Alastin is an anti-aging skincare brand that’s been featured in many beauty publications and has won an award from InStyle. The brand claims that their products can support “aging in reverse” and uses “Smarter Science.”
But does Alastin use research-backed ingredients for reducing the appearance of aging, or are these just marketing claims? Does the brand use any questionable additive ingredients? What retailer sells Alastin skincare products for the best price? And how do real users rate and describe the anti-aging effects of the brand.
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more as we analyze the ingredients in two of the most popular Alastin products (Restorative Skin Complex and Tinted Sunscreen) based on medical studies to give our take on whether they’re likely to reduce wrinkles or if they’re a waste of money.
We’ll provide a cost breakdown to show what retailer sells Alastin for the best price, and feature unsponsored customer reviews of the brand.
Ingredient Analysis – Restorative Skin Complex
The ingredients in Alastin Restorative Skin Complex are shown above.
There are a number of ingredients in this formulation that have research backing for anti-aging effects.
Niacinamide can restore skin barrier function, as documented in a 2004 medical review.
Palmitoyl tripeptide-5 was shown to promote collagen synthesis in skin in a medical review published in the Pharmaceuticals journal.
Palmitoyl dipeptide-5, palmitoyl tripeptide-1, palmitoyl hexapeptide-12 and acetyl hexapeptide-38 are other peptides, and topical peptides are clinically shown to have promising effects on wrinkle reduction and aged skin generally.
Glycolipids have a moisturizing effect on human skin according to a 2012 clinical trial.
There are many other active ingredients in this cream that we consider likely to have an anti-aging effect, but for the sake of brevity we’ll proceed to the only inactive ingredient that may be questionable from a health perspective.
Phenoxyethanol is a synthetic preservative that’s clinically shown to be toxic to human cells, as we discussed in our Instantly Ageless reviews article.
Overall, we consider Alastin Restorative Skin Complex highly likely to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and improve skin quality, and from an efficacy standpoint, this may be the most impressive anti-aging cream we’ve reviewed to date on Illuminate Health.
We don’t currently recommend this product due to the inclusion of phenoxyethanol.
Before analyzing the ingredients in another Alastin best-seller (Tinted Sunscreen), we’ll feature some real user reviews of the brand.
Real Users Review Alastin
A TikTok creator named Amy Chang reviewed Alastin in a video on whether expensive skincare products are “worth the splurge” or not:
@bondenavant Let me know in the comments products you want to see in Part 3 #luxuryskincare #luxury #skincarereviews #amysantiagingtips ♬ dance(256762) - TimTaj
A TikTok creator named “kierstansaulter” reviewed Alastin’s sunscreen favorably:
@kierstansaulter new favorite sunscreen @alastinskincare ♬ original sound - kierstansaulter
Ingredient Analysis – Tinted Sunscreen
The active ingredients in Alastin’s tinted sunscreen, called HydraTint Pro, are shown above.
Titanium dioxide is an effective and non-toxic physical sunscreen ingredient according to a medical review published in the Journal of Cosmetic Science.
Zinc oxide was shown to be effective and safe in the same above-linked medical review.
We consider “physical” sunscreen ingredients to be healthier than “chemical” ingredients that are absorbed into the bloodstream.
As we documented in our review of sunscreen brand Supergoop, some clinical studies have found chemical sunscreen ingredients like octocrylene to be toxic to humans, and other chemical sunscreen ingredients to be toxic to wildlife and natural ecosystems.
The inactive ingredients in Alastin’s sunscreen are shown below:
Ergothioneine was shown to have anti-aging effects in a 2020 clinical trial, and the study authors even concluded that the compound “should be used in the development of new skin care products or healthier sunscreen products.”
Dunaliella salina extract was shown to counteract skin aging in a clinical trial published in the Marine Drugs journal.
Squalane is an effective skin moisturizer, as we discussed in our itk Skincare reviews article.
Phenoxyethanol is included in this product, and we discussed the effects of this synthetic preservative in the previous ingredient analysis section.
Overall, we consider Alastin HydraTint Pro likely not only to protect the skin from sun, but also to have an anti-aging effect. Like the previous product, this is one of the most effective sunscreens we’ve ever reviewed. However, we don’t currently recommend it due to the inclusion of phenoxyethanol.
Is Alastin Worth the Money?
A YouTube creator named Chavy Chiang who has a channel dedicated to skincare discusses whether or not Alastin is worth the (extremely) high prices. We’ve timestamped the video below to begin when he starts discussing Alastin:
Where to Buy Alastin for the Best Price
Alastin products are sold at a variety of online retailers. Here’s a price breakdown for a one-time purchase of the two products reviewed in this article:
Restorative Skin Complex
Brand website: $210 (link)
Walmart: $66.41 (third-party seller, link)
Amazon: $28.79 (third-party seller, link)
Tinted Sunscreen
Brand website: $64 (link)
Rejuvent Skincare: $64 (link)
Amazon: $39.70 (third-party seller, link)
Prices on Amazon are significantly cheaper, but these listings are from third-party sellers. The extreme price discrepancy gives us pause, and seems like a red flag. It may be worthwhile for consumers who can afford it to purchase directly from the manufacturer.
Our Clean Skincare Picks
There are skincare products that contain ingredients shown in clinical trials to be effective for reducing wrinkles and improving skin quality generally.
Annie Mak Vitamin C Serum is our top skin cream pick because of its effective and clean formulation. It contains hyaluronic acid which was described as a "skin-rejuvenating biomedicine" in a medical review due to its ability to reduce wrinkles and signs of facial aging.
Interested consumers can check out Annie Mak Vitamin C Serum at this link to the product page on the official brand's website.
YOUARESUNSHINE from ClearStem is our top sunscreen pick.
It's an SPF 50+ physical sunscreen and may even have anti-aging effects. This sunscreen contains green tea extract, which is clinically shown to moisturize the skin and reduce wrinkles.
Interested consumers can check out YOUARESUNSHINE at this link to the product page on the brand's official website.
The only oral supplement we recommend for skin quality improvement is Bulletproof Collagen Powder.
Oral collagen supplementation was shown in a medical review published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology to improve visible signs of skin aging as well as improve skin elasticity and skin hydration.
Interested consumers can check out Bulletproof Collagen Powder at this link to the product page on the brand's official website.
None of the products recommended in this section contain additive ingredients that we consider questionable from a health perspective.
Pros and Cons of Alastin
Here are the pros and cons of Alastin in our opinion:
Pros:
- Should reduce wrinkles
- Should have anti-aging effects generally
- Should improve skin quality
- Extremely potent formulations
- Many research-backed ingredients
Cons:
- Extremely expensive
- Both products reviewed use a synthetic preservative that may be unhealthy
