Transparent Lab Gentle Rejuvenation Serum Versus Shani Darden Retinol Reform

See how these products line up with your preferences

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Transparent Lab Gentle Rejuvenation Serum versus Shani Darden Retinol Reform .

Last updated on August 01, 2023. Published on January 09, 2023

Overview

What they are

These products are both vegan and reef safe serums. They have a total of 10 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain niacinamide and retinoid

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, fragrances, oils, 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.

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Transparent Lab Gentle Rejuvenation Serum

Shani Darden Retinol Reform

Serum Spanish Brand Spain

Serum Brand

Serum

Serums are highly concentrated with ingredients to provide skin with benefits. They should be used after cleansing and before moisturizing.

Serum

Serums are highly concentrated with ingredients to provide skin with benefits. They should be used after cleansing and before moisturizing.

Price

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Buy Gentle Rejuvenation Serum

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Buy Retinol Reform

Starts at $89.00

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.

Transparent Lab Gentle Rejuvenation Serum 24 ingredients

Shani Darden Retinol Reform 43 ingredients

alcohol-free

silicon-free

fragrance-free

sulfate-free

paraben-free

oil-free

fungal-acne safe

reef-safe

eu-allergen-free

vegan

cruelty-free

alcohol-free

silicon-free

fragrance-free

sulfate-free

paraben-free

oil-free

fungal-acne safe

reef-safe

eu-allergen-free

vegan

cruelty-free

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Transparent Lab Gentle Rejuvenation Serum 24 ingredients

Shani Darden Retinol Reform 43 ingredients

Notable Ingredients

Retinoid

Niacinamide

Benefits

Hydrating (2)

Good For Oily Skin (2)

Redness Reducing (2)

Skin Texture

Reduces Large Pores (2)

Anti-Aging

Dark Spots (2)

Scar Healing

Acne Fighting (2)

Brightening (3)

Concerns

Drying (2)

Acne Trigger

Irritating

Rosacea

Eczema

Notable Ingredients

AHA

Retinoid

Vitamin E (2)

Niacinamide

Benefits

Hydrating (3)

Good For Oily Skin (2)

Redness Reducing (3)

Reduces Irritation (2)

Skin Texture (2)

Reduces Large Pores (4)

Anti-Aging (4)

Dark Spots (3)

Scar Healing (3)

Acne Fighting (3)

Brightening (6)

Concerns

Drying

May Worsen Oily Skin

Acne Trigger

Irritating (3)

Rosacea

Eczema (2)

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Ingredients Compared

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

Transparent Lab Gentle Rejuvenation Serum 24 ingredients

Shani Darden Retinol Reform 43 ingredients

Water • Propanediol • Glycerin • Niacinamide • Ellagic Acid • Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine • Retinol • Ethylhexylglycerin • Sodium Phytate • Phosphatidylcholine • Mannitol • Lecithin • Cholesterol • BHA • Xanthan Gum • Sodium Acrylates Copolymer • Decyl Glucoside • BHT • Sodium Chloride • Citric Acid • Polysorbate 20 • Sodium Benzoate • Potassium Sorbate • Phenoxyethanol

Water • Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride • Glycerin • Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract • Lactic Acid • Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer • Lactobacillus Ferment • Isohexadecane • Retinol • Copernicia Cerifera Wax • Glucosamine Hcl • Plankton Extract • Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract • Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice • Tocopheryl Acetate • Niacinamide • Hydrogenated Lecithin • Linoleic Acid • Glycine Soja Sterols • Phospholipids • Propanediol • Sodium Cocoamphoacetate • Sorbitan Isostearate • Polysorbate 60 • Oryza Sativa Bran Extract • Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract • Helianthus Annuus Extract • Tocopherol • Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba Gum • Maltodextrin • Xanthan Gum • Lecithin • Hydrolyzed Algin • Xylitylglucoside • Anhydroxylitol • Xylitol • Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate • BHA • Sodium Hydroxide • Phenoxyethanol • Caprylyl Glycol • Ethylhexylglycerin • Hexylene Glycol

Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Water

What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Community Rating: Loved

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 Water

Transparent Lab Gentle Rejuvenation Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.

Shani Darden Retinol Reform contains this as ingredient number 1.

Propanediol

What it does: Solvent

Community Rating: Liked

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 Propanediol

Transparent Lab Gentle Rejuvenation Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.

Shani Darden Retinol Reform contains this as ingredient number 21.

Glycerin

What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Solvent

Community Rating: Loved

Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.

A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.

As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.

Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.

Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.

In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.

This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Learn more about Glycerin

Transparent Lab Gentle Rejuvenation Serum contains this as ingredient number 3.

Shani Darden Retinol Reform contains this as ingredient number 3.

Niacinamide

What it does: Smoothing

Community Rating: Loved

Niacinamide has emerged as an all-star ingredient due to its many benefits.

It is known to treat acne by reducing inflammation. It also helps fade dark-spots and strengthen the skin by promoting the growth of the ceramide barrier.

Other benefits include smoothing wrinkles and minimizing redness.

The cherry on top? Niacinamide can also help build keratin, a protein that keeps skin firm.

When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.

Niacinamide can be mixed with other ingredients to boost benefits. For instance, it has shown to be effective when used with copper, folic acid, and zinc to treat acne.

Learn more about Niacinamide

Transparent Lab Gentle Rejuvenation Serum contains this as ingredient number 4.

Shani Darden Retinol Reform contains this as ingredient number 16.

Retinol

What it does: Skin Conditioning

Community Rating: Loved

Retinol is a gold-standard ingredient for anti-aging. It is a form of Vitamin A and belongs to the class of retinoids that also includes tretinoin.

Why is retinol famous?

It has the most scientific studies backing up its skin benefits out of all the non-prescription ingredients.

Retinol is proven to:

This is why retinol is effective at removing wrinkles, fading dark spots, treating acne, and reducing the appearance of pores.

Studies show retinol is less effective when exposed to UV. Be sure to look for appropriate packaging to keep your retinol potent (similar to Vitamin C).

Using retinol or any retinoids will increase sun-sensitivity in the first few months. Though studies show retinoids increase your skin's natural SPF with continuous use, it is best to always wear sunscreen and sun-protection.

We recommend speaking with a medical professional about using this ingredient during pregnancy.

Retinol may cause irritation in some people, so be sure to patch test. Experts recommend 'ramping up' retinol use: start using this ingredient once a week and work up to using it daily.

Read about Tretinoin

Learn more about Retinol

Transparent Lab Gentle Rejuvenation Serum contains this as ingredient number 7.

Shani Darden Retinol Reform contains this as ingredient number 9.

Ethylhexylglycerin

What it does: Skin Conditioning

Community Rating: Mixed

Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.

You might see Ethylhexylglycerin often paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol. Ethylhexylglycerin has been found to increase the effectiveness of these other preservatives.

Transparent Lab Gentle Rejuvenation Serum contains this as ingredient number 8.

Shani Darden Retinol Reform contains this as ingredient number 44.

Lecithin

What it does: Emollient, Emulsifying, Skin Conditioning

Community Rating: Disliked

Lecithin is a term for a group of substances found in plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of mixture of fatty acids. These fatty acids usually are a mixture of phosphoric acid's choline ester connected to stearic, oleic, and palmitic acids. Most lecithins are created from plant ingredients scuh as sunflower.

Lecithin is an emollient. Emollients help soften the skin and creates a barrier to keep moisture in.

As an emulsifier, it also helps prevent water and oil ingredients from separating. Lecithin can help ingredients be better absorbed by the skin. The phospholipids in Lecithin can produce liposomes. Liposomes help other ingredients get through the skin barrier.

Learn more about Lecithin

Transparent Lab Gentle Rejuvenation Serum contains this as ingredient number 12.

Shani Darden Retinol Reform contains this as ingredient number 33.

BHA

What it does: Antioxidant, Masking

Community Rating: Liked

This BHA stands for butylated hydroxyanisole. If you are looking for the beta-hydroxy acid, aka as Salicylic Acid, click here.

In cosmetics, butylated hydroxyanisole is used as a perservative. It also has antioxidant properties. The concentrations usually used in skincare are low and do not penetrate through skin.

However, it is considered a carcinogen when ingested.

Butylated Hydroxyanisole is a synthetic and waxy petrochemical. It is used as a preservative in foods and cosmetics.

Learn more about BHA

Transparent Lab Gentle Rejuvenation Serum contains this as ingredient number 14.

Shani Darden Retinol Reform contains this as ingredient number 39.

Xanthan Gum

What it does: Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming, Skin Conditioning

Community Rating: Disliked

Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.

On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.

Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.

Learn more about Xanthan Gum

Transparent Lab Gentle Rejuvenation Serum contains this as ingredient number 15.

Shani Darden Retinol Reform contains this as ingredient number 32.

Phenoxyethanol

What it does: Preservative

Community Rating: Very Disliked

Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent germ and microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.

It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.

Transparent Lab Gentle Rejuvenation Serum contains this as ingredient number 24.

Shani Darden Retinol Reform contains this as ingredient number 42.

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.

Transparent Lab Gentle Rejuvenation Serum 24 ingredients

Shani Darden Retinol Reform 43 ingredients

42% are loved or liked

8% have mixed ratings

42% are disliked or very disliked

8% have no rating yet

51% are loved or liked

23% have mixed ratings

21% are disliked or very disliked

5% have no rating yet

Usage

Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.

When to use

Transparent Lab Gentle Rejuvenation Serum 24 ingredients

Shani Darden Retinol Reform 43 ingredients

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Transparent Lab Gentle Rejuvenation Serum 24 ingredients

Gentle Rejuvenation Serum hasn't been rated yet.

Rate it now

Shani Darden Retinol Reform 43 ingredients

4.0 /5

from 1 rating

Absorbs Well (1) Expensive (1) Light (1) Strong Scent (1) Works Well (1)

screamadelica

19 days ago · Normal Skin

Review

the ingredients are fantastic. if you’re willing to splurge on a quality retinol serum, this one would be a great choice.
however, the smell is...

the ingredients are fantastic. if you’re willing to splurge on a quality retinol serum, this one would be a great choice.
however, the smell is horrible. if you can get past the smell, though, this would probably be a great option for sensitive skin as it doesn’t have any added fragrance.