Name: SkinBetter Science AlphaRet Overnight Cream
Brand: SkinBetter Science
Rating: 84.0 (10 reviews)

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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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Dr. Aleksandra Brown

104k subs · 4k devotees

✓Approved

"My over-the-counter retinol that I tend to gravitate towards and I'm using a lot lately is SkinBetter Science AlphaRet. I'll use this on the nights where my skin is not quite ready for tretinoin and I want a little exfoliation and I still want the benefits of a retinoid, but I want something that's a little bit better tolerated. This is a combination product that pairs a retinoid with an exfoliating acid, so you're going to get both cell turnover and gentle exfoliation in one step. I find it to be a really nice option when I want results but I don't want to push my skin any more, and especially if I don't want that peeling, dryness, and irritation I sometimes get from tretinoin. The key ingredient is the AlphaRet, which is a unique combination of a retinoid and an AHA, particularly lactic acid. There's also a little bit of glycolic acid for that optimal exfoliation in addition to the retinoid."

All 2 takes from Dr. Aleksandra Brown

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"My go-to lately has been the SkinBetter Science AlphaRet Overnight Cream. This contains retinol that's appropriate for even dry sensitive eyes but also has a little bit of AHAs to help increase skin elasticity and help further build collagen. The ingredients in this cream will help firm the skin, minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, but also brighten the skin. Some of the key ingredients in here are the AlphaRet technology, which is a combination of retinoid and AHAs, or alpha hydroxy acids, and they work together to help build collagen and firm up the skin under the eyes. Peptide blend will also help increase skin's elasticity. You also find ceramides, squalane, and niacinamide in this eye cream, they'll help soothe but also hydrate the skin, as well as antioxidants."

Dr. Mamina

277k subs · 626 devotees

✓Approved

"A higher-end option that I really do like is the SkinBetter Science AlphaRet. The AlphaRet combines a retinoid with an alpha hydroxy acid in a way that's effective but well tolerated. There's also a bunch of other nourishing goodies in the AlphaRet product."

Dr. Daniel Sugai

716k subs · 23k devotees

✓Approved

"skinbetter science AlphaRet Overnight Cream has become the industry's best-kept secret. I've mentioned it on my channel for many years, and it has quietly earned a permanent place in my practice. It's hands down the best retinoid I can recommend that does not require a prescription, one of the gold standard retinoids with over 10 years of transformative results. I've rated it 10 out of 10. It hasn't made a name for itself through viral trends, but is relied upon by professionals who care about real outcomes, long-term skin health, and consistency. Traditional retinoids rely on multiple conversion steps to become active retinoic acid in the skin, and during that conversion process you can lose potency and also get increased irritation. That irritation leads to dryness, redness, and peeling, and eventually patients stop using it. A retinoid you can't use consistently is not an effective retinoid. This is where AlphaRet is fundamentally different. Formulated with skinbetter science's number-one, 33-time award-winning AlphaRet technology, it uniquely combines a retinoid with an alpha hydroxy acid for visible improvement in fine lines and wrinkles. That pairing allows AlphaRet to bypass the traditional conversion process, delivering efficacy with little to no irritation."

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"My favorite retinoid that does not require a prescription, hands down, is SkinBetter Science AlphaRet Overnight Cream. Just one pump gives you a pea-sized amount for your entire face. You have an alpha hydroxy acid paired with a retinoid, so you get exfoliation from the AHA, and the retinoid has been shown in studies to be comparable to tretinoin 0.025% for fine lines and wrinkles, but without the tolerability issues. With tretinoin, patients will often get irritation, especially if they're not moisturizing well or it's cold out. With AlphaRet, you won't see that problem. If I was on an island worried about fine lines, wrinkles, and dark spots, I'm going to use AlphaRet at bedtime. It is a higher price point."

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"Just a pea-sized amount to the entire face to help with collagen boosting. It helps with fine lines and wrinkles, increases cell turnover, and thus helps with hyperpigmentation. It also helps keep your pores clear with the exfoliative action of the alpha hydroxy acids, plus you have retinoids that prevent the shedding of dead skin into the pore and thus keep them clear and help with the appearance of your pores. Just an overall winner. I know it's a little higher price point, but for me it's been worth it."

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"This is SkinBetter Science AlphaRet. It has lactic acid conjugated to a retinoid, and you also have glycolic acid mixed in. So you have AHAs helping to gently exfoliate the skin plus you have a retinoid that will help boost collagen production and help with hyperpigmentation. Just one pump is all you need for your entire face. You don't want to overdo it. If you want to treat your neck, go ahead, but just put maybe a half pea-size amount for your neck to start off and see how you tolerate it before doing a full pea-size amount to your neck."

Dermatologist Explains: Anti-Aging Skincare Routine By Age

"If you don't have access to your dermatologist, the next option for retinoids would be SkinBetter Science. It is at a higher price point. But instead of hitting your skin with Leon exfoliants at home, you could have an exfoliant already attached to your retinoid. Their alpha has alpha hydroxy acids paired with their retinoid. So you're getting exfoliation from the alpha hydroxy acid plus the retinoid. Consider that one in your 40s and up. You can definitely start it like I did in my early 30s and up."

Dermatologist Reviews: My Holy Grail Retinoid-SkinBetter Science AlphaRet

"This is one of my favorite retinoids, my Holy Grail retinoid. This is a 10 out of 10. It's not tretinoin, but if you look at the studies, this is not inferior to tretinoin. In a split-face 12-week study, they compared alpharet, which is a double conjugated retinoid, to generic tretinoin 0.025. They applied one side of the face alpharet and the other side tretinoin for 4, 8, and 12 weeks and looked at fine lines and wrinkles, erythema, dyschromia, skin tone, and pore size. They found that alpharet was not inferior to tretinoin, so it performed just as well as tretinoin. The conclusion showed early reductions in photodamage and improvements in hydration."

Dermatologist Reviews: My Holy Grail Retinoid-SkinBetter Science AlphaRet

"They applied one side of the face with AlphaRet and the other side tretinoin for 4, 8, and 12 weeks and looked at fine lines and wrinkles, erythema, dyschromia, skin tone, and pore size. They found that AlphaRet was not inferior to tretinoin, so it performed just as well as generic tretinoin. The conclusion showed early reductions in photo damage and improvements in hydration. At 12 weeks, that's when you really want to assess fine lines or wrinkles because that doesn't usually happen in the first eight weeks of use. AlphaRet has lactic acid, which is an AHA, and two molecules conjugated with retinoid. The retinoid is not truly tretinoin but very similar to tretinoin. This isn't technically prescription, but when it first came out you could only get this at a doctor's office. It is now available online and you can get it without seeing a dermatologist. Do not use this if you're pregnant or if you have very sensitive skin or rosacea. If you do obtain it and have sensitive skin, start very slowly. This also has glycolic acid, which works like lactic acid in exfoliating the skin."

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"If you want to go for something with more of a punch that has alpha hydroxy acids mixed in, a double conjugated retinoid with two molecules of lactic acid plus glycolic acid, consider SkinBetter Science AlphaRet. There's an intensive or non-intensive version. This is the non-intensive I'm using more in the winter time, and the intensive has 18% glycolic acid versus this one here is the 10% glycolic acid. You just want to do a pea-size amount to your entire face, that's usually just one pump, then moisturize over it."

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"SkinBetter Science AlphaRet, which has niacinamide with it, it's their own special double conjugated retinoid with lactic acid and glycolic acid. It's one of my favorite retinoids that you can get."

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"My favorite alphaRet by SkinBetter Science has niacinamide with their retinoid their Alpha R compound."

Dr. Sam Ellis

849k subs · 143k devotees

✓Approved

"The SkinBetter Science AlphaRet is one of my tippy top favorites. Right now, you can only get it in dermatology clinics or from an aesthetician, and it is one of the pricier retinoids on the market. But when it comes to being spendy with skincare, it is one of the things that I think is truly worth the investment if you have really sensitive skin. If you want a clinically tested retinoid that has shown to be good for sensitive skin and yields really efficacious results, it is absolutely worth trying."

The Style and Beauty Doctor

219k subs · 8k devotees

✓Approved

"Those Alpharett products sound freaking amazing. This combines retinoid and alpha hydroxy acid infused with retinol and lactic acid. It accelerates skin renewal for a visibly smoother complexion. This has all of the things in it. Niacinamide, glycolic, retinol, lactic acid. I'm gonna order this and try it because it sounds freaking amazing."

Doctorly

3.55M subs · 99k devotees

✓Approved

"If we're looking at something that's expensive but probably still worth the money, I would say it would be AlphaRet from SkinBetter Science. This is what would be medical grade skincare personified, this would be the definition of that category if it existed. AlphaRet is still a great product."

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"SkinBetter Science AlphaRet is a very well formulated product with enough science to justify it being called medical grade. That product is unique, it's innovative, it's novel, it combines multiple things. I'm a big fan of that product."

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"It works really well. It's just expensive, you know. It's got your retinol and your lactic acid and your antioxidants. But it's a good product. It's just really expensive."

Viral Skincare Tested: SkinBetter Science AlphaRet | Doctorly Reviews

"I have a personal affinity for the concept of this product because I feel like it breaks all the rules. The most important thing I like about this packaging is the airless pump so you're able to get all the product out of it. The benefits of airless packaging is that there's less exposure to environmental things like the sun and air, and so a lot of those ingredients like your retinols are going to stay stable for long. Also, for a lot of products with this packaging sometimes you can skip some of the preservatives because you have a very self-contained protected product, and so you might actually end up with a more minimalistic and perhaps more gentle formulation overall purely because of the packaging."

Viral Skincare Tested: SkinBetter Science AlphaRet | Doctorly Reviews

"I have a personal affinity for the concept of this product because I feel like it breaks all the rules. The ingredient combination is what makes this product really interesting. I actually like the packaging quite a bit. The most important thing that I like about this packaging is the airless pump so you're able to get all the product out of it. I literally cracked one of my products open the other day just to see if it's true and there is really nothing for me to get out. The benefits of airless packaging is that there's less exposure to environmental things like the sun and air, and so a lot of those ingredients like your retinols are going to stay stable for long. Also for a lot of products with this packaging sometimes you can skip some of the preservatives because you have a very self-contained protected product."

Viral Skincare Tested: SkinBetter Science AlphaRet | Doctorly Reviews

"The main thing that's leading this product is that it is both an alpha hydroxy acid so you're exfoliating acids and it also has retinol in it. It has a very interesting ingredient called ethyl lacyl retinoate, it's a retinol ester. They combined lactic acid and retinol in one ingredient. They put it in one formula stable and then once it gets on top of the skin the body actually goes through a hydrolysis process that breaks it down into these two separate molecules and it does it in a time-released fashion so you're delivering that lactic acid and that retinol in a gentle way. They take what was don't use these ingredients together and they said no, no, you can do that with a very deliberate formulation. They've shown that it's stable. It's a very unique mechanism. Beyond that there's also vitamin C in there. So this is like a list of ingredients that you'll see a million TikTok videos on don't use A and B and C together and this is like, oh, here's A, B, and C and they're together and they do it well. That's very exciting."

Viral Skincare Tested: SkinBetter Science AlphaRet | Doctorly Reviews

"It's a retinol ester. They combined lactic acid and retinol in one ingredient and put it in one formula stable, and then once it gets on top of the skin the body actually goes through a hydrolysis process that breaks it down into these two separate molecules and it does it in a time-released fashion so you're delivering that lactic acid and that retinol in a gentle way. This is the intrigue, this is the mystery of AlphaRet because they take what was don't use these ingredients together and they said no, you can do that, which you can, but this is the preferred way you do it with a very deliberate formulation. They've shown that it's stable. It's a very unique mechanism. And beyond that there's also vitamin C in there, so this is like that list of ingredients that you'll see a million TikTok videos on: don't use A and C together. And this is oh, here's A and C and they're together and they do it well. I love that. Even though it's kind of on the pricier side, you also have almost like a three-in-one product. It's got this very interesting ingredient, plus it also has glycolic acid, another alpha hydroxy acid, and it also has the peptides that make up Matrixyl 3000, and it has many other ones."

Viral Skincare Tested: SkinBetter Science AlphaRet | Doctorly Reviews

"This is like a very unique mechanism and it's a very deliberate formulation they've shown is stable. There's also vitamin C in there, so this is like that list of ingredients you'll see a million TikTok videos on saying don't use A and C together, and here's a B and C together and they do it well. That's very exciting. Even though it's kind of on the pricier side, you also have almost like a three-in-one product. It's got this ingredient plus glycolic acid, another alpha hydroxy acid, and it has the peptides that make up Matrixyl 3000. Despite the fact that it has all these ingredients, it's still fragrance-free. That's one of the coolest things because it does have like a light, gentle smell but it is fragrance-free, so it's fizzy but not cluttered. It's jam-packed and deliberate, and I think that's pretty exceptional for an expensive product, because when you get into the expensive skincare world you'll start seeing a lot of essential oils and fragrant ingredients, and I think that's sometimes how they justify the cost with the experiential side. This is stripped down."

Viral Skincare Tested: SkinBetter Science AlphaRet | Doctorly Reviews

"Despite the fact that it has all these ingredients, it's still fragrance-free. It really is. I think that's one of the coolest things. It does have like a kind of light, gentle smell, but it is fragrance-free, so it's fizzy but not cluttered. It's calm and deliberate, and I think that's pretty exceptional for an expensive product because when you get into the expensive skincare world, you'll start seeing a lot of different essential oils and fragrant ingredients, and I think that's sometimes how they justify the cost. This is stripped down. Every ingredient is in there for a purpose, and it's tolerable. I do like the tolerability of this product as well. This is one of the rare products that actually has clinical studies that have been published for the public to read. Before this product was even created, there were separate studies on the ingredient where they looked at the efficacy of that and it showed amazing improvement. They looked at 30 women in the 50-year-old age range with moderate to severe wrinkles and they saw significant improvement in those results. When they compared it to retinol and tretinoin, they found that it was less irritating than retinol and tretinoin."

Viral Skincare Tested: SkinBetter Science AlphaRet | Doctorly Reviews

"Pretty hydrating. I love this product. I actually don't use moisturizer after I use this. It has that glycolic acid smell, which is very unique for glycolic acid. Texture-wise it has that silky finish. I like the texture. It's a solid texture. It has a pretty rich body and it doesn't leave you sticky. I think this product is meant for somebody who's serious about skin care, somebody who has early fine lines, wrinkles, texture issues, hyperpigmentation. It's really for somebody who wants a simple skincare routine. If you're not looking to layer like nine different products at night, then this is something that's really simple. You're just going to have a two or three-step skincare routine. So someone who wants simplicity and somebody who really wants actives in their routine."

Viral Skincare Tested: SkinBetter Science AlphaRet | Doctorly Reviews

"It's pretty hydrating. I love this product. I actually don't use moisturizer after I use this. It has that glycolic acid smell, which is very unique for glycolic acid. Texture-wise it has that squealing finish. I like the texture. It's a solid texture. It does have a pretty rich body, and it doesn't leave you sticky. I think this product is meant for somebody who's serious about skincare, somebody who has early fine lines, wrinkles, texture issues, hyperpigmentation. It's really for somebody who wants a simple skincare routine. If you're not looking to layer like nine different products at night, then this is something that's really simple. You're just going to have a one, two, or three-step skincare routine. So someone who wants simplicity, someone who really wants advocacy in their routine, and somebody who's really focusing on photoaging and anti-aging."

Viral Skincare Tested: SkinBetter Science AlphaRet | Doctorly Reviews

"It has that glycolic acid smell, this is very unique for glycolic acid, that's a smell of science. Texture-wise it has that squealing finish. I like the texture. It's good, it's a solid texture, but I get where you're coming from with not needing a moisturizer afterwards because it does have a pretty rich body. I love the texture and it doesn't leave you sticky. This product is meant for somebody who's serious about skin care, somebody who has early fine lines, wrinkles, texture issues, hyperpigmentation. It's somebody who wants a simple skincare routine. If you're not looking to layer like nine different products at night, then this is something that's really simple, you're just going to have one or two, two-step, three-step skincare routine. So someone who wants simplicity, someone who really wants efficacy in their routine, and somebody who's really focusing on photoaging and anti-aging. For acne, could it be helpful sure, but this is really not your dedicated product. I love it because it's minimalistic and I'm 30, I think it's like a good little mid-20s, 30s thing, something you can get to just stay keeping your skin in a youthful state."

Viral Skincare Tested: SkinBetter Science AlphaRet | Doctorly Reviews

"Texture-wise it has that squalling finish. I like the texture. I don't think it's like an extraordinary texture, but it's good, it's a solid texture. It does have a pretty rich body and it doesn't leave you sticky. This product is meant for somebody who's serious about skin care, somebody who has early fine lines, wrinkles, texture issues, hyperpigmentation. It's really for somebody who wants a simple skincare routine, someone who's not looking to layer like nine different products at night. If you're not like a chef in the kitchen making up your own concoctions, then this is something that's really simple, you're just going to have one or two, like two-step, three-step skincare routine. So someone who wants simplicity, someone with a little bit of a budget, and somebody who really wants advocacy in their routine. It's really focused on photoaging and anti-aging. I love it because it's minimalistic. I'm recommending it to a good amount of people because I'm a firm believer in skin care and just like quality of skin. As long as you don't have any allergies or something, I kind of don't see why not."

Viral Skincare Tested: SkinBetter Science AlphaRet | Doctorly Reviews

"If you feel like you can comfortably afford it to where it doesn't hurt your soul and you're just really looking for something that might work for you, I think it's completely justified based off of the ingredients and results. You don't need to use too much either, like one and a half pumps and you're good, so this is going to last you for a while. If you have the budget or you just simply want results and you don't want to figure out how to add all these products together, I would actually rather save and buy this product than wasting money on other products. For me, I would say it's probably worth it."

Viral Skincare Tested: SkinBetter Science AlphaRet | Doctorly Reviews

"You don't need to use too much either, like one and a half pumps and you're good, so this is going to last you for a while. If you have the budget or you just simply want results and you don't want to figure out how to add all these products together, I would actually rather save and buy this product than wasting money on other products that you're probably not even going to end up using. It's definitely expensive, but for me I would say it's worth it. If you've been on AlphaRet for a while and your skin is used to it and you're looking for a little bit higher kick, then you can go to the AlphaRet Intense, but I probably wouldn't start there."

Dr. Vanita Rattan

1.22M subs · 10k devotees

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"They really could have done that and they haven't. They failed very badly. It's probably the worst product we've seen so far today and the most expensive."

Tea with MD

106k subs · 2k devotees

✓Approved

"This product is a lactic acid based exfoliant so it's a chemical exfoliant it also has licorice root which is meant for brightening it has aloe for calming down your skin as well as lemongrass for helping with skin radiance. I use this on nights when I'm not using my retinoid. I find that this leaves my skin texture feeling really smooth it helps to unclog my pores and it's just a really nice gentle treatment that gives me all the benefits of an exfoliant without leaving my skin feeling stinging or over exfoliated."

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"My personal favorite retinoid-containing product is the skinbetter science AlphaRet Overnight Cream. That's the only retinoid that my really sensitive, rosacea-prone skin can tolerate. It's actually a retinoid conjugated with lactic acid, along with a whole host of other goodies. That's my retinoid of choice for those with sensitive skin."

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"SkinBetter Science AlphaRet is a very very gentle retinoid that's conjugated with an AHA and it's the only retinoid that I can tolerate. Knowing specifically that someone has sensitive skin I would recommend that product for them and they can even use that with peel pads."

Dr Alexis Stephens

579k subs

✓Approved

"Definitely one of my favorite anti-aging creams. SkinBetter Science AlphaRet Overnight Cream has palmitoyl tripeptide 1 in addition to many other fantastic skincare ingredients."

208SkinDoc

2.05M subs · 30k devotees

✓Approved

"It's a retinoic acid, very similar to prescription tretinoin, but it's combined with lactic acid and even glycolic acid to give you a little extra exfoliation. That sounds like it could be drying, but it's so gentle. I use it most nights without even using a moisturizer, and I don't get any dryness or irritation. It is a little bit more expensive than your typical over-the-counter retinol, but it will last you 5 months because one pump is all you need every night, and there's 150 treatments in that bottle. So if you're looking for a very good retinol that is not irritating, this is it."

AlphaRet Overnight Cream.

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