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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Retin-A (Tretinoin) Retin-A 0.025% (Tretinoin) versus Medik8 R-Retinoate Intense .

Published on July 21, 2022

Overview

Cool Features

They both contain retinoid

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, anti aging and brightening skin

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, parabens 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.

Prescription South African Brand South Africa
Facial Treatment British Brand United Kingdom

Prescription

Prescription skincare treatments. The ingredients in these product are prescription strength and considered medication. In many countries, these must be prescribed by a certified professional.

Facial Treatment

Facial treatments are specially designed to treat a skin concern. Acne treatments and anti-aging products are common examples of facial treatments.

Price

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant 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

Notable Ingredients

Retinoid

Benefits

Anti-Aging
Acne Fighting
Brightening

Concerns

May Worsen Oily Skin (2)
Acne Trigger
Irritating
Rosacea
Eczema

Notable Ingredients

AHA
Retinoid (2)
Vitamin C
Vitamin E
Exfoliators (2)
Ceramides (3)
Hyaluronic Acid
Peptides (2)

Benefits

Hydrating (7)
Good For Oily Skin (2)
Redness Reducing (5)
Reduces Irritation (3)
Skin Texture (4)
Reduces Large Pores (3)
Anti-Aging (6)
Dark Spots (3)
Scar Healing (4)
Acne Fighting (2)
Brightening (3)

Concerns

Drying (2)
May Worsen Oily Skin (4)
Acne Trigger (3)
Irritating (3)
Rosacea (3)
Eczema
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Ingredients Compared

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

Tretinoin 0.03% • Stearic Acid • Isopropyl Myristate • Peg-8 Stearate • Stearyl Alcohol • Xanthan Gum • Sorbic Acid • BHT • Water

Water • Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride • Glycerin • Butylene Glycol • Isododecane • Squalane • Cetearyl Alcohol • Dimethicone • Cetearyl Olivate • Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer • Polylactic Acid • Cyclodextrin • Ppg-12/Smdi Copolymer • Sorbitan Olivate • Titanium Dioxide • Eclipta Prostrata Extract • Phenethyl Alcohol • Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract • Phenoxyethanol • Cholesteryl Nonanoate • Sodium Hyaluronate • Tocopheryl Acetate • Rubus Chamaemorus Seed Oil • Canola Oil • Xanthan Gum • Pentylene Glycol • Retinal • Retinyl Retinoate • Citric Acid • Alumina • Isostearic Acid • Lecithin • Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate • Polyhydroxystearic Acid • Stearic Acid • Ceramide AP • Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil • Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate • Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract • Ethylhexylglycerin • Linoleic Acid • Palmitic Acid • Ceramide NP • Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil • Disodium EDTA • Phytosterols • Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract • 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid • Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract • Sodium Polyaspartate • Phytosphingosine • Parfum • Copper Palmitoyl Heptapeptide-14 • Heptapeptide-15 Palmitate • Ceramide EOP • Cholesterol • C12-16 Alcohols • Caprylyl Glycol • Carbomer • Hydrogenated Lecithin • Glyceryl Caprylate • Lactic Acid/Glycolic Acid Copolymer • Polyvinyl Alcohol • Phenylpropanol • BHA • Limonene • Linalool • Citral

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.

1
What it does: Cleansing, Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising, Masking
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Stearic Acid is a fatty acid. It is an emollient, emulsifier, and texture enhancer.

As an emollient, stearic acid helps soften skin. It aids the skin's protective barrier by preventing water loss. It also provides a gentle cleansing effect without stripping away natural oils.

Stearic acid may also be used to enhance the texture of products. It can add volume and stabilize ingredients such as water and oil. This can help water and oil ingredients from separating.

Sources of stearic acid include animal or vegetable fats/oils such as coconut or shea. It can be naturally found in butter, cocoa butter, shea butter, vegetable fats, and animal tallow.

This ingredient may not be Malassezia folliculitis, or fungal-acne safe.

Learn more about Stearic Acid

Retin-A (Tretinoin) Retin-A 0.025% (Tretinoin) contains this as ingredient number 2.

Medik8 R-Retinoate Intense contains this as ingredient number 35.

2
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

Retin-A (Tretinoin) Retin-A 0.025% (Tretinoin) contains this as ingredient number 6.

Medik8 R-Retinoate Intense contains this as ingredient number 25.

3
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

Retin-A (Tretinoin) Retin-A 0.025% (Tretinoin) contains this as ingredient number 9.

Medik8 R-Retinoate Intense contains this as ingredient number 1.

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

22% are loved or liked
0% have mixed ratings
67% are disliked or very disliked
11% have no rating yet
38% are loved or liked
15% have mixed ratings
38% are disliked or very disliked
9% have no rating yet

Usage

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

When to use

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Retin-A (Tretinoin) Retin-A 0.025% (Tretinoin) 9 ingredients

5.0 /5
from 3 ratings
Drying (1) Great Value (1) Strong Scent (1) Works Well (1)
APriceLife_749's avatar

APriceLife_749

9 months ago · Dry Skin
Review

Wrinkle fighter, cellular turnover

SpaceyTrxsh's avatar

SpaceyTrxsh

4 months ago · Oily Skin
Review

Retinol did nothing for my skin. After using different kinds of strengths and seeing no results I decided to give up on retinol and start using...

Retinol did nothing for my skin. After using different kinds of strengths and seeing no results I decided to give up on retinol and start using tretinoin and it was the best decision ever. My skin is becoming clearer and clearer every day.

Medik8 R-Retinoate Intense 68 ingredients

R-Retinoate Intense hasn't been rated yet.
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Alternatives

We haven't detected any alternatives for Retin-A (Tretinoin) Retin-A 0.025% (Tretinoin).

Our Dupe Finder has found 4 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Medik8 R-Retinoate Intense.

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