Today I’ll be sharing Minimalist Retinol 0.3% + Q10 Face Serum Review. This is an anti-aging serum containing two powerful ingredients retinol and coenzyme Q10. Besides, it has 1% bakuchiol oil and squalane as a base. I’m in my early 20s and started using retinol two years ago on and off. Although, I’m not a regular user of retinol but I have been using it for the last two and half months. Initially, I couldn’t use it regularly because I had so many products to try out.
Well, let’s see how this serum performed.
Shelf life: 18 months
Product Description And Claims
This is a highly stable and powerful anti-aging face serum packed with Retinol and antioxidant Coenzyme Q10. It is a water-free serum that keeps Retinol stable and nourishes the skin
- Retinol is proven to fade fine lines & wrinkles, even skin tone and smoothen skin.
- Coenzyme Q10 which is an outstanding radical scavenger and visibly reduce wrinkle depth.
- Tocopherol (Vitamin E), another antioxidant, that nourishes & repairs skin.
- And the last ingredient is 1% pure Bakuchiol Oil which in some studies has shown to have similar benefits as Retinol without any irritation.
This combination makes it a powerful anti-aging serum.
Features:
- Fragrance-free
- Non-comedogenic
- Essential Oil-Free
- Suitable for all skin types.
Ingredients
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Isododecane, Squalane, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Triheptanoin, Tocopherol Acetate, Bakuchiol, Retinol, Polysorbate 20, Ubiquinone (Coenzyme Q10), BHT
How To Use
Apply the serum over cleansed face after applying water-based serums, and before moisturizer. Using a good, high SPF sunscreen is mandatory with this serum. Include this in your PM skincare routine. Start with every alternate day and after 2 weeks of usage, use it every day.
Packaging
Minimalist retinol serum comes inside a double-layered carton box which provides extra protection for the active ingredients it has. The bottle itself comes in an opaque black-colored bottle with a dropper attached that has a pointed tip. I absolutely like this packaging, it is not only convenient but travel friendly too.
Minimalist Retinol 0.3% + Q10 Face Serum Review And My Experience
Minimalist retinol serum is oil-based due to added squalane in the serum. But it is very thin, extremely lightweight and does not feel greasy or sticky.
How I Use It
I apply this serum right after cleansing my face, over damp skin. I take only two drops and massage it avoiding the eye area.
When applied to the damp skin in less quantity, the serum does not look shiny or oily. My skin type is normal to dry. Although, if applied in excess amount it will leave an oily finish. But the great thing is the serum still feels lightweight. Apart from this, it adds a little bit of moisture to the skin but no matter what your skin type is, you’ll need a moisturizer with this. Just use your regular moisturizer on top of the serum. Avoid those moisturizers containing active ingredients such as vitamin C, alpha arbutin, AHA and BHA.
Coming to the anti-aging benefits, it does make my skin a little smooth giving a healthy appearance to it. During the initial days, I did not like the serum. Because this makes my skin a little dull, dry and textured initially. However, that was just the part of exfoliation. Any retinol product would do the same. But do the patch test before including this in your regular skincare regime to test if the serum causes any allergic reaction or not.
Minimalist retinol serum contains nourishing and anti-aging ingredients such as squalane, bakuchiol, coenzyme Q10 and retinol. Being an anti-aging serum, it does give anti-aging benefits. I would suggest using a very gentle exfoliator with this serum. And you can also include a ceramide-based or barrier repair cream to prevent further skin damage, redness, or irritation.
All in all, it is a very good nourishing and anti-aging serum to start in your early 20s. Additionally, it is suitable for beginners. But you should avoid using this oil-based serum in the humid climate. Furthermore, it does not cause redness but it can trigger your skin if have any ongoing irritation/rash. In the initial days, some people can also experience skin peeling, bumps and pimples.
Suitability
Minimalist retinol serum is suitable for dry, normal and combination skin. Oily skin people can also use this during winter or dry climates.
PROS
- Reasonable price
- Best packaging that protects active. ingredients
- Travel friendly
- Essential-oil and fragrance-free
- Non-comedogenic
- Contain squalane, bakuchiol, coenzyme Q10 and retinol.
- Lightweight
- Non-greasy and non-sticky
- Suitable for beginners
- Makes skin healthy looking with regular use.
CONS
- Leaves shiny finish that oily skin people may not like.
- Not suitable for humid climate.
- Can trigger ongoing redness.
Overall Rating: 4.3 / 5
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Nisha is a full-time blogger who has been passionately writing since 2018. She covers a wide range of topics, from lifestyle, reviews, consumer guidance to wellness. When she’s not writing blog posts, you can find her learning something new.
