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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinol Serum versus Kiehl's Fast Release Wrinkle-Reducing 0.3% Retinol Night Serum .

Published on December 03, 2022

Overview

What they are

These products are both reef safe serums. They have a total of 7 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain Vitamin E

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, sensitive skin and scar healing

Free From

They both do not contain any common allergens, parabens or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain harsh alcohols and fragrances

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.

Serum American Brand United States
Serum American Brand United States

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

Shop

Buy A+ High-Dose Retinol Serum

Starts at $85.00
Shop

Buy Fast Release Wrinkle-Reducing 0.3% Retinol Night Serum

Starts at $88.00

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 (2)
Vitamin E
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

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

Concerns

Drying (3)
May Worsen Oily Skin (6)
Irritating (3)
Rosacea
Eczema (3)

Notable Ingredients

Vitamin E

Benefits

Hydrating (2)
Redness Reducing
Reduces Irritation (2)
Anti-Aging
Scar Healing
Brightening (2)
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Ingredients Compared

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

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: 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

Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinol Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.

Kiehl's Fast Release Wrinkle-Reducing 0.3% Retinol Night Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
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

Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinol Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.

Kiehl's Fast Release Wrinkle-Reducing 0.3% Retinol Night Serum contains this as ingredient number 3.

3
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

Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinol Serum contains this as ingredient number 6.

Kiehl's Fast Release Wrinkle-Reducing 0.3% Retinol Night Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.

4
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Mixed

1,2-Hexanediol is a multi-tasker ingredient. It acts as a preservative to increase shelf-life and can aid other preservatives in preventing microbe growth. 1,2-Hexanediol also helps the skin retain moisture as a humectant.

In products that are water-based, this ingredient can help stabilize perfumes and fragrances. It can also help make the texture of products softer and more smooth.

Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinol Serum contains this as ingredient number 30.

Kiehl's Fast Release Wrinkle-Reducing 0.3% Retinol Night Serum contains this as ingredient number 7.

5
What it does: Emollient, Humectant, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant and emollient, meaning it attracts and preserves moisture.

It is a common ingredient in many products, especially those designed to hydrate skin. The primary benefits are retaining moisture, skin softening, and promoting a healthy skin barrier.

Though Caprylyl Glycol is an alcohol derived from fatty acids, it is not the kind that can dry out skin.

This ingredient is also used as a preservative to extend the life of products. It has slight antimicrobial properties.

Learn more about Caprylyl Glycol

Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinol Serum contains this as ingredient number 33.

Kiehl's Fast Release Wrinkle-Reducing 0.3% Retinol Night Serum contains this as ingredient number 11.

6
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.

Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinol Serum contains this as ingredient number 52.

Kiehl's Fast Release Wrinkle-Reducing 0.3% Retinol Night Serum contains this as ingredient number 10.

7
What it does: Antioxidant, Masking, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

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 Tocopherol

Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinol Serum contains this as ingredient number 55.

Kiehl's Fast Release Wrinkle-Reducing 0.3% Retinol Night Serum contains this as ingredient number 22.

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

31% are loved or liked
9% have mixed ratings
40% are disliked or very disliked
20% have no rating yet
45% are loved or liked
18% have mixed ratings
27% 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

Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinol Serum 55 ingredients

5.0 /5
from 1 review
reneelovesherskin's Avatar'
Jan 19, 2023

Definitely high-dose retinol!
This is a powerful retinol serum that is no joke. I tried easing into it by going every other night, then moved to every night. I ended up with signs of a damaged skin barrier (redness) on my chin. I'm going...

Definitely high-dose retinol!
This is a powerful retinol serum that is no joke. I tried easing into it by going every other night, then moved to every night. I ended up with signs of a damaged skin barrier (redness) on my chin. I'm going to lay off this on my chin for a couple weeks, then try again, but stick to every other night. I like that I'm getting a strong dose of an excellent skincare ingredient, but I need to take care not to overdo it.

Kiehl's Fast Release Wrinkle-Reducing 0.3% Retinol Night Serum 22 ingredients

Fast Release Wrinkle-Reducing 0.3% Retinol Night Serum hasn't been rated yet.
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Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 9 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinol Serum.

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