Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Retinol Pro+ 0.5% Power Serum — Efficacy 3.9/5.0, Safety 4.1/5.0 | DemythSkin
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[ DemythSkin Verdict ]
Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Retinol Pro+ 0.5% Power Serum

Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Retinol Pro+ 0.5% Power Serum

SerumAnti-aging, wrinkles
Efficacy
Solid
3.9 / 5.0
Safety
Mostly Safe
4.1 / 5.0
System Verdict
Potent pure retinol at 0.5% in a simple emollient base, but fragrance and weak supporting actives drag it down from elite status. Efficacy score of 3.9 reflects strong pure retinol (position 7, ~0.5% claimed, clinically effective for wrinkles) boosted by bisabolol soothing, but penalized for Tocopheryl Acetate (weaker Vitamin E derivative vs. pure), no synergistic actives like ferulic acid, and fragrance risking irritation; ideal retinol serums pair with multiple stabilizers at optimal pH without irritants.
Active Ingredients Detected
S Tier: Gold StandardsHigh Clinical Proof | Skin-Transformative
Retinol
A Tier: Good BasicsProven Results
Tocopheryl AcetateBisabolol
B Tier: Supporting IngredientsPromising Ingredients
IsohexadecaneDicaprylyl CarbonatePentaerythrityl TetraethylhexanoatePPG-15 Stearyl EtherTriethyl CitratePolysorbate 20BHTPentaerythrityl Tetra-di-t-butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
D Tier: Potential IrritantsBe Cautious
Fragrance
What Each Ingredient Does
Isohexadecane
Emollient, solvent
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
Emollient
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient, viscosity controlling
PPG-15 Stearyl Ether
Emollient
Triethyl Citrate
Perfuming
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying, surfactant/cleansing
Retinol
Cell-communicating anti-aging active
Fragrance
Perfuming
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Bisabolol
Soothing
BHT
Antioxidant, preservative
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-di-t-butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant, preservative
Full Ingredient List (INCI)

Isohexadecane, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, PPG-15 Stearyl Ether, Triethyl Citrate, Polysorbate 20, Retinol, Fragrance, Tocopheryl Acetate, Bisabolol, BHT, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-di-t-butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate

Frequently Asked

Is Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Retinol Pro+ 0.5% Power Serum worth it?

Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Retinol Pro+ 0.5% Power Serum scores 3.9 out of 5.0 for efficacy (Solid) and 4.1 out of 5.0 for safety (Mostly Safe) on DemythSkin's independent ingredient analysis. Potent pure retinol at 0.5% in a simple emollient base, but fragrance and weak supporting actives drag it down from elite status. Efficacy score of 3.9 reflects strong pure retinol (position 7, ~0.5% claimed, clinically

What are the key active ingredients in Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Retinol Pro+ 0.5% Power Serum?

Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Retinol Pro+ 0.5% Power Serum contains these gold-standard actives with strong clinical evidence: Retinol.

Does Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Retinol Pro+ 0.5% Power Serum contain fragrance or known irritants?

DemythSkin flags these ingredients in Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Retinol Pro+ 0.5% Power Serum as potential irritants: Fragrance. This product does contain fragrance.

How is Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Retinol Pro+ 0.5% Power Serum scored?

DemythSkin grades every product on two independent axes: efficacy (whether the ingredients have clinical evidence of working) and safety (irritation and sensitisation risk). Ingredients are classified S through D against a database of over 3,000 compounds. No brand pays for a score.

Analyze on DemythSkin

Analysis last updated: 2026-04-29. DemythSkin is an independent ingredient analyzer. Scores are computed by a deterministic rubric from published clinical evidence — no brand pays for a score.