Dr. Dennis Gross Ferulic + Retinol Wrinkle Recovery Overnight Serum for sensitive skin

How to apply

Questions and answers

What the research says

• Topical 0.4% retinol significantly increased epidermal thickness, dermal vascularity, and extracellular matrix production by stimulating keratinocyte proliferation, endothelial cell proliferation, and fibroblast activation in naturally aged human skin compared to vehicle.

  International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2017

• Topical bakuchiol 0.5% applied twice daily compared with retinol 0.5% applied daily significantly decreased wrinkle surface area and hyperpigmentation with no statistical difference between the compounds in 44 patients over 12 weeks, while retinol users reported more facial skin scaling and stinging.

  The British Journal of Dermatology, 2019

• Topical application of a serum containing supramolecular Bakuchiol and Terminalia chebula extract significantly improved barrier function, reduced redness and sensitivity, and improved wrinkles and elasticity in 34 Chinese subjects with sensitive skin after 28 days.

  Health Science Reports, 2025

• Silicone particles encapsulating retinol increased its half-life by 9-fold and yielded 12-23% lower skin irritation in human subjects compared to Microsponge particles while maintaining biological activity.

  Journal of Controlled Release, 2018

• Topical stabilized retinol treatment induced HAS gene expression and increased hyaluronic acid production in human skin in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo compared to vehicle.

  Archives of Dermatological Research, 2017

• Topical application of all-trans-retinol induced epidermal thickening and increased retinoid binding protein expression similar to all-trans-retinoic acid in normal human skin, but without causing significant erythema or measurable retinoic acid levels.

  The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 1995

• Treatment with 14% ferulic acid and 12% l-ascorbic acid significantly reduced pigmentation and erythema while improving hydration and elasticity in 20 women with photoaged skin, with neither acid proving definitively more effective overall though ascorbic acid showed slightly greater skin lightening.

  Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

• Combining fractional microneedle radiofrequency with a topical antioxidant serum significantly reduced wrinkle severity by 29.9% versus 18.0%, increased elasticity by 12.9% versus 2.3%, and improved aesthetic outcomes in 31 participants compared to radiofrequency and placebo.

  The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2025

• Pretreatment with a topical antioxidant mixture of vitamin C, ferulic acid, and phloretin attenuated ultraviolet-induced sunburn cell formation, thymine dimer formation, matrix metalloproteinase-9 expression, p53 protein expression, and the suppression of CD1a-expressing Langerhans cells in human skin compared to vehicle control.

  Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2008

• Topical post-laser application of human adipocyte-derived mesenchymal stem cell media combined with niacinamide significantly improved wrinkle index, melanin index, patient satisfaction, and investigator esthetic improvement scores compared to vehicle cream in patients with aging skin.

  Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021

• Topical nicotinamide prevented solar-simulated UV-induced immunosuppression in healthy volunteers, and men experienced immunosuppression at solar-simulated UV doses three times lower than those required for women.

  The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2008

• Topical 5% niacinamide applied twice daily for 12 weeks reduced fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmented spots, red blotchiness, and skin sallowness, and improved skin elasticity compared to vehicle control in 50 female white subjects with facial photoaging.

  Dermatologic Surgery, 2005

• Topical application of 0.1% hyaluronic acid formulations of different molecular weights led to significant improvements in skin hydration and elasticity, with low-molecular-weight formulations also significantly reducing wrinkle depth in seventy-six female subjects compared to a vehicle control.

  Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011

• Topical application of hyaluronic acid in conjunction with free gingival graft significantly reduced donor site postoperative pain until day 7 compared to normal saline, with no significant differences in graft dimensions or patient satisfaction.

  Clinical Oral Investigations, 2022

• Treatment with a hyaluronic acid-containing mouth rinse or topical gel led to significant lesion reduction, pain relief, and normalization of lesion color in adult patients with minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis, with the gel formulation showing an earlier healing onset at 3 days.

  BMC Oral Health, 2019

• A dermocosmetic containing bakuchiol, Ginkgo biloba extract, and mannitol improves inflammatory lesions, Investigator Global Assessment, and seborrhea intensity when added to adapalene 0.1% gel in patients with acne vulgaris.

  Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2015

• Bakuchiol functions as an anti-aging compound through retinol-like regulation of gene expression, producing significant improvements in lines, wrinkles, pigmentation, elasticity, firmness, and photo-damage after 12 weeks of twice-a-day facial application without usual retinol therapy-associated undesirable effects.

  International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2014

• A nature-based bakuchiol-containing cleanser and moisturizer improved visual and tactile smoothness, clarity, radiance, overall appearance, global anti-aging, and skin moisture content by 16% in 60 female subjects with sensitive mild to moderate photodamaged skin over 4 weeks.

  Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2020

Why other serums fit sensitive skin better

• Topical application of TAT-SOD significantly suppresses UVB-induced erythema formation, blood flow rise, and apoptotic sunburn cell formation in human volunteers compared to a vehicle control.

  European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, 2016

Ingredients

Water, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Niacinamide, Cetyl Alcohol, Propanediol, Isostearyl Alcohol, Jojoba Esters, Retinol, Ferulic Acid, Collagen Amino Acids, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hexylresorcinol, Ellagic Acid, Gallic Acid, Silybum Marianum Ethyl Ester, Tocopherol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Mandelic Acid, Lactic Acid, Sodium Pca, Retinyl Palmitate Carrot Polypeptide, Retinyl Palmitate, Glycerin, Evodia Rutaecarpa Fruit Extract, Helianthus Annuus Wax Seed Sunflower Wax Seed, Acacia Decurrens Wax Flower, Glycine Soja Oil Soybean Oil, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Polyglycerin-3, Tricaprylin, Acrylates Carbamate Copolymer, Butylene Glycol, Bht, Butylene Glycol Cocoate, Acrylates C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Xanthan Gum, Ethylcellulose, Disodium Edta, Sodium Hydroxide, Bergamot Fruit Extract, Lemon Peel Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Stem Extract Flower Leaf Lavender Stem Extract Flower Leaf, Octoxynol-9, Phenoxyethanol

Behind this fit score

Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.