All scans / Serums / NEOGEN Dermalogy Real Retinol Serum
NEOGEN Dermalogy Real Retinol Serum ingredients: is it worth it?
This is a retinoid serum diluted by marketing fluff, not a high-performance retinol treatment.

This is a retinoid serum diluted by marketing fluff, not a high-performance retinol treatment.
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The score is dragged down because the formula relies on retinyl palmitate and a modest 475 ppm retinol rather than a clearly optimized, higher-strength retinoid system, while much of the rest of the formula is humectants, emollients, and botanical extras that support feel more than efficacy. The base is otherwise respectable, with glycerin, glycols, hydrogenated lecithin, and a bit of barrier-friendly lipid support, so it should be tolerable and hydrating, but the actual anti-aging punch is only moderate rather than strong.
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DemythSkin rates NEOGEN Dermalogy Real Retinol Serum 3.5/5 for efficacy and 4.1/5 for safety.
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS BY TIER
Gold Standards
High clinical proof | Skin-transformativeReliable
Proven resultsPotent
Developing evidenceOverhyped | Marketing
Hype | Limited dataDocumented Irritants
Evidence-backed flagFORMULATION BASE (14)⌄
FULL INGREDIENT LIST⌄
Water, Glycerin, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Glycereth-26, Retinyl Palmitate(2.36%), Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Diphenyl Dimethicone, Octyldodeceth-16, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, C12-14 Alketh- 12, Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil, Sodium Polyacrylate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tromethamine, Polysorbate 20, Retinol(475ppm), Adenosine, Tocopherol, Sorbitan Isostearate, Malva Sylvestris (Mallow) Flower Extract, Coptis Japonica Root Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Ethylhexyl Olivate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, BHT, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Polyglyceryl-4 Oleate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, BHA, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Lactococcus Ferment Lysate, Ascorbic Acid, Collagen Extract
WHAT EACH INGREDIENT DOES (24)⌄
- Water
- solvent base
- Glycerin
- humectant
- Propanediol
- solvent humectant
- Butylene Glycol
- humectant solvent
- Glycereth-26
- humectant emollient
- Retinyl Palmitate
- retinoid ester
- Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil
- emollient oil
- 1,2-Hexanediol
- solvent preservative
- Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
- light emollient
- Diphenyl Dimethicone
- silicone emollient
- Octyldodeceth-16
- solubilizer emulsifier
- Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
- gel thickener
- C12-14 Alketh-12
- emulsifier surfactant
- Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil
- botanical emollient
- Sodium Polyacrylate
- texture thickener
- Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
- gel former
- Ethylhexylglycerin
- preservative booster
- Tromethamine
- pH adjuster
- Polysorbate 20
- solubilizer
- Retinol
- retinoid active
- Adenosine
- skin-conditioning active
- Tocopherol
- antioxidant
- Sorbitan Isostearate
- emulsifier
- Malva Sylvestris (Mallow) Flower Extract
- botanical extract
EXTERNAL CITATIONS
Retinol: Well-established topical retinoid for photoaging and acne.
Glycerin: Core humectant that improves stratum corneum hydration.
Hydrogenated Lecithin: Barrier-supportive lipid/emulsifier commonly used to improve skin feel and delivery.
DISCLAIMER: THIS ANALYSIS IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY. NOT MEDICAL ADVICE. AI-GENERATED DATA BASED ON PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INGREDIENT LISTS. VERIFY WITH A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL.
A cheaper serum that scores as high or higher
A different formula for the same concern (anti-aging) that scores at least as high on both efficacy and safety.

NEOGEN Dermalogy Real Retinol Serum: common questions
Is NEOGEN Dermalogy Real Retinol Serum worth it?
NEOGEN Dermalogy Real Retinol Serum scores 3.5 out of 5.0 for efficacy (Modest) and 4.1 out of 5.0 for safety (Gentle) on DemythSkin's independent ingredient analysis. This is a retinoid serum diluted by marketing fluff, not a high-performance retinol treatment.
What are the key active ingredients in NEOGEN Dermalogy Real Retinol Serum?
NEOGEN Dermalogy Real Retinol Serum contains these gold-standard actives with strong clinical evidence: Retinol, Ascorbic Acid.
Does NEOGEN Dermalogy Real Retinol Serum contain fragrance or known irritants?
DemythSkin's analysis found no flagged irritants in NEOGEN Dermalogy Real Retinol Serum. It scores 4.1 out of 5.0 for safety.
How is NEOGEN Dermalogy Real Retinol Serum scored?
DemythSkin grades every product on two independent scores: efficacy (whether the ingredients have clinical evidence of working) and safety (irritation and sensitisation risk). Ingredients are graded S through D against a database of over 3,000 compounds. Brand and price are not part of the score, and no brand pays for one.
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