DE warns not to apply A-passioni on the skin around the eyes, so I use this cream as bit of a barrier in case I am a little sloppy with my application.

2.) I also apply Protini moisturizer on my entire face, then wait a few minutes for the next step. This step though, I’d say, is more important in the beginning. I now sometimes skip this part and it’s totally fine when I do. But doing it did help lessen the initial effects of Retinol in the beginning.

3) for this step, I combine both A-passioni, with B-Hydra serum. I emulsify in my hands one pump of B-Hydra, along with a pea-sized amount of A-passioni. I then apply this combo to my face, avoiding the eye area. I then wait another few minutes before the next step.

4.) This is the only part of this routine that is not DE. I use the Farmacy Sleep Tight Firming Balm last. It is an oil balm, and it does indeed feel a bit greasy. I think this might be why people don’t rave about it like I feel they should. I don’t mind how it feels because it gives me visible results (I’ve been using this for well over a year, long before I started using A-passion). It really does make my skin appear more firm and plump. And my skin also looks hydrated and not greasy at all by the time I wake up. This is another one that will help counteract the initial negative effects of Retinol. And although I do occasionally skip the Protini, I never skip this step. It is, in my opinion, one of the best sleeping masks ever created.

One thing I wish I could say differently, is the fact that I did not take Progress Pictures of my skincare. I really should have. I know the effect that this particular routine has had on my skin has been a dramatic improvement. I now get frequent compliments on my skin. I am a former smoker, in fact, I smoked nearly all of my adult life until just over a year ago. My skin had suffered from that. My pores appeared very large, I had lines in my forehead as well as the 11s between my brows. My skin also always looked dull and lifeless in addition to being chronically dry. Now, all of those issues are way less apparent. And my skin also no longer looks dry, or dull. And while I do use other skincare products… this is only my Retinol routine… I can definitely say that the implementation of these products brought on so much positive change that I cannot be quiet about it. I hope that as you read this, if you own some of these products that you will give it a try. Just remember to go slow with the retinol. Start with 1x per week and slowly increase that each week, 1 additional day at a time. If you start to experience redness or peeling, back down and decrease your usage, but stick with it. Have patience and you will see a difference. This is where remembering the story of the “Tortoise and the Haire” can come in. Also, if you are using Retinol, of any brand, it is so important to also remember to use sunscreen daily. Forgetting or skipping this can not only diminish the results you may see, but can also increase the damage you are doing to your skin… which is the exact opposite of what you want.

As I add this picture, I really wish I had done a before/after. I do apologize for not having that. For so long, I would only allow pictures of me when I felt I looked my best. But I feel so much better about my skin now than I did a year ago.