Kelly Bertrand gets excited about a skincare product that actually works – the Murad Retinal ReSculpt Overnight Treatment.
Ah, the murky world of retinol. You’ve most definitely heard the term bandied about the beauty world as the holy grail of anti-ageing – it’s the most hailed ingredient in skincare right now and straight off the bat I’ll tell you I’m a fan.
But I also know that you have to treat veeeeery lightly with the retinoid family. Too much use and your skin will literally scream in protest and erupt into a very angry, red and patchy protest. It makes your skin sensitive to sun too, so you have to lather up that SPF like you’re a hapless celeb on The Great Kiwi Bakeoff trying to hide their cake mistakes with buttercream.
Murad Retinal ReSculpt Overnight Treatment, $199
But the wonder of a good retinoid… ooosh, she can turn back the clock like nothing else and as a 33-year-old woman who is in pleasant denial about the ravages of ageing, I’m all for it.
Which leads us nicely to the purpose of this review because guys, I’ve only gone and bloody done it – this. shit. works.
I’ve finally finished my bottle of Murad’s Retinal ReSculpt Overnight Treatment and I refuse to gatekeep this product, because it most definitely has changed the entire texture of my skin.
What is Murad Retinal ReSculpt Overnight Treatment?
Firstly, the term ‘retinoid’ encompasses a group of compounds that contain vitamin A, and can be natural or synthetic. You’ll be most familiar with retinol, which features in a lot of over-the-counter skincare and comes in varying levels of intensity.
Retinal, which we’re discussing here, is its stronger, more potent sister – and the retinal contained in this cream is one of the strongest you can get in beauty formulations.
Murad reckon that this formulation delivers 2.5x better efficacy than free retinal, and is clinically proven to tackle major signs of advanced ageing such as lines and wrinkles. They also claim that this will firm up your skin and even lift sagging jowls, and increases skin elasticity.
So this is a major player in the ageing game and if I’m completely honest, it’s really for someone a little older than me or who is suffering with ageing a bit more (Murad recommend the gentler Retinol Youth Renewal Serum for mild-moderate signs of ageing). But hell, I’m keen to get on top of whatever is starting to happen on my face, so I decided to use this formulation every two or three nights to see the effects.
What Actually Happened:
I applied this every two or three nights until the bottle was empty, which took three months or so (because of the sun sensitivity, ONLY use retinoids at night). Within a month my skin was unrecognisable. I didn’t change anything else in my routine, but all of a sudden I was…glow-y? The most instant result was how it felt – I couldn’t stop touching it. I haven’t had skin this smooth since I was 12 and hadn’t touched the apricot scrub yet.
The formulation glides on like a dream and the fragrance is very pleasant (you might not care for it if you’re not a scent person) but I loved the little luxurious moment I could have before bed – it felt like a dream to apply and I love the packaging. It also absorbs super-fast so you’re not ruining pillowcases.
You have to monitor your skin when you’re using retinoids and some people can see their skin get worse before it gets better as your skin adjusts. I didn’t have any such problems, but my skin is super hardy with zero sensitively issues.
I don’t have too many lines yet apart from a veeeeery deep one between my eyes and the usual forehead wrinkles, and these have softened up – they’re still there but they’re not as noticeable.
I do have patches of red pigmentation, and these have faded to a light pink, rather than the angry red they were before. I also still have my stubborn hormonal acne that i get on the right side of my mouth (why is it always in the same place every damn month?!) because while this product is good, it’s not Jesus in a bottle – HOWEVER the irritated red skin that always follows is calmed down faster, so I guess that’s a win.
With or without makeup on, my skin now has that kind of ‘lit from within’ glow that I previously thought only a green vege-only diet and influencer-levels of confidence (delusion?) could achieve. When I wear foundation it glides on smoother and looks far better on the skin. But honestly? I’m not bothering with it when my skin is this good – a swipe of tinted moisturiser and I’m away laughing.
There is no arguing that this is a huge investment purchase at $199. But with my wedding coming up next year, there’s no doubt I’ll be prioritising this and purchasing a few bottles of this in the lead-up.
