Retinol Bakuchiol Dual Cream
Ingredients
Water/Aqua, Dipropylene Glycol, Octyldodecanol, Butylene Glycol, Methylpropanediol, Glycerin, 1, 2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Caprylyl Methicone, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Polyglyceryl-10 Behenate/Eicosadioate, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Arginine, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Bakuchiol, Dextrin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Sorbitan Isostearate, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Retinol, Undecane, Cyanocobalamin, Collagen Water, Tridecane, Bixa Orellana Seed Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Brassica Campestris (Rapeseed) Sterols, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Cholesterol, Ceramide NP, Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine, Panthenol, Retinal, Squalane, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Anemarrhena Asphodeloides Root Extract, Copper Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Fragrance/Parfum, Hexamethylindanopyran
Some By Mi is a brand that consistently scores well in the classifier, which keeps me buying more of their products, but when it comes to marketing, sometimes they are a little too gimmicky for their own good.
This cream comes in a dual-chamber tube, with two separate formulas dispensed together. When I was evaluating the Notino House of Korean Beauty advent calendar, I noticed the online retailer listed the ingredients for each cream separately (I presented the average score). However, the packaging itself only provides one combined ingredient list. On the one hand, I appreciate having the ingredients listed in their actual order of concentration in the finished product, since the two creams are dispensed together and can't be applied separately. On the other hand, that becomes a problem when the dispenser malfunctions. For a few days there, only the purple cream was coming out, while the beige one seemed to be clogged. I had no way of knowing exactly what I was applying from the packaging alone.
And that's a shame, because there's plenty to like about these formulas. The beige cream contains retinol (200 ppm) and retinal (1 ppm), while the purple one contains bakuchiol (5,000 ppm). Both are supported by niacinamide, adenosine and a good selection of moisturising ingredients. The combined formula also includes cholesterol, ceramide NP, hydrogenated phosphatidylcholine, panthenol and squalane, alongside a peptide complex featuring copper tripeptide-1 and several palmitoyl peptides. It's a pretty impressive ingredient list. Hence the high score.
But there's another catch. The packaging states that the advertised concentrations refer to the amount of each active in its respective cream, not in the finished product. So what does that actually mean for the concentrations I'm getting on my skin? If the two chambers dispense equal amounts, the final concentrations would be roughly half of those advertised: around 100 ppm retinol, 0.5 ppm retinal and 2,500 ppm bakuchiol. But I don't know if the two creams are being dispensed in equal proportions, so that is only an assumption.
As for the actual experience, I do like the cream. It provides enough hydration for my night-time routine, and I appreciate having another retinol-based product to add to the mix. It hasn't caused any sensitivity or irritation, either. I generally enjoy products that combine moisturising ingredients with anti-wrinkle actives, and this one has a lot going for it on paper.
Because of the packaging alone, it gets a good rather than a great for me. But despite my complaints, it hasn't put me off testing more of Some By Mi's products. They know how to formulate.