Skin EssentiA AVST Moisturiser 8 / 10

The full breakdown

A retinyl-palmitate step-up system with strong evidence for photoageing and pigmentation, from the Cape Town brand that pioneered high-dose vitamin A skincare. Consultation-gated.

Ingredient breakdown

• Vitamin A (Retinyl Palmitate)
  Moderate evidence

  Commonly used as a milder retinoid option, often combined with in-office procedures like microneedling for enhanced results. A preliminary split-face placebo-controlled study found 5% retinyl palmitate oleogel combined with microneedling improved acne scar appearance and patient quality of life versus microneedling with placebo alone.

• Vitamin C
  Moderate evidence

  Commonly used as an antioxidant to help defend skin against UV and environmental oxidative stress and support a more even skin tone; stabilized ester derivatives such as tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate are used to improve formulation stability and skin penetration.

• Vitamin E
  Limited evidence

  Commonly used as an antioxidant and emollient; laboratory and ex vivo studies show meaningful free-radical scavenging capacity and protection against UVA-induced skin cell damage, though robust human clinical efficacy trials for vitamin E used alone are limited.

Best suited to

Normal, Mature, Sun-damaged