Hero Cosmetics Rescue Retinol Nighttime Renewing Cream.

Retinoids

About this product

A nighttime retinol cream formulated to gently support skin renewal, designed for beginners and those with sensitivity to retinoids.

Full ingredients

Water/Aqua/Eau, Glycerin, C13-15 Alkane, Squalane, Octyldodecanol, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Propanediol, Polyglyceryl-4 Oleate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Magnesium Sulfate, Polyglyceryl-6 Oleate, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Panthenol, Retinol*, Resveratrol, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Gluconolactone, Ubiquinone, Ethyl Ferulate, Calcium Gluconate, Allantoin, Beta-Glucan, Tocopherol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Xanthan Gum, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Humulus Lupulus Extract, Copernicia Cerifera Cera, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Propylene Carbonate, Caprylyl Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Polysorbate 20

Guru Score

84%

Yay

3 experts · Moderate agreement

What the gurus are saying

Gentle for sensitive skin and retinoid beginners, this cream earns strong recommendations as an accessible starter option. What experts keep coming back to is its mildness, especially valued by people with sensitivity who are just beginning with retinoids. At this price point, testing whether retinoids work for you won't break the bank.

Synthesized from 3 expert reviews · most recent take February 2026

What they liked

Gentle entry point for retinoid beginners
Affordable price

What they flagged

Nothing. None of the experts who reviewed it raised a problem.

Best for

Sensitive skin Mature skin

Type

RetinoidsCream

Key actives

RetinoidVitamin EPeptides Squalane

Formula notes

Fragrance-freeNo drying alcohol

Where to buy

Ulta → Amazon → Google → iHerb →

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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

No BS Beauty

89k subs

✓Yay

"This one's also a nice alternative option. This one's probably about 19 bucks or so at Ulta."

All 3 takes from No BS Beauty

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"This one's also a nice alternative option. This one's probably about 19 bucks or so at Ulta."

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"It's got a really nice texture to it as well and I love the packaging for this. Very nice creamy texture works great evening routine after cleansing toning and serums. So this one is certainly worth checking out and pretty affordable and the bottle is just over an ounce so it's pretty large."

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"For 23 bucks the hero brand came out with their rescue Retinol Serum which is also very nice. I would say this one has some really nice antioxidants in addition to the retinol. We've got retinol in here, we've got Resveratrol, a super strong antioxidant and protecting and healing ingredient, then we've got palmoyl tripeptide 38, gluconolactone, and ubiquinone or CoQ10. This stuff is really nice and wonderful."

Mixed Makeup

1.46M subs

✓Yay

"It is from Hero, it's a Rescue Retinol Nighttime Renewing Cream. This is super super gentle for anyone who has sensitive skin who's just getting started on a retinoid and you're scared. This one would be good to add into your skincare routine. This is what I go to when I feel like I want to use a retinoid but I'm scared."

All 3 takes from Mixed Makeup

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"For anyone that's looking for a beginner gentle retinoid I highly suggest the one from Hero Cosmetics, the Rescue Retinol Nighttime Renewing Cream. This has a 0.75 retinol blend and what that means is that it is not 0.75 retinol, it's a blend of ingredients that include retinol, so you don't know the actual amount of retinol that you're getting in this blend, so you can just assume that it's probably a little bit more gentle."

Reacting to Kesha's Skincare Routine for Adult Acne with LED Masks! | Skincare Reaction | Susan Yara

"I love that Hero Cosmetics retinol. I have talked about it before on social media because it is so beautifully formulated. It is a rich emollient cream and then it's also this encapsulated retinol complex that happens to be very gentle for the skin. So if you are new to retinol, then you can just use it on your own. You do not need to mix it. It's not a prescription strength retinol."

Cassandra Bankson

2.46M subs

✓Yay

"This Rescue Retinol Nighttime Renewing Cream has 0.75 encapsulated retinol blend with a bomb complex. [...] We have squalane, shea butter, and we have magnesium retinol, resveratrol which comes from wine and grapes, tripeptide, gluconalactone, ubaquinone, and allantoin which is hydrating and healing. This actually looks really good."

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

Peptides

Peptides are short protein fragments meant to signal repair. The evidence for them is thinner than for retinoids or vitamin C, and it varies a lot by the specific peptide, so the category is more promising than proven.

Source: NIH, National Library of Medicine

Frequently asked.

What is Hero Cosmetics Rescue Retinol Nighttime Renewing Cream?

A nighttime retinol cream formulated to gently support skin renewal, designed for beginners and those with sensitivity to retinoids.

Is Hero Cosmetics Rescue Retinol Nighttime Renewing Cream worth it?

Yes. All 3 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 84%.

What is Hero Cosmetics Rescue Retinol Nighttime Renewing Cream's Guru Score?

Hero Cosmetics Rescue Retinol Nighttime Renewing Cream holds a Guru Score of 84%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 3 expert reviewers we have collected.