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I see questions about retinol in Korean skincare fairly often. It used to be somewhat hard to find, but one of the beautiful things about kbeauty is how responsive brands are to consumer demand. It’s no surprise that more and more retinol-containing products are hitting the market.
A few months ago I got my hands on Dr Different Vita A Cream (it came to me in an influencer By Sophie box). The cream contains retinal and is sold on Amazon and eBay. Fall and Winter is a great time to introduce products such as this (check out my other recommendations in this video).
Retinal is not a typo. The main difference between the familiar retinol and the new retinal is that retinal is clinically proven to work 11 times faster and evens out the skin tone quicker.
Dr Different Vita A Cream contains 0.05% stabilized retinal and hyaluronic acid. It quickly penetrates the skin, improves the look of lines, wrinkles, and pores, and even helps with breakouts. Sounds pretty perfect for those of us who are starting to see the first signs of aging but aren’t immune to pimples either.
How to use:
For evening use only
Apply a pea-sized amount to the face and neck
Let fully absorb before using any other products
Start with this product slowly. First, once a week, then add another time, then move to every other day and so on. It’s important to make sure the skin is tolerating it well before increasing frequency. Just like retinol, retinal increases photosensitivity, so SPF is a must.
The promised benefits:
Brightening
Anti-Aging
Pore-Tightening
Elasticity
Skin Tone & Texture Improvement
In addition to retinal and hyaluronic acid, this product also contains adenosine and ceramides.
My impressions
I like this cream. At first, I was little scared of potential irritation and flaking, as that is fairly common when starting retinol treatments. I haven’t experienced that. The right frequency for me is every other evening or even every other two. The cream absorbs well and isn’t sticky. It can be applied on “bare” skin after cleansing, the way the manufacturer suggests. But I like the method often mentioned by dermatologist Dr Dray - she does her basic routine, complete with a moisturizer, lets everything soak in until the skin is dry, and then finishes with retinol. This way, chances for dryness and irritation are reduced. You can try both ways and see which one you prefer.
The biggest difference I have noticed is in my complexion / brightness. My skin looks more refreshed. And I think maybe my forehead lines are better, but it’s hard to isolate the effects of just one product out of the entire routine. I’ve had this tube in my posession for some time, but put it on hold while the weather was hot and sunny. Now that it’s much cooler and cloudy, I’m really hitting it hard and am about half way through the package. Dr Different also makes a more intense version of it (Forte) with 0.1% retinal, but say everyone should start with the kind I have.
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This product was sent to me for free. All opinions are my own - the review isn't sponsored.
This post contains affiliate links.
Dr Different Vita A Cream 0.05% ingredients: Water, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Glycerin, Squalane, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Brassica Campestris (Rapeseed) Sterols, Cholesterol, Phytosteryl/Behenyl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polyglutamic Acid, Ceramide 3, Stearic Acid, Retinal, Oleic Acid, Tocopherol, Adenosine, Disodium EDTA