So, how good is Sienna Miller's favourite £18 retinol?
When Sienna Miller – poster girl for both skin and sartorial inspo – recommends a product, we listen. In a recent video with Harper's Bazaar UK, the actress shared the buys she keeps in her beauty bag – and among some recognisable favourites (like Charlotte Tilbury's Hollywood Flawless Filter), there was a vitamin A product that caught everybody's eye...
'This is a really fantastic secret,' said Miller, holding up a well-squeezed blue tube. 'It's called A313 and it's a French retinol that you can get over the counter. [TV presenter] Alexa Chung told me about it because she's got the most amazing skin, and it's described as the French-girl secret to great skin.'
Consider our interest piqued. The product – which is available in the UK through Amazon or The French Pharmacy – is a 'pommade', which is like a richly textured ointment (a thick, unctuous balm; think Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream).
The ingredients list is where you'll find out the most about A313. You'll likely have heard of retinol (a derivative of vitamin A), but this formula actually features a different kind of vitamin A derivative, called retinyl palmitate.
When retinoids deliver the results they're known for – that's softening fine lines, evening out texture, boosting glow – they have converted on the skin to retinoic acid. For retinol, it takes only one conversion process; for retinyl palmitate, it takes three.
In layman's terms? More conversion steps = milder results. You will see skin changes with Sienna's retinoid of choice, but it'll be a rather slow process. Red's beauty team wouldn't recommend it if you have oily or blemish-prone skin, either; ointment textures tend to sit quite heavily on the skin.
If you're in the market for a good retinoid, we're fast to recommend Medik8's Crystal Retinal. It features another vitamin A derivative called retinal, which acts 11x faster than retinol. Sensitivity and flakiness? No, no; not in this instance. The tech in this smart serum means that the delivery of the active ingredient on the skin is slow and steady. What's more, the brand has a 'ladder system' that allows you to progress in strength. Most people begin at Crystal Retinal 3 if they've not used the ingredient before. You can progress all the way up to Crystal Retinal 20.
In short? A313 is an interesting choice from Sienna, but we're sticking with Medik8.
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