Day 3 my skin peeled like I’d been sunburnt in a tanning bed. Not cute. But I kept going.
Turns out plant retinol can still wreck you — just slower. I’d rather know that upfront than pretend it’s all gentle rainbows.
**SECTION 2**
It’s $58 for 1 oz. The brand claims “clinical-strength” plant retinol without the purge. Bold. I called bullshit.
Bakuchiol base
Not the weak stuff — this is concentrated enough to tingle.
Encapsulated retinol alternative
Fancy marketing for “releases slowly so you don’t freak out.”
Peptide complex
The real heavy lifter for lines. Retinol just opens the door.
Photo: kevin laminto / Unsplash
**SECTION 3**
Four ingredients doing the work. The rest is just expensive water and preservatives.
- Bakuchiol: smooths texture without the burn
- Pea extract: boosts collagen while you sleep
- Vitamin C: brightens by morning — barely
- Squalane: stops it from drying you into a raisin
Photo: ibnu ihza / Unsplash
**SECTION 4**
Texture is weird — like watery jelly that somehow vanishes in 15 seconds. No grease, no film, just gone. That part’s magic.
Week 2 I looked worse. Week 3 I looked better. Week 4 I actually got a compliment from a stranger. The flaking stops around day 12 if you moisturize like your life depends on it.
Photo: Rosa Rafael / Unsplash
**SECTION 5**
Fine lines around my mouth? Softened by maybe 30%. Pores? Smaller but not gone. The glow is real — like I actually slept 8 hours instead of 4.
**SECTION 6**
Yes, but I’d start with the travel size. The flaking scared me off the first time — wish I’d known to go slow.