Index / The Inkey List / 1% Retinol Serum
The Inkey List

1% Retinol Serum.

The Inkey List 1% Retinol Serum
Retinoids

About this product

A serum containing 1% retinol, a high-strength retinoid designed to address signs of aging and skin texture.

Best for

Mature skin
Retinoids

The Guru Index verdict

66%

Mixed

~Mixed · 66%
6Reviewers
3Approved
2Mixed
1Skip

What the gurus are saying

Gurus confirm this is a genuinely high-strength retinol formula. The consensus leans positive, with creators appreciating its potency, though one reviewer noted it's solid without being exceptional. The takeaway: effectiveness depends on finding the right retinol match for your skin.
Synthesized from 6 expert reviews

Key actives & flags

RetinoidVitamin ESqualaneFragrance-freeAlcohol-free

Full ingredients

Aqua (Water), Glycerin, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Caprylic/​Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Squalane, Retinol, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/​Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Benzyl Alcohol, Phospholipids, Tocopherol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glycolipids, Dehydroacetic Acid, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Sterols, T-Butyl Alcohol

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.

All takes Approved only Skip only Mixed only Hide sponsored
Approved
"The Inkey List 1% Retinol Serum which is $25 for 1 oz and this contains 1% retinol."
Skip
"The biggest issue for me was with their original Retinol Serum which was a 1% retinol set it all over the packaging. 1% retinol. I was like that's a good dose retinol. I started my retinoid journey with it because it then came out that it wasn't a 1% retinol, it was a 1% rstar complex which actually was a compound of different components and when you broke it down it was equivalent of about a .2% retinol. Really, that's doing nothing. This kind of emerged online, people started talking about it, then it was confirmed with the new EU retinol restrictions where the inky list can still sell their product into the EU because the concentration of retinol is below 0.3%. That marketing was very misleading from the start and for me I trusted my skin with that product and I wondered why I maybe didn't get the same results I was hoping for. It's because we weren't really getting the percentage we thought we were."
Approved
"This is the retinol Inkey List serum which is a good starter serum and I would always start with retinol rather than anything a little bit stronger. You can use this on the face quite nicely. I would not use this in the daytime because it can sensitize the skin, and if you sensitize the skin and then expose it to UV you could cause some damage to your skin. So if you're going to use retinol you want to use that at night."
~Mixed
"The 1% Retinol Serum from The Inkey List is a high strength formula. You don't get any additional peptides, but in general you get a little bit of niacinamide and hyaluronic acid. It's a good formula, it's not the best, but it is a high strength formula."
~Mixed
"I will always say yes to retinol. I haven't tried retinol from The Inkey List so I cannot speak about their retinol specifically, but I think that retinol is good, always a good idea."
Approved
"This is another great one, the 1% Retinol Serum from The Inkey List. I love The Inkey List and The Ordinary because these are both like under 10, 15 bucks, so they're affordable. If you're going to spend your money on something, spend your money on a potent active ingredient and get it at an inexpensive price and try it long enough, like a month or two, to see if it works for you."
All 2 takes from Cassandra Bankson
3 Acne Destroying Skincare Tips I Wish I knew When I was 16
"This is another great one, the 1% Retinol Serum from The Inkey List. I love The Inkey List and The Ordinary because these are both like under 10, 15 bucks, so they're affordable. If you're going to spend your money on something, spend your money on a potent active ingredient and get it at an inexpensive price and try it long enough, like a month or two, to see if it works for you."
Best and Worst Products From The Inkey List
"The retinol one from The Inkey List is really good, it's a great beginner retinol, but I don't know if I would call it a hit, especially since I have been liking the Super Solution retinoid a little bit better."
You might also like

Similar products worth a look.

Other products the same gurus have weighed in on, plus more from this brand and category.

This week's top beauty news, in your inbox.

A weekly read of the takes worth catching up on: the raves, the splits, the ones the gurus won't shut up about. Free, no spam, unsubscribe whenever.

Subscribe to the digest