Tech
Beauty

Opulus makes retinol somehow simple via adorable little pods

Retinol is much less intimidating with these cute pods and a predetermined skincare schedule.
By Jennimai Nguyen  on 
All products featured here are independently selected by our editors and writers. If you buy something through links on our site, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission.

Beauty calls. In Beauty, Hacked, we test drive the latest skincare, makeup, hair, and wellness tech while exploring the pageantry of beauty on the internet.


If you thought all skincare came in the form of pre-made creams or serums, you thought wrong. And if you thought the only way you could adjust your skincare's temperature was to cool it down in a chic-but-space-stealing mini fridge, you thought even more wrong. 

The Opulus skincare system takes both of these assumptions and turns them on their heads. Rather than buying a moisturizer or night cream from a drug store, which typically comes in a classic bottle or pot, Opulus packages its unique formulas into small pods called Opoules. To use them, you put an Opoule into the Activator, which melts it down into a perfectly portioned, freshly activated, and optimally heated up dosage. 

"We've created a new format for cosmetics," said Dr. Robb Ackridge, inventor and co-founder of Opulus, "Think of a chocolate truffle with an outer hard shell and an inner center with a different cream or mixture to allow you to have a different experience. And that's what each of these Opuoles are based on the ingredients we put in the outer coat and inner core, where you can have an array of different products. Everything from face masks to creams to lotions, we can adjust that."

Depending on your skin goals, the Opoules hold different ingredients to achieve different aims. Currently, you can use Opulus with its in-system weekly hydration treatments, exfoliation treatments, AHA treatments, as well as nightly retinol treatments. 

Though all of the available treatments have different benefits, Opulus's retinol products have an additional appeal: They're organized into a prescribed regimen of active retinol treatment days and restorative hydration days. For those looking to get into the retinol game but who might be apprehensive at the potent ingredients and the need to self-schedule, Opulus's gradually increasing retinol amounts and scheduled routine takes all of the guesswork out. 

A photo of the Opulus retinol pods.
Easy peasy! Credit: Opulus

On top of the unique Opoule form and helpful retinol routines, Opulus's tech makes sure that your freshly melted skincare is delivered at 107 degrees Fahrenheit. According to Opulus's development team, this temperature makes for the best possible absorption into the skin, making your skincare supposedly more effective than ever. 

In this episode of Beauty, Hacked, host Jennimai Nguyen puts all of Opulus's big claims to the test over a 30-day testing period. After a month of using the Regimen 1 Retinol+ Starter System, she had tons of thoughts on what it was like to incorporate retinol into her routine for the first time in such a high-tech manner. Plus, she had insight into whether the perfectly measured 107 degrees Fahrenheit really made a difference in product absorption. Tune in here to hear her verdict, and see for yourself if the Opulus is worth the $395 price tag.

More in Beauty

Mashable Image

Jennimai Nguyen

Jennimai is a tech reporter at Mashable covering digital culture, social media, and how we interact with our everyday tech. She also hosts Mashable’s Snapchat Discover channel and TikTok, so she naturally spends way too much time scrolling the FYP and thinking about iPhones.


More from Beauty, Hacked

Lottie London is accepting blood donations as payment for its 'Vampire Diaries' collection

Electroshocking your face isn't as scary as it sounds

The Foreo UFO 2 isn't an alien ship — it's the sheet mask's smarter sibling

A TikTok hack claims to give you a cheap, trendy manicure. Nail techs are begging you not to do it.

Skin cycling is the TikTok trend that's demystifying active skincare

Recommended For You

Photo dumps are the no makeup-makeup looks of Instagram

The internet used to be fun. Remember? 

The most important tech terms you need to know for 2023

The TikTokkers who got us through 2022

The 14 most WTF TV moments of 2022

Trending on Mashable

How to watch Netflix's 'Kaleidoscope' in chronological order, if you must

Wordle today: Here's the answer, hints for January 3

AirTag odyssey: One woman's lost luggage journey goes viral


Netflix's '1899' mysteriously cancelled after just one season
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
By signing up to the Mashable newsletter you agree to receive electronic communications from Mashable that may sometimes include advertisements or sponsored content.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!