Drunk Elephant A-Passioni Retinol Cream

OOOOOK - this new highly anticipated retinol cream from Drunk Elephant arrived as a fun little gift the day after Christmas .. and I've been testing it out for a couple weeks and I'm ready to give you my thoughts!

First off, I want to mention, I've tried some retinols in the past and it has been a disaster for me. So much that I feel scared to try retinols! I must've also been young and dumb, because anytime I've tried them my face would peel and get very sensitive, so I'm always weary of how much I put. Mind you, I have combo oily skin (sometimes combo dry in the winter), and it is not sensitive (except for my eye area).

So insert the DE A-Passioni Retinol cream! I've been into Drunk Elephant for some time now and I legitimately get excited any time they come out with a new product. So this new product is a Retinol cream that is a CLEAN product that has 1% vegan retinol to diminish fine lines, wrinkles and sun damage.

According to the website, here are some of the highlighted ingredients in this product:

- 1.0% Retinol: Improves the look and feel of uneven skin tone and texture and addresses the damage from daily exposure to UV rays, pollution, or other free radicals.- Triple Peptide Blend: Helps visibly firm and strengthen, boosting the visible results of retinol.- Vitamin F: Works to improve the appearance of texture and suppleness and calms signs of sensitivity.

Also, to go over what these ingredients do:

 Retinol and supportive peptides restore bounce, resilience, and clarity to skin while helping to even tone and texture without redness and irritation. Vitamin F and a curated blend of oils replenish lipids and moisture while antioxidant-packed ingredients defend against environmental stressors.

Now for my experience:

They said to start 1-2 times per week and then increase from there. It also says to use a pea size amount, so I also started with less than that. In addition, they recommend mixing with an oil or serum if needed - I did, because it allowed a bit more of a 'buffer' for when I was putting the retinol on my face. (Can you tell how worried I was to try this? LOL)

On the first day, I put half a pea size with the B Hydra Serum and the Marula Oil. When I placed it on my face, it gave a slight tingle, but nothing my face wasn't used to. When I woke up, my skin did not feel dry or peely like past retinols, but I didn't see any visible differences in my skin.

Here's the mix of products I tend to use: Marula Oil, B Hydra (white bottom right) and a tiny pea size of the retinol. When I felt like I was putting more retinol, I added the protini peptide cream.

I wanted to try again after 2 days, so on the third day as I looked at my skin, it looked smoother.. seems to continue to heal as the days go on! So on the third day, I tried again and mixed it with B Hydra, Marula Oil and the Protini Peptide cream, but I used a little bit more of the Retinol. Still a bit of tingling, but no burning or worrying sensation. I woke up the next morning, skin looked good! smooth and a bit more radiant.

I continued this routine for 2 weeks and I will say that I have had NO peeling (because I was very careful and really started with a little bit to work my way up.) I want to try and use it more because I know that this is a WAY effective product... however, I also know if I increase too quickly, my skin won't be accustomed to it and it may peel and be dry.

The only thing that I've had trouble with is the packaging. I know that the foil packaging was designed specifically to help the product keep better and what not, but even with squeezing from the very top, I find that the product starts to come out of the tip. Because of that I'm scared as I continue to use it, I might end up wasting product because I use such a small amount at one time.

Long story short -- a little bit goes a long way, but this stuff has been ROCKING so far! Not sure if it's because of the mix of products, or because this has more hydrating ingredients or because this is Drunk Elephant, but this is the first time I've used retinols for more than a week without it peeling on my skin. <3

This product costs $74 for 1oz and you can purchase it at Sephora or Drunk Elephant. (And mine even came with a mini B Hydra to get ya started!!!)

Have you ever tried Retinols? What are you thoughts!?