Peptides for Pro-Aging Skincare: My Honest Review of OneSkin
*This post contains affiliate links which means I receive a commission if you make a purchase using the links in this post. I am a licensed esthetician and skin-forward makeup artist. I purchased these products myself, and receive no compensation from OneSkin. All opinions and recommendations are honestly my own. My skin type is Fitzpatrick II, mature, on the oily side, and sometimes dehydrated.
Thanks to One Skin for spotting this review and offering readers a 15% discount!
Valid until June 1, 2024 with code: TABITHA15
As a skin-forward makeup artist and woman approaching 49 years of age (next month!), I am always looking for the best ways to care for and preserve skin - mine, and my clients'. I grew up in a science-y household with two NASA engineer parents, and I entered university as a Chemistry major so I tend toward the skeptical when it comes to "holy oils" that promise to deliver miraculous results. While I enjoy trying new skincare products, I typically give each one at least 2 months of continued use to see if the results are worth my time and money and I ALWAYS try something thoroughly myself before recommending it or using it with a client.
I first heard about OneSkin, a female-founded, scientifically-backed skincare company, on the Gabrielle Reece podcast (an excellent podcast, BTW, if you are interested in health and wellness content). I was immediately intrigued by their patented peptide, OS-01, and the science behind it. Their marketing claim is that OS-01 is "The first peptide proven to reverse skin’s biological age by preventing the accumulation of senescent cells."
A peptide is a short chain of amino acids that are the building blocks of protein. Peptides have been used in skincare products to reduce inflammation, even out skin tone, and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Senescence is the natural by-product of aging - exposure to environmental damage triggers cells to enter a "zombie" state of dysfunction referred to as senescence. In short, the more senescent cells you accumulate, the faster your skin ages. The OneSkin OS-01 peptide claims to "boost(s) DNA damage repair in senescent cells, preventing them from secreting pro-aging factors. This effectively stops the spread of senescence and reduces your skin’s biological age at the cellular level." Sounds great, right?!
OneSkin OS-01 Face is a fairly expensive product - a one-time purchase that lasts approximately 2 months is $120 - so I debated about this one for quite some time. I read reviews, listened to podcasts with the founders, and scoured their website for more information. In December 2023 I decided to give it a try and ordered it via the 60-day subscription option which reduced the price to $99 (easy cancellation at any time). I was drawn in by the background of the founders (4 female Ph. D.s), their patented peptide, their published science, and the fact that they sell refills of their products to save packaging. I also liked that the company name is derived from the idea that we are all one family, one human skin.
2 months of OS-01 Face product used
While I was placing the order for OS-01 Face, I decided to go for it and purchase the OS-01 Eye product at the same time. As I mentioned above, I'm turning 49 next month and am always on the hunt for clinical and clean products that will help prevent or reduce more signs of skin aging. I'm still reluctant to try injectibles like Botox or fillers so my search is focused on topical treatments. The OS-01 Eye product contains a higher concentration of the peptide and, like the OS-01 Face product, comes in refillable packaging (retail $109 one-time purchase).
OneSkin advertises that the OS-01 Face product is a "topical supplement" ideally used on clean skin before any other serums or moisturizers. Since I have other serums that I like to use (Vitamin C and Niacin), I followed their instructions and applied OS-01 Face right after cleansing. Afterward, I applied the OS-01 Eye underneath my eyes and around my orbital bone, and then I sealed it with one of my favorite nighttime moisturizers. My first impression was that these are not luxurious products - the consistency of both OS-01 Face and OS-01 Eye feels ever-so-slightly grainy (although not abrasive), and there's no fragrance. But, I don't expect a therapeutic product to have fragrance, and it's actually better if it doesn't. In the U.S., the category "fragrance" allows manufacturers too much leeway to use chemicals that aren't good for the skin and can be sensitizing for sensitive skins.
The morning after my first use I felt a little sensitive around the eye area in particular. It wasn't a strong enough feeling to make me think I was having a negative reaction, but it felt like I had used a product with an active ingredient. OneSkin recommends using both OS-01 Face and OS-01 Eye every morning and evening, so I decided to ease into it and see how things felt with continued use. For the first week I used both products every other night only. The second week I bumped it up to every night and didn't experience any negative effects. The third week I added every other morning into the rotation, and then the 4th week I was up to every day, morning and night, except for the nights I'm using an exfoliator or a retinal. On those nights I skip the OneSkin products altogether.
Here's how my bare skin looks after two months of continuous use. I'll update with a side-by-side after 6 months:
Bare skin after 2 months of OS-01 Face and OS-01 Eye use
Since using these two products I have noticed subtle improvements in the tightness and texture of my skin, particularly underneath and around my eyes. I believed enough in their efficacy that I purchased a refill of OS-01 Face in February 2024. I still have about half the bottle of OS-01 Eye because such a small amount is needed per application. I decided to continue to try their products and also purchased their Prep cleanser as well as the OS-01 Shield, a lightly tinted SPF 30. You can see in the photo below that the Shield gives the sheerest hint of tint for a slightly more even-toned complexion.
Bare skin after 2 months of OS-01 Face and OS-01 Eye use, WITH Tinted OS-01 Shield
I've only used both the Prep and OS-01 Shield for about a month at this point, but my early impressions are good. Prep is a nice gel cleanser - it foams very gently and doesn't leave my skin feeling stripped. I like that OS-01 Shield is tinted just enough to add a tiny bit of color, but it's not enough to be considered makeup. Like the Face and Eye products, this also contains the OS-01 peptide.
I like that all of the OneSkin products work great underneath makeup - no pilling or other undesirable behavior
I plan to continue using these products for at least 6 months total, and update this post with my 6-month impressions. Right now I'm happy with my skin in terms of clarity, brightness, and tone.
My current skin routine for Spring 2024:
Morning
Splash with cool water
(makeup)
Evening
Oil Cleanse with Rosehip Seed Oil
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