What is ‘slow-release skincare’? These powerful products show what it can do

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Encapsulated or ‘slow release’ skincare could be the answer to ramping up your routine – here’s how it works.

There are a lot of buzzword ingredients in skincare and, don’t get us wrong, most of them are very much worth knowing about. From retinol and vitamin C to salicylic acid and ceramides, when it comes to skincare, it pays to know what’s really inside your formula. After all, knowing your skin type is all well and good, but if you know which ingredients really work together with your skin to achieve your skin goals, you’ve instantly just boosted your routine. 

But, how do you know that the ingredients inside your skincare will really work? Well, that’s where encapsulated skincare or‘slow-release’ formulas could come into play. They ensure that the ingredient in question is delivered to your skin in its most potent and hardworking form – without losing any of its benefits along the way. 

What is encapsulated skincare?

Encapsulated skincare – or more specifically, encapsulated ingredients – refers to the practice of coating ingredients with a protective layer, allowing them to reach the surface of your skin in their purest form. Think of it like this: at a molecular level, the ingredient is coated in a protected sphere – that allows it to reach the surface of your skin unchanged or unaffected by things like unsuitable packaging, UV light, oxygen or heat. Once applied to your skin, the protected sphere then melts away, letting the ingredient get to work. 

“One of the real benefits of this is that the active ingredient is then drip-fed to the skin over a 12, 24 or 48-hour period,” explains Dr Ifeoma Ejikeme, founder and medical director of Adonia Medical Clinic.

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Active ingredients that are unstable and hard to control are the ones that most commonly benefit from encapsulation – think vitamin C and retinol. Encapsulation can help to protect the active ingredient from going off or, in the case of retinol, allow for a slow, controlled release over time, resulting in gentler results for sensitive skin.

“All different skin types can benefit from these slow-release products,” continues Dr Ejikeme. “For example, someone with dry skin can get long-term moisturisation and someone with sensitive skin will be able to tolerate an active and strong ingredient when it’s drip-fed throughout the day.”

Now don’t get us wrong, formulating this level of science-backed skincare can get pricey, so some of these skincare picks are absolutely not a ‘must-have’ in your routine but more of a ‘lust-have’. If you’re obsessed with skincare, want to really see results from your formulas and/or have sensitive skin when it comes to actives, then looking out for encapsulated ingredients may be the way to go. Keep scrolling for our round-up of the best-encapsulated skincare formulas that really work.

The best slow-release and encapsulated skincare formulas

• CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol

  Designed to reduce the appearance of post-acne marks by exfoliating and brightening the skin, this budget-friendly serum contains encapsulated retinol to ensure the formula is slow-release and gentle on the skin.  

  Shop CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol at Boots, £14
  

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• Glow Recipe Avocado Melt Retinol Eye Sleeping Mask

  Specifically formulated for the delicate eye area, this soothing mask harnesses encapsulated retinol to help firm, smooth and plump fine lines and wrinkles without the harsher side effects often associated with retinol. The encapsulation allows the ingredient to sink deeper into skin and exfoliate more slowly, making it gentler than other traditional retinol formulas.

  Shop Glow Recipe Avocado Melt Retinol Eye Sleeping Mask at Cult Beauty, £41
  

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• IT Cosmetics Hello Results Wrinkle-Reducing Daily Retinol Cream

  With a blend of free and encapsulated retinol, plus niacinamide, vitamins E and B5, this ultra-gentle retinol is designed to be used daily – thanks to its slow-release and soothing formula. 

  Shop IT Cosmetics Hello Results Wrinkle-Reducing Daily Retinol Cream at Cult Beauty, £20
  

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• Medik8 Crystal Retinal 3 Serum

  One of the most beloved retinols on the market, this formula is heralded by skin experts and beauty editors alike. Why? The 0.03% encapsulated retinaldehyde is released gradually throughout the night, while hyaluronic acid and glycerine draw moisture into the skin’s deepest layers. Expect glowier, healthier-looking skin in just a matter of weeks. 

  Shop Medik8 Crystal Retinal 3 Serum at Cult Beauty, £47
  

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• Murad Blemish Control Clarifying Cream Cleanser

  This seriously hardworking cleanser uses encapsulated spheres of salicylic acid that adhere to your skin even after you wash your face – working to reduce irritation, purge pores, heal and ultimately clear skin while free-form salicylic acid gets to work immediately. Clever, right?

  Shop Murad Blemish Control Clarifying Cream Cleanser at Cult Beauty, £32
  

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• Shani Darden Skin Care Retinol Reform

  With 2.2% encapsulated retinol and 2% lactic acid to melt the ‘glue’ binding dead cells to the surface, this powerhouse serum works hard to ramp up collagen production and boost elasticity – without resulting in drying, sensitised side effects.

  Shop Shani Darden Skin Care Retinol Reform at Cult Beauty, £80

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• Kiehl’s Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum

  This clever serum contains a slow-release encapsulated retinol, which allows the retinol to be able to be tolerated by sensitive skin areas – even around the eyes. 

  Shop Kiehl’s Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum at Boots, £45

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• Shiseido Skin Filler Serum

  Yes, this duo might be eye-wateringly expensive, but hear us out – because the science behind the formulas is seriously impressive. Step one (a night serum) contains encapsulated high molecular-weight hyaluronic acid that penetrates intensively into the skin while you sleep. Then, come morning, you apply step two (a day serum), which works to expand the hyaluronic acid back to its original size, pushing up the skin from within for an instant gain in volume and plumpness. In just one use, skin is left bouncier and looking plumper. 

  Shop Shiseido Skin Filler Serum, £231
  

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• Sunday Riley A+ High Dose Retinoid

  This potent formula blends both a 5% retinoid ester blend with 1% liposomal-encapsulated retinol blend to ensure that not only are you getting the instantaneous results from retinol but the slow-release benefits too. 

  Shop Sunday Riley A+ High Dose Retinoid at Space NK, £70
  

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Images: Stylist, courtesy of brands

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