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Geek & Gorgeous

A-Game 5.

Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 5
Fragrance

About this product

A fragrance-free retinol serum containing 0.5% retinol, designed as a gentle entry-level retinoid treatment with added peptides, humectants, and soothing ingredients.

Best for

Sensitive skinMature skin
Fragrance

The Guru Index verdict

84%

Approved

✓Approved · 84%
3Reviewers
3Approved
0Mixed
0Skip

What the gurus are saying

Gurus across the board recommend this as an ideal starting point for those new to retinoids, praising the 0.5% retinol strength paired with a thoughtful blend of hydrating and calming ingredients that keeps irritation lower than retinoids alone typically do. The consensus how-to: sandwich it between two moisturizers in the evening routine, and ease in slowly, especially for retinoid newcomers. Most also note the price point is competitive, and that the brand offers A-Game 10 and 20 for those ready to step up over time.
Synthesized from 3 expert reviews

Key actives & flags

RetinoidVitamin EFragrance-freeAlcohol-free

Full ingredients

Aqua (Water), Caprylic/​Capric Triglyceride, Oleyl Erucate, Glycerin, Triheptanoin, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Cyclodextrin, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/​Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Allantoin, Retinal, Rubus Chamaemorus (Cloudberry) Seed Oil, Panthenol, Citric Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Disodium EDTA, Pentylene Glycol, Lonicera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Lonicera Caprifolium (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol

Where to buy

Every take, in full

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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Beyond50Skin
Beyond50Skin
31k subs · 1k devotees
✓Approved
"Geek and Gorgeous their A-Game 5 has a meaningful amount of retinol retinaldehyde. It also is fragrance-free super popular with educated skincare users."
No BS Beauty
No BS Beauty
89k subs · 2k devotees
✓Approved
"If you are newer to retinoids, their A-Game 5 is the place to start. Then you can go up to 10 and then work your way up to 20. It's a great retinoid serum. It uses retinol which is a little bit stronger and you can certainly ease your way into it starting with A-Game 5. I love them. Fragrance-free, really easy to add into your routine, sandwich it between two moisturizers, you're good to go. And it's wonderful for anti-aging as well as if you get acne or things like that."
All 3 takes from No BS Beauty
Strongest Retinal Serums - The Best Retinoids & Retinols For Anti-Aging, Wrinkles, & Flawless Skin
"Geek & Gorgeous has the A-Game 10 and the A-Game 5 which are both more gentle. It also contains other peptides in there which are nice for anti-aging and I like the packaging, it's a little bit more travel friendly. Always be very cautious starting it, start it slow in your routine, use it with moisturizers. The sandwich method is a great one: in your evening routine you apply a thick moisturizer, then you apply your retinoid, and then apply a thicker sleeping mask or a thicker moisturizer over it to prevent dryness. Start out slow, or if you're newer to retinoids, mixing one of these with a little bit of moisturizer is not a bad way to start."
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"If you are newer to retinoids, their A-Game 5 is the place to start. Then you can go up to 10 and then work your way up to 20. It's a great retinoid serum. It uses retinol which is a little bit stronger and you can certainly ease your way into it starting with A-Game 5. I love them. Fragrance-free, really easy to add into your routine, sandwich it between two moisturizers, you're good to go. And it's wonderful for anti-aging as well as if you get acne or things like that."
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"If you're new to retinoids, you can start out with their A-Game 5. It's got 0.5% retinol. This is a great one to start up with. Start using it at night. Use a good moisturizer along with it after it before it. Sandwich it in between two moisturizers. It's pretty affordable. If you compare it with The Ordinary retinol, it actually becomes a little bit more affordable because The Ordinary comes in half the size. It's also got ectoine in there for soothing. Their retinoids are outstanding."
Mad About Skin
Mad About Skin
720k subs · 10k devotees
✓Approved
"This is the Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 5. They do three strengths: the A-Game 5, the A-Game 10, and the A-Game 20. Start with the 5 and work your way up. All of them are packed full of moisturizing ingredients, humectants, and calming and soothing components. You're getting a high dose of retinol, which is one of my personal favorite retinoid forms, but with far less risk of side effects and irritation because of a quality formulation. You don't need to break the bank to get that hydration because in here you've got all that hydration, that beautiful dose of retinol, and these are really, really inexpensive. Geek & Gorgeous is one of my favorite drugstore skincare brands. This is a good example of not just packing a product full of a retinoid, but also thinking about that wraparound formulation and how you can improve user experience. I love this and it's been my go-to for years."
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