Not to brag, but my skin is the best it’s ever been in my life. I credit that 100% to a round of Accutane I embarked on last year. The medication worked wonders on knocking out my constant hormonal acne, and for the first time since middle school, I feel comfortable leaving the house without makeup.
Before that, though, the only time my skin had ever been remotely as good as it is now was when my derm prescribed me a topical retinol in hopes of wiping out my acne without resorting to the medication. (Spoiler: It didn’t.) Retinols are the gold standard for treating both wrinkles and acne, since they help accelerate skin regeneration and stimulate collagen.
While the retinol didn’t work to fight off my cysts, it did wonders on fading the pigmentation old breakouts had left behind. My skin was evening out and my pores looked smaller, and I got a glimpse of what life could be like with “good” skin.
Flash forward to last summer, post Accutane. I had no active breakouts, but my skin was riddled with scarring, particularly on my left cheek where I’d had an explosion of breakouts. My face was also extra sensitive, since Accutane is notorious for drying out your skin. In hopes of lightening the damage, I reached for my trusty retinol. Disaster struck. Even easing myself in (derms recommend using it once a week and slowly building up to everyday use), my skin wasn’t having it. It was red, dry, irritated, and peeling, even in the middle of the sticky New York summer.
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I swore to myself I would never reach for a heavy-duty retinol again—until Drunk Elephant’s A-Passioni 1% Retinol showed up on my desk. Like the rest of the internet, I’m steadily becoming a convert for the cult of DE. The brand’s Vitamin C Serum and D-Bronzi Serum are everything, and people swear by the line’s efficacious yet gentle formulas. Given that, it’s no surprise that Reddit threads and beauty bloggers freaked out about the brand’s foray into retinol, which took home a Glamour Beauty Award this year.
Even still, it took the ingredients label to convince me the Drunk Elephant retinol would be gentle enough on my skin. It’s got the obvious—vitamin A—which does come in a more potent 1% formula than some of the more lower-strength 0.5% options. But that’s offset with additives like nourishing kale and winter cherry, skin-strengthening peptides, and marula and jojoba oils to help prevent any peeling that comes from retinol. It's also a vegan, plant-based formula; Joshua Zeichner, M.D., director of cosmetic and clinical research department of dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital, says these becoming increasingly popular because they’re less likely to irritate your skin.
I’ve only been using it one to three times a week—depending on how my skin is feeling—for the past month, and I’ve definitely noticed a change in the appearance of my skin. My pores are more refined and my skin looks more even, and if I do say so myself, I’m glowing. The creamy texture goes on so nicely (it almost feels oily, in a good way), which I’m sure is thanks to all the hydrating ingredients in the formula.
The most exciting thing is that the pigmentation from all my acne scars is starting to lighten and my tone is looking more even all over. Oh, and not only that, I’ve had no zero irritation, redness, or dryness.
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A fair word of warning: It might not knock out breakouts entirely for you at first. I’ve still gotten a few spots on my cheeks and chin. I consulted Zeichner, and he said it’s normal for some people to get new breakouts after starting a retinol routine because the ingredient causes your skin to purge itself of any blockage in your pores. The best results for most retinol regimens are seen after six weeks of use. And if it’s too harsh for you at first, the brand says you can mix small amount with other products (like a hydrating moisturizer) to help temper the effects. (You can read more on “retinol buffering” here.)
This Drunk Elephant retinol has officially earned a permanent spot in my rotation. I’m hopeful it’ll fade my scars for good, but for now I’ll be enjoying the glow.
See all 248 winners of the Glamour Beauty Awards here.
