A Gentle Retinol Serum Exists and It’s Awesome!

For someone with dry, sensitive skin, retinol is a scary boogie man that will cause dry, flaky skin and breakouts in exchange for supposedly more youthful skin. Before this, I had no idea the words gentle and retinol could exist in the same sentence. Enter goPure’s Firm and Lift Retinol Serum: an active yet effective serum that increases skin’s elasticity for a more youthful appearance. I instantly fell in love with this serum, it may even make it to my holy grail of skincare products.

About goPure Beauty

GoPure was founded by an esthetician whose goal was to make effective but natural skincare packed with actives at a great price. All of their products are made in the US with ingredients sourced globally. They’re 100% cruelty free. They also have a 60-day money-back guarantee because of their confidence in their products. GoPure adds no artificial fragrance, dyes, or parabens to their products.

Potent Yet Soothing Ingredients

Firm and Lift uses a granactive retinoid, which is a powerful anti-aging ingredient that isn’t as harsh as traditional retinol. If you have dry, sensitive, breakout-prone skin and are scared to use retinol for fear of irritation, this is the serum for you.

This serum also has a powerhouse of other ingredients, including a plant-based active called Bakuchiol, which is a gentle yet powerful ingredient for smoothing fine lines. Bakuchiol has no negative side effects, only positive effects of increasing skin elasticity and texture.

A Retinol Serum as Hydrating as it is Powerful

Packed full of soothing and hydrating ingredients like aloe, hyaluronic acid, and jojoba oil, this serum won’t dry out even the driest skin types. Although the granactive retinoid isn’t harsh, these additional botanically derived ingredients will ensure that your skin stays plump and hydrated after using the serum.

It also has one of my favorite ingredients, witch hazel. It’s naturally anti-inflammatory and anti-viral. It gently prevents acne and balances the skin’s PH. Witch Hazel has been used as a topical cure for many ailments for centuries.

Texture and Packaging

The serum is thick in consistency. It smells good in a natural way, with a light citrus smell. It comes in a thick glass bottle with a dropper for controlled application. You only need 4-5 drops per application, so this bottle will last for a long time. The Firm & Lift Serum retails for $36 which is a great price compared to similar products on the market.

My Experience with the Firm & Lift Retinol Serum

Their website claims that you’ll instantly feel the results in your skin, which I did not believe. Contrary to my doubt, there is an instant feeling of bounciness when you apply this serum. With my sensitive skin, I feel some sort of stinging sensation with just about any active serum. I felt no stinging or burning when I applied this. It just felt refreshing. It sunk into my skin instantly and left it feeling improved in texture and firmness.

I was excited to notice the lines on my forehead were instantly softened. I’m hoping with continued use it’ll soothe the texture I have around my mouth and chin from dry skin. I’m optimistic about the results I’ve seen after just a few days!

Purging the Purge

Purging is when active ingredients in skincare cause an increase in the speed of cell turnover of your skin. This means your skin will shed the dead skin cells faster to reveal healthier skin underneath. This also means that it pushes all the gunk that’s been dormant beneath your skin to the surface. This can come out in a variety of ways, but usually causes a dreadful breakout of pimples all over your face. Fun.

The biggest offender of purging is introducing retinol into your routine, but acids can also cause purging. My biggest issue with the concept of purging is that it’s impossible to tell the difference between when your skin is purging or if your skin is irritated or allergic to an ingredient. I’ve spent weeks waiting for a ‘purge’ to pass, only to realize my skin was just allergic to a new product.

GoPure’s Firm and Lift Serum has such gentle retinol that purging is not an issue. Its retinol is still powerful and effective without the horrible breakout and irritation that comes along with most retinol serums. This serum hasn’t irritated my skin or caused any acne whatsoever while still delivering the benefits of the active ingredient. Finally, retinol I can use!

Final Thoughts

I love this serum and I can’t wait to see results over long term use. This is the perfect alternative for anyone who steers clear of retinol serums for their harsh side effects.

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