Why Ole Henriksen’s Dewtopia 20% Acid Might Just Be Worth the Hype
Main image – Courtesy of writer
When I first heard about Ole Henriksen’s Dewtopia 20% Acid Night Treatment (£52 from Cult Beauty UK /$60 from Sephora US) I thought two things. The first one was “sounds good, but ‘treatment’? When do you apply it in your regime?” And the second was, “20% of acid sounds like a lot.”
Turns out, it’s a serum, so it should be applied after cleansing just like your usual nighttime serum. And the 20% of acids is shared equally between AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids) and PHAs (polyhydroxy acids, the gentler kind. Phew).
Now that I’d got that figured out, the proof would be in the pudding (a very lemony, custardy pudding by the way – we’ll come to that). Did it improve my pigmentation? Did it make my skin smooth, firm and glowy, as promised? And most importantly, should you believe the hype?
Here’s my honest review (with before and after pics).
The product details
Described as ‘potent’ on the website, it promises to smooth the skin’s texture, improve elasticity and reduce the look of dark spots, pores, fine lines and wrinkles. It uses 10% AHAs and 10% PHAs to work while you sleep on smoothing and retexturizing your skin, with extra help from aloe juice, birch sap and cotton water.
Image – Courtesy of writer
It has a lemon sugar scent, only less than 1% of which is apparently synthetic and comes in a 30ml bottle.
It is – apparently – suitable for all skin types but as always with anything containing acids, you should start using it slowly. Once or twice a week at first, then gradually building it up.
My first impressions
Without sounding like a brat, it can sometimes be a case of ‘seen and heard it all before’ when a beauty editor opens up yet another skincare product that promises to change your skin for the better.
I confess, this is how I felt about this when I first saw it, although the words ‘acid’ and ‘treatment’ helped to lure me in a little more as I usually love what acids do for my skin and ‘treatment’ suggests this will do lots of hard work while I sleep. Easy.
I pumped out some of the yellowy-custardy formula, expecting it to be a lot runnier than it actually was. The serums I usually use tend to be a lot thinner in texture because of my oily skin, so it was a surprise to see the thickness of this one. But also not a surprise since this is a night treatment.
Image – Courtesy of writer
I had already cleansed my face but skipped exfoliation knowing I would be using something new containing acids. On it went and I was immediately struck by its lemony scent. At first it is pleasant enough, but it turns quite sickly, quite quickly. Not my thing at all – yuck.
But forget about the smell (you soon will – it fades quickly). Let’s talk about how this felt on my skin. Well, for starters, oh-so smooth and oh-so luxurious. It spread around my face so easily, and it felt like I was using a mix of honey and custard. Even though it had a sickly smell (and by the way, I actually hate custard) this stuff felt absolutely gorgeous.
I instantly got the feeling that my skin was being cocooned, ready for my night’s sleep and its night of replenishment. I was tired and I’d done my bit for that day – it was my skin’s turn to do some hard work.
Next, I could feel my skin tightening a little. Not in an uncomfortable way, in a satisfying, firming sort of way. As if it had already got to work before I’d even climbed into bed.
My skin felt a bit tingly too and, I’ll be honest, it stung a little on areas of sensitivity (outer corners of my under eye area, jawline and a small breakout on my chin) but the stinging was very minor and absolutely nothing for me to worry about. Some products can really burn me in those areas, but this was just a mild sting.
The only place I avoided applying it though was just under my nose where I experience a small patch of eczema although I did go over it by mistake one evening and the eczema flared up more than usual the next day, so my advice would be to just steer clear if you suffer from eczema or have some inflammation.
Image – Courtesy of writer
Whilst I would usually follow this sort of product with a night cream, I didn’t want to overload my skin too quickly the first time, so I went to bed with just the Dewtopia on.
Warning to all those with a silk or satin pillowcase – expect stickiness! I actually didn’t notice my skin feeling too sticky after applying the serum, but my goodness did my face stick to my silk pillowcase! Note to self, wait a little longer for the product to sink in before going to bed!
It wasn’t sticky in a gross way, and certainly didn’t put me off using it. The stickiness just showed me that it takes a little longer for this product to penetrate than others.
In truth, I was actually more worried about the product coming off and not working to its full potential than anything else! As it turns out, I went on to apply my night cream on top in the days after that and the stickiness no longer happened.
The next day…
To say I woke up the morning after with great-looking skin would be an understatement. I was glowing. And my skin looked and felt way firmer than usual. The other thing I noticed was that I didn’t have the usual morning oil slick that I usually do, thanks to my ever, er, generous oily skin type.
My skin did still feel a tiny bit tight but again, this didn’t worry me. It looked balanced and like I’d had the most peaceful night’s sleep (when in reality, I probably didn’t. #children).
I also noticed my oil production continued to be reduced for the remainder of the day. Bonus. I hadn’t banked on oiliness being treated with this one – just maybe a little extra smoothness. And speaking of smoothness, my skin was velvety soft. I almost didn’t want to do my morning cleanse for fear of washing away all the firming, smoothing goodness.
My pleasing results
Overall, I am thrilled with this product. You can mock me all you like but it’s actually made me excited about doing my evening routine again. The feeling of it going on my skin and the instant firmness is like nothing I’ve ever tried before.
I have a small patch of pigmentation on my cheek and I have to say, I am happy with its fade so far. The website says there should be a difference after 8 weeks and I’ve been using it for nearly 4 so I’m hoping it is even less noticeable in 4 weeks’ time.
Pigmentation patch before
Image – Courtesy of writer
Pigmentation patch after
Image – Courtesy of writer
The biggest surprise though has been my reduction in oil. I’m noticing much less greasiness on my face throughout the day and my skin just feels tighter – again, not in an uncomfortable, dry way – but way less slippery and it’s holding onto makeup better too.
My forehead is definitely firmer (see my before and afters below) – I have inherited some deep-set lines there, but they have definitely reduced or at least, they’re being temporarily plumped anyway. The overall feel of my complexion is super soft, and it just looks more balanced and even too. Should I believe the hype, you ask? Absolutely!
My forehead lines before
Image – Courtesy of writer
My forehead lines after
Image – Courtesy of writer
What other users are saying
It seems I’m not the only one who experiences the tight feeling although some don’t enjoy it as much as me. “I have quite dry, tight, sensitive skin,” writes EmmaB4. “This product made my face feel very tight within a couple of minutes, and then soon after I developed a lot of red patches.”
I definitely didn’t experience redness but we have very different skin types. Sensitive and dry skin types should perhaps be a bit more wary of this product.
HarrietCatFace experienced the stickiness too. “My face feels sticky once this is applied and the product transferred to my pillow.”
Eilidh says it’s a ‘game-changer’. “This serum has changed my skin completely. I use it every second night, using the Glow20 toner on the alternate nights and this has resolved my acne breajouts and scarring. My skin is so glowy and clearer than it’s ever been.”
Whilst LCTATT says “wow, this is next level. It glides on so easily and you can instantly feel something working. Skin in the morning is so hydrated, plump and soft even after a few applications.” I completely agree!
Overall value for money
Well we can’t have everything can we? Imagine if this was £20/$20 and as good as I think it is. £52/$60 isn’t exactly money you can drop spontaneously, and I’m a bit gutted it costs so much as I’m not sure I can live without it now.
But you use half a pump at most each time, and only in the evening so it doesn’t go down too quickly.
The takeaway
It smooths, it firms, it gives a glow and it even reduces oil. This might just be my new favourite skincare product that I actually look forward to applying and which shows me clear results the next morning. It’s amazing and I honestly can’t recommend it highly enough.
Sensitive and dry skin types should take extra care with how much they apply and where (if at all). But my oily skin is very happily (and unusually) balanced right now so I’m taking it and running with it.
Get Glowing!
