Unsurprisingly given the high retinol content, a third also found it drying and had to apply more moisturiser than usual, but many also said it helped to shrink large pores and minimise fine lines and wrinkles.

In the GHI lab, we used a VISIA Skin Analysis machine to assess any changes to their fine lines and wrinkles, pores and skin texture once the trial period ended. Though runny in consistency, the pipette helped control application and it layered well with other skincare products. If you want to use both retinol and brightening vitamin C in your skincare routine, apply the latter ingredient in the morning to give your skin a breather. Many reported a brighter complexion after a month of use, with more smoothness and clarity emerging by the end of the trial. It’s a nice ingredient that just feels good on the skin, is super well tolerated by every skin type andeasy to formulate with.

Going too strong, too soon, can cause dryness and make fine lines and wrinkles more pronounced – not the aim of the retinoid game!

However, if you use a product that you like and it also contains RP, there is no reason to throw it away. Experts recommend 'ramping up' retinol use: start using this ingredient once a week and work up to using it daily. It champions faster-acting retinal in a bid to help mature skin look plumper and feel silkier more quickly. Our intro did get pretty big after all (sorry for that), so let's get to the point finally: sunflower oil - similar to other plant oils - is a great emollient that makes the skin smooth and nice and helps to keep it hydrated.It excelled in the texture stakes, making dry skin look clearer and feel smoother, and most testers felt more hydrated by the end of the trial. Jess is the Deputy Digital Editor of Red, covering everything from fashion and beauty to interiors and wellbeing. Promising improvements in deep wrinkles after only two weeks, our expectations were high with this low dose retinol serum.

It’s a real oldie: expressed directly from the seeds, the oil is used not for hundreds but thousands of years. The difference between retinol and retinal is that the latter converts more quickly to retinoic acid in your skin – more on that below. it does notpenetrate skin far enough to be absorbed into the bloodstream and it is safeto use in cosmetics.

As for cosmetics, the CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review) concluded that the amount of BHT used in cosmetic products is low (usually around 0.

Orla is our Senior Beauty and Grooming Tester and has extensive knowledge of skin and hair composition thanks to her first class bachelor's degree in cosmetic science from the Universy of the Arts London. It left most of our panel with more hydrated, glowing skin after a month, with many also noticing their pores shrinking and fine lines firming up – feedback that our lab analysis backed up.When she isn't busy scouring the new collections, sales and preloved marketplaces for beautiful pieces to add to her wardrobe, Jess can be found enjoying live music, making her first house a home and planning her next travel adventure. Here’s another good value retinol formula that earned big ticks in the GHI lab for improving skin texture and making pores and wrinkles less noticeable. This is because it takes longer to convert to the most potent retinoic acid in your skin, reducing the risk of irritation. The Skincyclopedia review will guide you with an in-depth look into the brand and its products to ensure you make the right purchase decision. So you probably have nothing to worry about, but if you are a better safe than sorry type there are plenty of nice products withoutBHA to choose from.