La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum: a Guru Score of 57%

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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~Yay

"La Roche-Posay's Retinol B3 with niacinamide's another great serum to consider. It has its famous thermal spring water, which is full of great anti-inflammatory minerals, very soothing for the skin, and also hydrating. So, great for those with rosacea because it has the niacinamide in it, and it has barrier support from the thermal spring water."

All 4 takes from Dr. Daniel Sugai

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"La Roche-Posay's Retinol B3 with niacinamide's another great serum to consider. It has its famous thermal spring water, which is full of great anti-inflammatory minerals, very soothing for the skin, and also hydrating. So, great for those with rosacea because it has the niacinamide in it, and it has barrier support from the thermal spring water."

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"Niacinamide is a great versatile ingredient that you can see in your retinoids in your retinol like La Roche-Posay's Retinol B3."

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"I think it's a great ingredient but too much of a good thing can be harmful but it works well with your retinol and I love retinols with vitamin B3 in it, niacinamide like La Roche-Posay Retinol B3."

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"In L Ro P's retinol this is a one of my favorites as well it has a gradual release retinol plus niacinamide and they work so well together niacinamide is anti-inflammatory so it can be soothing but also we found is skin brightening so and also it can help regulate seab bump production or oil production in people who have oilier skin"

Dr Dray

2.68M subs

~Yay

"If it's from L'Oreal, the retinol has good science behind it. [...] L'Oreal [...] brands like La Roche-Posay, their retinols are going to be well formulated."

All 2 takes from Dr Dray

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"If it's from L'Oreal, the retinol has good science behind it. [...] L'Oreal [...] brands like La Roche-Posay, their retinols are going to be well formulated."

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"Their retinol is pretty good because La Roche-Posay is an L'Oreal brand and they do put a lot of R&D in the product. It has niacinamide, which is helpful for redness. However, I do believe this product has fragrance in it, so I just stick to the CeraVe retinols or the Neutrogena retinols, which are really good. Retinols can be irritating, so having a fragrance in there just increases the chance of irritation."

Mad About Skin

727k subs

~Nay

"This little red bottled number has an undisclosed dose of retinol. If you really badger the company, they will tell you the strength, but it's not apparent from just looking at the product or on their website, making it easy for us to make an informed decision. You have to email them. It's a lot of work. But not only do they not fully transparent on the percentage, they also pair what is already quite a sensitizing ingredient, retinol, alongside other drying ingredients and fragrance. For me, there are so many potentially irritating ingredients in this product. It's just going to risk increasing side effects and irritation. When it comes to choosing a retinoid, I like to opt for ones that are fragrance free, colorant free, and ideally free from any drying alcohols or other potentially drying ingredients. I avoid it in my retinoids because personally, I just don't think we want to increase the risk of sensitivity from what is already quite a sensitizing ingredient."

All 2 takes from Mad About Skin

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"The Retinol Serum contains drying alcohol."

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"This little red bottled number has an undisclosed dose of retinol. If you really badger the company, they will tell you the strength, but it's not apparent from just looking at the product or on their website, making it easy for us to make an informed decision. You have to email them. It's a lot of work. But not only do they not fully transparent on the percentage, they also pair what is already quite a sensitizing ingredient, retinol, alongside other drying ingredients and fragrance. For me, there are so many potentially irritating ingredients in this product. It's just going to risk increasing side effects and irritation. When it comes to choosing a retinoid, I like to opt for ones that are fragrance free, colorant free, and ideally free from any drying alcohols or other potentially drying ingredients. I avoid it in my retinoids because personally, I just don't think we want to increase the risk of sensitivity from what is already quite a sensitizing ingredient."

Doctorly

3.58M subs

~Yay

"Something like the rock retinol they pioneered retinol so they are the ogs in that category"

All 2 takes from Doctorly

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"Something like the rock retinol they pioneered retinol so they are the ogs in that category"

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"Their retinol again has a lot of alcohol also has fragrance. For me it's a miss on almost all of the serums from La Roche-Posay, and I think that that's just coming down to preference and the fact that it has fragrance. I do remember one of the first serums I used on my skin was one of the La Roche-Posay serums and I 100% got a very burning stinging sensation off the bat, and that's uncommon for me just with my skin type unless I already have a damaged skin barrier. I do think that it was this constellation of ingredients that may not be 100% necessary."

Dr. Aleksandra Brown

142k subs

~Yay

"There's a variety of retinols. If you start over the counter, there's La Roche-Posay, they have really good retinols. They're going to be the mildest category [...] retinol. Really the brand on the front doesn't matter as much as the active ingredient."

All 3 takes from Dr. Aleksandra Brown

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"This is a slow release retinol serum designed for sensitive and rosacea prone skin combining the retinol with niacinamide and then these hydrating ingredients to strengthen the skin barrier and minimize irritation. The key ingredient here is the pure retinol, it's a vitamin A derivative that promotes surface cell turnover, reduces fine lines, improves the skin texture. This also has the niacinamide which calms down the redness and restores the skin moisture barrier, also helps with discoloration that's caused by inflammation. This also contains glycerin, which is a great humectant that attracts and retains water ensuring optimal hydration, gives you a little bit of plumpness to the skin. And then of course the La Roche-Posay thermal spring water which contains minerals and selenium which provide the antioxidant protection and help soothe irritation."

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"La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum contains a milder form of retinol along with niacinamide which soothes the skin and minimizes irritation. This retinol serum will combine the concentrated pure retinol and vitamin B3 for optimal effectiveness while also being suitable for sensitive skin. The key ingredients are the pure retinol which is a well researched form of vitamin A that promotes cell turnover improving skin texture and reducing the appearance of fine lines. It also contains vitamin B3, also known as niacinamide, which is known for its anti-inflammatory and skin soothing properties. Niacinamide helps strengthen the skin barrier and reduce redness, making retinol more tolerable. It also contains glycerin which is a powerful humectant that attracts moisture, keeping the skin hydrated and plump."

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"There's a variety of retinols. If you start over the counter, there's La Roche-Posay, they have really good retinols. They're going to be the mildest category [...] retinol. Really the brand on the front doesn't matter as much as the active ingredient."

Dr. Somji Skin

359k subs

~Nay

"Low concentration of retinol, not many other peptides in there, which is quite disappointing. I don't like hybrid stuff, you're either a serum or you're a cream, can't be doing a hybrid thing. The ingredients are definitely a step up from the retinol cream and I do like what they've included, including vitamin B3. But it loses a lot of points on the hybrid. It's a hybrid fail."

All 2 takes from Dr. Somji Skin

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"Low concentration of retinol, not many other peptides in there, which is quite disappointing. I don't like hybrid stuff, you're either a serum or you're a cream, can't be doing a hybrid thing. The ingredients are definitely a step up from the retinol cream and I do like what they've included, including vitamin B3. But it loses a lot of points on the hybrid. It's a hybrid fail."

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"I think this is too creamy and I think it almost cancels out or certainly significantly reduces the benefits of a serum. [...] They've added things like soy oil and soybean oil, silicone, [...] it's retinol palmitate so it's nothing too strong. There was a strong fragrance there, the perfume, and for retinol I'm adding perfumes it's never a good idea in my opinion because it would just be a hot bed of sensitivities. [...] There's also denatured alcohol in there which is a big sensitizer of the skin, it'll make your skin really sensitive and with repeated use, and people love retinol and they use this a lot so it's a little bit disappointing that they decided to do this. Low concentration of retinol, not many other peptides in there which is quite disappointing. [...] I don't like hybrid stuff, you're either serum or you're cream, can't be doing a hybrid."

No BS Beauty

89k subs

~Nay

"Their retinol I found to be super irritating, full of fragrance. La Roche-Posay has a lot of amazing stuff, but they also have a handful of stuff that my skin did not tolerate well, and a lot of people probably will not."

All 2 takes from No BS Beauty

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"La Roche Posay B3 retinol which very strongly scented very expensive and not super efficient or effective from what I found. La Roche Posay has some good stuff this just isn't one of them in my opinion."

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"Their retinol I found to be super irritating, full of fragrance. La Roche-Posay has a lot of amazing stuff, but they also have a handful of stuff that my skin did not tolerate well, and a lot of people probably will not."

Nipun Kapur

408k subs

~Mixed

"I'm using La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum, not happy."

Dimma Umeh

532k subs

~Yay

"I just take a little bit of my [...] retinol, the La Roche-Posay one that's my go-to at the moment. Pat that just a little bit, pat it into my skin."

All 2 takes from Dimma Umeh

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"I just take a little bit of my [...] retinol, the La Roche-Posay one that's my go-to at the moment. Pat that just a little bit, pat it into my skin."

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"I only use retinol night time."

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

Niacinamide

Niacinamide has evidence behind it for redness, uneven tone and supporting the skin barrier, and it is usually well tolerated even by skin that reacts to most things.

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 La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum?

A gentle retinol serum combining pure retinol with niacinamide, glycerin, and La Roche-Posay's thermal spring water, designed to improve skin texture and reduce fine lines while minimizing irritation.

Is La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum worth it?

The gurus are split. 5 of the 9 gurus give it their stamp of approval while 3 would skip it, which lands it in the middle at a Guru Score of 57%.

What is La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum's Guru Score?

La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum holds a Guru Score of 57%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 9 expert reviewers we have collected.