Clinique

Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Serum.

Serums

About this product

A gentle retinol serum designed to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and support skin barrier strength.

Full ingredients

Water\Aqua\Eau, Dimethicone, Isododecane, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Polysilicone-11, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Squalane, Hypnea Musciformis (Algae) Extract, Gelidiella Acerosa Extract, Sigesbeckia Orientalis (St. Paul'S Wort) Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Extract, Hordeum Vulgare (Barley) Extract\Extrait D'Orge, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Germ Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Caffeine, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Whey Protein\Lactis Protein\Protéine Du Petit-Lait, Isohexadecane, Propylene Glycol Dicaprate, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Acetyl Glucosamine, Cholesterol, PEG-8, Yeast Extract\Faex\Extrait De Levure, PEG-6, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Phosphate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite

Guru Score

71%

Mixed

3 experts · Moderate agreement

3Gurus

1Yay

2Mixed

0Nay

What they liked

Absorbs smoothly without feeling light or heavy
Innovative retinol form gentle enough for sensitive skin
Sinks in quickly for overnight use

What they flagged

Higher price point

What the gurus are saying

Hydroxypinacolone retinoate is this serum's standout, a gentler retinol that reviewers say works well on sensitive skin without irritation or heaviness. The results lean toward maintenance and smoothing rather than dramatic wrinkle correction; the visible improvements come mainly from hydrating and barrier-protective ingredients like hyaluronic acid. It's a good fit for people with reactive skin who need gentleness, though the higher price point means it's best for those who can't tolerate stronger retinoids.

Synthesized from 3 expert reviews · most recent take January 2024

Best for

Dry skin Sensitive skin Mature skin

Type

SerumsDrops & dropper

Key actives

Vitamin C Retinoid Hyaluronic acidVitamin EPeptides Squalane

Formula notes

Fragrance-freeNo drying alcohol

Where to buy

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What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Yay takes Nay takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored

Dr. Somji Skin

359k subs

~Mixed

"It's not a strong retinol, it's designed for people with sensitive skin, so it's not really going to change your skin with this product, but it's going to keep things going, and especially if you've got sensitive skin, it's at least giving you small amounts of active ingredients to help you have a little bit more glowing skin. So it's not a terrible product, but it's not going to change your skin overnight. One of the reasons why it's got such good ratings for skin being a lot smoother is a combination between the hyaluronic acid and things for the skin barrier. As long as you have those two things, your skin will feel better, might not necessarily reduce things like wrinkles."

No BS Beauty

89k subs

~Mixed

"We've got the Clinique smart clinical repair Wrinkle Serum the Sunday Riley A+ highd do retinoid serum which is like what 100 bucks"

Hyram

4.34M subs

~Yay

"The Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Serum offers a unique form of retinol that I don't see used in many products. It's a formula that's good for sensitive skin and a really pleasant experience. Every time I use this overnight I'm like wow, it sinks into the skin really nicely, it's not too light, it's not too heavy, and technically this really does work for everyone's skin. The consistency is a little bit richer and definitely good for overnight use. Overall I'm impressed with this formula, it has a lot of really innovative ingredients. Keep in mind it does have a higher price point, but I think from Clinique this is definitely the most impressive product I've seen from them so far."

All 2 takes from Hyram

The BEST Serums of 2021!

Specialist Reacts to Emilia Clarke's Skin Care Routine

"It has dimethicone, which can be good for preventing trans epidermal water loss, glycerin, sodium hyaluronate, algae extract, centella asiatica extract which is great for reducing redness, a whole peptide complex, caffeine, ascorbyl glucoside, and squalane, and it actually has an amazing form of retinol, hydroxypinacolone retinoate, one of the newest retinol ingredients approved by the FDA for over the counter use. I really love this ingredient list, I don't see any primary irritants or undisclosed fragrance which is awesome. I think this is a great serum and this is the type of innovation I love to see from Clinique. I like this product a lot."

What the evidence says.

Independent of what the gurus think, this is what the published research supports about the main active ingredients here.

Retinoids

Retinoids are among the best studied ingredients in dermatology, with solid evidence for acne and for the fine lines and rough texture that come from sun exposure. Dryness and flaking in the first few weeks are common and usually settle.

Source: DermNet

Vitamin C

Topical vitamin C is an antioxidant with reasonable evidence for dullness and uneven tone. It breaks down in light and air, so how a product is formulated and packaged matters as much as the percentage on the front.

Source: DermNet

Humectants and emollients

Ingredients like these draw water into the surface layers and slow how fast it leaves. The evidence is for comfort, softness and hydration rather than for changing the structure of the skin.

Source: DermNet

Frequently asked.

What is Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Serum?

A gentle retinol serum designed to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and support skin barrier strength.

Is Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Serum worth it?

The gurus mostly approve it, but with enough reservations to keep it in the middle at a Guru Score of 71%.

What is Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Serum's Guru Score?

Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Serum holds a Guru Score of 71%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 3 expert reviewers we have collected.