pHformula VITA A cream - Review

When the darker times began (autumn, not whatever is happening now), my cosmetologist suggested it's the perfect time to start using retinol for my acne-prone skin. Unfortunately for me, my skin is mostly affected by my hormones, so it's almost impossible to control the breakouts and there is constant inflammation on my chin. Getting monthly skin treatments has definitely helped, but that by itself doesn't solve the problem. Retinol has proved to be good for not only aging skin, but also for treating acne, because it contains vitamin A, which helps skin cells regenerate faster, so the dead cells shouldn't build up as much.

Retinol's downside is that it's increases skin's sensitvity to sun exposure, so it shouldn't be used during summer and sun protection throughout the year is necessary. Also retinol products are expensive AF. This pHformula cream cost me 85€ and apparently I got a discount. But the good thing with this and overall with pHformula's products are that you don't need a big amount of product when applying. A pea-sized amount of cream is more than enough, so it'll last you a while.

I apply this cream twice a week before bed after cleansing and toning and before moisturizer. Retinol has different effects on everyone, when it comes to sensitivity. My skin is a little bit more on the sensitive side, so this product would make my skin flaky and maybe even inflamed, if I'd use this more often. Some people can use this every night.

Now that I've used this cream for a year and 6 months, I can say that my skin feels and looks smoother (anti-aging effects) and the appearance of pores has decreased. The first few times after using this, my skin actually had a bigger improvement, but currently it has been hard to say if this has had any effect on my blemishes, though I've noticed that the next morning any inflammation has calmed down more and skin looks a bit more glowy and healthy. Generally I feel that this just helps fasten the process of pimples and red bumps coming and going aka their "lifespan" is shorter. Another good effect is that this helps my acne scars fade a bit faster as this fastens skin's regeneration. While it's good, I wouldn't say that this has healed my acne. I'll probably keep using retinol products, but would opt for something a bit cheaper. 

Though it's important to remember that retinol products are expensive for a reason, since vitamin A is a pricey ingredient. This pHformula VITA A cream has one of the highest percentages of retinol with 1,5%.

This product, like most other pHformula's products, should be only bought when your cosmetologist recommends it.