Our review of ESK's Ultimate A+ night cream

When it comes to skin care, retinol has earned royal status.

And deservedly so, considering it evens skin tone, fights acne, reduces wrinkles and increases cell turnover in a single dose.

So you can imagine that when we heard about a product that's supposedly '20 times more superior' than retinol, we had to give it a spin.

bh's Eleni, (who was already a retinol user) put her hand up for the job, trialling E.S.K's Ultimate A + over eight weeks. 

Here's her verdict...

RELATED: Why you need prickly pear oil in your skin care

RELATED: Glycolic acid moisturisers for an instant glow up

THE PRODUCT: E.S.K Ultimate A+

E.S.K's Ultimate A+ is a Vitamin A (retinal - not retinol) and B3 (Niacinamide) based night cream. The cream utilises retinal, a form of vitamin A1, which the cosmeceutical brand says is more effective and less irritating than retinol. It's formulated to help reduce the appearance of lines and pigmentation, increase skin elasticity and help manage acne. It retails for $115 and is available at www.eskcare.com.

Eleni's skin and routine before trial

Describing her skin before using the product, Eleni says it was 'quite oily in the t-zone.'

"It was flat, dull and quite textured due to acne scarring, as well as prone to the occasional random break out. I feel like looking back my pores and fine lines were also far more noticeable as well."

Before trying Ultimate A+, Eleni was using The Ordinary's Retinol 0.2% in Squalane. "I wasn’t as consistent with it, but I’d say I definitely used it at least once a week or prior to an event when I wanted my skin to look its best."

The biggest thing Eleni was looking for by trying this new product was 'less texture'.

"Having had severe acne growing up and being on Roaccutane back in the day, I am super proud of my progress, but always still striving for that smooth and gorgeous skin!"

Eleni's E.S.K Ultimate A+ Review

"I applied the Ultimate A+ cream (almost) every night for eight weeks (and yes I'm now running low on my supply!).

The cream itself is baby yellow in colour, and has no chemically smell. In fact, I think I read that it's free from perfumes as well as cruelty-free.

I would apply 2-3 pumps as the last step in my skin care routine (after cleansing and serums) and I actually noticed my skin to be plumper the first day after use, with a slight change in texture.

But it was at the 2-3 week mark that I noticed a complete change in texture. The information with the product said skin rejuvenates every 21 days, so boom there’s the cold hard facts and probably why it changed so much around then!"

Eleni's skin after trial

At the end of the eight weeks, Eleni says her skin is "super supple, glowy and plump."

"I feel like my forehead lines have decreased in depth and my pores are a lot less obvious. The biggest change, which I think is hard to see in pics, is the change in texture! I've also had a lot of my friends ask me what I’ve been using."

Who Eleni would recommend this product to

While vitamin A products aren't for everyone, Eleni says she would "definitely recommend [Ultimate A+] to those with more textured and pigmented skin."

"Those who have suffered from acne, skin damage and are wanting a new refresh on their skin. Those who wish to reverse the signs of aging and promote collagen production."

Did you enjoy reading Eleni's review? Had you heard of retinal before and how it's differs?