Review Skinceuticals Retinol 0.5 Refining Night Cream

Have you been using retinol for a while and are now ready to up your dose? After years of dabbling with entry-level dose, I was ready to uplevel to Skinceuticals 0.5 Retinol Refining Cream.

0.5% is a good concentration for intermediate users. And one that’s hard to find. Most products out there either give you a tiny smidgen or go straight to high 1% concentrations.

This Skinceuticals cream is one of the few that hit that sweet intermediate spot on the market. I just wish it wasn’t this expbeisve, but this is Skinceuticals we’re talking about. Is it worth the splurge? Only one way to find out:

Key Ingredients In Skinceuticals Retinol 0.5 Refining Night Cream: What Makes It Work?

RETINOL TO REDUCE WRINKLES

A form of Vitamin A, retinol promotes cellular turnover and increases the production of collagen. Translation: it helps reduce the wrinkles you already have and prevent new ones from forming.

A 2007 study, conducted on 36 elderly people, found that a topical 0.4% retinol lotion applied up to 3 times a week for 24 weeks “improves fine wrinkles associated with natural aging.“ It reduces hyperpigmentation too.

Like that weren’t enough, retinol also helps treat acne and reduce the appearance of pores. If you’ve got oily, acne-prone skin, this is a good addition to your skincare routine.

Retinol works even in small concentrations, like 0.5%. But, being that powerful has its drawbacks. Retinol can cause dryness, peeling and irritations – especially if you’ve never used it before.

The trick is to start with a small concentration (smaller than 0.5%) a couple of nights a week and build up both dose and frequency gradually.

Related: Retinol Side Effects: What They Are And How To Deal With Them

SILICONES TO FILL IN FINE LINES AND WRINKLES

Retinol takes it time to work. Several weeks, if not months. But your wrinkles look smaller straight away. How’s that?

Silicones. They form the base of Skinceuticals Retinol 0.5 Refining Night Cream. Silicones work by filling in fine lines and wrinkles, so they look smaller. But, of course, the effects are only temporary. Remove the silicones, and your wrinkles are still there.

But, at least, they don’t suffocate skin. Yes, really. Silicones have a special molecular structure, made of big molecules with wide spaces between them. That means the barrier they create still allows skin to perspire (not breathe; skin doesn’t have lungs. That’d just be weird).

Related: Are Silicones In Skincare Bad?

Need help creating an anti-aging routine that really works? Sign up to the newsletter below to receive the “Anti-Aging Skincare Routine Cheatsheet” (it includes product recommendations, too!).

The Rest Of The Formula & Ingredients

• Aqua / water / eau: The main solvent in the cream, it helps to dissolve other ingredients. It’s also hydrating.
• Propanediol: A type of alcohol that enhances the penetration of active ingredients.
• Cetearyl ethylhexanoate: An emollient that enhances the texture of skincare formulas and makes skin softer and smoother.
• Alcohol denat.: It helps to thin the texture. It gets a bad rep because it’s drying and irritating. You can counteract those effects with a good moisturiser (which you should use anyway with retinol), but I still wish this weren’t here.
• Dipropylene glycol: It gives the texture a good slip.
• Ammonium polyacryloyldimethyl taurate: It thickens the texture of skincare products.
• Allyl methacrylates crosspolymer: It enhances the texture of skincare products.
• Acrylamide/sodium acryloyldimethyltaurate copolymer: Another polymer that helps to thicken and stabilise products.
• Hydrogenated lecithin: It makes skin softer and smoother and reduces dryness.
• Isohexadecane: A solvent that helps dissolve other ingredients.
• Phenoxyethanol: A preservative that inhibits the growth of bacteria and fungi in your skincare products.
• Caprylyl glycol: A humectant that increases moisture levels in your skin.
• Polysorbate 20: It helps oil-based ingredients blend into water-based emulsions.
• Isopropyl myristate: It makes skin softer and smoother. But it can clog pores and give you acne in high concentrations.
• Sodium citrate: It helps to adjust the pH of skincare products.
• Boswellia serrata gum: It has anti-inflammatory properties that reduce redness and swelling.
• Polysorbate 80: It helps oil-based ingredients blend into water-based emulsions.
• Trisodium ethylenediamine disuccinate: A chelating agent that neutralises the metal ions in the formula that would otherwise spoil the formula.
• Bisabolol: The active compound that makes chamomile so soothing. It reduces redness and irritations.
• Bht: A stabiliser that prevents the formula from separating into oily and watery layers.
• Sorbitan oleate: An emulsifier that helps water and oil mix together.
• Citric acid: It adjusts the pH of skincare products.
• Propyl gallate: An antioxidant that helps fight premature wrinkles.

Texture

This cream isn’t lightweight, but I wouldn’t call it thick either. Something in between, and fast-absorbing too.

Fragrance

It’s fragrance-free. This is both good and bad. Good because fragrance is the most irritating ingredient in skincare. This cream already has 0.5% retinol and Alcohol Denat, which can be irritating for sensitive skin, so you don’t want to add more irritants. On the other hand, the ingredients themselves don’t smell too nice.

How To Use It

In the evening, straight after cleansing. If you’ve never used retinol or have just started to up your dose, use it once or twice a week. Increase frequency to every other day gradually.

Never use it more than every other day. Retinol is too strong for every day use. Also, don’t use it with exfoliants. If you want to use glycolic or salicylic acid, use them on nights you don’t applying retinol.

Packaging

The cream comes in a white tube that keeps the retinol stable and effective until every last drop’s been squeezed out of it.

Performance & Personal Opinion

I’m happy that Skinceuticals 0.5 Retinol Refining Night Cream is fragrance-free. Fragrance can irritate sensitive skin, and retinol is already irritating enough on its own.

But, it doesn’t smell that nice. What you’re smelling is the ingredients, by the way. It doesn’t stink so bad to make me want to throw it out the window, but it doesn’t make application pleasant, either. It doesn’t linger too, so I’ll put up with it. Ah, the things I’ll do for retinol…

You know how I always tell you to go slow with retinol? Use it a couple of days a week and all that? Idiot that I am, I used it every day for four days.

My skin started peeling and flaking pretty bad. A normal reaction to retinol. I thought I could get away with it because I’ve been using retinol for years, but the chilly London weather has been drying my skin pretty badly lately, making it more susceptible to the side effects of retinol.

So, I went back to the beginning. I’m using it twice a week, and increasing frequency slowly. Now, my skin is absolutely loving it. It didn’t make my wrinkles disappear, of course (retinol works, but slowly), but it made them that tiny bit smaller.

Its texture looks smoother, too. Pores look smaller. And everything is softer.

Good job, retinol.

How Does Skinceuticals 0.5% Refining Night Cream Compare To Other Skinceuticals Retinol Products?

Skinceuticals 0.5% Refining Night Cream isn’t the only retinol product the brand offers. If you’re not sure this is right for you, check out one of the options below. Chances are, one of them is a better fit for you:

• Skinceuticals 0.3% Refining Night Cream ($80.00): This has a very similar formula, but features a smaller concentration of retinol. It’s the perfect stepping stone between a 0.01%-0.1% serum and 0.5%. Available at Dermstore, Look Fantastic, and Skinceuticals.
• Skinceuticals 1% Refining Night Cream ($102.00): This one is only for the pros. It has the highest concentration of retinol only people who are used to it should use. Plus, it has a bunch of skin-lighteners to fade away dark spots. Available at Dermstore, Look Fantastic, Skinceuticals, and Skin Store.

What I Like About Skinceuticals 0.5% Refining Night Cream

• Fast-absorbing texture
• With regular uses, it minimises wrinkles
• Makes skin texture softer and smoother
• Makes pores look smaller
• Helps treat acne
• Fragrance-free

What I DON’T Like About Skinceuticals 0.5% Refining Night Cream

• Unpleasant smell
• Like all retinol products, it can irritate and dry out skin if you use too much too often

Who Should Use This?

Intermediate retinol users. You’ve been using <0.5% concentrations for a while without side effects and are ready to upgrade. This is NOT for”

• Anyone under 25 – unless you’ve got acne, you don’t need it
• Anyone who’s never used retinol before
• Anyone who’s using retinol 1% or prescription retinoids
• Sensitive skin

Does Skinceuticals 0.5% Refining Night Cream Live Up To Its Claims?

Price & Availability

$90.00 at Dermstore, Skinceuticals, and Skin Store

The Verdict: Should You Buy It?

If you’re looking for a 0.5% retinol cream, this is worth the price. It works.

Dupes & Alternatives

• The Ordinary Retinol 0.5% In Squalane (£4.90): A medium-strength retinol serum for those who have been using retinol for a while but are not yet ready to graduate to 1% yet. The Squalane base counteracts its irritating potential while delivering all its anti-aging benefits. Available at Beauty Bay, Boots, Cult Beauty, Sephora, The Ordinary, and Ulta

About Gio

Hi, I’m Gio. I’m a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is skin coach and writer on a mission to help you achieve your best skin day ever – every day. I bust skincare myths and debunk marketing jargon to help you figure out what’s worth the splurge and what’s best left on the shelf – using science, not hype. I also offer skincare consultations to help you create the best skincare routine for your unique needs.