Alpha-H Vitamin A 0.5%
Benefits
Promise: Anti-aging
What does the product description say?
A dose of Evening Primrose promotes softness and suppleness so you can wake up to a youthful-looking complexion come morning.
This product can help reduce and prevent fine lines and wrinkles, improve skin elasticity and firmness because it contains retinol.
These ingredients in the product can also be helpful, even though there is less evidence for their effectiveness: retinyl propionate.
Keep in mind that it typically takes at least 6 weeks to notice any results because the changes that are needed to improve fine lines and elasticity happen in the deeper layers of the skin. No topical anti-aging product can “erase” wrinkles or fully reverse signs of aging.
| Ingredient | Effectiveness | Concentration | Irritancy |
|---|---|---|---|
| retinol | HIGH |  |  |
| retinyl propionate | MEDIUM | | |
| prunus amygdalus dulcis oil | LOW | | |
Promise: Evens skin tone
What does the product description say?
Utilising the exfoliating and hydrating benefits of Vitamin A, the potent, antioxidant treatment supports the skin's nightly renewal process, whilst diminishing the appearance of fine lines, blemishes and discolouration for a smoother, more refined visage.
This product can help reduce hypepigmentation and even out the skin tone because it contains the following effective ingredients: retinol.
The following ingredient (ingredients) in this product might be helpful, but there is no evidence to confirm that it actually can help even out the skin tone: retinyl propionate.
Keep in mind that you would need to apply any topical skincare targetted at hypigmentation consistently for a couple of months to get a result. No topical skincare product can help get rid of hyperpigmentation (including post-acne marks and age spots) instantly.
| Ingredient | Effectiveness | Concentration | Irritancy |
|---|---|---|---|
| retinol | HIGH | | |
| retinyl propionate | MEDIUM | | |
Promise: Exfoliation
What does the product description say?
Utilising the exfoliating and hydrating benefits of Vitamin A, the potent, antioxidant treatment supports the skin's nightly renewal process, whilst diminishing the appearance of fine lines, blemishes and discolouration for a smoother, more refined visage.
This product can help exfoliate the skin. In other words, it helps break down the bonds between dead cells on the surface of the skin and speed up the skin turnover. Skin often appears softer and brighter after exfoliation, but overdoing it can result in disrupted skin barrier. The following ingredient is doing the exfoliating job in this product: retinol.
| Ingredient | Effectiveness | Concentration | Irritancy |
|---|---|---|---|
| retinol | HIGH | | |
Promise: Moisturizing
What does the product description say?
Utilising the exfoliating and hydrating benefits of Vitamin A, the potent, antioxidant treatment supports the skin's nightly renewal process, whilst diminishing the appearance of fine lines, blemishes and discolouration for a smoother, more refined visage.
This product can help improve hydration of the skin with the two types of ingredients.
The first type is called “humectants”:
these ingredients help attract water.
When humectants are on the surface of the skin, they “pull in” the moisture from the outside environment, or from
within deeper layers of the skin. The following ingredients in this product do the job:
glycerin, methyl gluceth-20.
This product also contains ingredients called “occlusives”. They help reduce the speed with which our skin loses moisture to the outside environment. These ingredients also help soften the upper layer of the skin, so it feels less tight and nicer to the touch. The following ingredients in this product do the job: squalane, oenothera biennis oil.
| Ingredient | Effectiveness | Concentration | Irritancy |
|---|---|---|---|
| squalane | HIGH | | |
| glycerin | HIGH | | |
| oenothera biennis oil | HIGH | | |
Other benefit: Anti-blemish
This product can help reduce breakouts and clogged pores because it contains the following ingredient: retinol. This ingredient is used for treating acne and can have a noticeable effect.
The following ingredient (ingredients) in this product might be helpful, but there is no evidence to confirm that it actually works: retinyl propionate
| Ingredient | Effectiveness | Concentration | Irritancy |
|---|---|---|---|
| retinol | HIGH | | |
| retinyl propionate | MEDIUM | | |
| oenothera biennis oil | LOW | | |
Other benefit: Anti-oxidation
This product contains antioxidants (retinol) that can help neutralize free radicals in skin. By doing so, they can lessen the damage the skin gets from the UV light (sun).
| Ingredient | Effectiveness | Concentration | Irritancy |
|---|---|---|---|
| retinol | HIGH | | |
| oenothera biennis oil | LOW | | |
| prunus amygdalus dulcis oil | LOW | | |
Honesty check
How honest is this product?
| Promise | Can it deliver? |
|---|---|
| Anti-aging | |
| Exfoliation | |
| Evens skin tone | |
| Moisturizing |
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Potential irritants
| Ingredient | Irritancy | Skin Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| retinol | | |
| retinyl propionate | | |
| simmondsia chinensis seed oil | | |
Similar products & dupes
 Alpha-H - Vitamin A 0.5% | NEOSTRATA - Skin Active Retinol Repair Complex | Perricone MD - Retinol Treatment & Moisturizer | SkinMedica - LYTERA 2.0 Advanced Pigment Correcting System | Dermadoctor - Picture Porefect Pore Minimizer | Kate Somerville - RetAsphere Micro Peel | ARCONA - Golden Grain Gommage | Dr. David Jack - Face Paints Red by Dr David Jack | Exuviance - Pure Retinol Correcting Peel | EmerginC - Triple-Threat Peel | Glo Skin Beauty - Retinol + C Smoothing Peel | |
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| WIMJ similarity score | 83% | 83% | 76% | 75% | 75% | 74% | 74% | 74% | 73% | 72% | |
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| Irritancy | IRRITANCY
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Ingredients & concentrations
- retinol
- glycerin
- Evening primrose oil
- retinyl propionate
- Jojoba oil
- squalane
- +2 more
| Ingredient | Estimated concentration |
|---|---|
| 40% - 60% | |
| Plain old water | |
| 4% - 6% | |
| One of the best moisturizing ingredients. Naturally present in skin. It attracts water to the upper layer of the skin working as a humectant | |
| 3.4% - 5.2% | |
| Helps attract water to the upper layer of the skin and soften it | |
| 2.4% - 3.6% | |
| Helps water and oil mix together | |
| 2% - 3% | |
| 0.5% - 1% | |
| A preservative. It helps prevent bacterial growth in cosmetic products | |
| 1.4% - 2.1% | |
| An oil naturally present in skin. Works as an emollient to soften the skin and form a protective layer on its surface without a greasy feeling. | |
| 1.1% - 1.6% | |
| Two steps removed from the active form of vitamin A - retinoic acid. Once converted to the retinoic acid in the skin, retinol is proven to be effective against all signs of aging. It improves skin cell turnover, helps fight blemishes and clogged pores, can regulate excess oil production and even skin tone. It can, however, be quite irritating | |
| 0.95% - 1.4% | |
| Helps oil and water mix together | |
| 0.8% - 1.25% | |
| Softens the upper layer of skin and helps restore the healthy skin barrier. Has shown to help calm down inflammation in skin. It is a stable oil, meaning that it retains its properties even when exposed to air. | |
| 0.45% - 1.05% | |
| 0.4% - 1% | |
| An emollient that softens the skin | |
| 0.35% - 0.85% | |
| Helps soften the upper layer of the skin and can support skin barrier function | |
| 0.2% - 0.8% | |
| Plant oil from nuts that helps soften the upper layer of the skin. Contains a high concentration of oleic acid that can weaken skin's barrier function and increase water-loss while enhancing penetration of other ingredients | |
| 0.1% - 0.45% | |
| Three steps removed from the active form of vitamin A - retinoic acid. To have an effect in the skin, it first needs to be converted twice to become the retinoic acid. This means it is less potent than retinol, but could also be less irritating. Once converted to the retinoic acid in the skin, it helps against all signs of aging, improves skin cell turnover and helps fight blemishes and clogged pores, even thought its potency is not as well established as in case of retinol or retinaldehyde | |
| 0.1% - 0.45% | |
| Helps preserve products and creates a nice product texture | |
| 0.1% - 0.35% | |
| Helps oil and water mix together | |
| 0.01% - 0.05% | |
| Stabilizes the product formulation | |
| 0.01% - 0.05% | |
| Can work as an exfoliant but is typically used to adjust the product pH | |
Show more | |
Sources
- Glycerol and the skin: holistic approach to its origin and functions
- Retinoids in the treatment of skin aging: an overview of clinical efficacy and safety
- Improvement of naturally aged skin with vitamin A (retinol)
- A comparative study of the effects of retinol and retinoic acid on histological, molecular, and clinical properties of human skin