I am excited to introduce you to a current favourite of mine: the Swanicoco FGF Pure Ampoule R, an anti-aging peptide treatment that has really impressed me!
Lately I have been all over K-beauty ampoules for some reason. I guess receiving some gorgeous ampoules as PR samples from fantastic brands such as Dr Ceracle/Leegeehaam or Ärztin has contributed to my newfound love for these ultra concentrated skincare goodies. As someone who is nearing the “big 4-0” far more rapidly than she wants to admit to herself, I am definitely noticing the changes in my skin: yes, it is still oily and prone to breakouts, but it also feels more and more “mature”, i.e. “dehydrated as f***”. Korean anti-aging ampoules manage to offer a concentrated, but often surprisingly lightweight form of targeted skincare that is just so very appealing to me and my easily overwhelmed, moody skin.
Cue the addition of the Swanicoco FGF Pure Ampoule R in my nightly skincare routine! This gorgeously packaged, deceptively simple ampoule treatment was sent to me as part of the “Swans 2” package a couple of K-beauty bloggers and influencers receivedº (I previously reviewed the equally fantastic Swanicoco Lifetime Saver Bio Cream on the blog). I have been using this anti ageing product for a few weeks now, and it has managed to become a constant stable in my K-beauty skincare routine.
Swanicoco FGF Pure Ampoule R – the Basics
The packaging of the Swanicoco FGF Pure Ampoule R alone was enough for me to instantly be drawn to it. It’s not that I am one of those people who need to have “gold everything”, but the beautiful, matte gold, sturdy container of the ampoule, plus the fancy golden cardboard box it comes in, gives it an undeniably appealing, luxurious appearance.
The writing on the cardboard box is sadly mostly in Korean, which I hope will change in the near future since Swanicoco is turning towards international markets more consciously (their international influencer program being a sure sign of this). Luckily, Beautytap has a full list of the ingredients!
Here is the list of ingredients for the Swanicoco FGF Ampoule:*
“Sh-Polypeptide-11, Tocopherol, Allantoin, Carbomer, Arginine, Adenosine, Olibanum, and Rosa Damascena Flower Oil.”
Short and sweet, isn’t it? I was surprised, in fact, by how minimalist the formulation for the ampoule is – surprised and delighted, given the fact that almost every ingredient on that list is a winner!
The main, name-giving ingredient here is the “sh-polypeptide-11” – now, I am not a chemist or skincare researcher, so please make sure to consult someone more knowledgeable than me about this, but from what I understand, this is a peptide complex consisting mostly of a number of peptides called “fibroblast growth factors”, or “FGF” for short. FGF is currently all the rage in skincare circles, especially in combination with its brother “EGF”, epidermal growth factor. Both FGF and EGF are said to boost collagen production of the skin by stimulating cell turnover, as well as assist in healing and protecting damaged skin.
I myself have had amazing results with peptide-containing products such as the Ärztin Schild Ampoulle, the Klairs Midnight Blue Youth Activating Drop (sadly not available at the moment), or the Lifetime Saver Bio Cream.* If you are interested in learning more about FGF and growth factors, I found this short forum post quite interesting!
As to the other ingredients on the list: arginine and adenosine are two skin-smoothing and wrinkle-combatting ingredients often found in Korean products for ageing skin, rosa damascene flower oil is a luxury oil that has been priced for its delicate scent, and olibanum is better known as frankincense, a strong-smelling essential oil that some claim has anti ageing benefits, though I can’t say if there is any research out there that can support this. Tocopherol is a form of Vitamin E, likely meant to stabilise the formula, and allantoin soothes and heals inflamed skin.
Swanicoco FGF Pure Ampoule R – Why I Love This Product
When I started using the Swanicoco FGF Pure Ampoule R, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, since information about it was mostly in Korean, which I sadly do not speak or read. In many ways, I am glad that I didn’t know much about its proclaimed effects – it meant that I was pretty unbiased in terms of what this may or may not do for me and my skin. The short English blurb on the side of the golden box that I actually discovered after I had already used this for a while states that it is meant to improve: elasticity, wrinkles, nutrition (?) and provide smoothing.
The Swanicoco FGF Pure Ampoule R has a surprisingly lightweight, watery texture, which does not feel oily in the slightest. For an ampoule, it is almost deceptively light – I am used to much heavier, often quite sticky textures and oily formulations that can take a while to sink into the skin (oh hey there, Royal Vita Propolis Ampoule!*), especially when it comes to anti ageing ampoules.
The fluid inside the drop applicator has a milky colour and a very faint, luckily not too offensive rose smell that I consider to be much, much more pleasant than the off-putting “old lady perfume” smell of the otherwise fantastic Swanicoco Fermentation Snail Care Skin Toner.*
The ampoule contains 45ml, and it will probably last me a while: I usually drop this directly on my skin and massage it in right after my essence and toner. I use 2 drops on my forehead, one each on my cheeks, and one for my chin, nose and neck – so, only 5 drops altogether! The milky fluid of the Swanicoco FGF Pure Ampoule R spreads easily on my skin and is absorbed much quicker than other ampoules I’ve used, with no residue or sticky leftovers at all.
Now, about the effects… I am always careful when it comes to anti ageing claims, since I feel that no product on this planet – except retinol, I guess – can truly “reverse” or “erase” signs of ageing. Ageing is, after all, simply a natural and inevitable process. Nevertheless, I do enjoy seeing improvements in my overall skin texture and appearance, naturally!
Well, when it comes to the Swanicoco FGF Pure Ampoule R, I have definitely seen improvements! My skin looks noticeably more toned and – dare I say it – more “youthful.” It seems like the ampoule’s ingredients mange to give my skin a more lifted and less puffy appearance, though I can’t say that using the ampoule has magically ironed out my wrinkles. It has, however, undeniably improved skin texture and made my skin super soft to the touch. It’s just a truly great skin treatment!
Swanicoco FGF Pure Ampoule R – the Bottom Line
I am glad to have found such a gorgeously simple, yet incredibly effective anti ageing ampoule, and can recommend the Swanicoco FGF Pure Ampoule R for all of you who are looking for an addition to your skincare routine that has anti ageing benefits without being too heavy or too rich.
Thanks to the watery, oil-free texture this is the ideal anti ageing ampoule for my oily combination skin, though I feel that all skin types would enjoy this, as long as drier skin types have other products in their routine that offer deeper hydration and nourishment.
This skincare gem used to be quite expensive, but recently Yesstyle has started carrying Swanicoco,* and the FGF Ampoule is only roughly 30$ there – given how long-lasting the product is, and how a little goes a long, long way this is a great deal!
Have you tried the Swanicoco FGF Pure Ampoule R or any other Swanicoco products?
Take care guys!
Sugarpeaches
°PR Samples, kindly provided by Leegeehaam Global for review purposes
*Affiliate Links, meaning I earn a small commission if you decide to use the link to purchase an item. This does not raise the purchase price for you, and it helps me and my blog to grow – so, thank you for supporting me in this way!
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