Beauty Diary: Review of Ultraceuticals RVR90 Program
A woman who thought her skin was “fine” was shocked when a special camera revealed hidden damage, prompting her to make a dramatic change.
Committing to a single skincare brand is legitimately harder than choosing a boyfriend.
It might sound like a bold statement, but ask any beauty lover about the products in their routine and they’ll often reel off a list that involves a best-selling moisturiser made by one brand alongside a cult serum from another.
The idea of being loyal – especially to a journalist whose job quite literally involves testing different products regularly – well that’s blasphemy.
But a scroll through all the posts Australian cosmeceutical brand Ultraceuticals is tagged in, showing off some incredible skin transformations, made me throw out the beauty journo rule book.
For seven years the brand has been running its RVR90 Program, which involves several consultations with a qualified skin therapist over a three-month period, during which you’ll receive a prescribed skincare regimen tailored to your skin’s needs.
Ultraceuticals states “committed” participants will “reap the rewards” from following a 90-day plan rather than relying on “instant results of over-hyped products”.
And judging from the before and after photos shared by happy customers on social media, there’s a hefty truth to the claims.
So I cleared out my bathroom cabinet and booked in to begin the challenge. During the initial consultation – which can be performed at any participating clinic – my skin therapist Jess took photos using special UV cameras that can show invisible damage caused by sun exposure.
The snaps are far from flattering, but it allowed us to see what was going on, and make a decision about what I’d like to target – which in my case was pigmentation, enlarged pores and redness across my nose and cheeks.
To be honest, I’d always thought my skin was fine, good even – so seeing that there was actually damage there was a bit confronting.
Jess then prescribed me a corrective retinol serum and the vitamin A eye cream to go alongside the brand’s RVR90 (which stands for real visible results in 90 days) starter pack containing a cleanser, lotion and the moisturising sunscreen.
She also told me to apply a “protective antioxidant complex” in the mornings to provide protection against non-UV environmental stressors.
After, Jess gave me a facial treatment to kickstart my journey, using the brand’s Brightening Accelerator Mask.
“This treatment features a combination of Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs), Salicylic Acid (BHA and Niacinamide (Vit B3) combined with a powerful blend of brightening agents to help resurface the skin, even skin tone, restore clarity and luminosity,” she said.
“I also used our sonophoresis machine to help the products penetrate deeper into the skin for extra hydration.”
Back home, I thought I would be overwhelmed by an entirely new skincare routine, but I actually found it pretty simple to follow.
It was very straightforward and cut down on a lot of other steps I’d been using previously. For example, I was only using an active serum at night, as Jess had eliminated my vitamin C serum that I applied daily in the mornings.
After getting into the swing of it, I honestly didn’t give it much thought. It was only when I hit the four-week mark and a colleague made a comment about how “glowy” my skin was that I realised the program was working.
Unfortunately, I caught Covid around this time, so my next scheduled appointment with Jess had to be put back two weeks.
But when I went in, six weeks after beginning the challenge, the change in my skin could be seen in a series of new images taken on the UV camera.
At this point, Jess added the brand’s pore-refining serum to my routine, and during my treatment she used sonophoresis – a non-invasive technology that uses warmth and motion energy to significantly increase the depth and rate at which active ingredients can be absorbed into the deeper layers of the skin – to target healing and hydration.
By the time my last appointment rolled around, at the two-month mark, my before and after photos were as incredible as the ones I’d seen on Instagram previously – and we weren’t even done yet.
Comparing the two photos side-by-side, my skin was visibly brighter, the redness had gone down, my pores were smaller and the pigmentation had improved.
After assessing my skin, Jess added a vitamin C to my routine, and then gave me my final treatment of the challenge – a vitamin A peel followed by another sonophoresis facial.
It’s been five months now since I started the challenge, and I’m so happy with my results I’m still loyal to Ultraceuticals.
My skin is 100 per cent healthier and happier and I feel completely confident to not wear make-up when leaving the house.
Of course, I will test other skincare goodies again – it’s part of my job – but there are now a few Ultraceuticals products I’ll buy again and again.
The “Ultra UV Protective Daily Moisturiser SPF 50 Hydrating” is a sunscreen I adored. It’s definitely on the expensive side, retailing for $88, but the tube is 100ml and it last a long time – just make sure you’re using four pumps to ensure you have enough protection on.
I also adore all three of the serums I’ve used, the Ultra C Firmin Serum ($119), the Ultra Smoothing Pore Refiner ($122) and the Ultra A Skin Perfecting Serum, ($145).
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Each one was extremely effective and delivered impressive results that I now no longer want to live without.
If you’d told me I could completely change my face in just 90 days, I would never have believed you. But those highly unflattering photos speak for themselves.
This column is not advertorial content. Every review is independent, honest and ad-free. If you have a question about a beauty product or an item you’d like to see road-tested in The Beauty Diary, jump into our official Facebook group where you can join like-minded beauty junkies. You can also catch me on Instagram or tweet me – don’t forget to hashtag #TheBeautyDiary.