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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of The INKEY List Retinol Anti-Aging Serum versus Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 5 0.05% Retinal Serum .

Last updated on July 18, 2023. Published on March 14, 2021

Overview

What they are

These products are both vegan, cruelty-free, and reef safe . They have a total of 6 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain retinoid and Vitamin E

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, 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 British Brand United Kingdom
Facial Treatment Hungarian Brand Hungary

Serum

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

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

Shop

Buy Retinol Anti-Aging Serum

Starts at $15.00
Shop

Buy A-Game 5 0.05% Retinal Serum

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 C
Vitamin E (2)
Hyaluronic Acid
Peptides (2)

Benefits

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

Concerns

Drying (2)
Irritating (4)
Eczema

Notable Ingredients

Retinoid
Vitamin E

Benefits

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

Concerns

Drying
Irritating
Rosacea
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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

The INKEY List Retinol Anti-Aging Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.

Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 5 0.05% Retinal Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
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

The INKEY List Retinol Anti-Aging Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.

Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 5 0.05% Retinal Serum contains this as ingredient number 4.

3
What it does: Emulsion Stabilising
Community Rating: Disliked

This 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.

The INKEY List Retinol Anti-Aging Serum contains this as ingredient number 7.

Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 5 0.05% Retinal Serum contains this as ingredient number 9.

4
What it does: Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

Tocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.

One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.

Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.

Learn more about Tocopheryl Acetate

The INKEY List Retinol Anti-Aging Serum contains this as ingredient number 18.

Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 5 0.05% Retinal Serum contains this as ingredient number 16.

5
What it does:
Community Rating: Disliked

Disodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.

It is a chelating agent, meaning it neutralizes metal ions that may be found in a product.

Disodium EDTA is a salt of edetic acid and is found to be safe in cosmetic ingredients.

Learn more about Disodium EDTA

The INKEY List Retinol Anti-Aging Serum contains this as ingredient number 21.

Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 5 0.05% Retinal Serum contains this as ingredient number 17.

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.

The INKEY List Retinol Anti-Aging Serum contains this as ingredient number 31.

Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 5 0.05% Retinal Serum contains this as ingredient number 19.

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

55% are loved or liked
13% have mixed ratings
32% are disliked or very disliked
0% have no rating yet
42% are loved or liked
16% have mixed ratings
32% are disliked or very disliked
11% 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

The INKEY List Retinol Anti-Aging Serum 31 ingredients

3.3 /5
from 4 ratings
YousifShamoon's avatar

YousifShamoon

1 year ago · Combination Skin
Review

not doing anything?
i've been using this for 2-3 weeks and i see no difference. i know you're supposed to wait 6 weeks and see but i'm using this...

not doing anything?
i've been using this for 2-3 weeks and i see no difference. i know you're supposed to wait 6 weeks and see but i'm using this every single night and i'm not even purging in the slightest. i had a breakout before i started using this and the breakout is still there which also shows that the product is doing nothing. i will finish the product to see if anything happens but my assumption is that it's too weak and my skin can take more, since my skin was used to benzyl peroxide twice a day since i was using effaclar duo+ for 3-4 months.

Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 5 0.05% Retinal Serum 19 ingredients

4.3 /5
from 3 ratings
Great Value (2) Light (2) No Scent (2) Works Well (2) Absorbs Well (1)
sword's avatar

sword

5 months ago · Oily Skin
Review

Changed My Skin Completely
This retinal is genuinely amazing. It's one of the only noncomedogenic retinoids that I've found, and it has such a...

Changed My Skin Completely
This retinal is genuinely amazing. It's one of the only noncomedogenic retinoids that I've found, and it has such a small percentage of retinal that it's very well suited for beginners, especially those with sensitive skin. It has a very light lotion texture that absorbs very easily. I had a very short and light purge - it lasted about a week and a half and I only had some whiteheads, nothing intense. I started using it every third night, but now I'm using it every other night because it's gentle enough that my skin can take it that frequently. But the changes to my skin are VERY noticeable. My skin is almost completely clear, it's less oily, my acne scars are fading very quickly, and my pores have shrunk SO much I didn't think it was even possible for my skin to look like this. This product is absolutely incredible.

elinstrandh's avatar

elinstrandh

3 months ago · Combination Skin
Review

Yes baby, this is the good stuff! When I switched from retinol to this my skincare journey changed completely. In my opinion it’s more effective...

Yes baby, this is the good stuff! When I switched from retinol to this my skincare journey changed completely. In my opinion it’s more effective and a lot less harsh on my skin (coming for someone who has sensitive skin). This is unscented which is also great. Affordable compared to other A-vitamin products out there. Definitely recommend!

Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to The INKEY List Retinol Anti-Aging Serum.

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Our Dupe Finder has found 8 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 5 0.05% Retinal Serum.

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