How Elluvi compares
Our product next to the first 3 from the comparison further down, cell for cell. Elluvi wrote this guide.
- Retinol 0.3%, niacinamide 5%, alpha arbutin 2%, hyaluronic acid 0.5%, with a Matrixyl 3000 peptide complex. 30 ml, night use, for experienced retinol users
- Rs. 1,299
- Budget creams sold as retinol
- Retinyl palmitate, an ester several conversion steps weaker than retinol, usually at or near the end of the ingredient list and unquantified
- From about Rs. 560
- Imported retinol lines
- Percentages usually stated, storage varies by seller
- Rs. 5,450 to Rs. 11,955 imported
- Sunscreen
- The step with the largest anti ageing effect of anything on this page, and the one most often skipped
- Rs. 898 to Rs. 1,899
COD across Pakistan · Free delivery on orders of Rs. 1,000 and above · 14-day returns, even if opened
What to look for in an anti aging serum
Prioritise a stated retinol percentage, supporting ingredients for comfort (peptides, hyaluronic acid), clear night-only directions, and a brand that ships authentic stock in Pakistan with COD. Skip vague “anti-aging complex” labels that never say what the complex is.
Elluvi Age Defying Serum uses 0.3% retinol with niacinamide 5%, alpha arbutin 2%, a Matrixyl 3000 peptide complex and 0.5% hyaluronic acid, sold with nationwide COD. It is a serum for people already used to retinol.
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
| Product or active | What the label states | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Budget creams sold as retinol | Retinyl palmitate, an ester several conversion steps weaker than retinol, usually at or near the end of the ingredient list and unquantified | From about Rs. 560 |
| Imported retinol lines | Percentages usually stated, storage varies by seller | Rs. 5,450 to Rs. 11,955 imported |
| Sunscreen | The step with the largest anti ageing effect of anything on this page, and the one most often skipped | Rs. 898 to Rs. 1,899 |
| Elluvi Age Defying Serum (ours) | Retinol 0.3%, niacinamide 5%, alpha arbutin 2%, hyaluronic acid 0.5%, with a Matrixyl 3000 peptide complex. 30 ml, night use, for experienced retinol users | Rs. 1,299 |
| Elluvi Hydra Glow Cream (ours) | Retinol 0.3%, niacinamide 5%, alpha arbutin 2%, coenzyme Q10 1%, hyaluronic acid 0.5%, with kojic acid. 50 ml, night use | Rs. 1,449 |
How to start retinol safely
Start two to three nights a week on clean, dry skin. Use two to three drops, then moisturiser. Increase only when skin stays comfortable. Never combine two retinol products on the same night, and always use SPF the next morning.
Early dryness is common. If irritation persists, drop back to fewer nights. Not recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding — ask your doctor.
Why Pakistan’s climate changes the routine
High UV and pollution mean antioxidant defence by day (vitamin C + SPF) and repair by night (retinol). Skipping sunscreen undoes most anti aging progress.
Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen every morning, SPF 30 or higher with PA+++. Ours is the Primer Gel Sunscreen at SPF 40 and PA+++; any trusted brand you will wear daily works.
Anti aging ingredients beyond retinol
Retinol gets the attention, but a working anti aging routine usually runs on four or five ingredients: retinol at night, vitamin C in the morning, niacinamide for barrier comfort, peptides for firmness support, and hyaluronic acid for hydration. Sunscreen sits underneath all of them.
Hydration deserves a specific mention because it is the fastest visible change. Well-hydrated skin reflects light differently and fine lines look shallower within days, long before retinol has done anything structural. That early improvement is real, but it is hydration rather than renewal, and it disappears if you stop.
What an anti aging serum cannot do
A serum can influence the look of fine lines, texture, firmness and tone. It cannot lift sagging skin, remove deep folds, or replace what a dermatologist can do with in-clinic treatment. Any product promising those things is overselling.
This matters when setting expectations. People often abandon a product that was working because it did not do something it was never capable of. Judge a retinol serum on texture, brightness and fine lines, not on facial structure.
How long before you see results
Expect roughly 4 to 6 weeks for texture, around 12 weeks for fine lines, and 6 months or more for firmness. Retinol works on skin turnover, and that cycle simply takes time.
The first two to four weeks can look worse rather than better as turnover speeds up. Mild flaking and small breakouts in areas you normally break out are common. Persistent stinging, burning or redness is not part of the process and means you should reduce frequency.
Storage and shelf life in Pakistani heat
Retinol and vitamin C both degrade with heat, light and air. In a Lahore or Karachi summer, a serum left on a sunny windowsill can lose potency well before its expiry date.
Keep serums in a closed drawer or cupboard rather than on an open shelf, keep the cap tightened, and do not decant into a clear container. A cool dark cupboard is enough; refrigeration is optional and mainly helps in the hottest months. If a retinol serum turns noticeably darker or smells sharply different, its useful life is over.
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FAQs
Two ways to take the same active. Hydra Glow Cream is retinol 0.3% in a rich overnight base, with niacinamide, alpha arbutin and kojic acid alongside it. The Age Defying Serum carries the same retinol, niacinamide, alpha arbutin and kojic acid in a serum, plus a Matrixyl 3000 peptide complex, and is for people who already use retinol. Both are night-only, and you use one of them on a given night, never both.