1004 Laboratory Acai Berry 90 Protecting Ampoule Review

disclaimer: product received for review purposes. All opinions are my own and unbiased

Over a month ago, I received this lovely ampoule by 1004 Lab from 08L USA (website IG ) You just sign up and then apply for products you might wish to try. It is like the lottery ~ they just pick people at random and I was lucky enough to get this Acai Berry 90 Ampoule. Their only requirement is that I post an Instagram review within a week which I did provide. 08L USA did not require a blog review, however, I really wanted to do a full review on this ampoule as I thought it is an interesting product.

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1004 Laboratory is a South Korean company and I have tried a few items from them in the past ~ a shower body wash, which was amazing, BB cream and facial cleanser, the latter were so-so, meh, to me.

However, I was really excited about this product because it not only has Acai berries, but its ingredients of beta-glucan, niacinamide and hyaluronic acid. It is marketed as an “Intensive Moisture and Brightening Essence”

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The 90 stands for 90% of Acai (euterpe oleracea) fruit extracts in this hydrating and brightening ampoule. Acai berries have more anti-oxidative activity properties (ORAC) than many other fruit extracts: 21 times more than blueberries, 23 times more than pomegranates, 55 times more than grapes and 120 times more than kiwi fruit. It also contains anthocyanin, 3 omega essential fatty acids ~ 3, 5 and 9 and vitamins, including Vitamin B1, B3, C, E, all which will help combat free radicals, protect and strengthen your skin.

It contains several hydrating and moisturizing ingredients: trehalose, which supplies concentrated moisture to your skin and helps retain moisture, preventing your skin from drying out. Glycerin will moisturize and hydrate the skin, leaving your face feeling smooth and soft. Beta glucan is a compound that is naturally derived from mushrooms, oats, yeast and grains. It is 20% more effective than hyaluronic acid and it helps stimulate the production of collagen. It also speeds up wound healing, soothes and calms skin due to its anti-irritant and strong anti-inflammatory properties. Beta glucan will moisturize, locking in natural moisture and is an anti-aging and anti-wrinkle ingredient due to its anti-oxidant properties and also helps repair your moisture barrier. Hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid helps supply nutrition and strengthen your cell barrier and will penetrate deep into your skin, while retaining moisture.

This also has an oil-water balance as it has natural oils from plants: sweet orange, jojoba, lemon, grapefruit, lime and bergamot ~ full of vitamin C as well, which also helps brighten your skin tone. Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) also contributes to skin brightening ~ it is a powerful antioxidant that acts as an anti-inflammatory, improves your skin elasticity, enhance the skin barrier function and also it helps to even out skin tone and reduce post-inflammatory hyper-pigmentation

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Adenosine is yeast derived and is an anti-wrinkle and anti-inflammatory ingredient. Propolis is a natural antibiotic that is produced by honey bees. This ingredient is wonderful for those with blemish prone skin or have other skin issues, as it really helps heal your skin. Witch hazel is an blemish prone skin’s best friend because it has antibacterial and antiseptic qualities which helps clear up acne and it removes excess oil from skin. It also helps shrinks blood vessels, which tightens our skin. Witch hazel can speed up healing and is a powerful anti-inflammatory, which also helps soothe skin. Finally, Witch hazel refreshes and rejuvenates skin, refines the pores and seal in moisture. Centella asiatica is a common herbal ingredient that is used medicinally to help speed up wound healing, such as blemishes and skin rashes. It also helps minimize the appearance of pores, and since it stimulates collagen production, it will make your skin more supple and firm.

And finally a slew of berries: cranberry, gooseberry and blueberry, all full of antioxidants which will help with anti-aging, reduce redness and inflammation and heal skin damage. They are also rich with Vitamin A and C, helping to gently exfoliate your skin, which will brighten due to skin cell turnover.

1004 Lab Acai Berry 90 Protecting Ampoule is free from parabens, phenoxyethanol, benzophenone, oxybenzone, artificial fragrance, silicone, triethanolamine, mineral oil, artificial colors, talc, propylene glycol and BHT. It is eco-certified and free from genetically modified agricultural products.

Ingredients: euterpe oleracea (acai) fruit extract (90%), glycerin, water, niacinamide, trehalose, sodium hyaluronate, hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid, beta-glucan, portulaca oleracea extract, centella asiatica leaf extract, vaccinium macrocarpon fruit extract, angelica archangelica extract, citrus unshiu peel extract, hamamelis virginiana extract, usnea barbata extract, althaea rosea flower extract, scutellaria baicalensis root extract, origanum vulgare leaf extract, chamaecyparis obtusa leaf extract, phyllanthus emblica fruit extract, blueberry fruit extract, propolis extract, zanthoxylum piperitum fruit extract, argania spinosa kernel oil, glyceryl polyacrylate, octyldodeceth-16, arginine, carbomer, caprylyl glycol, 1,2-hexanediol, adenosine, hydroxyethylcellulose, citrus limon (lemon) peel oil, citrus aurantium dulcis (sweet orange) peel oil, citrus paradisi (grapefruit) peel oil, citrus aurantium bergamia (bergamot) fruit oil, citrus aurantifolia (lime) oil, gardenia jasminoides ellis, dextrin, citric acid cosDNA analysis

The packaging reminds me of Graymelin products ~ glass bottles with an eye dropper applicator ~ very apothecary look and feel along with the very HARD to read script on the box!! This is what the box actually states:

Acai Berries, the Spring of Youth

The legend of the Acai Berry: The acai berry is the fruit of life, cultivated purely by nature on the tops of palm trees in the Amazon Rainforest. Acai berries contain large amounts of nutrients which give energy and vitality and have been used over many centuries by Amazon natives and warriors for energy, stamina, and medicine.

Etymology of the Acai Berry: The acai berry is a type of berry. Amazon natives gave it the name acai, which means crying fruit because on the fruit grown, the branches droop downward and the berries resemble tears.

Benefits of the Acai Berry: The acai berry contains anthocyanin, essential fatty acids and omega acid, highly effective in preventing aging and a variety of nutrients such as vitamins B1, B3, C, E, minerals, calcium, potassium, and more than 12 types of polyphenols.

Despite the photos from the brand, the ampoule is not pinkish in color, but clear. I think 1004 Lab took poetic licenses with that! The dropper does provide enough coverage with one dropper full and the texture is thicker than water, but still watery. It feels oily at first, but it is just the slip of the product, as once I tap it into my skin, it absorbs quickly, leaving no tacky residue. The texture of my skin is visibly smoother and plumped up, so my fine lines and wrinkles are less noticeable. This has a delightfully wonderful sparkling citrus scent ~ lemons and limes. If you are looking for a berry scent, this doesn’t have it.

The above swatch shows the product initially tapped into my skin, so it is a bit dewy there. It is not dewy once it is completely absorbed. This has a pH level of 5, so it is mildly acidic ~ not strong enough to be a major exfoliator, however.

This is not the most moisturizing product as it only increased my moisture level by around 15%. However, since this ampoule is to be layered with other products, it does provide a boost of hydration.

Final Thoughts

I have mixed feelings about this ampoule. On one hand, I love the ingredient list ~ it is stellar and for oily/blemish prone skin with aging concerns, it seems to be a great fit. The scent is amazing and I love the feel of this essence on my skin. It works well with my other skin care products and leaves my skin silky smooth and soft and helped reduce inflammation. However, I’ve been using this for a few months now and I haven’t seen a lot of brightening yet. This ampoule is not inexpensive either and since I have many products that can hydrate at a lower price point, I cannot see myself purchasing this in the near future. This isn’t a bad product and if I ever get another one free, I will use it. I will continue using this until it is gone, as it is a real pleasure to use, but I am not sure if I am reaping the full benefits it is supposed to have ~ brightening, anti-wrinkle, moisturizing. If the price came down on it, I might consider purchasing it. Have you tried 1004 Lab Acai Berry 90 Protecting Ampoule? What was your experience with it?

Where To Purchase

There aren’t a lot of places that sell this product yet. This is for the 50 mL bottle

eBay The prices range from $40.00 USD for one bottle to $84.00 USD for 2 bottles. These prices do not including shipping costs.
Beauty Berry $23.28 USD This doesn’t include shipping, which is very expensive ~ for me, it is more than the product itself. I have never ordered from this shop before
You can also purchase it from the Korean 1004 Lab site (click here) for 23,600 won, which is around $21.00 USD. This seems to be the best price, but they do not ship internationally. You can use a shipping service ~ I use Korean Buddy and if you want to save 50% off handler fee with your first purchase, you can use me as a referral by giving them my blog url https://beautyfindsforme.wordpress.com