Anti-Aging Powerhouse : Bioniva Retinol Serum

This product really is excellent value for money.As some reviewers have said, it's not the strength of a prescription retinol product, but if you want a prescription anti-ageing product then you'll have to pay for a private dermatology consultation and a private prescription, so clearly you wouldn't expect to get a prescription-only product for this price. This serum does, however, compare well to pharmacy-brand and high street retinol serums in terms of effective, and is about half the price of most of them. As with any retinol, you would have to use it diligently and for a couple of months before you see noticeable results: retinol and vitamin C aren't really ingredients that work overnight so you'll have to be patient.As you'd expect from the packaging and price, this is a no-frills product. It's not scented or coloured, and it's a very thin, liquid formula - which is actually ideal for absorption but doesn't have the luxurious slippery feel of a beauty counter product. It comes in a plain bottle with a pharmacy dropper and is an unappealing yellowish-grey colour with a slightly medical smell. That said, it disappears very rapidly into the skin which for me makes it perfect for following up with a night cream or facial oil.I have oily-ish skin and have used retinols before, and I've never experienced any irritation from them. I have, however, experienced painful tingling and redness from other products with the same vitamin C content, and yet I got absolutely no irritation from this product.I've been using it every night for a couple of months and I'm impressed with its efficacy. The addition of hyaluronic acid makes it surprisingly plumping and hydrating given that it's not actually marketed as a hydrating product and my fine lines are definitely being kept at bay in the same way that they were by my previous retinols which were double the price.(If it's relevant/useful to know: my night-time skincare routine is hot cloth cleanser, glycolic acid toner and this serum, followed by Clarin's lotus oil for combination skin and in the morning I use a hot-cloth cleanser, a L'Oreal anti-ageing serum without retinol and an Olay Regenerist moisturiser with SPF30. I don't use retinol or glycolic acid during the day and I would swap my day moisturiser for a proper sunscreen in summer - sun protection is advised if you're a retinol user.)

I bought this product to replace a more pricier serum which didn't seem to be making enough of a difference. I've got very sensitive skin and was quite worried about the comments around retinol and that it can irritate skin, especially when you first start using it. I have used this serum for about a month now, applying it only at night (I'm very pale and burn easily and was worried about the increased sun sensitivity retinol can cause too) and the results have been great. I saw changes within about 10 days, my skin was much more balanced, not as oily on the t-zone and no dryness. I also usually have at least one or two spots and these have completely cleared up - for the first time in about 10 years I have a clear face! I am very pleased with the results of this, and it's the only change I've made to my skin care routine. The serum itself is very light, it is almost watery so I did question what it was going to do, however this also meant it fits really well into my existing skin care routine, and doesn't feel heavy on the skin, absorbing really well. I've not yet noticed a reduction in the fine lines around my eyes and on my forehead, but I believe this takes a little longer to show anyway. Overall, for the price I'm extremely happy, but I'd pay three times as much and still use this product!

I haven't been using this product quite as religiously as I intended but it seems a good product. The scent is not very pleasant but that is of course down to personal taste. The cream is absorbed nicely into the skin without leaving an oily residue, and leaves the skin feeling soft to the touch. I cannot state that I have seen a significant difference in the appearance of fine wrinkles but there is some improvement in the skin around my lips which appears a little more plumped than usual. I imagine that continued daily use would probably achieve better results than I have seen so far, but I am generally pleased with this product and will purchase it again.

Very good on skin , can see changed after 3 days

I bought this product as part of a new years resolution to take better care of my skin. I smoke, drink a lot of coffee, rarely get enough sleep or drink enough water and my skin is starting to show the strain. I don't have any wrinkles yet but a few fine lines have appeared and, most importantly, I am blotchy with redness and a few acne scars.I bought this product along with some others and I found it to be easy and light to apply and suitable to put on clean skin before moisturising but I cannot honestly say if it helped.So far I have not found the right combination of products for my specific skin issues but the fine lines have noticeably reduced.

So far so good I’ve always found after using a cleanser my skin is drybut after re-emptying my skincare products using cleanser, toner ,and then serum and then cream. The serum has created a almost soft barrier between the cream stage and the toner stage, my skin isn’t dry anymore and I don’t feel the need to put another layer of cream on.I haven’t noticed as much of a difference with the colouring or balance of my skin but I have noticed a difference in texture and I don’t have as many spots or breakouts. I think this product has helped my skin drastically and has is slowly bringing my skin to one solid type. Are use this once weekly as I’ve heard you create a tolerance to it so it’s not needed to use every day and I found coming up to the day before I’m about to use it , my skin does need it, so it’s proving to me that it’s working and I’m slowly creating a tolerance.