You should know
What it is

Benefits








Concerns



Explained
Retinol is a form of Vitamin A This anti-aging ingredient has plenty of research to back up its claims.
Unlike AHA's, retinol does not remove the top layer of old and dead skin cells. Instead, it travels directly to the middle layer and gets to work. As an antioxidant, it boosts elastin and collagen production.
This makes retinol effective in removing fine lines, wrinkles, fading dark spots, and enlarged pores.
Retinol is sensitive to breakdown when exposed to sun and air. Be sure to look for appropriate packaging to keep your retinol potent.
Retinol (and retinoids) will also make your skin more sensitive to the sun. Studies show using retinol consistently will make your skin sensitive for up to a month after the last application. Definitely wear SPF after applying retinol!
It is not recommended to use any retinols while pregnant. 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
People also like: Niacinamide, Hyaluronic Acid, Salicylic Acid
People also dislike: Niacinamide, Hyaluronic Acid, Salicylic Acid
Also known as: Vitamin A
Retinol is a rare cosmetic ingredient, with about 2.1% of the products in our database containing it.
What it does:
Community Stats
4165 people from our community have liked or disliked this ingredient.
Users who like it 💖
Often have the following skin types:
Usually have one or more of the following skin concerns:
Users who dislike it 💔
Often have the following skin types:
Usually have one or more of the following skin concerns:
Where it's used
Retinol is most often found as ingredient number 16 within an ingredient list.
Of the 10 products in our database that have a known concentration of Retinol, we've seen concentrations from 0.03% to 3% specified within their ingredient lists.
These are the categories of products that use Retinol the most:
References
- https://academic.oup.com/asj/article/30/1/74/199813
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26578346/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2699641/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3814709/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8750127/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9618501/
Products with Retinol
CosIng Data
- CosIng ID: 37479
- INCI Name: RETINOL
- INN Name: retinol [INN:BAN]
- EC #: Â 200-683-7 / 234-328-2
- Ph. Eur. Name: vitaminum a
- All Functions: Skin Conditioning