As I have mentioned in the past I have been using heavy duty retinol for several months now. While it has worked miracles on my skin (goodbye acne and the beginning of fine lines and wrinkles) it feels incredibly harsh on my face and often times leaves it dry and peeling. I have known all along that as my skin calmed down and normalized again I would ease off using retinol on a daily basis. It’s a fantastic product and I’m incredibly grateful to have been prescribed it but there are chemicals in it that, in a perfect world, I wouldn’t be applying to my body.
It is well known at this point that our bodies absorb a large amount of topical products into our bloodstreams. What is not fully known is what the long term effects of using products ridden with chemicals will be. In an effort to find a more natural approach to anti-aging and a way to continue using a retinol-like product I jumped at the opportunity to try OZ Naturals’ Super Youth Retinol Moisturizer. I had previously heard of OZ Naturals, a US based company that was founded with a goal to create healthier, efficacious skin care products to help those of us that weren’t born with perfect skin. A quick Google search led me to the product’s Amazon page and the astounding 4.5 star average taken from 2,000+ reviews. I knew there had to be something to a product that many people were raving about.
Sunny weather essentials.
When I received the moisturizer I excitedly pulled the tube out of a perfectly designed box and looked it over. Vitamin C, Hyaluronic Acid, Vitamin E, Vitamin B5, and shea butter were listed as the top five ingredients on the front of the container. Vitamin C is a fabulous anti-oxidant and shields skin from free radicals. I have been a big fan of Hyaluronic Acid for years, the product holds 1000 times its weight in water and is an incredibly powerful moisturizer. Vitamin E serves as the retinol behind the Super Youth Retinol title and Vitamin B5 helps penetrate lower levels of skin to provide moisture. So far, so good. And then I got to the shea butter.
If there is one thing I know about my facial skin it is that it does not like heavy products, particularly shea butter. It doesn’t necessarily break it out, often times it just makes my skin look greasy. Not ideal. I immediately knew I would not be able to apply this product to my face. In interest of providing a fair and honest review I was determined to still test it out where I could and even enlisted my husband to help me.
I began applying the thick, faintly scented moisturizer to my neck and my husband began applying it to his face. I was immediately surprised to find that despite the dense texture of the moisturizer it was quickly absorbed and did not leave a greasy residue. It simply melted into my neck and left it feeling well hydrated and smooth. My husband found the same when applying it to his face. In fact on him the product worked wonders. After using it for one day I swear he looked five years younger. His skin was looked plump and had a healthy glow to it.
Despite the fact I was unable to apply this natural retinol to my face I was impressed by the change I saw on my neck and on my husband’s face. What I most appreciate about the product however is that you get your daily dose of retinol and moisturizer in just one product. Currently I’m using two separate products, both of which take a good while to absorb, before I apply my makeup. This one step moisturizer would cut time off of my daily routine if only I could use it on my face! Instead I’ll relinquish the tube to my husband and enjoy the continued anti-aging benefits I see on his face every day.
+ This post was in collaboration with OZ Naturals