essano Wrinkle Rescue Natural Retinol Concentrated Serum Reviews

I haven’t really used retinol before using this product which I found instantly brighten my skin and smoothed fine lines. It transformed my skin making it dewy and younger looking after the applied it. Lovely to use under my moisturiser.

I am a fan of Essano products, made in New Zealand, majority of ingredients are from a natural source. It comes in a 20ml glass bottle with a dropper top. Clear oil, slightly scented with Bakuchiol which is not my favourite scent but quickly fades. Ingredients include Bakuchiol which is a plant based alternative to Retinol without the downside of increased sun-sensitivity, inflammation and dry flaky skin. Jojoba seed oil, Rosehip, fruit oil Vitamin E, and Sunflower seed oil. The serum sinks in fairly well to my skin and only need about half of the glass dropper full for face and decolletage. Skin feels immediately hydrated and refreshed and the little bottle is going to last for ages. Fine lines seem softened a little.

I’ve heard that retinol is one of the only scientifically proven skincare ingredients you can get so I was keen to try it. I came across this Essano one which is actually a natural retinol from something called Bukuchiol. I tried it morning and night for a couple of weeks but realised the instructions say not to use it in the morning (fail!). Anyhow about 4 drops at night was enough. The serum really does feel like an oil, not light like I was expecting - I guess that’s the rosehip oil component in it. Because of this I didn’t really like the scent which reminded me of a previous rosehip purchase I didn’t enjoy. It feels a little oily on my skin so I wait 15 minutes or for it to sink in before I apply my night cream. I’ve got pretty strong combination skin so didn’t really feel any sensitivity whilst using this like I might do with an AHA but it was a little oily for me. After using for a while I’m not sure whether it’s done much but I do see I’m less clogged up on my nose and my tone has evened out. Using this had made me decide to try a more chemical retinol next and if you are sensitive this one might be a nice alternative.

My skin is not typically sensitive, but once in a while a product can be a little much for my skin. This serum is one of them

The serum itself is lovely, and light. Only a few drops needed. I tried to persevere with it a couple more times - days apart, until I realised we were not going to be friends and my skin was about to be ruined.

For me - not long after applying, I'd feel my skin heating up to a burning point, and in the mirror I could see it was bright red. I immediately cleansed my face and popped a barrier cream on but the burning feeling continued. Every use the same reaction - I stopped at 3 uses. I did a little research after this, and my experience isn't a one off sadly - but there were lots and lots of happy customers too...

I love Essano products, so I think this one is just an extra powerful retinol product - and definitely not for all skin types. I took a bit of repair with barrier cream to get my skin to recover. I have used a lot of retinol products - some more powerful I would have thought - and I've had no issues with them, so it could be the natural ingredient that didn't agree with my skin I suspect

I'd caution anyone that has sensitive skin or can react to products from time to time, as this one was definitely one of the more severe reactions I've had in a really long time!