Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 5 Retinal Serum (0.05%): Guru Score 85%

What the experts use it for.

The concerns the experts tie this product to, in their own words. Paid and founder takes don't count.

Breakouts and acne1 expert

“It's wonderful for anti-aging, as well as if you get acne or things like that.”

No BS Beauty, watch at 1:00

Irritated or reactive skin1 expert

“It's retinaldehyde plus allantoin, which is anti-inflammatory, and it's safe at a pH of six, which I like.”

Dr. Vanita Rattan, watch at 8:02

Fine lines and wrinkles1 expert

“Retinal can also help with lines and wrinkles, and it can also help lighten hyperpigmentation.”

No BS Beauty, watch at 7:42

Calming retinoid irritation1 expert

“They do the Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 5 Retinal Serum (0.05%), which is really gentle and great for beginners.”

Mad About Skin, watch at 64:02

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.

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No BS Beauty

89k subs

✓Yay

"For about the same price, you can get the Geek and Gorgeous A Game 5, 10 or 20, which are probably a little bit stronger and probably you'll probably notice a little bit more improvement."

All 7 takes from No BS Beauty

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"For about the same price, you can get the Geek and Gorgeous A Game 5, 10 or 20, which are probably a little bit stronger and probably you'll probably notice a little bit more improvement."

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"Retinal can also help with lines and wrinkles, and it can also help lighten hyperpigmentation. Tretinoin, the prescription version of the retinoids, can also help boost skin's own collagen production. I say that because there's not as much studies as retinol or retinal. Tretinoin is the most studied version of it and it's prescription, but these are all ones I'd recommend. So I've got two from Geek & Gorgeous, the A-Game 5 Retinal Serum is the weaker one."

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"The first one I'd recommend is Geek & Gorgeous A-Game. There's a 5 or a 10. The 10 is stronger and the 5 is a little bit weaker, but they're both great forms of vitamin A. Retinal is a stronger form of retinoid."

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"If you're not into the super strongest retinoids, the Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 5 Retinal Serum is a more gentle option. But always be very cautious and start it slow in your routine, and use it with moisturizers. The sandwich method is a great one: in your evening routine you apply a thick moisturizer, then your retinoid, and then a thicker sleeping mask or a thicker moisturizer over it to prevent dryness."

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"If you're newer to retinoids, this is the place to start. [...] It uses retinol, which is a little bit stronger, and you can certainly ease your way into it starting with this one. It's fragrance-free and really easy to add into your routine. Sandwich it between two moisturizers and you're good to go. It's wonderful for anti-aging, as well as if you get acne or things like that. I love them."

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"I think that's going to be the key. If you can mix it, mix it. Get the A-Game 5, that's what I would recommend. [...] Just mix in a tiny, pea-sized amount with moisturizer, [...] and do it twice a week, maybe once a week for the first month or so, and see how your skin handles it. Layering a good moisturizer over it is the key to making sure you don't get your skin too dry."

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"The nice thing with Geek & Gorgeous is that they have a variety of strengths. So if you're new to retinoids, you can start out with the Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 5 Retinal Serum (0.05%). It has 0.05% retinal, and it's [...] a great one to start with. Start using it at night. Use a good moisturizer along with it, after and before it. Sandwich it in between two moisturizers."

Beyond50Skin

32k subs

✓Yay

"Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 5 has a meaningful amount of retinaldehyde. It's also fragrance-free, which is super popular with educated skincare users."

All 2 takes from Beyond50Skin

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"Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 5 has a meaningful amount of retinaldehyde. It's also fragrance-free, which is super popular with educated skincare users."

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"As far as my evening skincare routine empties go, I finished two Geek & Gorgeous retinal products. They're 0.05%."

Mad About Skin

734k subs

✓Yay

"I love the Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 5 Retinal Serum. This comes in three strengths. The 5 is the low strength, the 10 is the mid-strength, and the 20 is the high strength. This is a great option. It's super affordable and cruelty-free, [...] and it's just a really, really nice product to incorporate. It comes in pump packaging, keeping it super fresh. And yeah, this is one of my absolute favorites."

All 4 takes from Mad About Skin

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"You could go with a lower dose of the Geek & Gorgeous A-Game. They do three strengths, so you could go for the lowest, which is the A-Game 5, as an alternative to that one. But whichever you go for, reach for a low strength option and use it on those sensitive areas. For me, that's the neck and the under eye. [...] You can cycle retinoids. You can use a high strength option one day, alternate it with a lower strength option to minimize irritation, but still maximize those retinoid benefits."

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"I love the Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 5 Retinal Serum. This comes in three strengths. The 5 is the low strength, the 10 is the mid-strength, and the 20 is the high strength. This is a great option. It's super affordable and cruelty-free, [...] and it's just a really, really nice product to incorporate. It comes in pump packaging, keeping it super fresh. And yeah, this is one of my absolute favorites."

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"I would then recommend getting a retinoid, so a retinal is the best. Geek & Gorgeous are great, and I love their products. They do the Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 5 Retinal Serum (0.05%), which is really gentle and great for beginners. Use that in the evening after you've washed and cleansed your face. In the morning, cleanse the skin and put your sunscreen on. That's going to be a pretty good [...] routine: two steps in the morning and two steps at night."

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"There's a couple of real holy grails that I want to call out in this category. First and foremost, let's talk about this. This is the Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 5 Retinal Serum (0.05%)."

Doctor Anne

56k subs

✓Yay

"They have an A-Game 5, which is a 0.05% retinaldehyde serum. I really enjoy their 0.05% and 0.1% formulas, I often recommend them to friends and family."

Dr. Vanita Rattan

1.23M subs

✓Yay

"This one is 0.05%, and I like it. It's retinaldehyde plus allantoin, which is anti-inflammatory, and it's safe at a pH of six, which I like."

Dr Dray

2.69M subs

✓Yay

"The AAME 5 is 0.05% retinaldehyde, which is a reasonable percentage strength, and I definitely recommend trying it because it's actually not that common to find a retinaldehyde that's this well formulated, free of common allergens and irritants, and affordable."

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

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

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is an antioxidant, and it is often in a formula to keep the other ingredients stable rather than as the active itself. It pairs well with vitamin C, though on its own the evidence for visible change is limited.

Source: NIH, National Library of Medicine

Frequently asked.

What is Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 5 Retinal Serum (0.05%)?

A low-strength retinal serum with 0.05% retinaldehyde and allantoin, formulated at a skin-friendly pH and fragrance-free, designed to help with signs of ageing, uneven tone and breakouts.

Is Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 5 Retinal Serum (0.05%) worth it?

Yes. All 6 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 85%.

What is Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 5 Retinal Serum (0.05%)'s Guru Score?

Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 5 Retinal Serum (0.05%) holds a Guru Score of 85%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 6 expert reviewers we have collected. It is also Guru Certified, our mark for products that hold broad approval across many expert reviewers.

Who is Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 5 Retinal Serum (0.05%) best for?

Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 5 Retinal Serum (0.05%) is generally suited to acne-prone skin and mature skin.

What is Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 5 Retinal Serum (0.05%) good for, according to the experts?

In their reviews, experts say Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 5 Retinal Serum (0.05%) is good for breakouts and acne (1 expert), irritated or reactive skin (1 expert), fine lines and wrinkles (1 expert) and calming retinoid irritation (1 expert).