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Design by Leah Romero; Photo Courtesy of Murad
This Retinol Oil Didn’t Give Me the Retinol Uglies
All I got was soft, glowy skin.
By Joane Amay
Want to know if a product really works? Welcome to Slow Beauty. Since it can take up to six weeks to see results from using a new formula, we have testers try the best and buzziest in hair and skin care for double that amount of time to determine what actually makes a difference.
When it comes to your complexion, retinol products are the gold standard for keeping your face looking smooth and youthful. Retinol is a form of vitamin A that encourages cell turnover to unclog your pores and minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. As a beauty editor who is (ahem) getting up there in age, incorporating retinol into my routine is a must. So when the ELLE team reached out asking if I wanted to test the Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Oil Drops for three months, I didn’t hesitate.
Once you hit your mid-twenties, your collagen production is on the steady decline. In fact, starting around age 25, we start losing one percent of our collagen per year. Retinol can help combat that rapid downward trend; the powerful anti-aging agent has been found to boost your collagen production, helping your skin retain its fresh, bouncy appearance. However, for some, retinol can also cause dryness and skin sensitivities. Since this version from Murad comes in a luxe facial oil formulation, I was hoping I could avoid any of those issues. Here’s how it went.
Courtesy of Murad
Let me start off by stating that I inherited great genes; my skin is in pretty good shape. I have minimal fine lines and wrinkles. But I’ve also been using prescription tretinoin for the past few years. I do have two deeper creases on my forehead, but those are the result of wearing an overly-tight satin hair bonnet several years ago to protect my hair while I slept at night. Unfortunately, nothing but plastic surgery—not even Botox—will get rid of those stubborn folds. Thus, I am keeping a healthy, realistic expectation on what to expect from the Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Oil Drops.
I only need to use a half dropperful of the oil—a little goes a long way. I spread it onto my face and my neck every evening. The oil has a nice, light, luxurious feel; it’s not heavy at all. My face doesn’t look or feel super greasy. I follow with my favorite sunscreen. Skimping on SPF during the day isn’t an option when incorporating a retinol into your routine since the ingredient increases sun sensitivity.
Truthfully, I was worried about using a face oil overnight. I thought it would clog my pores, and I would wake up with a face full of pimples, but luckily, that was not the case. In fact, the blemish between my brows has drastically reduced in size; the other zit near my mouth is smaller as well.
My face looks radiant in the morning. It doesn’t look or feel dry at all. I look forward to using this, since my face often gets dry in the cooler fall and winter months. As for improving my fine lines or wrinkles, I don’t notice a change in that department. But as I stated above, I don’t have much to begin with; plus, I’ve only been using the drops for a week—and honestly, it usually takes several weeks to notice that kind of change.
At the beginning of the second week, I developed a big zit underneath my chin. And a few days later, I developed another one a little higher up. Yikes! Is sleeping with oil on my face causing me to break out after all? Or is it just a small pimple caused by stress or hormones? I’ll monitor the situation to see if I continue to experience this. My skin still looks luminous in the morning though.
I’m happy to report there were no additional breakouts this week, and the pimple underneath my chin has completely disappeared. The zit that I had near my mouth did erupt in the middle of the week, so I avoided using the product in that area until it calmed down. By the end of the week, it was much smaller—thank goodness. The bad news is that I can see that it’ll leave some hyperpigmentation behind. Hopefully, the oil will help clear up the residual dark spot in the next few weeks.
It’s been a month now since I began testing Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Oil Drops, and all has been relatively fine. However, I did notice on Sunday that my skin was a little drier in the morning. It was nippy Saturday evening, so perhaps the oil drops aren’t enough if the weather is extra chilly. The product instructions do note that it’s fine for you to use it on its own or combine it with your favorite moisturizer or serum when necessary. I’ve been using it solo so far, but might incorporate a hydrating cream if the slight dryness persists next week.
By Monday morning, my skin was back to its regular glowy state. However, on Wednesday, I had a medical emergency: My face began swelling because of a dental infection (not because of the retinol oil drops). I stopped all use of my active facial skin care as my condition was serious enough that it warranted me visiting the hospital emergency room twice within the week. Once the swelling goes down, I’ll resume my regular testing practice.
Courtesy of Murad
Thankfully, I was able to start reusing the retinol drops towards the end of the week after much of the facial swelling subsided. I am happy to say my skin welcomed it like an old friend. No reacclimating necessary. It was cold this weekend, but I still woke up with glowy skin. In fact, the pimple near my mouth is completely gone; however, as expected, I was left with an unwanted dark spot. I also now have a new, small blemish under my chin, but that’s most likely due to all the stress my skin went through this past week and a half.
Healthwise, I’ve been through it these past couple of weeks. And even though I had to pause using Murad’s retinol oil drops for several days, now that I am back to using it regularly in the evenings again, I think my skin is looking pretty good. That surprise pimple has completely vanished, and the dark spot left by the other one is slowly fading. As for the rest of my skin, it looks soft and luminous.
I’ve been waking up to consistently moisturized and radiant skin in the morning. Even so, I did fall asleep a couple of nights without doing my skin care regimen, and, as a result, I now have a small pimple on my right cheek, which I am less happy about. As for the dark spot on my chin, it is a smidgen lighter. I can’t wait for it to completely disappear.
This week marks my two-month anniversary of trialing the Murad retinol oil drops. And though the weather these past few weeks has been inconsistent, I noticed that my skin has consistently looked smooth and hydrated. The small zit on my cheek is shrinking, but—drats!—it looks like I’m going to be left with another dark spot. It isn’t easy having melanin-rich skin, as we’re more prone to hyperpigmentation issues.
Courtesy of Murad
An arctic chill has hit the East Coast, and surprisingly, my face doesn’t look or feel chapped. My evening ritual of patting on the Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Oil Drops is keeping my face—and neck—nicely moisturized. Usually retinoids can leave your face extra dry and sensitive, but this doesn’t seem to be the case with this version. As for the texture of my skin, it remains soft and radiant, even with this harsh weather.
Murad’s oil drops are definitely doing the Lord’s work. The wind is holding strong this week, and so is my skin. And though I haven’t been slathering my face with an extra layer of moisturizer in the A.M., my skin doesn’t feel dry or look flaky and patchy. Hallelujah.
It’s been effing cold this week, and I’ve still been skipping the morning moisturizer; just applying the oil drops in the evening seems to be enough. It has kept my skin hydrated and luminous the following day, and then some. Yes, that’s right, there was an evening where I fell asleep without doing my nighttime skin care routine, and I still had no need to slather on an extra hydrating cream or serum in the morning—even during this polar vortex.
It’s been a full 12 weeks now since I introduced the Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Oil Drops into my nightly skin care routine, and I love it. My skin looks fresh, firm, and has an overall luminous bounce. Plus, I’m obsessed with the way it leaves my face hydrated and dewy. This is definitely a keeper in my cold-weather evening routine.
Design by Leah Romero; Photo Courtesy of Joane Amay
The author before and after testing the Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Face Oil Drops.
Final Thoughts
Are Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Oil Drops as effective as using a prescription retinol? I can’t really answer that as I had minimal fine lines and wrinkles to begin with—but I will say that, under its care, my face card never declined. Moreover, unlike more potent retinol iterations, Murad’s facial oil won’t leave your skin feeling tight and desiccated, even during a winter freeze. Plus, its lightweight oil formulation will pamper your complexion as it gently exfoliates and hydrates, making it perfect for those who have dry, compromised, or sensitive skin.
