I had high hopes. I mean, "gentle retinol" sounded perfect for my sensitive skin. Everyone said it was beginner-friendly, calming, hydrating. I trusted it. Big mistake.

First few days? Felt fine. Texture was light, absorbed quickly, no burning. I thought, "Finally, something that won't destroy my face."

Then week two hit. Dry patches. Tightness. Redness. Around my mouth, my eyes, even random spots on my cheeks. No matter how much moisturizer I layered on, nothing helped.

I tried to push through, thinking maybe it was part of the adjustment phase. Nope. By week three, I had angry red bumps all over my chin and forehead. and they weren't just purging. They were inflamed, painful, and made makeup impossible.

I checked the ingredient list again. 0.3% pure retinol with niacinamide and panthenol. Sounds gentle on paper. Maybe for someone else, not for me. No fragrance, minimalistic formula, good theory. But somehow my skin treated it like an all-out attack.

I had to cut it completely after less than a month. My barrier was shot, my skin was reactive to even plain water. It took another six weeks of pure recovery serums and hydrating masks just to get back to baseline.

Maybe it works if your skin is already strong or if you’re extremely slow and careful. Maybe I was just unlucky. But honestly, there are better beginner retinols out there that don't leave you questioning your life choices.

Final take:
• Lightweight formula but deceptively harsh
• Caused major barrier damage for me
• Recovery took way longer than it should have
• Definitely not "gentle" in my experience

Would not recommend if you have truly sensitive, reactive skin. Proceed at your own risk.