Ingredient decoder
INCI name: Retinol
Vitamin A that speeds cell turnover and helps prevent clogs.
Retinol is a form of vitamin A that the skin converts into retinoic acid, the active form. It encourages faster cell turnover, which can help prevent clogged pores and improve texture, though it is milder and slower than prescription retinoids. It can cause dryness, flaking and irritation, especially at first. Use it at night and wear sunscreen, since retinoids can make skin more sun sensitive.
No. Retinol is on the helpful side for acne-prone skin and is not known to clog pores. Our checker groups it with the cell-communicating ingredients. Like most acne actives, it can cause dryness or irritation at first, so start slowly.
Clean routine and still breaking out? The cause may be internal. See what is driving it
There is no published comedogenic rating for retinol, and it is not known to clog pores. It is used in products made for acne-prone skin.
In short: vitamin A that speeds cell turnover and helps prevent clogs. In formulas it is used for skin conditioning.
On ingredient lists, retinol can also appear as Vitamin a, Vitamin a alcohol or All-trans retinol.
