New: Drunk Elephant A-Passioni Retinol Cream

​Hey guys! We have some new-ness to talk about today. I'm going to be discussing the Drunk Elephant A-Passioni Retinol Cream. I have been using this for 3 weeks so I have some thoughts about it. I'm basically going to be giving you my experience so far and all the info on it. Before I get started, this isn't sponsored. They did send it but I didn't have to talk about it.

As always I'm going to give you the company claims on the products first.

"Retinol reimagined. A-Passioni™ Retinol Cream is a clean, cutting-edge formula that combines 1.0% vegan retinol with nourishing, superfood-rich ingredients to dramatically diminish the appearance of fine lines, deep wrinkles and sun damage revealing a vibrant, younger-looking complexion

Retinol and supportive peptides restore bounce, resilience and a brighter clarity to  skin while helping to even skin tone and texture … without the associated redness and irritation. Vitamin F, along with a curated blend of comforting passionfruit, apricot, marula and jojoba oils replenish essential lipids and moisture while antioxidant packed kale, winter cherry and xanthophylls defend against environmental stressors. It’s like a reboot for your skin back to its most healthy, youthful state.

A-Passioni™ is packaged to protect the stability and potency of its light and air-sensitive ingredients. 100% Free of essential oils, silicones and fragrance. A-Passioni is not recommended for use while pregnant or breastfeeding."

The ingredients will be at the bottom of the post.

This is a vegan 1% retinol. I feel like I've been stalking Drunk Elephant for information about this. They have a highlight tab on their Instagram that is a dedicated Q and A, they're very good about replying to customers/followers comments about any of their products from what I've seen. 

"Retinol" is not as strong as prescription retinol or Retin-A. Retinol is Vitamin A and it promotes cellular turnover and growth along with being proven to reverse the "signs of aging". The way I like to look at it is, retinol works more from within the skin. "Retinol" is absorbed and is converted eventually to it's active form of retinoic acid and maintains the skins health in multiple ways not just the typical "peeling" skin that comes along with it. Where as acid exfoliation (AHA's, BHA, etc) work on the surface of the skin. It exfoliates the epidermis mainly and into the dermis for cellular turnover of the skin's surface and improving the skin's texture, etc. I think retinol is overlooked a lot because it seemed to me that all my life it's been marketed to certain categories like specific age groups for one. I don't feel like you need it as a teenager really but it's you're mid 20's, maybe start looking at one. Vitamin A is naturally produced by the body. Obviously, just like everything else, that might decrease some as you get older and you might find you need it to maintain your skin's health and the look of your skin, as it's been proven that depending on the strength, retinol can reverse signs of aging. You may also find it's beneficial if you're skin is very unbalanced, skin texture issues, and even helpful for certain skin concerns like acne and so on. In regards to that last part I would talk with a dermatologist or skincare professional first.

This product was formulated to work with ANY of the Drunk Elephant products including working up to using it with their acid exfoliation products TLC Framboos and Sukari BabyFacial. I prefer to use acid exofliation separately but that's just me. I will say that, based on how my skin has done with this formula, I'm sure you could use some acid toning products with it. However, it's my preference to not do them in the same routine. That's just me though. 

I've been using retinol for a while. Probably for 3 months every day but off and on for a few years. I feel like this is a powerful retinol as far as what I've seen in my skin's appearance but not in skin sensitivity if that makes sense. The formula is very good and possibly my favorite out of the ones I've tried so far. I like that it's a cream and not a serum because it doesn't roll up on itself and layers well or mixes well with other products. It absorbs very well which is why I had previously preferred serums to creams until now. To me the formula is like a cushion for the skin so that your getting the benefit of retinol but because of the peptides, hydrating properties, etc your skin doesn't get the sensitivity and I've not noticed much redness at all. My skin did flake when I switched to this. Almost immediately it started to flake and that really surprised me. It flaked more than I'd ever noticed with other products but it wasn't that bad because I'd notice it in the morning, wash my skin and do my skincare and I didn't have that many issues with it through out the day with or without makeup. I still am flaking on my chin in one spot but it's mostly done. What I've noticed the most is that my skin is very balanced as far as hydration goes, any texture that I had has improved but it's not gone completely obviously. Maybe it will continue to get smoother as I keep using this but I'm very happy with it right now. I've still had some blemishes, mainly because I've been sick and also because it's been chaos with the holidays so I didn't always give my skin the attention it needed. Honestly though I'm very happy with my current routine and the results. 

I use A-Passioni with Protini  mostly. It's my dream team. I love the peptides and the light weight texture of Protini. I actually just ran out of Protini so I'm going to transition to using it with Lala Retro Whipped Cream or maybe just Marula Oil and see how it goes. In my routine I hit hard with hydration with a gentle hydrating cleanser first, a hyaluronic acid next, A passioni and protini in the middle of the routine, and finish with either a facial oil that's packed full like Juno or Vintner's Daughter or lately it's been Ultra Repair Barrier Cream from First Aid Beauty. I prefer to use this at night. My morning routine is much lighter, simpler, and full of Vitamin C. You can use it both morning and night though. You only need a pea size amount. I'd say that I definitely used more than that on accident sometimes and mine comes out quickly so I have the cap ready to go so I can put it back on immediately and not waste any product.

In closing, I really do think this is a good formula and like I said I've not tried anything that comes close to it so far. I will continue to use it because right now my skin is right where I want it as far as the moisture balance and the look of it. I definitely do think those results are do to this product mostly. It's something I would repurchase for sure. 

This is $74 for 30 ml/1 oz

Ingredients:  Water/Aqua/Eau, Glycerin, Coco-Caprylate, Stearic Acid, Coconut Alkanes, Glyceryl Stearate, Niacinamide, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Pentylene Glycol, Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil, Retinol, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Brassica Oleracea Acephala Leaf Extract, Brassica Oleracea Italica (Broccoli) Extract, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Chrysin, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Ceramide NP, Xanthophylls, Phytosphingosine, Phytosterols, Jojoba Esters, Physalis Pubescens Fruit Juice, Stearyl Glycyrrhetinate, Oryza Sativa (Rice Bran) Extract, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Carthamus Tinctorium (Safflower) Seed Oil, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Cetyl Palmitate, Trehalose, Lauric Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Glucosamine HCL, Tocopheryl Acetate, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Pisum Sativum (Pea) Extract, Tocopherol, Bambusa Vulgaris Leaf/Stem Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Trideceth-6 Phosphate, N-Hydroxysuccinimide, Ceteareth-20, Sodium Hydroxide, Laureth-23, Steareth-20, Propanediol, Chlorhexidine Digluconate, Polysorbate 20, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Chlorphenesin, Potassium Sorbate, Ethylhexylglycerin.