Abi Cleeve knows so much about skin and skincare, I trust her products to do what she says they will, but when it comes to Retinol I do have my own personal reservations because I have sensitive skin. Abi has seen huge success with her own range of skincare skinSense, I really like her overnight mask and cleanser from the range, her latest launch is a Retinol Serum. Once again I am questioning should I use it, do I need it and how should I use it..? It seemed sensible to ask Abi what she thought about this important skincare ingredient.
Retinol is widely used to reduce lines and wrinkles by stimulating collagen, so it seems like a no-brainer to add to your skincare regime, but it is available in different strengths and can make your skin red if you don’t get good advice before you start using it. So over to Abi to share her wealth of knowledge on the subject of skincare.
If you are using retinol on your skin for the first time, can you use this every night or start off with a few times a week?
Abi : I would advise using a retinol serum or cream and to start gently. Always patch test and don’t be tempted to go too high on concentration. The skinSense Retinol Serum, launching February 2019, combines active double-encapsulated Retinol at 0.3% with additional ingredients proven to support and improve the skin’s texture and hydration levels. At 0.3% concentration this formulation helps to resurface and rejuvenate the skin’s texture with great results, but also ensures that the risk of irritation for all skin types is minimized. The Retinol is protected in this light-weight serum and delivered beneath the skin’s surface via a double encapsulation of lamellar structures and a cyclosystem complex offering ingredient protection far superior to classic encapsulation processes.
0.3% is a great concentration for those new to Retinol, as it’s a very powerful ingredient. It’s better to use a percentage that is powerful enough for results, but at a level that allows consistent use. The beauty of the gel-based skinSense Retinol serum is that it’s fast-absorbing and light-weight enough for your favourite day or night cream can be layered on top.
Begin with a routine of every other night, progressing to a nightly application. Use at night as it does its best work when the skin is resting. Very high UVA and UVB protection should be a staple first step in any daily skincare routine, and becomes absolutely essential when using a retinol, as skin can become more sun sensitive than usual.
What other products from the range do you recommend using this with?
Abi : Ensure that you have fully cleansed so that you have a clean, fresh canvas for the retinol to work with. Start your bedtime routine with a luxurious but effective cleanse to remove make up and other residue from the day – the skinSense Purifying Double Cleanse* is the perfect creamy cleanser to will lift away surface dirt and gently draw out pore-deep impurities.
Always protect from the sun and step up to a higher protection when using a Retinol. The Ultrasun Face formulations (SPF30 and SPF50+) give very high UVA and UVB protection (filters from both are crucial) in a stable lamellar formula that’s light enough to act as an under make up primer. They also contain ectoin to protect DNA and against environmental aggressors throughout the day.
If you are taking the slowly-slowly approach to retinol and only using every other night, double up on overnight skin hydration by using the skinSense Overnight Leave-On-Mask on the nights in between. Skin absolutely drinks in this gel mask, leaving skin beautifully soft and supple and glowing when you wake up in the morning. Purifying Double Cleanse, £22: This luxurious creamy cleanser is the perfect 2-in-1 cleansing solution. It gently clarifies the skin, effectively melting away all traces of make-up, dead skin cells and impurities. Key Ingredients: Avocado oil, sweet almond oil, shea butter. Overnight Leave On Mask, £34: This luxurious at-home treatment transforms dull and lacklustre skin into a clearer and brighter complexion. Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, lactic acid, copper peptides.
What was your experience of using retinol before you created your own product and what inspired you to make this one better / different or more accessible?
Abi : As a self-confessed skincare geek, I’ve tried it all over the years. And although I like to think that I’m pretty savvy, like anyone I have made a few mistakes along the way. One that springs to mind is using a product which had a far higher concentration of actives than my skin A) needed or B) could cope with. Needless to say after a week of sore, peeling skin I was quite wary of powerful ingredients in high concentrations for quite a while.
With this in mind, when it came to developing my own retinol serum I not only focused on concentration, but also the delivery system. Having worked on incredibly sensitive formulations with Ultrasun, which are gentle on even the most sensitive baby skin, I knew that a compatible delivery into the skin is key to minimising reactions. The skinSense Retinol Serum utilises two encapsulations, which wrap the potent active retinol to ensure smooth absorption into the skin, in a way which mimics the skin’s own structure.
More about the brand:
- skinSense is the brainchild of skincare expert Abi Cleeve. Abi, who introduced professional Swiss Sun Protection brand Ultrasun to the UK over 20 years ago, launched skinSense in 2017. The brand was quickly recognized both with award wins and most importantly regular customer reviews based on the skin changing results they experienced. The brand cuts through the jargon to deliver a high concentration of ingredients proven to strengthen and improve skin condition. skinSense By Abi Cleeve is available from qvcuk.com /and at skinsense.co.uk