iNNBEAUTY PROJECT Retinol Remix 1% Retinol Treatment Versus Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 5 0.05% Retinal Serum
This anti-aging serum is formulated around Tranexamic Acid and Retinol to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.
This anti-aging treatment is formulated around Retinal to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Coco-Caprylate
Emollient
Coconut Alkanes
Emollient
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Arachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Hydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientTranexamic Acid
Astringent
Glyceryl Oleate Citrate
Emulsifying
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Retinal
Skin Conditioning
N-Prolyl Palmitoyl Tripeptide-56 Acetate
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate
Skin Conditioning
Tasmannia Lanceolata Fruit/Leaf Extract
Antioxidant
Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil
Masking
Oryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Haematococcus Pluvialis Extract
Antioxidant
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Extract
Emollient
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Acacia Senegal Gum
MaskingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Glucose
Humectant
Xanthophylls
Skin ConditioningLecithin
Emollient
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingSorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingBehenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Arachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingDimethyl Isosorbide
SolventMicrocrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Phytate
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Coco-Caprylate, Coconut Alkanes, Glycine Soja Oil, Dimethicone, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Alcohol, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Propanediol, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Tranexamic Acid, Glyceryl Oleate Citrate, Retinol, Retinal, N-Prolyl Palmitoyl Tripeptide-56 Acetate, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Tasmannia Lanceolata Fruit/Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Haematococcus Pluvialis Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Helianthus Annuus Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Acacia Senegal Gum, Xanthan Gum, Coco-Glucoside, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Glucose, Xanthophylls, Lecithin, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Caprylyl Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cellulose Gum, Sorbitan Isostearate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Behenyl Alcohol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Arachidyl Glucoside, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Phytate, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Oleyl Erucate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Triheptanoin
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Cyclodextrin
AbsorbentHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingBiosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Retinal
Skin Conditioning
Rubus Chamaemorus Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningLonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract
Perfuming
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Oleyl Erucate, Glycerin, Triheptanoin, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Cyclodextrin, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Allantoin, Retinal, Rubus Chamaemorus Seed Oil, Panthenol, Citric Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Disodium EDTA, Pentylene Glycol, Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract, Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideGlycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.
Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.
This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.
Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinThis is a synthetic polymer. It helps improve the texture of products by adding thickness and gel-like feel.
It is also an emulsifer, meaning it prevents ingredients such as oil and water from separating. It also helps evenly disperse other ingredients.
Pentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolRetinal (aka retinaldehyde) is a form of retinoid that formulators use mainly as an antiaging and skin-renewing active.
What makes it special is its position in the retinoid family; skin converts it to retinoic acid (the prescription gold standard) in just one step.
Because retinal only requires 1 conversion step to become retinoic acid, it's the strongest over-the-counter retinoid. It also works at lower concentrations than retinol, since retinal is about 10x more bioavailable.
Studies back up its efficacy in skin:
A foundational trial showed that applying 0.05-0.5% retinal for 1-3 months produced a dose-dependent and significant increase in epidermal thickness + cell turnover markers.
And a head-to-head comparison of 0.05% retinal against a 0.05% retinoid acid found both formulations were effective for the basis of wrinkle/skin roughness features, but retinoic acid caused more local irritation.
More recent controlled trials confirm it improves wrinkles, dermal density, and firmness over 12-24 weeks, with significant improvements in skin texture and firmness (particularly with the higher 0.1% concentration).
Retinal also has one trick the other retinoids do not: it directly fights against acne bacteria since a clinical study showed retinaldehyde-treated areas displayed a significant decrease in counts of viable P. acnes.
This makes it a great pick for people who want to treat aging and breakouts.
Typical cosmetic use sits in the 0.05-0.1% range with 0.05% being the gentle starting point and 0.1% giving stronger results.
Like all retinoids, retinal works best with nightly use, a good moisturizer, and daytime sunscreen. It can cause some irritation so ease into it slowly rather than going all in.
The "ramp up" method works well: start with Retinal once a week to give your skin time to adjust, which keeps irritation low.
Slowly add more nights until you reach your goal frequency once your skin feels comfortable.
Retinoids also make your skin more sensitive to the sun in the first few weeks, so wear sunscreen every morning and protect your skin from direct sun while you build up tolerance.
Learn more about RetinalWater. 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. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
