I've talked about Instytutum a little bit in the past. They launched some new products and had a recent packaging makeover. Instytutum was founded by Natalia Derkach, PhD a top-level executive of a pharmaceutical corporation who partnered with a prestigious Swiss lab to create Instytutum. I have five products to talk about though one is not new to me. The Flawless Skin Mask is easily one of my favorite sheet masks. I love the biocellulose mask and how it actually fits my face, plus it stays put, which is no small feat for a sheet mask. Details per Instytutum:
The sheet mask fits perfectly and stays in place no need to lay down. For a luminous and plump looking complexion in just one use. The hydrolyzed collagen sheet mask drenched with an exceptional concentration of ingredients shows remarkable efficacy.
This Hydrolyzed Collagen second skin mask uses the innovative Transdermal Cosmetic Delivery (TCD) Technology which is activated by the skin’s temperature to achieve a better penetration of the highly effective ingredients into the skin. The translucent skin mask contours closely to the face to deliver a powerful complex of the peptide argireline, collagen matrix and a botanical complex to significantly moisturize and refine visible pores, restore elasticity and achieve an immediate tightening effect on the skin. Your skin looks flawless after just one application.
Active Ingredients
- PEPTIDE ARGIRELINE: a sophisticated peptide that inhibits muscle contraction to give you that much desired firming effect so your skin may return to its youthful self. It also reduces the appearance of dynamic and deep wrinkles as well as prevents new ones from forming.
- COLLAGEN MATRIX: enriched with peptides and vegetable cell extract, our age-defying firming collagen matrix delivers intense hydration, refines visible pores, wrinkles and skin imperfections. As a result, the skin looks revitalized and youthful.
- BOTANICAL COMPLEX: a blend of extracts from nature’s finest skin perfecting plants – Rhododendron Ferrugineum Leaf Cell Culture, Malus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricarina) Flower and Portulaca Oleracea.
I love this sheet mask. It comes in two pieces which allows for a great fit. It actually stays put on my face and doesn't slide around. I normally rip a sheet mask off after 5 minutes because it slides or covers my eyes too much, not this one. This is a biocellulose mask which is my preference for a sheet mask. I'm not a big paper or fabric fan. My face is always firm and super hydrated after using this mask, I'm officially obsessed with it.
Directions Use on perfectly cleansed dry skin, preferably after the Triple Action Resurfacing Peel. Unfold the mask and peel away the protective layers. Place 2 sheets on the upper and lower part of the face and adjust it to fit. Leave on 20 to 30 minutes. Remove the mask and massage remaining serum into the skin.
The Resurfacing Glow Toner is a 6% glycolic acid hydrating acid toner. It's thicker like an essence. Details per Instytutum:
The last step of cleansing and at the same time the essence in toner. Provides a perfect base for your next steps. A true essential due to the many benefits it provides. The skin is not only refined but already deeply hydrated, plump and calm. With a perfect pH level of 3,5 to ensure real efficacy.
The Resurfacing Glow Toner is formulated with 6% Glycolic Acid and 2% Niacinamide chemically exfoliates the skin’s surface to visibly improve the look of fine lines, wrinkles, pores, uneven skin tone and helps to brighten, clarify and smooth the complexion. It also effectively reduces sebum production and impurities. Allantoin, Chamomile and Pro-Vitamin B5 help soothe and calm the skin while Hyaluronic Acid leaves the skin plump and hydrated.
This toner comes in a plastic pump style bottle. It's got a thicker texture to it. This acid toner has 6% glycolic acid so it's pretty gentle. They combine it with 2% niacinamide for extra brightening and pore refining. This also has chamomile, allantoin, hyaluronic acid and provitamin B5 to hydrate, soothe and calm. It makes for a nice more gentle acid toner. I never got irritated or felt this was too strong while using it.
Directions Use after cleansing or after a peel. Pour onto a cotton pad or on your hands and apply to the face, neck and décolleté. Leave on to take effect, then apply your regular moisturizer.
The Transforming Melting Cleanser is my favorite type of cleanser, a gel-oil balm. Details per Instytutum:
A truly unique transforming cleanser that leaves the skin beautifully cleansed, hydrated and supple. Visibly replenishing and smoothing while renewing the complexion at the same time. The powerful melting formula offers an unparalleled sensorial experience. The skin feels soft, hydrated, and radiant looking.
This transforming, rich balm melts into a light weight oil. Upon contact with water, it turns into a silky emulsion and instantly dissolves and removes makeup, impurities, pore-clogging debris and micro-pollution. Without overdrying and uncomfortable tightness, skin is thoroughly cleansed, soft and radiant-looking. With the renewal benefits of Retinol to refine skin texture, Hyaluronic Acid to improve moisture and elasticity, Vitamin E, Provitamin B5 and Allantoin to calm, soothe and strengthen barrier function.
This cleanser is a gel-oil balm cleanser. It starts as a gel that turns into oil, then emulsifies to rinse clean. The oils in the cleanser remove all makeup so this can be a night cleanser without a double cleanse. I like it the most as a morning cleanser. It smells deliciously like watermelon. It has a thick slightly sticky texture. It's not as oil smooth or slippery as some of my other gel-oil balm cleansers. The scent is fantastic though. It has hyaluronic acid, allantoin, vitamin E, provitamin B5 and natural oils to hydrate and soothe. This also contains bisabolol which is a component of chamomile essential oil.
I find this cleanser works well to remove makeup and it never strips the skin. It leaves it soft and hydrated. This contains retinol which honestly in a wash off cleanser probably doesn't do that much. Unless you left it on for a while. I love the scent but the thicker slightly sticky texture may be hard for some to get used to. Think of thick honey cleansers, that's what it feels like. I still really liked it. But I'm a gel-oil balm addict. I wish I had saved the boxes for ingredients. I didn't realize they weren't online so I'm not sure which oils are in it.
Directions Apply evenly to dry skin, do not moisten skin beforehand and massage in. Moisten the skin to transform the balm into a silky emulsion. Rinse off thoroughly with lukewarm water follow with Resurfacing Glow Toner or Flawless Pads.
The C-Illuminating 3D Moisturizer is a radiance boosting cream. Details per Instytutum:
For an amazing immediate illuminating glow and a supple, plump, healthy and intensely hydrated radiant skin. This super-charged anti-aging formula is a real multi-tasker and has too many benefits to count. The innovative texture will blur, enhance and reflect your complexion.
For an amazing immediate radiant glow and a supple, plump, healthy and intensely hydrated glowing skin. This super packed Anti-Aging formula combines Vitamin C for brightening, reducing hyperpigmentation stimulating collagen and increased elasticity. The Multi-molecular HA complex for multi-depth hydration, low, medium and high-molecular-weight HA for superb hydration to rapidly penetrate and create a protective film on the skin surface, reduce water loss from the inside, 24 h moisturization, nourish the skin surface, repairs and restores from the inside and provides anti-pollution/anti-UV benefits. Tri-Peptide-1 encourages skin renewal and stimulates collagen synthesis in order to reduce wrinkles and sagging skin. Probiotics for stabilizing and creating a healthy skin barrier. Pomegranate extract provides anti-aging and moisturizing. Beet Root Extract for instant long-term moisture and supporting the natural moisturizing (NMF) factors. Shea Butter, Almond and Jojoba Oil, Allantoin, Vitamin E, B5 as well as polysaccharides for anti-inflammatory, smoothing, calming, soothing, softening, repairing, protecting and moisturizing properties.
This cream is the heavier of the two creams. It's thicker and smells like citrus. This is your antioxidant, radiance boosting type cream. This will make a fabulous winter day cream. It was a little too heavy for me right now in the summer and humid weather. The cream has a pinky peach hue and it's got some shimmer which helps to even the skin tone out and add radiance. This cream contains antioxidants vitamin C & E plus pomegranate extract, probiotics and polysaccharides, hydrators shea butter, jojoba & almond oils and multi-molecular hyaluronic acid complex, soothing allantoin and tripeptide-1 (helps healing process and synthesis of collagen).
Directions Apply evenly to a perfectly clean face and instantly look radiant, or as a perfect makeup base for that extra glow.
The Xceptional Flawless Cream was my favorite of the two creams. It has the most divine light texture. Details per Instytutum:
This ultra-powerful dream cream melts luxuriously into the skin for a smooth, sensuous application and redefines the facial contours along the cheeks and jawline, for a V-shape effect. Supercharged with efficacious levels of groundbreaking ingredients to provide multiple anti-aging benefits. Infusing the skin with a mega dose of moisture to increase plumpness, flexibility, and elasticity.
Supercharged with efficacious levels of powerful ingredients to target all significant visible signs of aging, to deliver outstanding results. Infused with Raspberry stem cells and the Multi-Molecular HA complex to significantly improve the skins moisturizing capability and retain hyaluronic content to ensure flexibility, firmness and increased elasticity. Wild Tobacco stem cells and Coffea Cell Extract measurably reduce wrinkles, act as a potent antioxidant and improve cellular vitality. L-Carnitine to fight free-radicals, advanced glycation and stimulate the collagen synthesis. Tri-Peptides to rapidly reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, reverse visible signs of photo-aging, tighten and refine the skin texture while improving firmness and elasticity to lift and redefine the facial contours along the cheeks and jawline. Shrubby Everlasting Plant and Paracress Extract to regain firmness, tone and reinforce the architecture of the dermis to fight wrinkles and sagging. The contours of the face are strengthened and sculpted for a V-Shape effect. Vitamin E, Shea Butter, and Almond Oil as a perfect addition to smooth, sooth and deeply nourish and regenerate the skin. For a youthful, firm and lifted appearance.
This cream has the most divine texture. It's light and just sinks right into the skin. It's mostly scent free which I like. It leaves my skin hydrated without being too greasy and it isn't heavy at all. It's that perfect light cream texture. This is a great day cream, it could be a night cream for me in the hot, humid summer months. This cream also has hydrators shea butter, almond oil and multi-molecular hyaluronic acid complex, vitamin E and tripeptide.
Xceptional Flawless Cream has raspberry stem cells (antioxidant, anti-inflammatory), wild tobacco stem cells (anti wrinkle though it was hard to find research related to this), L-carnitine (antioxidant, anti-glycation), shrubby everlasting plant (Immortelle, antioxidant, has ursolic acid which restores collagen and elastin), paracress extract (Acmella, natural Botox, reduces muscle tension thus wrinkles) and coffea cell extract (inhibits wrinkle formation). It's packaged in a glass jar.I love how firm and hydrated this makes my skin, all without being heavy or greasy.
This is easily my favorite item from this set of products along with the mask. Closely followed by the Transforming Melting Cleanser. Right now you can save 20% on the Instytutum line with code MICHELLE20 from now through December 3rd.
Directions Apply twice daily to clean skin to face, neck and décolleté. For best results apply after using Flawless Pads and the Anti-Wrinkle Brightening C-Erum.
Top to Bottom-C-Illuminating 3D Moisturizer, Xceptional Flawless Cream, Transforming Melting Cleanser:
