The annual Indie Beauty Expo kicked off in Los Angeles last January 23, 2019. This year’s event is definitely bigger and has more new and upcoming beauty and skincare brands.  It featured more than 180 brands.

The Indie Beauty Expo is not your typical beauty event. Most of the brands present are either independent, small scale or simply new in the vast ocean of cosmetics and skincare market. You will not find your mainstream brands here but it is definitely a way for you to discover new innovations in beauty as well as small scale business featuring unique concoctions that you will not find elsewhere.

What is new this year is the presence of Kbeauty brands. Some of the brands present were When Beauty, Haru Haru and Dewy Tree.  There was also a vast number of organically made products as well those that are proud to be small batch and handmade.

Now, to those who are seasoned in attending beauty events, the most common question is, “do they give out samples?” The answer is yes, BUT not all. Samples are scarce here since this is really a shopping event. However, since this is a more intimate kind of beauty event, you are free to talk to the participants and ask all the questions you have about their products.

If you want to experience most of the participating brands without shelling out too much dough, I suggest purchasing a VIP ticket which includes a HUGE bag of goodies containing products from the vendors.

The next wave of IBE will be in Berlin Germany on March 22-23. Tickets are already on sale. It will once again come back to USA on May 15-16 and it will be held in Dallas Texas.

I am already about to jump in to my late Thirties and I know that the anti-aging battle will kick in full gear. I have been contemplating a lot about using Retinol but living in sunny Los Angeles makes it impossible to avoid the dreaded side effects of sun exposure. It is also concern for me that my skin would have a negative reaction to Retinol – I mean; I heard good bad things about but I sure do not want to gamble and bet my skin on it. Too risky.

I stumbled upon IMGN Dermatology on Instagram and was intrigued about its main ingredient – Bakuchiol. I guess I was living in a cave for a while because it turned out to be present in some popular high end brands.

So, what is Bakuchiol?

Bakuchiol is derived from medicinal plants. It has the same effects as retinol but without its harsh effects. It builds rebuilds collagen and lessens fine lines and wrinkles. It shrinks the pores, smoothens the skins and makes its texture firm and elastic.  Since it is plant based, this ingredient is so safe that even pregnant women can use it. 

IMGN Dermatology Beyond Retinol Serum

I have been continuously using this serum for a couple of weeks now. I know that there is no magic formula and it takes a considerable amount of time for full anti-wrinkle results to kick in but I noticed that my skin looks far better since I started slathering up this serum every single night.

The serum is easily melts in to skin without leaving a greasy layer. It also did not cause any adverse reaction – no rashes, no pimples or anything.

Since this bottle also has Hyaluronic acid, the whole concoction leaves my skin looking fresh, hydrated and plump as well. That is a bonus since moisture is one of my primary concerns for a skincare product.

IMGN Dermatology Beyond Retinol Serum is available on Amazon. I strongly suggest giving this a try instead of splurging on expensive products containing similar ingredients. It costs less and it works like magic. Most of all, this product is paraben free and does not contain sulfate and phthalates. It is also cruelty free!

You may purchase IMGN Dermatology Beyond Retinol Serum on Amazon. Click HERE. 

Disclaimer: I received this item in exchange for an honest review.