A313 Pure Vitamin A Retinoid Pommade " French Beauty Secret" Review and How to Use

[@hayleywester3412]

I’ve tried every retinol there is at this point, including tret, using correctly. My skin is SO sensitive and hated everything until I tried a313. It healed the eczema I had on my face and my acne as well as treating fine lines. My face really can’t handle anything but this honestly.

[@anniewhitmore7627]

Gosh that is amazing! I have very sensitive skin and I am so on the fence with this. Some people rave about it and others hate it - so difficult to decide what to do! Do you use this at night before bed? How do you prevent migration of product? Would really appreciate your thoughts and experience using this 😊

[@gatestimonymiracle1302]

Thank you

[@MrNapcsi]

it may have an unpleasant texture but on dry skin over 40 the effect is more spectacular than a pure 1 retinol !!I have a lot of personal experience, and even my friends who use it regularly, it remarkably elasticizes the skin and reduces the strength of wrinkles!Different retinol, retinoid types have completely different effects and each one works on a different type of skin!Don't believe that Tretinoin is best for your skin because it's the gold standard, it's not true in this form !!!Every skin type needs a different material, you have to find the most effective formula and strength for you !!!

[@NOBSBeauty]

So nice to hear you've had good luck with it, I have to assume many people have with how many bottles of it they sell each year.

[@msdebruin.]

I love this too!!! My skin feels great!!! Super soft, firm, no more flaky skin and less whiteheads. I am so incredibly happy with this. A313 deserves more love!!!

[@westworldemployee7]

Oxymoron...Jumbo shrimp, military intelligence, etc. Pharmaceutical grade refers to a degree of purity, not whether a prescription is required. Therefore an OTC product can contain pharamceutical-grade ingredients. Love your channel!

[@NOBSBeauty]

THANK YOU!!! I always screw up those analogies, not sure why, but it's what I do, lol!

[@Btree33]

For the ppl that say it’s trash or their derm said this or that you’re missing a key point. The reason this stuff is fresh great is because the way the retinol is used. It’s suspended in a glycol which does two things. It helps stabilize the vitamin a and allows for much better absorption. So you may find other products w more retinol or “better” retinols but what good are they if they aren’t as bio available ? That’s y this is so good

[@NOBSBeauty]

I've ended up loving the Altreno Tretinoin lotion which works great for me, but this is still a cult favorite and I'm sure the reasons you've discussed above it probably why!

[@Btree33]

@@NOBSBeauty oh no..now i got to try the altreno too!! lol

[@thickbambi]

This works perfectly for my crazy skin 🎉

[@Casprh]

As a French person, none of those French tricks are actually used by french people, specially the A313. Derms appointments are covered by health insurance, as well as tret prescription. Meaning it’s way more affordable for most people to get the real, under prescription tret.

[@kimvillasenor3]

Didn't care for this on my face but it has proven helpful with seborrheic keratosis spots on my chest. Thanks for the review!

[@awalebebinu]

I’m starting this product tonight. My sister had success with it and gifted me a pack to try. Although, She only used it once a week and moved up to twice a week since she didn’t have any peeling. Using it every night might be way too much for anyone’s skin. I will report my results in 8 weeks.

[@CaribbeanQueen72xx]

When I first saw this pomade I was so excited because , I figured it will be beneficial for dry skin in the winter , a plus cause it’s a retinol. It turned out to be a huge disappointment . I use 1% tretenoin for the last 3 yrs , and I still can’t use this pomade alone unless it’s a very tiny amount with a ton of moisturizer smh it itch the skin unbearably... I don’t want to thow it away , because I hate the thought of wasting my money. After the tube is finish I will never ever again ... thank you for making a review on this beautiful .. ❤️ ❤️ 🙏🏾

[@pajamamama5965]

I'm so thankful for this review. I just needed to put it out of my mind forever LOL. I figured my oily skin would hate it, but you have satisfied my curiosity.

[@katiekins17]

I have oily skin but my skin tolerated it really well. No breakouts, clogged pores or excess sebum production.

[@alterlove359]

A313 was surprisingly POTENT on my skin! My entire face was tingling and itching all night. I've used Differin for several years so I expected A313 to be much milder but it was just the opposite. It was so STRONG. I could feel a prickly sensation immediately. My face wasn't red though or burning. But there was a stinging. Even the next morning after I washed it off, I could still feel an irritation. However I did notice an immediate effect. This stuff works really fast. I saw results after one day. Nevertheless I don't think I can handle using this more than once a week. It just feels uncomfortable.

[@alicegoldenvalley]

ooh could you please tell us what kind of results you got? any anti wrinkle effects?

[@alexnowaka4391]

I’m French and I live in France and trust me almost no one use this and this is not even a best seller here in France so well... maybe that’s the reason why it’s not that good

[@elenamandel]

Would you share the best selling skincare products?

[@alexnowaka4391]

@@elenamandel yeah of course but to be honest with you Korean and Japanese beauty is so much better like really So the best sellers here like the real ones are the embryolisse crème (I do not use it but it’s actually really great) The bioderma micellar water The avene spring thermal water(here it’s really popular to use this just after cleansing the skin that one is really soothing) The brand SVR is also really famous here their B3 ampoule is amazing really The brand la roche posay in general is really popular and avene also Caudalie products are what people really buy but I Don’t find that their products are amazing Then many people use skinceuticals as well But now to be honest most of the people use products from non-French brands Like the ordinary,some American brands or Asians

[@jnewmark41]

@@alexnowaka4391 French brands are a scam

[@Jack-yf9bc]

@@jnewmark41 yep 🗿

[@Mynameiskmra]

Thank you for your advise Alex, I have this pommade but i don't know how to use it.. I have dark spot problem after breakouts. that is why i am looking something for it..

[@JulienArbor]

Thanks for saving me a bit of money. I was going to order a tube of A313 to try on my body and, from your description, it doesn’t sound like it would do what I need it to do plus I couldn’t sleep covered in an ointment! I’ll stick with my glycolic acid body lotion. 🌷

[@tiahnarodriguez3809]

Which glycolic acid body lotion do you use?

[@JulienArbor]

@@tiahnarodriguez3809 Hi! It’s called Renewal Body Lotion by Alpha Skin Care in the white and red bottle. It’s 12% glycolic acid, pH 4.0, no fragrance, no parabens, and it comes in 12oz plastic bottle for a very reasonable price. If you follow Hot and Flashy...she uses it religiously and has documented the positive changes in her crepe, sagging skin. She compared it to a retinol body lotion and felt she had better results with using the glycolic lotion. Hope that helps...🌸💕

[@tiahnarodriguez3809]

@@JulienArbor Thank you so much. I really appreciate it.

[@lydiaspics7804]

@@JulienArbor I just found bottles of this today at Nordstrom Rack for $5.97!

[@donnie9455]

It did wonders too my skin ❤

[@bubbleirina1]

worst review i've seen in a loooong time. and the arrogance is amazing!

[@sherinahale7464]

And heard.. !

[@Vegard1986]

After I tried Tazarotene 0.1% cream, I never looked back at Retin A, or Tretinoin, or any natural Vitamin A. Synthetic or retinoid-selective like Adapalene and Tazarotene given me best results.

[@littlebear853]

For anti-aging or acne?

[@sweetlemnade]

What brand of a cream are you using?

[@celiareed1402]

Some of my favorite oxymorons: Deafening silence, pretty ugly, original copies, genuine imitation and Microsoft Works! ❤️

[@unbiasly]

what do you mean by saying over the counter products are pharmaceutical grade is contradictory? plenty of OTC products are made by pharmaceutical companies, like differin, topical steroids, benadryl cream....

[@NOBSBeauty]

I think I was just being sarcastic, I was in a weird mood this week, lol .

[@Btree33]

are all products made by pharmaceutical companies pharmaceutical grade? like if pfizer decided to make vaseline would it be pharmaceutica lgrade and if so how would it be different??

[@johnsskincarereviews]

Thanks for the review as always! A great retinol product that I anecdotally have found to love is the Exuviance Retinol concentrate serum that has .3% encapsulated retinol. I found it at TJ Maxx on clearance for $7 and picked up two lol. Don’t be afraid to look there!

[@seanmaher2987]

Love your channel and always trust your opinions., but I think you're missing a beat on this product. Yes, these are slow-acting retinoids that have to go through steps to get to the retinoic acid (active) stage. But the fact that it's a pomade/protectant occlusive, means the actives are around 10x more effective than if it was a cream, because the actives are sealed and protected against external deterioration, (the 10x more effective comes from Drs Shah and Maxwell video on slugging, and the increased risks for irritation when slugging retinoids and direct acids with occlusives). Anyway, because it occludes so effectively, this pomade is essentially a high strength vehicle for three slow-acting retinoids. That makes it an interesting proposition for people sensitive to retinoids, but still want noticable results. If they just used a retinyl palmitate in a cream form, it would be arguably too weak for noticeable results. It's the same reason doctors prescribe corticosteroids in a pommade/ petroleum medium to increase results for patients.

[@victrola2007]

Regarding pharmaceutical grade available OTC "contradiction" - Surely you HAVE heard of countless products being at one point pharma grade and then becoming OTC? [With some products, like original Biafine emulsoon one could only get with a script in the US vs in any French pharmacy OTC]. I started using A313 and it's great. Just my personal observation and have used the t-stuff before.

[@victrola2007]

20+ years with Biafine love affair! 57 years old without wrinkles. Genetics and clean living do count, but there is nothing better for burns. Five years ago I badly burned side if my face by left jawline (about 4" diameter splash of scolding hot water from an electric teapot burst). I immediately washed/coated it with regular soap (ancient trick for pain) and half hour later got to my "Holy Grail". There was barely any pain though looked horrible. I coated it in thicker layer of Biafine emulsion, for a week with normal generous application as my normal moisturizer. It healed beautifully completely undetectable without scarring in 2 weeks. 🥰

[@freedomlife5968]

I must agree, I think Caudalie sucks too! But I love Vichy, La Roche Posay, Bioderma & Avene! SVR is interesting but I won’t say I love it. For non french I also like Eucerin

[@NOBSBeauty]

Caudalie could do so much better, but they just don't. Not sure why though. I've tried three products from SVR and one I loved, one i hated, and the other was perfectly in the middle. I'll have to try more from them.

[@cristinanovais3907]

Why are you reviewing a product that you haven't used and still closed ? Why show so many ignorance about pharmaceutical rates that are from Europe? At least if you'd understand enough about retinoids at least spare yourself from expose so much ignorance .

[@missmo463]

You know people can buy more than 1, right? A313 isn’t rationed or anything.

[@CarrCab]

I've been thinking of getting this for my hands. I've been using Stratia Night Shift for my neck and sometimes my hands, but I don't want to use more of that than I have to. I want a separate hand retinoid product. But from this review, I don't think this will be what I'm going to end up getting.

[@MarriageNFamilyAdvice]

I think it was 6-8 Euros (almost the equivalent to the dollar) $30 for you? It may have been a knock off from whoever you ordered it from in amazon. Lately, I have only seen youtuber’s stating they paid $20 for it on amazon. Maybe you should recheck that and all of your info.

[@jm3356]

She doesn't know what she's talking about.

[@rockingthechange]

As always, great video! This was my first retinol before moving to tretinoin. Lol. Omg, the itch. I started putting it on over moisturizer after waiting for 30 minutes. I eventually got used to it. Even though they were weak esters, I would peel and my skin had a glow. It behaved like an overnight glycolic mask to me. I don’t think I would use it now to be honest.

[@tiahnarodriguez3809]

How are you liking tretinoin?

[@rockingthechange]

@@tiahnarodriguez3809 I love it now. I did not love it in the beginning though. I have to make sure that I moisturize before I apply tretinoin and use a heavy moisturizer after. I purged in the beginning but saw results and improvement after about a year. It’s definitely not quick. I had a lot of roughness and sun damage which has faded quite a bit.

[@tiahnarodriguez3809]

@@rockingthechange I’ve heard similar things where people have issues with it in the beginning, but if you stick it out, the results are worth it. Thank you for your reply.

[@rockingthechange]

@@tiahnarodriguez3809 Anytime!!! I feel like I have invested a few years with tret but I think regular retinol is really effective too. Some people advise to go directly to tretinoin but it’s not for everyone. I like Neutrogena’s and ROC from the drugstore too. They have fragrance free versions which is nice.

[@MY-cv2xr]

yes! I'm using this to clear my hyperpigmentation and it works so well for me! my skin peels every now and then and it gave me a very even skin tone! I will also say that this is the only vitamin a product I've ever used so it might have just happened to work

[@gi1339]

I wold like to ask you something if your skin expert. Everyone say don't poot regular face cream around eyes I poot 30 y.. So nothing wrong. My question is are the creams specially for the eyes are only made for more money?

[@debbie5451]

I've tried A313 and just didn't get the hype. However, I bit the bullet and ordered the product from Geek and Gorgeous and can't wait to try it! Thanks for all of your useful videos.

[@chaliflare9669]

Did you try it? What did you think?

[@victoriaadams3318]

pharmaceutical grade, can be sold over the counter. Prescription grade cannot.

[@102483989]

The reason for the sentence not making sense is that French Pharmacie is different then American pharmacie. In France for skin care to be sold in the pharmacie it must undergo a rigorous process its not like in American pharmacie where any products can be sold over the counter.

[@lidiavalentine4296]

I mix the A313 with eucerin healing cream for a fabulous results overnight!!

[@timophat]

I haven't tried this one but the ialuset hyaluronic acid cream, which is also a french pharmacy product was very underwhelming. Didn't notice very much of a difference in my skin at all, if anything it felt a little more irritated using it.. I was also using it in combination with a really nice skincare routine. Have you heard of this product??

[@ziomekuhd323]

A313 works ! I use Im happy with my results !

[@lindaackerman3507]

Sarah, have you tried skin drop advanced retinol complex, its 1% pure retinol. Its pretty good, actually feel tingling when I use it, my skin looks so much smoother after about a week of using it., its $39.00 but you can only get it on line..☺

[@NOBSBeauty]

I haven't heard of this brand before, but it looks like they have a nice variety and products. How does the retinol scented? Looks like it might have fragrance in it, but you just never know until you try it out. Otherwise the rest of the ingredients look petty good!

[@lindaackerman3507]

@@NOBSBeauty it does have a lightly cucumber fragrance, almost spa like, I like it because its not overbearing and doesn't break me out....oh and my skin has never looked smoother...☺

[@rubysresource]

This isn't for wrinkles, it's for eczema!!! This type of ointment with a retinol ester micro-dose is also available in Australia. As far as I can tell, A313 is 0.2% retinol ester, and Australian Ungvita is just under 0.1% retinol ester. The way these products work is by stimulating the skin cells juuuust enough to speed up healing, without it being enough to create irritation. It's thick and greasy because the occlusive seal also helps eczema to heal more quickly. If you have eczema on the face, or very dehydrated skin, using an ointment like this might help skin to look less crapey? But I think people are mostly just confused talking about using it for wrinkles. It's eczema ointment. Great for burns, cracked skin, and other skin irritations too… but not wrinkles or acne.

[@mave143]

My father is a dermatologist and he says A313 is GARBAGE. If you want something that will transform your skin, get yourself tretinoin. I've been on tretinoin for a year now and my skin looks amazing!

[@PassionPno]

Dr Shereene Idriss who is a dermatologist says A313 is great and recommends it.

[@mave143]

@@PassionPno it's a 3rd generation Retinoid. Meaning it's the least effective. You can buy retinol at the store that works better than A313.....if you don't want to use prescription strength Retin a (tretinoin) EDIT--check out Dr. Dray's video on A313.

[@rsoulard6377]

Whether it’s the least effective it doesn’t mean it’s garbage . It’s perfect for starting in order to build up to stronger ones. Shereene Idriss does a great job explaining

[@MarleneLiraMarrero]

Omygoodness your voice!!!😮

[@elizabethrayburn4328]

Can I put makeup after applying it

[@NOBSBeauty]

I would typically recommend using this in your evening routine- it is pretty thick so makeup might end up pilling over this. If you can use it at night that is the best way to go.

[@anastasiachudo4210]

biological recharge awesome brand which can be good , if cosmetology will choose you special product for you not which you want and how you want only special for your skin

[@nirmalaanissa9439]

Actually i am surprised ! I lived in France for a while and love french pharmacie but never heard of this product 🤔 ...

[@Aryellish]

Exactly, I live in France and never heard of it

[@Aryellish]

I live in France and I never heard of it

[@Mynameiskmra]

have you heard about any helpful cream for dark spot?

[@KellyLudwin]

Now I'm sorry I bought it. I had ordered it before I got my tretinoin rx. Also have Osmosis Renew and TT 5% which I will use on the non-tret nights. Thanks so much for your honest review. Always trust your reviews so thanks again for saving my skin.

[@90zGirl]

Sadly i bought a fake A313 cream from Amazon, which was shipped from Spain and is no longer available on Amazon. I wonder why? 🤬

[@marcusburscough7331]

A 'pharmeceutical grade' retinoid that only contains esters and available without a prescription... Hard pass 🤣. I remember Angie from Hot and Flashy saying some similar things.

[@tiahnarodriguez3809]

It’s a pass for me. After I finish Stratia’s night shift, I plan to try Geek + Gorgeous a-game.

[@sandrairene5579]

@Tiahna Rodriguez what did you think of Night Shift? I’ve been debating whether to buy it.

[@tiahnarodriguez3809]

@@sandrairene5579 I just started using it a week ago, but so far I like it. I was using a different retinol cream before (Naturium), and perfer the night shift much better because it’s moisturizing, and has more beneficial ingredients (ceramides, cholesterol, centella asiatica, cholesterol, panthenol, etc) I recommend trying it to see how you like it.

[@sandrairene5579]

@@tiahnarodriguez3809 thanks!

[@sharong8908]

How did you find out it was fake

[@artgirllovespaint]

The only people I've seen promoting or thinking it's better than Avibon or tretinoin are members of various skincare forums. And some people in those forums are employees of brands planted there to promote their products... ¯\_(ヅ)_/¯

[@NOBSBeauty]

I have a feeling that has to be how this got so hyped because I Just don't get it otherwise.

[@anno_mundi]

We can get like -35/-40 f here but I still don't want to use this 🤐

[@caroder]

I live in France. Nobody use it, litteraly nobody. The amount of retinol in this pommade is almost nothing (see IU definition). Plus the A313 pommade on Amazon seems to be a counterfact because what is sold as pharmaceutical product (OTC or not) in France MUST be sold in pharmacy.

[@NOBSBeauty]

They really did a good job marketing this to americans, lol! I was very leery about the one on amazon because it looked like a fake, I bought mine from a french pharmacy, but I'm still very hesistant to avoid recommending this to anyone because it does appear that there are a fair amount of fakes of this floating around!

[@normezmoi]

@@NOBSBeauty Because it is a pharmaceutical product, the law is very strict in France about marketing. This is impossible to advertise a drug as a beauty product. Basically, it is the story of an old YT lady who came to Paris, went to Citypharma ans spoke with a pharmacist who sold this to her as the Homeoplasmine with retinol. And she thought she discovered the holy grail... And Amazon scammers copied the product.

[@judibeth6483]

Hi Sarah! It’s called an oxymoron when there are contradictions like this. The useless knowledge I have really gets me nowhere 😂

[@lorainemcgillivray77]

Hi Scotland is not that far from France and prior to it appearing on the beauty youtube arena, I had never heard of this brand. We have easy access to all the French Pharmacy brands and can in fact order them directly from French pharmacies lol. It strikes me as a very old fashioned formula and like the older retinol derivative products eg Simple age resist line, just isn't that good. In the last few years retinoids of all types have taken the anti aging market by storm, so we have access to better and/or stronger formulations. As for a "vaseline" type texture and the current "slugging method", I've been using body creams/balms on my face for years. I have severely dry eczema prone skin (plus rosacea) and to have any hope of not waking up with tight skin, I need something very occlusive. I want that petrolatum in my last step to seal everything in. Will that type of cream/balm suit anyone without severe dryness - probably not, but I need it. I don't want to buy something with such weak retinol derivatives, when I buy tretinoin (on private prescription) and retinaldehyde for the more sensitive neck/chest. It's had really successful internet marketing in the last few years, but this product isn't anything miraculous and i just wouldn't bother with it. If you want a really weak retinol derivative the Simple line is considerably cheaper, although I don't like or recommend it either. I'm sorry it broke you out and cost $30 ouch. Best wishes.

[@minatozakiharuka3036]

This is just a weird product . Thanks for the review

[@anja6548]

I think it was meant to be used as a moisturizer etc haha. Definitely not for antiaging

[@ziomekuhd323]

Thats great product ! No doubt about that

[@anja6548]

You should use adapalene or tretinoin. These esters don't work at all lol.

[@freedomlife5968]

I will just move up to prescription tretinoin eventually lol but maybe tou shouldn’t sarah cause you have thinner dry more sensitive skin, I have oily, thicc resilient skin

[@NOBSBeauty]

I think my skin might be able to handle that in the summer months, but other then that I think my skin would scream. I always think I want to try it but I'm not sure how well that would go over. If I ever did try it I think I'd do it in June or July.

[@freedomlife5968]

@@NOBSBeauty Get something encapsulated/slow release then

[@NOBSBeauty]

Definitely will have to do that. The only time I ever tried it was in a gel form and it just peeled my skin right off!

[@freedomlife5968]

@@NOBSBeauty i had pilling issues with the gel too! Try getting Retin A micro it is a gel but without alcohol & has microsponge technology for slow release but i think for your skin type the best option is actually Renova, it’s best for dry skin but I am bot sure if renova is slow release... ask your dermatologist

[@TheEagleslover]

Easy pass. Thanks as always for steering us clear from the shams.

[@lisawilson2701]

All this is any good for is the trash or hand lotion at night maybe

[@SabillonBlanc]

is it tested on animals?

[@NOBSBeauty]

I am still not certain, I was unable to find any site that specifies the cruelty free status of A313, which makes me think it is not CF, but still not sure. If I find out more I'll let you know.

[@noneofurbusiness5223]

All it is, is retin palmitate, it is NOT retinol!

[@farahparis1270]

bonjour, j'habite PARIS et je dois dire que je ne connais personne qui utilise cette marque A 313 mais si nous avons la TOUT EIFFEL nous avons aussi de belle marque de cosmétiques SVR , la roche posay et plein d'autres et si PARIS c'est DIOR CHANEL......se n'est pas A313!!! Merci pour vos vidéos et bonjour de PARIS!!!!

[@PassionPno]

English please.

[@heathersargent289]

I have seen other people reveiw this and to me it just looks completely uncomfortable overall ..lol

[@NOBSBeauty]

The texture of it is so thick and it really clogged up my pores. Just bad for most people- although some people love it... I don't get it!

[@xtian384]

OXYMORON

[@truebaronesse5653]

I don't like this product at all (and I am half french). It irritates my skin, feels very thick and I've noticed it removes nail polish (not sure why, but I've never noticed that with any other skincare product). Also... I don't know any french women who would use this, I've learned about it from reddit.