Index / The Inkey List / Retinol Serum
The Inkey List

Retinol Serum.

The Inkey List
Retinol Serum
Retinoids

About this product

A retinol serum designed as an entry-level retinoid treatment. The formula contains a retinol complex intended to support skin cell turnover and address signs of aging.

Best for

Mature skin
Retinoids

The Guru Index verdict

63%

Mixed

~Mixed · 63%
2Reviewers
0Approved
1Mixed
1Skip

What the gurus are saying

Gurus flag a significant marketing credibility issue: the product was marketed as 1% retinol but contains a retinol complex with an actual retinol concentration around 0.2%, well below the advertised strength. This mismatch disappointed users expecting stronger results. As a beginner retinoid, it's serviceable and gentle, though some prefer other options at the same entry level.
Synthesized from 2 expert reviews
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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"The biggest issue for me was with their original Retinol Serum which was a 1% retinol set it all over the packaging. 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 0.2% retinol. 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 Inkey 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. I trusted my skin with that product and I wondered why I didn't get the same results I was hoping for. It's because we weren't really getting the percentage we thought we were."
~Mixed
"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 another retinoid a little bit better."
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