Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinol Serum versus Sobel Skin RX 4.5% Retinol Serum .
Published on November 27, 2023
Overview
What they are
These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe . They have a total of 11 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain retinoid
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, sensitive skin, oily skin, reducing pores, scar healing, dark spots and better texture
Free From
They both do not contain any common allergens, parabens or sulfates
What's Inside
They both contain oils
We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.
Serum
Serums are highly concentrated with ingredients to provide skin with benefits. They should be used after cleansing and before moisturizing.
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.
Price
Ingredient Info
Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinol Serum 55 ingredients
Sobel Skin RX 4.5% Retinol Serum 30 ingredients
Contains Alcohol
Ingredients in this product that are types of alcohol:
Contains Silicon
Ingredients in this product that are types of silicon:
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 🎉
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 🎉
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
Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinol Serum 55 ingredients
Sobel Skin RX 4.5% Retinol Serum 30 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
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Benefits
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Concerns
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Notable Ingredients
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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Benefits
This product contains 6 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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Concerns
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 4 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinol Serum 55 ingredients
Sobel Skin RX 4.5% Retinol Serum 30 ingredients
Water • Propanediol • Dimethyl Isosorbide • Triheptanoin • Dimethicone • Glycerin • Pentylene Glycol • Hexyldecanol • Disiloxane • Cetyl Peg/Ppg-10/1 Dimethicone • Diheptyl Succinate • Propylene Carbonate • Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate • Ppg-24-Glycereth-24 • Phenyl Trimethicone • Retinol • Ubiquinone • Honey Extract • Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer • Algae Extract • Zingiber Officinale Extract • Opuntia Ficus-Indica Fruit Extract • Bisabolol • Butyrospermum Parkii Butter • Phospholipids • Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract • Lecithin • Sodium Acrylates Copolymer • Hydrogenated Polyisobutene • 1,2-Hexanediol • 4-T-Butylcyclohexanol • Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate • Caprylyl Glycol • Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil • Sorbitol • Cetylhydroxyproline Palmitamide • Polysilicone-11 • Benzoic Acid • Dehydroacetic Acid • Sodium Phytate • Glyceryl Polyacrylate • Polysorbate 80 • Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid • Stearic Acid • Brassica Campestris Sterols • Pvp • Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer • Sodium Benzoate • Alcohol • Potassium Phosphate • Decyl Glucoside • Phenoxyethanol • Hexylene Glycol • Potassium Sorbate • Tocopherol
Water • Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine • Glycine Soja Oil • Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride • Cetearyl Alcohol • Glycerin • Squalane • Cetyl Alcohol • Retinol • Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate • Dimethyl Isosorbide • Butyrospermum Parkii Butter • Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil • Persea Gratissima Oil • Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil • Rosa Moschata Seed Oil • Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract • Ceramide NP • Bisabolol • Zingiber Officinale Root Extract • Allantoin • N-Prolyl Palmitoyl Tripeptide-56 Acetate • Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract • Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract • Pentylene Glycol • Caprylyl Glycol • Ceteareth-20 • Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer • Phenoxyethanol • Ethylhexylglycerin
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 WaterSunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinol Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.
Sobel Skin RX 4.5% Retinol Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.
Dimethyl Isosorbide is a solvent and helps deliver actives into your skin. It is created from sorbitol.
As a solvent, dimethyl isosorbide helps dissolve other ingredients. This helps ensure even distribution of an ingredient. It may also be used to decrease the thickness of a product.
Studies show dimethyl isosorbide is able to penetrate skin to deliver other ingredients into the skin, making them more effective.
Learn more about Dimethyl IsosorbideSunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinol Serum contains this as ingredient number 3.
Sobel Skin RX 4.5% Retinol Serum contains this as ingredient number 11.
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 GlycerinSunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinol Serum contains this as ingredient number 6.
Sobel Skin RX 4.5% Retinol Serum contains this as ingredient number 6.
Pentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can help thicken or emulsify a product. Emulsifiers help stabilize a product. It does this by preventing certain ingredients from separating.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolSunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinol Serum contains this as ingredient number 7.
Sobel Skin RX 4.5% Retinol Serum contains this as ingredient number 25.
This ingredient is a retinoid. It usually goes by a more common name: "Granactive".
Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate (HPR) belongs to the class of retinoids that also includes retinol and tretinoin.
Retinoids have been proven to:
So what is the difference between all the retinoids? Most retinoids need to go through a conversion line to become effective on skin. The ending product is retinoic acid. Retinoic acid is AKA tretinoin.
HPR is an ester of tretinoin. Emerging studies suggest HPR to have an added benefit that other retinoids don't have: Low irritation.
A study from 2021 found HPR to have the greatest stability when exposed to light and temperature out of all the commercial retinoids.
A note about naming: The name "Granactive" is the trade name and the name most commonly used on packages.
Granactive is the name of the mixture - about 90% solvent and 10% HPR. A product with 5% granactive has 0.5% HPR.
Learn more about Hydroxypinacolone RetinoateSunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinol Serum contains this as ingredient number 13.
Sobel Skin RX 4.5% Retinol Serum contains this as ingredient number 10.
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 RetinolSunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinol Serum contains this as ingredient number 16.
Sobel Skin RX 4.5% Retinol Serum contains this as ingredient number 9.
Bisabolol is pimarily used to add fragrance to a product. However, it is also famous for helping soothe skin.
Bisabolol comes from German chamomile essential oil. Synthetic Bisabolol has been shown to be less effective.
Bisabolol helps soothe skin. It does this by blocking the inflammatory signals, helping to reduce your body's reaction to irritation.
Bisabolol also interferes with the process of hyperpigmentation. This can help with reducing dark spots and uneven tone.
Bisabolol is an antioxidant. Antioxidants help fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells. By fighting these free-radicals, Bisabolol may slow down signs of aging.
Studies have shown Bisabolol to have antimicrobial properties and may be a fungicide. These properties help preserve a product's shelf life.
Bisabolol also helps the absorption of other ingredients.
Learn more about BisabololSunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinol Serum contains this as ingredient number 23.
Sobel Skin RX 4.5% Retinol Serum contains this as ingredient number 19.
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter is a plant lipid from the fruit of the Shea Tree. It is an effective skin hydrator and emollient.
Emollients help soothe and soften your skin. It does this by creating a protective film on your skin. This barrier helps trap moisture and keeps your skin hydrated. Emollients may be effective at treating dry or itchy skin.
Shea butter is rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants help fight free-radicals, or molecules that may harm the body. It is also full of fatty acids including stearic acid and linoleic acid. These acids help replenish the skin and keep skin moisturized.
While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
Shea butter may not be fungal acne safe. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Butyrospermum Parkii ButterSunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinol Serum contains this as ingredient number 24.
Sobel Skin RX 4.5% Retinol Serum contains this as ingredient number 12.
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 GlycolSunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinol Serum contains this as ingredient number 33.
Sobel Skin RX 4.5% Retinol Serum contains this as ingredient number 26.
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil is the oil derived from the seeds of a Sunflower. Sunflower seed oil is non-fragrant. It is an emollient, meaning it helps to soften the skin.
Sunflower seed oil contains many fatty acids. The fatty acids found in sunflower seeds include (from highest amount to least): linoleic acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, arachidic acid, oleic acid, and linolenic acid.
These fatty acids help the skin create ceramides. Ceramides play a role in repairing the skin barrier.
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil helps moisturize the skin. This in turn helps the skin look more rejuvenated and smoother.
Sunflowers are rich in vitamin E.
Historians believe Indigenous cultures of North America domesticated sunflowers before corn. Thus they relied on sunflower oil for a variety of uses. One such use is moisturizing skin and hair.
Sunflower seed oil may not be fungal acne safe. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Helianthus Annuus Seed OilSunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinol Serum contains this as ingredient number 34.
Sobel Skin RX 4.5% Retinol Serum contains this as ingredient number 13.
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.
Sobel Skin RX 4.5% Retinol Serum contains this as ingredient number 29.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinol Serum 55 ingredients
Sobel Skin RX 4.5% Retinol Serum 30 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinol Serum 55 ingredients
Sobel Skin RX 4.5% Retinol Serum 30 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinol Serum 55 ingredients
reneelovesherskin
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...
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.
Sobel Skin RX 4.5% Retinol Serum 30 ingredients
Alternatives
Our Dupe Finder has found 9 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinol Serum.
See 9 alternativesWe haven't detected any alternatives for Sobel Skin RX 4.5% Retinol Serum.
