Product Review: Which OTC Retinol Treatment is the Best?
Above: The mechanism of action of retinoids. Source: Nature.
Retinoids are one of the most effective ingredients in skin care products today, running the gamut from increasing collagen production to decreasing the appearance of wrinkles. Although this 2001 study in the journal Clinics in Dermatology found over-the-counter retinol is 20 times less potent than prescription retinoic acid in the skin, over-the-counter retinol use is still recommended, as Dr. Ranella Hirsch, president-elect of the American Society of Dermatologic Surgeons says in the December 2007 issue of Allure magazine: “We have beautiful, profound data that shows if you use [retinoids] for 20 years, you’re going to look a lot better than someone who doesn’t.”
Some Notes About Retinol…
According to experts cited in this article, retinol should be used at night only, in small quantity (a pea-size amount to make a thin layer on your face) after cleansing, and NOT in conjunction with alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs). Retinol also should be used in conjunction with sunscreen every morning, as retinoids/retinol make your skin more photosensitive (sensitive to the sun). Finally, retinol may cause redness, flaking/peeling, and possibly stinging at first, and most experts recommend using retinol products once every 2-3 nights at first for the first 2-3 weeks. The negative effects should be short-term as the skin acclimates to retinol, but if they worsen, the product may not be right for your skin. If ever in question, ask your dermatologist! Now onto the products…
Skinceuticals Retinol 0.5 ($35.70, Amazon.com)
Overall Rating: 9/10 (great product)
What an expert says: According to Paula Begoun, the Cosmetics Cop: “Because it contains a significant amount of retinol, the claims you can bank on are building collagen and stimulating cell regeneration…Fortunately, this water-and-silicone-based serum does contain many other beneficial ingredients for healthy skin, including ceramides, cholesterol, lecithin, antioxidants, and the anti-irritant bisabolol. The opaque bottle with pump applicator helps maintain the stability of the retinol, which is a prerequisite for products with this ingredient.” Begoun gives a similar review for Skinceuticals Retinol 1.0, with twice the concentration of retinol.
Based on ingredients alone: On the plus side, the formulation contains both vitamin C (as ascorbic acid) and vitamin E (as tocopherol acetate), which are network antioxidants that synergistically enhance the power of one another, increasing sun protection and reducing free radical damage by impede or slowing the free radical chain reaction. On the down side, while this product says it includes 0.5% pure retinol, only retinyl palmitate (retinol combined with a fatty acid) is listed in the ingredients. Correction from L’Oréal/Skinceuticals representative Mary Mills Kennedy: The ingredients list on Amazon.com is incorrect, and Skinceuticals 0.5 and 1.0 does in fact contain retinol. I apologize – my source (Amazon.com) was incorrect, and I have contacted Amazon about their error. A new post about Skinceuticals 0.5 and 1.0 is available here. According to this 1997 study in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 0.6% retinyl palmitate is less effective in penetrating human skin than 0.025% retinol (the concentration similar to that found in many other over-the-counter skincare formulations). However, even though retinyl palmitate is less potent than retinol, it has been shown to exhibit the collagen-stimulating, smoothing, and wrinkle-reducing properties of retinol over time, and has also been shown to be less irritating.
Ingredients: Water, Dihydroxyacetone, Octyl Palmitate, Glycerin, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Oil, Erythrulose, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Tocopherol Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate <–Retinol, Cholecalciferol, Assorbic Acid, Dimethicone, DEA-Cetyl Phosphate, Polyacrylamide, Isoparaffin C 13-14, Laureth-7, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Butylparaben, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben, Fragrance
Philosophy Help Me Retinol Night Treatment ($45.00, Amazon.com)
Overall Rating: 8/10 (great product with retinol, but only one network antioxidant, and not good for oily skin or skin prone to breakouts)
What the experts say: According to Dr. Leslie Baumann, Director of Cosmetic Dermatology at the University of Miami, “Philosophy Help Me retinol night treatment is less potent than a prescription retinoid but can diminish fine lines just as effectively over time.” Unfortunately, Begoun notes that the product should only be used normal to very dry skin, because it contains a fairly high concentration of emulsifying wax.
Based on ingredients alone: Contains retinol (rather than less penetrating retinyl palmitate) and tocopherol acetate (vitamin E), a potent antioxidant, along with hydrating fatty acids, emulsifying wax, glycerin, and dimethicone.
Ingredients in Philosophy Help Me Retinol Night Treatment (courtesy Sephora.com): Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Emulsfying Wax, Glycerin, C10-30 Cholesterol/Lanosterol Esters, Cetyl Ricinoleate, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Benzyl Alcohol, Cyclomethicone, Retinol, Tocopherol Acetate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Acrylates Copolymer, Stearic Acid, PEG-10 Soya Sterol, Phenoxyethanol, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Methylparaben, Triethanolamine, Disodium EDTA, Bisabolol, BHT.
Neutrogena Healthy Skin Original Formula ($14.17, Amazon.com)
Overall Rating: 10/10 (great product with retinol, plus green tea in high concentration and two forms of vitamin E in low concentration)
What an expert says: According to dermatologist Dr. Mary Lupo in the October 2007 issue of Allure magazine: “With regular use, Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Cream improves skin’s brightness, color, and texture, and softens existing lines and crepiness. If you start using it in your twenties, before you see these changes, you could push them off further.”
Based on ingredients alone: Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Cream contains a better form of retinol than Skinceuticals Retinol 0.5 and a high concentration of antioxidant green tea for a lower price than either Skinceuticals Retinol 0.5 or Philosophy Help Me Retinol Night Treatment. Unfortunately, it does not contain network antioxidants that reinforce the power of one another like Skinceuticals Retinol 0.5, but it still contains an impressive concentration of antioxidant green tea.
Ingredients in Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Cream: Purified Water, C12-C15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Camellia Oleifera Extract, Octyl Hydroxystearate, Dimethicone, Retinol, Panthenol, Disodium EDTA, Tocopherol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Tocopheryl Acetate, Polysorbate 20, Triethanolamine, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Diazolidinyl Urea, BHT, Carbomer.
And the Winner is…
Thankfully, the cheapest product, Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Cream, for having a better form of retinol than Skinceuticals Retinol 0.5 and for being suitable for most skin types, unlike Philosophy Help Me Retinol Night Treatment, with a high concentration of emulsifying wax. Keep in mind that the effects of retinoids are best with a prescription from your dermatologist. At any rate, if you are in the market for a retinol over-the-counter cream, happy shopping! 
*Update January 8, 2008: Thank you to Mary Mills Kennedy from L’Oréal/Skinceuticals. I was unaware that the ingredients information at Amazon.com was incorrect for Skinceuticals Retinol 0.5, and I have e-mailed Amazon.com to make them aware of this error. Please visit this new page for more information on Skinceuticals Retinol 0.5 and 1.0.
Nicki,
I am truly impressed with your blog and I am always happy to see retinoids put on the frontline of skin care (whether that is OTC or prescription).
However, I think this is not a great list to use for OTC retinol products.
Without sounding boastful, we were the first to really promote retinol as a viable alternative to prescription strength retinoids back in 2000. The only other company even producing a retinol in our concentration was TxSystems which only went up to .6% retinol. We were absolutely the first to go over that amount.
I think there are a lot better representation of retinols on the market (including our own Green Cream). Since we have introduced our product I have come to respect Replenix, Young Pharmaceuticals, LaRoche Posay, SkinMedica, and Vivant as very good retinol products. They all have concentrations over .2% and garner great results. Neutrogena and Philosophy both have less than .2%
The last thing I would point out is that concentration of retinol should be the second consideration when considering a OTC retinoid. Zoe Draelos clearly states that formulation plays anywhere from a 50% to 70% role in determining the efficacy of any active ingredient. I feel that it is even more important when looking a retinoid.
Please don’t think I am being critical because I’m not. We feel that any message that highlights retinoids as the gold standard in skincare is a good message. I’m only asking that you consider other products when comparing retinol products.
I’m not asking that you publish my comments or not. My real intention was to get a private message to you and I didn’t know how to do that. In no way am I trying to push my product or other products to your readers.
Sincerely,
Kevin Katechis
Advanced Skin Technology
[...] days ago, I wrote a blog post about three great retinol creams, including Skinceuticals Retinol 0.5 ($41.95, SkincareRx.com). Unfortunately, there was an error on [...]
Pingback by Product Review: Skinceuticals Retinol 0.5 « FutureDerm.com | January 9, 2008 |
What a surprise! I googled for some information, and found your blog. It’s impressive! I am impressed with your studies and your passion.
I have bookmarked your site.
I have a question though, I just purchased the Affirm X2 Retinol, but I am currently using glycolic acid. Can these two products be used alternatly? Thank you!
Nice site. Very informative. I too have bookmarked it and will be returning.
[...] I have been blogging about retinol creams a lot, and for good reason. As Jenny Bailly, a freelance beauty writer writes in the December 2007 [...]
Pingback by Product Review: Green Cream - High Potency Retinol « FutureDerm.com | January 23, 2008 |
Hi there,
I stumbled upon your blog when I was googling for information about using AHA:s and retinoids at the same time,
and I have been reading 2 hours past my bedtime now!:D
Greetings from Sweden,
Kulturbruden
Are you sure I cannot use a product that has both retinol and glycolic acid ?
why ?
is such a formula unstable ?
is it bad for my skin ?
please advise
Jean
Re: not using AHA and retinol at the same time — If that’s the case, then Neutro gena should make that clear to customers, since their Healthy Skin face lotion is “A Multi-Vitamin Facial Treatment with Alpha-Hydroxy.” It would be easy to use the face lotion in the day and at bedtime use their Anti-Wrinkle intensive night cream, and be combining those two ingredients. Matter of fact, that’s what I’ve been doing for some time!
Please advise.
Yeah, good information. I appreciate your ideas that are really great. Thanks for your products and health tips.
Love your website, and I understand why you are reviewing these items, as all are widely available in the US. My favorite over the counter retinols are by Avene. Eluage Gel is available online, and is great for mature skin, and gets great consumer reviews on MUA. But my favorite is Diacneal, a combo retinoid with glycolic acid. Apparently Avene holds patents for their form of retinoid, so it is not like the items reviewed here. Diacneal is not irritating to my skin but it does seem to prevent breakouts and help reduce post-acne red marks. Love this formula!! Unfortunately, this one is tougher to find than Eluage (don’t know why!!!) but it is available at several places online. Hope you review the Avene line soon! (PS– I have no connection, just have found these products excellent, and sure wish they were getting enough attention to be more available in the US.)
Thanks and keep up the great work!
what do you think of biomedic retinol 30?
Dear Jean,
From quick inspection, it looks like Biomedic Retinol 30 contains 0.3% retinol, which is more than many drugstore products, but still less than Skinceuticals 0.5 (0.5%) and Green Cream Level 6 (0.6%). The soy in the Biomedic Retinol may help improve skin tone somewhat, but I think I’ll stick with my Green Cream for now
Hope that helped!
Sincerely,
Nicki
Thank you for your advice! You seem like an intelligent person and I like that you have no bias unlike sites trying to sell products that are pricey with little/no results. Keep up the great work!
Thanks Shiho…I’m a student and part-time researcher myself, so I want the best skin-care possible for as little money as possible.
Thanks for the compliments!
Have you ever hear of or tried DERMAdoctor’s Poetry in Lotion? I have read about this product on Sephora and its description claims it is the highest concentration of retinol available w/out a prescription. It also contains Plantago Lanceolata, Phytosphingosine, Spiraea Ulmaria (Meadowsweet) Flower Extract. The reviewers on Sephora have said good things about it. But, at $75 per bottle, I would love your opinion…
Thanks!
Dear Trisha,
No I have not tried it before. The fact that it is so high of a concentration in retinol makes me think that it is good, but always check with your dermatologist first, as retinol can be harsh for sensitive skin.
Hope this helps!
-Nicki
Can you review Cosmedex Retinol’s 4% , 8% 12% and compare to the Skinceuticals .5% and 1% thanks
my favorite is Avene’s retinol cream .01% which is sold at better dermatologist offices.
I am 34 years old and have been using retinol products since I was 23 I stummbled upon nuetregena retinol when looking for a mosturizer that wouldnt break out my skin since i have some oily and breakout prone skin not quite acne but in my 20 close enough i have heard about dermdoctor 1% poetry in lotion heard highest concentration of retinol and many skin soothin ingrediants my skin due to the lenght of time i have used retinol tollarates it very well but is this product just hype i get complements on my skin constantly and i use retinol religously at night and spf30 daily no matter what time of year ready for more potent and agressive retinol now that mid 30s are upon me what do you think about dermdoctors lotion
Hi Callie,
I happen to really like DermaDoctor’s 1% Poetry in Motion, but I must warn you that 1% retinol is considerably higher than that in Neutrogena (about 0.025%, if I have to take an educated guess). With that said, you may want to consult with your dermatologist before starting this or any other higher-concentration retinol product.
Hope this helps -
Sincerely,
Nicki