Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of The Potions Retinol Serum versus Trader Joe's Retinol Night Serum .
Last updated on August 15, 2023. Published on February 11, 2024
Overview
What they are
These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe serums. They have a total of 6 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain hyaluronic acid and retinoid
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, anti aging, 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, 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.
Ingredient Info
The Potions Retinol Serum 10 ingredients
Trader Joe's Retinol Night Serum 20 ingredients
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 🎉
Oil Free
This product is free of oils 🎉
Malassezia Safe
This product is free of malassezia feeding ingredients 🎉
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
The Potions Retinol Serum 10 ingredients
Trader Joe's Retinol Night Serum 20 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
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Benefits
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Concerns
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Notable Ingredients
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Benefits
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Concerns
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
The Potions Retinol Serum 10 ingredients
Trader Joe's Retinol Night Serum 20 ingredients
Water • Propanediol • Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride • Polyglyceryl-4 Laurate/Succinate • Sorbitan Oleate • Sodium Ascorbate • Tocopherol • Sodium Hyaluronate • Phenoxyethanol • Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer • Retinol • Ethylhexylglycerin • Citric Acid • Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil • Phospholipids • Retinyl Palmitate • Tocopheryl Acetate • Ascorbyl Palmitate • Salicylic Acid • Sorbic Acid
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 WaterThe Potions Retinol Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.
Trader Joe's Retinol Night Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.
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 PropanediolThe Potions Retinol Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.
Trader Joe's Retinol Night Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.
Retinol is a form of Vitamin A and proven to help with anti-aging.
It promotes collagen production, increases new cell turnoever, and protects your skin as an antioxidant.
Retinol boosts collagen production and increases cell turnover. This makes retinol effective in removing wrinkles, fading dark spots, and reducing the appearance of pores.
Retinol is less effective when exposed to sun. Be sure to look for appropriate packaging to keep your retinol potent.
Using retinol and retinoids will increase sun-sensitivity in the first few weeks of use. 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 RetinolThe Potions Retinol Serum contains this as ingredient number 6.
Trader Joe's Retinol Night Serum contains this as ingredient number 11.
Sodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.
Like hyaluronic acid, it is great at holding water and acts as a humectant. This makes it a great skin hydrating ingredient.
Sodium Hyaluronate is naturally occurring in our bodies and is mostly found in eye fluid and joints.
These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateThe Potions Retinol Serum contains this as ingredient number 7.
Trader Joe's Retinol Night Serum contains this as ingredient number 8.
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer (let's call it AAVC for short) is a synthetically created polymer. It's used as a film-forming agent and used to thicken the consistency of products.
AAVC is able to increase the consistency and viscosity of products due to its large molecule size. It also prevents ingredients from separating.
The Potions Retinol Serum contains this as ingredient number 8.
Trader Joe's Retinol Night Serum contains this as ingredient number 10.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride is an emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.
Within a product, Caprylic Triglyceride can thicken the product and make spreadability easier by dissolving clumping compounds. An added benefit of Caprylic Triglyceride is its antioxidant properties.
Caprylic Triglyceride is made by combining glycerin with coconut oil, forming a clear liquid. Caprylic Triglyceride has not been found to be toxic for human use in concentrations under 50%.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideThe Potions Retinol Serum contains this as ingredient number 9.
Trader Joe's Retinol Night Serum contains this as ingredient number 3.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
The Potions Retinol Serum 10 ingredients
Trader Joe's Retinol Night Serum 20 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
The Potions Retinol Serum 10 ingredients
Trader Joe's Retinol Night Serum 20 ingredients
Alternatives
Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to The Potions Retinol Serum.
See 50 alternativesOur Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Trader Joe's Retinol Night Serum.
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