PRODUCT REVIEW: FAB SKIN LAB RETINOL SERUM 0.25% PURE CONCENTRATE - BEST RETINOL CREAM, BEST RETINOL SERUM
FAB Skin Lab | Retinol Serum 0.25% Pure Concentrate
This review was originally part of my blog article titled, Retinol, Retinoids, Retinoic Acid Part One: Best Retinol Serums, Best Retinol Creams from Paula's Choice, Wander Beauty and First Aid Beauty. You can still catch the full piece here.
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I haven’t always been a fan of Retinol and Do Not Disturb has literally transformed how I feel about Retinol treatments. (More on the Wander Beauty Do Not Disturb Overnight Repair Concentrate below.)
My first real experience with Retinol was the Paula’s Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment. To me, that’s the OG of Retinol products. Much like the Paula’s Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster is the OG Niacinamide serum — and perhaps the best anti-aging serum ever. (Psst…I’ve reviewed it on the blog here.)
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Paula’s 1% Retinol Treatment made Retinol an indispensable part of my regular skincare routine. My first experience with it was like playing with fire. Retinol is like that. You have to proceed with caution. Many people build up a tolerance for it that allows them to use it daily.
Not me. I can use a Retinol treatment once, sometimes twice, a week. You have to find your own balance. It took me a long time to accept that I wasn’t going to get up to daily use — and didn’t need to.
What Is Retinol and What Does Retinol Do for the Skin?
It’s commonly accepted that Retinol and retinoids, more specifically, are the gold standard in anti-aging. Like Vitamin C and Niacinamide (Vitamin B3), the Vitamin A derivative has multiple pro-skin health, anti-aging benefits. Among them are the smoothing of lines and wrinkles, potent antioxidant defense and visible skin firming. As with Niacinamide, topical retinoids — as all derivatives of Vitamin A are referred to — can even minimize the appearance of pores and defend skin against aging environmental damage.
There’s a superb piece on retinoids by the experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team titled, The Complete Guide To Retinol: The Anti-Aging (And Anti-Acne) Hero — which you can catch here. Here is what I found most salient:
Retinol is classified as a Cell-Communicating Ingredient, which means that it can tell a skin cell how to behave. Retinol ‘tells’ developing skin cell in the lower layers of the skin – called the dermis, to develop normally, instead of a sun-damaged or genetically malformed skin cell. This is how, over time, Retinol can address multiple skin concerns.
Another way Retinol works is also by telling the older cells in the upper layer of skin to die quicker which in turn allows the newer, healthier skin to surface faster. This quicker skin cell turnover rate, paired with cell communicating abilities is what makes Retinol such a superstar!
There are many derivatives and strengths of retinoids available in both over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription products today. The term “Retinol” is the name of the purest form of Vitamin A, and used most often to refer to the non-prescription version of Retinoids.
However, Retinol itself is not active. It has to go through a conversion process in the skin to get to the active form which is then usable by the skin.
Retinyl Palmitate –> Retinol — > Retinaldehyde –> All-Trans-Retinoic Acid (Tretinoin)
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There are many forms of retinoids used in skincare today and it can get confusing. Brands and their formulators have multiple format options in seemingly infinite concentrations, depending on the formulation and the product’s claims positioning. Here is a breakdown of the most common forms with a brief description.
Retinyl Palmitate
This form of Vitamin A is created by combining Retinol, or pure Vitamin A, and palmitic acid – a saturated fatty acid derived from palm oil. Retinyl Palmitate is actually naturally occurring in the skin. Because of the lengthy conversion process required within the skin, it’s the least effective of the retinoids. As the weakest form, it’s also generally the most well tolerated.
Retinyl Palmitate gets a bad rap and is on the clean beauty ingredient hit lists of both Sephora and Credo, meaning a formula that contains it cannot be classified as “clean”. According to the experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team, the claims that it’s unsafe are “based on a study from nearly 20 years ago that has never been reproduced or tested under real-life conditions such as how people use sunscreens that contain this ingredient.”
Retinol
The term “retinol” has become the catch-all for all forms of retinoids in skincare marketing. To be exact, Retinol is the name for the entire vitamin A molecule and the purest form of the antioxidant vitamin. While its anti-aging benefits are proven, it also has legitimate downsides; notably, Retinol can cause extreme sensitization, irritation, redness, dryness and unsightly flaking of the skin.
What causes Retinol irritation? Well, in order to achieve the unparalleled results of Retinol, the molecule must go through a lengthy molecular transformation in the skin as it converts to retinoic acid. It is this conversion process that causes the significant downsides associated with Retinol.
Ironically, while it’s known for causing skin sensitivity, Retinol is also quite sensitive itself. It needs to be packaged in an opaque, air-tight pump as it easily degrades in the presence of light and air. Just like its BFF Vitamin C!
Retinaldehyde (Retinal)
Retinal is even more potent and effective on the retinoid scale than Retinol itself. Interestingly, “Retinaldehyde has promise in being an anti-acne treatment, without the same harsh side effects of its prescription cousins.”
Because it is perhaps the most expensive of the retinoid class, it’s seldom used in topical skincare products — and is reserved for the savvy marketers who want their Retinol treatment to sound unique and to boast the highest efficacy without a prescription. The default is most often to formulate with the less expensive Retinol. Because of its higher potency, Retinaldehyde is used in lower concentrations, which can give the impression that the formula is weaker from a marketing perspective.
PRODUCT REVIEW: PAULA’S CHOICE 0.3% RETINOL + 2% BAKUCHIOL TREATMENT - BEST RETINOL FACE CREAM
Retinyl Retinoate
This synthetic form of Vitamin A is part of a new generation of retinoids. Because of its slower conversion in the skin into Retinoic Acid, studies have shown it to be less problematic for skin than Retinol and pure form of topical Retinoic Acid — more commonly known as Tretinoin or Retin-A.
Because of the serious downsides of using Retinol, Retinyl Retinoate may become increasingly popular in the years ahead.
Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate (HPR) or Granactive Retinoid
Marketed as Granactive Retinoid, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate (HPR) is the newest and most promising member of the class of anti-aging retinoids. HPR is an ester of retinoic acid with benefits on par with prescription-strength retinoic acid, commonly known as Tretinoin or Retin-A. The greatest benefit is that HPR is more readily tolerated by the skin, with none of the side effects of Retinol or retinoic acid — including irritation, sensitivity, dryness and flakiness.
How is it possible to have the upside without the downside? In order for the skin to benefit from Retinol, the Vitamin A molecule goes through a transformation process as it converts to retinoic acid in the skin. It is this conversion that leads to the irritation common to Retinol. Hydroxypinacolone retinoate does not require a lengthy conversion in order to achieve the sought-after anti-aging benefits of Retinol, making it far more tolerable.
RETINOL, RETINOIDS, RETINOIC ACID PART TWO: BEST RETINOL CREAMS FROM DRUNK ELEPHANT, SHANI DARDEN & MORE
Tretinoin / Retin-A
With Retinyl Palmitate at the low end of the retinoid scale, Tretinoin (or Retin-A) is at the exact opposite end — the strongest of the retinoids known as retinoic acid, the generic name for synthetic Vitamin A. Tretinoin is only available by prescription in most countries — except notably, Mexico, where its access is quite pervasive. Even I have been caught up in grabbing tubes of Retin-A at the airport before my flights home.
While Tretinoin is commonly used to treat signs of aging including fine lines, wrinkles and dark spots, the versatile medication is also an effective treatment for acne and sun-damaged skin. According to the Healthline website, “It may sound counterintuitive, but tretinoin works by irritating the skin. Tretinoin is able to speed up the life cycle of skin cells. It makes them divide faster and die faster, so newer, healthier cells can take their place.”
Let’s take a look at one of the best face creams with Retinol from my collection of ten retinoid recommendations…
FAB Skin Lab | Retinol Serum 0.25% Pure Concentrate
Similarly to Glycolic Acid, I have a love-hate relationship with Retinol. So I tend to gravitate toward either Retinol alternatives like Bakuchiol or lower levels of Retinol. So for me, I like that the First Aid Beauty Skin Lab Retinol Serum contains a moderate 0.25% concentration of the anti-aging active.
In fact, FAB describes its Retinol Serum 0.25% Pure Concentrate this way: “A serum for sensitive skin and beginner retinol users that helps smooth the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles for firmer-, younger-looking skin.”
And like the FAB Ultra Repair Hydrating Serum, the texture surprised me. It’s a velvety, lightweight cream that feels quite comfortable on the skin and would be a pleasure to use if it weren’t for the intense smell of Retinol, which I loathe.
At first, FAB’s Retinol Serum 0.25% Pure Concentrate reminded me of the Kiehl’s Avocado Eye Cream on steroids. It looks and feels a lot like that iconic eye treatment — the first product I ever worked on as Kiehl’s first-ever copywriter back in the Ice Age. I wasn’t sure why until I took a deep dive into the INCI. There it was at ingredient number six: Persea Gratissima — or avocado oil!
Also in the top ten are Glycerin, Retinol and Colloidal Oatmeal; and interestingly, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate — one of two forms of Vitamin C that is helpful for treating blemish-prone skin. Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate has a multitude of benefits for the skin beyond the unrivaled antioxidant power of Vitamin C. It’s also known to enhance hydration levels in skin and can help to calm the factors that stimulate oil production and even cause sensitization.
According to the experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team, it is among the best ingredients for use in skin care. Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate is a “form of vitamin C that is considered stable and is an effective antioxidant for skin. This form of vitamin C is also known to increase skin’s hydration levels as well as being effective for calming factors in skin that can lead to excess oil and signs of sensitization. Like most forms of vitamin C, magnesium ascorbyl phosphate (in amounts of 5% or greater) has been shown to improve the look of an uneven skin tone.”
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What an interesting formula! If you are wary of Retinol, FAB’s Retinol Serum 0.25% Pure Concentrate is a gentler option and, as First Aid Beauty positions it, ideal for beginners.
SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the First Aid Beauty FAB Skin Lab Retinol Serum 0.25% Pure Concentrate for $58 here.
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The Ingredient List of the Wander Beauty Do Not Disturb Overnight Repair Concentrate:
Water/Aqua/Eau, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Methylpropanediol, Dimethicone, Squalane, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Cetearyl Olivate, Polyacrylate-13, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Sorbitan Olivate, Polyisobutene, Tocopheryl Acetate, Allantoin, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Polysorbate 20, Lavandula Hybrida Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Adenosine, Disodium Edta, Sodium Hyaluronate, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Monascus Extract, Sodium Guaiazulene Sulfonate, Croton Lechleri Resin Extract, Carbomer, Sodium Lactate, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
The Ingredient List of the Paula’s Choice 0.3% Retinol + 2% Bakuchiol Treatment:
cci|aox|amic, Arachidyl Alcohol emo|vc, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate vc, Dimethicone Crosspolymer vc, Behenyl Alcohol emo|vc, Glycerin 
sii|h 0 0, PEG-75 Shea Butter Glycerides emu|surf, Glyceryl Stearate emo|emu 0 1-2, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate emo|amic, Polysorbate 20 emu|surf 0 0, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate aox|sb, Retinol cci, Ceramide NG sii, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 cci, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12 cci, Sodium Hyaluronate sii|h 0 0, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate so|h, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract so|sb, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract aox|so|emo|abrasive/scrub, Arctium Lappa (Burdock) Root Extract aox|so, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract so, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Sterols emo, Lecithin emo|emu, Allantoin so 0 0, Tocopheryl Acetate aox 0 0, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein h, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 cci, Sodium Hydroxide buff, Tribehenin emo, Caprylyl Glycol h|emo, Dipeptide-2 cci, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract aox, PEG-10 Phytosterol emu, PEG-8 h|solv, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate vc 0 0, Arachidyl Glucoside emu|surf, Chrysin, Pentylene Glycol solv|h, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer vc, Steareth-20 emu|surf 1 2, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer vc, Cetearyl Alcohol emo|vc|emu|surf 1 2, Coco-Glucoside surf, Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone aox, N-Hydroxysuccinimide, Disodium EDTA chel|vc, Phenoxyethanol pres, Benzoic Acid pres, Ethylhexylglycerin presThe Ingredient List of the Paula’s Choice Ceramide-Enriched Firming Eye Cream:
sii|h 0 0, Glyceryl Stearate emo|emu 0 1-2, PEG-100 Stearate surf|emu 0 0, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer vc, Ascorbyl Glucoside aox|sb, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate emu|surf, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate aox|aacne, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2 emo, Polyglyceryl-10 Dioleate emu, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate aox|sb, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide Eop sii, Ceramide AP sii, Ceramide Eos, Ceramide NP sii, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 cci, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5 cci|h, Sodium Hyaluronate sii|h 0 0, Caprooyl Phytosphingosine, Caprooyl Sphingosine, Cholesterol sii|emo 0 0, Squalane sii|emo 0 1, Retinol cci, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract aox|amic, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract so|sb, Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Fruit Extract, Dunaliella Salina (Algae) Extract, Pongamia Glabra Seed Oil pres, Tocopheryl Acetate aox 0 0, Allantoin so 0 0, Bisabolol so, Carnosine aox|cci, Panthenol so|h 0 0, Sodium Pca sii|h 0 0, Pullulan, Glyceryl Ascorbate aox|h, Behenic Acid surf|emu 0 0, Dimethicone emo 0 1, Sodium Citrate chel|buff, Sodium Polyacrylate vc|emo, Caprylyl Glycol h|emo, Ethylhexyl Stearate emo, Ceteareth-25 surf|emu, Sodium Hydroxide buff, Trideceth-6 emu|surf, Propyl Gallate aox|perf, Polysorbate 20 emu|surf 0 0, Disodium EDTA chel|vc, Mica col, Phenoxyethanol pres, Chlorphenesin pres|amic, Sodium Benzoate presThe Ingredient List of the First Aid Beauty FAB Skin Lab Retinol Serum 0.25% Pure Concentrate:
aox|emo 0 0-3, Glycerin sii|h 0 0, Dimethicone emo 0 1, Retinol cci, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate sb|aox, Colloidal Oatmeal so|aox|emo|abrasive/scrub, Tocopherol aox 0-3 0-3, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid h, Ceramide Np sii, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 cci|h, Linoleic Acid sii|emo|surf, Allantoin so 0 0, Phytosteryl Canola Glycerides, Palmitic Acid sii|emo|emu 0 2, Oleic Acid emo|emu, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil emo|perf 0 3, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin , Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice so|h, Triolein vc, Caprylyl Glycol h|emo, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer vc, Xanthan Gum vc, Lecithin emo|emu, Stearic Acid emo|vc 0 2-3, Maltodextrin, Bht aox|pres, Bha 
aox|pres, Phenoxyethanol pres, Sodium Hydroxide buff, Potassium Sorbate presThe Ingredient List of The Clinical Beauty 0.3% Retinol and 3% Bakuchiol Creamserum:
so|h, Bifida, Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, Saccharomyces, Olea Europaea Fruit (Olive) Oil (Organic) aox|emo|perf 0 0-2, Pentylene Glycol (Humectant, Natural) solv|h, Bakuchiol (Natural) cci|aox|amic, Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine (Lecithin, Natural) emu, Glycerin (Humectant, Natural) sii|h 0 0, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (Mct Oil, Natural) emo, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter (Organic) emo|vc, Retinol (Vitamin A) cci, Polysorbate 20 emu|surf 0 0, Ferulic Acid aox|amic, Leontopodium Alpinum (Edelweiss) Extract (Natural), Equisetum Arvense (Horsetail) Extract (Natural) so|emo, Laminaria Ochroleuca (Algae) Extract (Natural), Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 cci|h, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 cci
