It’s almost the end of my BP 2 month challenge and I have A LOT of things to say! Before I get into the overall brand review (coming next week), I have my full review on the BP Super Retinols I have been using every night since January. I decided to review both of them together as it’s been designed to work together. I am also almost out of them so it’s a good time for reviewing. This will be a long post
BP Super Retinol uses encapsulated retinol which according to them protects it from degradation, increases stability and improves delivery into the skin. They also say it’s been designed to be used for prolonged periods of time and it avoids irritation. The super retinols also have other amazing ingredients like ceramides, vitamin C and shea butter which all work together to improve your skin.
Retinol strengths.
The Super Retinol Ceramide Boost Anti Ageing Face serum has 3% encapsulated retinol which they say is equivalent to 0.09% pure retinol.
The Super Retinol plus Vitamin C Night Renewal Moisturiser has 1% encapsulated retinol which they say is equivalent to 0.03% pure retinol
Experience
I have been using the retinols every night for the last 7 ½ weeks and I think I have just about enough to get me to 8 weeks. I use about 2 to 3 pumps over my face and neck (sometimes chest) and layer the same amount of the moisturiser on top of the serum.
I should start by saying I have experienced no irritation with these retinols
The texture of the serum is a light lotion consistency and it sinks in well and easily. The Moisturiser is a thicker consistency but it isn’t heavy on the skin. It pairs well over the retinol serum and I experience no piling. The moisturiser feels nice on the skin and also feels slightly hydrating although it doesn’t last throughout the night because I realised when I do my PM routine right after I get home from work, around 6pm, by 10pm I would need to use oil so my skin doesn’t look dry. I don’t mind this though and it doesn’t pill under the oil.
I have never used encapsulated retinol or layered two retinols in a routine so although I was nervous, I was expecting great results but I think I got average performance and I will explain why. With layering the two strengths and the added vitamin C and ceramides I was expecting a complete ‘overhaul’ of my skin. The main reason I chose to use the retinols was hyperpigmentation and I feel as though there has not been a difference or improvement in the hyperpigmented areas. In terms of brightening, my skin overall looks brighter but I feel as though I have achieved better brightening with a vitamin C derivative alone (MAP). The biggest improvement I can see is that my skin does look a lot smoother, not that I had a lot of texture before but I can tell the appearance of my skin looks smoother. I did still experience some texture during the time I was using it (texture not caused by the retinols) but the retinol couldn’t ‘shift’ that either.
The super retinols are designed to produce results over time and that is definitely true because I started seeing any improvements after the 4-5 week mark.
Verdict
It’s really a bittersweet experience. I love the textures of these retinols and the fact that I experienced no irritation from them. In terms of performance, I am slightly disappointed that it didn’t have an impact on my hyperpigmentation but my skin does appear smoother.
The biggest question now is: are these worth the price?
The serum and the moisturiser together remind me of Paula’s Choice 1% clinical strength retinol because they have similar ingredients. I have the PC retinol and I must say I really love it, it produces quicker results and I also experience no irritation from that. The texture of the BP serum is also very similar. I would suggest if you are not a BP member and want to try these retinols, I would recommend going for the PC 1% because it will work out much cheaper than buying the BP together or even just 1 of the BP retinol. PC is also a higher conc and you get quicker results.
If you are a BP member these retinols work out to be about £8. The Ordinary, The Inkey List and other budget skincare brands also have retinols around this price. Personally, I have used the Ordinary 2% Granactive Emulsion which I really liked which is also £8. The BP will work out just a little bit more because you are paying a monthly membership fee so that’s something to factor in.
My final verdict is: whilst I love the textures of these I would not repurchase them because I was expecting a lot more from these retinols. They have improved the smoothness of my skin but didn’t have an impact on hyperpigmentation. They are moderate strength and these may be great if you are really nervous about starting with retinols. I do have another super retinol moisturiser I bought by mistake because they look so similar! There were a few times I would go to use the moisturiser but reached for the serum instead because they literally look the same. But I won’t be using that any time soon.
So, guys, this is the final review from the original BP routine I started with in January! The new products I picked up at the start of feb will be briefly reviewed in the brand overview post but I will also bring full reviews of them later in the year. I have reviews on Japanfusion Cleanser & Hydra Prep Lotion. Super Healthy Skin Daily Lotion and Invisible SPF 25. I also have a review on the Triple HA serum.
If you are interested, you can get the serum here* and the moisturiser here*
Catch you later
*affiliate link used. If you decide to make a purchase through my link, I will earn a small commission which goes towards the upkeep of the blog (and allows me to keep bringing you excellent content) but the price remains the same
sarah fynn 