Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Night Cream
Product summary
Judging from the ingredient list, "Murad - Retinol Youth Renewal Night Cream" works well for improving skin hydration The formulation is based on a combination of good humectants and emollients. Both are needed to increase the skin hydration level. Humectants in this product (urea, betaine, glycerin, hydrolyzed yeast extract and inositol) help to increase the water content in the upper layer of the skin. (These ingredients do so by "capturing" water molecules from the outside air or from within the deeper layers of the skin). Glycine soja sterols, helianthus annuus seed wax, jojoba esters, caprylic/capric triglyceride and dimethicone in this product help decrease the water evoporation from the skin, so that it stays hydrated for longer. These ingredients also soften the skin and take away the feeling of tightness and dryness.
Ingredient callouts
- this moisturizer contains an effective form of retinoids (vitamin A): retinol 0.45% - 0.65%. Retinoids are potent multitasking actives. They work to improve and prevent early signs of aging, reduce hyperpigmentation (age spots and post-acne marks), and prevent inflamed blemishes and clogged pores. The downside of retinoids is that they can be irritating. If you are not already using a retinoid in your routine, it is best to start slowly and apply the retinoid product only a few times per week. If your skin tolerates it well, you can gradually increase the frequency to daily. Because of the irritation risk of retinoids, we recommend to have another, retinoid-free moisturizer in your routine to use on the alternative days or when your skin feels dry.
- We like that this moisturizer contains peptides (acetyl dipeptide-1 cetyl ester 0.15% - 0.25%). There are many different kind of peptides and they are naturally present in our skin. They all are a combination of amino-acids. Some of them work as natural anti-biotics, promote wound-healing and production of collagen. The science is still not settled on how effective peptides in skincare are, but it is very likely that they have a benefit. Peptides might help restore the skin barrier and fight the signs of aging. At the very least, peptides work as humectants: they attract water to the upper layer of the skin and improve its hydration.
Irritation risk
There are some common irritants in this product, including ingredients that do not have benefits for the skin. We assess the overall irritancy of this moisturizer to be high. For a detailed overview of all potential irritants: click here
You can see the detailed formula review with the breakdown of all actives in the product and the full ingredient list with estimated concentrations in the tables below.
About the brand
According to Cruelty-Free Kitty "Murad" is cruelty free, but its parent company is not.
Price
The product retails from 70.00$ up to 94.90$ in the United States, for 130.00A$ in Australia, from 70.00£ up to 83.95£ in the United Kingdom and from 110.00CA$ up to 117.00CA$ in Canada.
For a detailed price comparison: click here.
Benefits
Promise: Anti-aging
What does the product description say?
Retinol Youth Renewal Night Cream
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: acetyl dipeptide-1 cetyl ester, retinyl propionate, serine.
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 | | |
| serine | MEDIUM | | |
Promise: Evens skin tone
What does the product description say?
Helps fight the appearance of lines/deep wrinkles, even skin tone, and visibly boost radiance. . Niacinamide and picolinamide.
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 | | |
| taurine | LOW | | |
Promise: Moisturizing
What does the product description say?
Delivering long-lasting moisture and hydration, its blend of Swertia Flower Extract and peptide-rich Red Algae Extract create a lifting and firming effect to help improve elasticity and redefine facial contours.
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:
betaine, glycerin.
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: caprylic/capric triglyceride, dimethicone.
The following ingredients in this product are especially good for supporting the skin barrier and helping with the hydration level: acetyl dipeptide-1 cetyl ester, urea
| Ingredient | Effectiveness | Concentration | Irritancy |
|---|---|---|---|
| acetyl dipeptide-1 cetyl ester | HIGH | | |
| hydrolyzed yeast extract | HIGH | | |
| inositol | 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 | | |
| taurine | LOW | | |
Other benefit: Exfoliation
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.
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 | | |
| taurine | LOW | | |
| hydrolyzed yeast extract | LOW | | |
Honesty check
How honest is this product?
| Promise | Can it deliver? |
|---|---|
| Anti-aging | |
| Moisturizing | |
| Evens skin tone |
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Potential irritants
| Ingredient | Irritancy | Skin Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| retinol | | |
| retinyl propionate | | |
| oleyl alcohol | |  |
User reviews (0)
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Ingredients & concentrations
- acetyl dipeptide-1 cetyl ester
- niacinamide
- retinol
- urea
- glycerin
- glycine soja sterols
- helianthus annuus seed wax
- hydrolyzed yeast extract
- inositol
- jojoba esters
- trehalose
- polyglycerin-3
- polymethylsilsesquioxane
- pullulan
- retinyl propionate
- serine
- sodium hyaluronate
- betaine
- dimethicone
- caprylic/capric triglyceride
- +16 more
| Ingredient | Estimated concentration |
|---|---|
| 45% - 55% | |
| Plain old water | |
| 4.7% - 5.8% | |
| 4.2% - 5.2% | |
| A good mix of fatty acids that forms a protective layer on the skin. Improves the shelf life of products. Derived from coconut and glycerin | |
| 3% - 3.7% | |
| Acts as a solvent for other ingredients. Speeds up the absorption of other ingredients into the skin | |
| 2.3% - 2.8% | |
| Used to create a nice product texture and help delivery of other ingredients. Might be somewhat helpful in attracting water to the upper layer of the skin | |
| 1.9% - 2.3% | |
| A non-drying alcohol that helps stabilize product formulations | |
| 1.6% - 1.9% | |
| A non-drying alcohol that works to soften the skin and stabilize product formulations helping oil and water mix together | |
| 1.4% - 1.7% | |
| A silicone that helps to reduce water loss from the surface of the skin. Can temporarily "fill in" lines and wrinkles, absorb oil, and create a nice product finish | |
| 1.2% - 1.4% | |
| A silicone that improves product texture and helps dissolve other ingredients. Can form a non-greasy film on the skin to prevent moisture loss | |
| 0.75% - 1.15% | |
| Is proven to be effective in reducing blemishes, evening out skin tone and helping to improve lines and wrinkles. It helps the skin to repair sun damage, calm down inflammation and keep maintain good levels of moisture. The concentration of about 2% is effective for supporting the skin barrier and evening out the skin tone. Concentration of 4-6% is better for helping with acne and balancing the sebum production | |
| 0.55% - 0.85% | |
| Helps attract water to the upper layer of the skin and might have some anti-oxidant and skin lightening properties | |
| 0.45% - 0.65% | |
| 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 | |
| 0.35% - 0.65% | |
| 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 | |
| 0.3% - 0.6% | |
| Used as a fragrance | |
| 0.3% - 0.5% | |
| One of the best moisturizing ingredients. Attracts water into the upper layer of the skin | |
| 0.25% - 0.5% | |
| An amino-acid that helps to attract water to the upper layer of the skin. In combination with other amino-acids, might help to reduce fine lines and wrinkles | |
| 0.3% - 0.55% | |
| Helps soften the upper layer of the skin | |
| 0.25% - 0.4% | |
| 0.2% - 0.4% | |
| A more stable but less bio-available form of vitamin E compared to Tocopherol. Might help moisturize and protect the skin from free radicals, but mostly used in low concentrations to stabilize other ingredients. | |
| 0.2% - 0.4% | |
| An emollient that helps soften the skin | |
| 0.15% - 0.3% | |
| Naturally present in skin (urea makes up about 7% of natural moisturizing factors in skin). Attracts water to the upper layer of the skin. Also has a positive effect on the skin barrier beyond the humectant action. Can enhance penetration of other ingredients. Is an exfoliating ingredient when used in high concentrations | |
| 0.15% - 0.3% | |
| 0.1% - 0.25% | |
| A sugar that attracts water to the upper layer of the skin | |
| 0.15% - 0.25% | |
| 0.15% - 0.25% | |
| Could be helpful in reducing inflammation in skin, evening out the skin tone and neutralizing free radicals, but more research is needed to confirm its effectiveness | |
| 0.1% - 0.2% | |
| Helps attract water to the upper layer of the skin and improves the product texture | |
| 0.15% - 0.3% | |
| One of the best moisturizing ingredients. Naturally present in skin. It attracts water to the upper layer of the skin working as a humectant | |
| 0.15% - 0.25% | |
| Often used to support the moisturization effect of polysaccharides (contained, for example, in yeast extract) | |
| 0.15% - 0.3% | |
| Helps water and oil mix together | |
| 0.15% - 0.25% | |
| 0.2% - 0.35% | |
| Used to preserve products, dissolve other ingredients and create a nice product texture | |
| 0.15% - 0.3% | |
| Helps to create a nice product texture and spread the product more easily on the skin | |
| 0.15% - 0.25% | |
| Used to thicken product formulation. Can help attract water to the upper layer of the skin | |
| 0.15% - 0.3% | |
| Helps preserve products and creates a nice product texture | |
| 0.2% - 0.35% | |
| Used mostly for creating emulsions - helping oil and water mix together. Helps soften the upper layer of the skin | |
| 0.15% - 0.3% | |
| Creates a thin drying film on the skin resulting in a short-term tightening effect | |
| 0.15% - 0.25% | |
| Helps adjust the product pH and stabilize the formulation | |
| 0.15% - 0.3% | |
| Helps regulate the pH of the formulation | |
| 0.15% - 0.3% | |
| Used to create a thicker product consistency and stabilize formulations | |
| 0.15% - 0.25% | |
| A preservative | |
| 0.2% - 0.35% | |
| An emollient made of jojoba oil. Helps soften the skin and support its barrier function | |
| 0.15% - 0.3% | |
| Helps soften the upper layer of the skin and support skin's barrier function while creating a thicker product consistency | |
| 0.2% - 0.35% | |
| Helps oil and water mix together | |
| 0.15% - 0.3% | |
| Helps water and oil mix together | |
| 0.15% - 0.25% | |
| A type of peptide. Peptides are excellent moisturizers and might be able support collagen production reducing fine lines and wrinkles | |
| 0.15% - 0.25% | |
| Helps attract water to the upper layer of the skin. Could be helpful in restoring the skin barrier function | |
| 0.15% - 0.3% | |
| Helps to attract water to the upper layer of the skin | |
| 0.15% - 0.3% | |
| A preservative that comes from radishes fermented by a bacteria. New research suggests that the preservation properties in the ingredient come from an ammonium salt that is not present naturally in radish root but used in its cultivation. Is problematic because the exact amount of the preservative agents is difficult to determine | |
| 0.15% - 0.3% | |
| Pure form of vitamin E. Can help moisturise and protect the skin from free radicals. Often used to help stabilise other ingredients or the formula itself | |
| 0.15% - 0.25% | |
| A preservative | |
| 0.15% - 0.3% | |
| Used to thicken product formulations and create gel-like textures | |
| 0.15% - 0.25% | |
| Increases thickness of a product. Texture enhancer for oil-in-water emulsions | |
| 0.2% - 0.35% | |
| Help soften the upper layer of the skin | |
| 0.2% - 0.4% | |
| An emollient that helps soften the skin | |
| 0.15% - 0.25% | |
| Stabilizes the product formulation | |
| 0.15% - 0.25% | |
| Used to adjust the product's pH | |
| 0.1% - 0.15% | |
| A preservative | |
| 0.15% - 0.25% | |
| A preservative | |
| 0.1% - 0.25% | |
| A preservative | |
| 0.05% - 0.1% | |
| A fragrance. Can be irritating | |
| 0.05% - 0.1% | |
| An aromatic blend of unspecified and possibly irritating ingredients | |
Show more | |
Sources
- Dimethicone as a protective ingredient in topical medications
- Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Dimethicone Copolyol
- Niacinamide - mechanisms of action and its topical use in dermatology
- Gehring, W. (2004). Nicotinic acid/niacinamide and the skin. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 3(2), 88–93. doi:10.1111/j.1473-2130.2004.00115.x
- The natural yeast extract isolated by ethanol precipitation inhibits melanin synthesis by modulating tyrosinase activity and downregulating melanosome transfer
- Evaluation of dermatological effects of cosmetic formulations containing Saccharomyces cerevisiae extract and vitamins
- 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
- Retinol and retinyl esters: biochemistry and physiology
- A clinicopathological study of the effects of topical retinyl propionate cream in skin photoageing
- Hyaluronic acid: A key molecule in skin aging
- Hyaluronan (Hyaluronic Acid): a natural moisturizer for skin care
- Topical palmitoyl pentapeptide provides improvement in photoaged human facial skin
- Topical urea in skincare: A review
- Cosmeceuttical Critigue: Taurine
- Glycerol and the skin: holistic approach to its origin and functions
- Polyglucuronic acids: Structures, functions and degrading enzymes
- Contact dermatitis caused by alkyl glucosides in the modern cosmetic industry and contact dermatitis in the Canadian aircraft industry
- Safety Assessment of Decyl Glucoside and Other Alkyl Glucosides as Used in Cosmetics
- Effect of Olive and Sunflower Seed Oil on the Adult Skin Barrier: Implications for Neonatal Skin Care
- Topical Glucose Induces Claudin-1 and Filaggrin Expression in a Mouse Model of Atopic Dermatitis and in Keratinocyte Culture, Exerting Anti-inflammatory Effects by Repairing Skin Barrier Function
- Vitamin E in dermatology