Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of FaceTheory Regenacalm 2% Retinol and Vitamin C Serum S1 versus Trader Joe's Retinol Night Serum .
Published on January 05, 2023
Overview
What they are
These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe serums. They have a total of 7 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain BHA, hyaluronic acid, retinoid, Vitamin C and Vitamin E
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, oily skin, reducing pores, scar healing, dark spots and better texture
Free From
They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, parabens, silicones or sulfates
We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.
Ingredient Info
FaceTheory Regenacalm 2% Retinol and Vitamin C Serum S1 23 ingredients
Trader Joe's Retinol Night Serum 20 ingredients
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Contains Fragrance
Ingredients in this product that are forms of fragrance:
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Oil Free
This product is free of oils 🎉
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of EU allergens 🎉
Vegan
This product is vegan 🎉
Cruelty Free
This product is cruelty-free 🎉
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Fragrance Free
This product is free of fragrances 🎉
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Contains Oils
Ingredients in this product that are types of oil:
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of EU allergens 🎉
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Cruelty Free
This product is cruelty-free 🎉
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
FaceTheory Regenacalm 2% Retinol and Vitamin C Serum S1 23 ingredients
Trader Joe's Retinol Night Serum 20 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
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Benefits
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Concerns
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Notable Ingredients
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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Benefits
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Concerns
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
FaceTheory Regenacalm 2% Retinol and Vitamin C Serum S1 23 ingredients
Trader Joe's Retinol Night Serum 20 ingredients
Water • Propanediol • Glycerin • Polyglyceryl-4 Oleate • Retinyl Palmitate • Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate • Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate • Tocopherol • Sodium Anisate • Sodium Levulinate • Glyceryl Caprylate • Anethum Graveolens Herb Extract • Glycyrrhiza Glabra Stem Extract • Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose • Lactic Acid • Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate • Ferulic Acid • Xanthan Gum • Salicylic Acid • Sodium Hyaluronate • Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice • Citric Acid • Potassium Sorbate
Water • Propanediol • Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride • Polyglyceryl-4 Laurate/Succinate • Sorbitan Oleate • Sodium Ascorbate • Tocopherol • Sodium Hyaluronate • Phenoxyethanol • Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer • Retinol • Ethylhexylglycerin • Citric Acid • Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil • Phospholipids • Retinyl Palmitate • Tocopheryl Acetate • Ascorbyl Palmitate • Salicylic Acid • Sorbic Acid
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.
So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.
You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about WaterFaceTheory Regenacalm 2% Retinol and Vitamin C Serum S1 contains this as ingredient number 1.
Trader Joe's Retinol Night Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.
Propanediol helps absorb ingredients into your skin, boosting their benefits. It can act as an emollient, making your skin softer. Propanediol can help products last longer by boosting the properties of preservatives within the formulation.
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use.
It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolFaceTheory Regenacalm 2% Retinol and Vitamin C Serum S1 contains this as ingredient number 2.
Trader Joe's Retinol Night Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.
Retinyl palmitate is a form of retinoid. It is created from palmitic acid and retinol.
This ingredient has antioxidant and exfoliating properties. Like other types of retinols, retinyl palmitate increases cell turnover. Removing dead skin cells and encouraging the growth of new ones improves skin tone and unclogs pores. This in turn promotes brighter looking skin and even skin texture.
As an antioxidant, retinyl palmitate helps neutralize free-radical molecules. These molecules have the potential to damage skin cells. Thus, antioxidants may help with anti-aging.
Retinyl palmitate can be good for be good for oily skin by helping to unclog pores. However, it may not be good for dry skin and fungal acne.
After using this product, you should follow up with sunscreen.
This ingredient is often added to low-fat milk to increase the levels of Vitamin A.
Learn more about Retinyl PalmitateFaceTheory Regenacalm 2% Retinol and Vitamin C Serum S1 contains this as ingredient number 5.
Trader Joe's Retinol Night Serum contains this as ingredient number 16.
Tocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
Learn more about TocopherolFaceTheory Regenacalm 2% Retinol and Vitamin C Serum S1 contains this as ingredient number 8.
Trader Joe's Retinol Night Serum contains this as ingredient number 7.
Salicylic Acid (also known as beta hydroxy acid or BHA) is one of the most well-known ingredients for treating skin that struggles with blackheads and acne. It helps to exfoliate both the skin's surface and pores, and also acts as an anti-inflammatory agent.
This multitasking property makes it a great ingredient for cleaning out pores, controlling oil production, and reducing inflammation.
Unlike AHAs which are water soluble, Salicylic Acid is oil soluble. This means that it's able to exfoliate the inside of pores and reduce blackheads.
Concentrations of 0.5-2% are recognized by the U.S. FDA as an over-the-counter topical acne product.
It can cause irritation and/or dryness if one's skin already has a compromised moisture barrier, so it's best to focus on repairing that before introducing a Salicylic Acid into your routine.
In general, Salicylic Acid is a great ingredient for oily acne-prone skin.
While salicylic acid does not increase sun-sensitivity, we still recommend wearing SPF.
If you are looking for the ingredient called BHA or Butylated Hydroxyanisole, click here.
Learn more about Salicylic AcidFaceTheory Regenacalm 2% Retinol and Vitamin C Serum S1 contains this as ingredient number 19.
Trader Joe's Retinol Night Serum contains this as ingredient number 19.
Sodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.
Like hyaluronic acid, it is great at holding water and acts as a humectant. This makes it a great skin hydrating ingredient.
Sodium Hyaluronate is naturally occurring in our bodies and is mostly found in eye fluid and joints.
These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateFaceTheory Regenacalm 2% Retinol and Vitamin C Serum S1 contains this as ingredient number 20.
Trader Joe's Retinol Night Serum contains this as ingredient number 8.
Citric Acid is an AHA derived from citrus fruits (think oranges, lemons, and limes!).
If you spot Citric Acid near the end of an ingredient list, it's likely there as a pH adjuster rather than an active ingredient.
As an AHA, Citric Acid removes the top layer of skin cells from the newer layer of skin underneath. This helps skin to remove dark spots and look more even.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidFaceTheory Regenacalm 2% Retinol and Vitamin C Serum S1 contains this as ingredient number 22.
Trader Joe's Retinol Night Serum contains this as ingredient number 13.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
FaceTheory Regenacalm 2% Retinol and Vitamin C Serum S1 23 ingredients
Trader Joe's Retinol Night Serum 20 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
FaceTheory Regenacalm 2% Retinol and Vitamin C Serum S1 23 ingredients
Trader Joe's Retinol Night Serum 20 ingredients
Alternatives
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