PRODUCT REVIEW: INSTYTUTUM POWERFUL RETINOIL - RETINOL FACE OIL
INSTYTUTUM | POWERFUL RETINOIL
I really, really want to love this oil. It’s got so much going for it — including a powerful blend of both Retinol and Bakuchiol and a multitude of replenishing non-fragrant plant oils. Instytutum’s Powerful RetinOil even contains nourishing algae extract and antioxidant, fortifying plant stem cells.
But. And it’s a huge BUT. It is so fragrant it’s almost unusable.
There are numerous fragrant components including Bitter Orange Flower Oil, Jasmine Flower Extract, Linalool, Limonene, Farnesol and Eugenol. I’ve said it multiple times and it always bears repeating, “fragrance isn’t skincare.”
In the case of the Instytutum Powerful RetinOil, the fragrance lingers on your face for hours. I’ve pushed myself to test this nightly over the course of two weeks and just couldn’t do it regularly. Many nights I was like “Oh hell no.” Even so, the 5-6 nights that I did use it, I saw no skin irritation from either the fragrance or the Granactive Retinoid (the same form used in The Ordinary’s popular $9-$13 retinoid serums).
And you know how much I love a good Bakuchiol serum! This just isn’t one of them. Bakuchiol is the 4th ingredient and given that the industry standard is 1-2% of the Retinol alternative in a product formula, everything else that comes after it in the INCI is likely at or below 1%.
The first ingredient is Sweet Almond Oil, a wonderfully replenishing non-fragrant plant oil. Third is Jojoba Seed Oil, also an excellent moisturizing active. There’s plenty of nourishment and numerous soothing botanical extracts in the formula, which likely ameliorates the irritation from the fragrance, including Bisabolol — the active component of soothing chamomile.
Powerful RetinOil is a real mixed bag. And a great example of the importance of ignoring the hype and heading straight to the INCI.
If you like a scented oil, this one is for you. Otherwise, you’d be wise to look at better formulated, more affordable options from The Ordinary or The Inkey List.
SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Instytutum Powerful RetinOil for $120 here.
The Ingredient List of the Instytutum Powerful RetinOil:
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Caprylic / Capric Triglyceride, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Bakuchiol, Gossypium Herbaceum (Cotton) Seed Oil, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Bisabolol, Cananga Odorata Flower Oil, Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Citrus Aurantium Amara (Bitter Orange) Flower Oil, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Germ Oil, Jasminum Grandiflorum (Jasmine) Flower Extract, Linalool, Algae Extract, Brassica Campestris (Rapeseed) Seed Oil, Benzyl Benzoate, Limonene, Farnesol, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Geraniol, Benzyl Salicylate, Eugenol, Benzyl Alcohol, Isoeugenol, Rubus Idaeus Leaf Cell Culture, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopherol.
