Menarini A-Ret Gel for acne-prone skin
Tretinoin
Propylene Glycol
Isopropanol
Carbomer
Butylated HydroxytolueneAverage
- HighCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for acne-prone skin; other serums fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with acne-prone skin: breakouts, blackheads, and post-acne marks. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.
Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works
Lovi Assistant explains
- Offers moderate exfoliation for your acne and blemishes due to tretinoin promoting skin cell turnover, and is highly suitable for your combination skin with tretinoin's desquamation regulation and keratolytic action, complemented by propylene glycol's humectant properties.
- The formulation is safe for your acne-prone skin, as it lacks prohibited or harsh ingredients that could cause irritation.
- This product provides excellent treatment for acne and fine lines by reducing blemishes and minimizing fine lines through moderate concentrations of tretinoin.
How to apply
- Use your serum as part of your PM routine and start 3x/week before working up to daily use.
- Apply this treatment after cleansing and toner, and before your moisturizer.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin and let it absorb for a minute.
- Apply the product on clean, dry skin to help manage your breakouts safely.
- Avoid the eye area and do a patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 11.0k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this product is highly effective for improving skin texture, clearing acne, and providing an anti-aging glow, especially for those with oily or acne-prone skin due to its lightweight, non-clogging formula. Users frequently mention its affordability. A significant number of reviews note a strong alcohol smell and potential for initial irritation or peeling, suggesting a need for a careful moisturizing routine.
Highlights
Highly effective results Mostly Mentioned
- “cleared up acne completely”
- “skin looks glass-like”
- “best anti-aging product”
Lightweight, non-clogging Often Mentioned
- “soaks in immediately”
- “doesn't clog pores”
- “much better than cream”
Very affordable Often Mentioned
- “unbeatable price”
- “saves me hundreds”
- “great value for money”
Alcohol smell and drying Often Mentioned
- “smells like vodka”
- “stings upon application”
- “very drying initially”
Noticeable skin radiance Sometimes Noted
- “gave me the tret glow”
- “faded dark spots”
- “skin looks radiant”
Availability and shipping Sometimes Noted
- “takes a month to arrive”
- “hard to find stock”
- “shipping delays”
Initial irritation and peeling Sometimes Noted
- “peeled like a snake”
- “burned my moisture barrier”
- “redness for weeks”
Texture inconsistency Rarely Noted
- “0.025% isn't a clear gel”
- “texture was runny”
- “thought it was expired”
Sources: lovi.care, reddit.com, reliablerxpharmacy.com, skinsort.com, incidecoder.com, wimj.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Menarini A-Ret Gel work for acne-prone skin?
Menarini A-Ret Gel works moderately well for your acne-prone skin, providing helpful exfoliation and treatment for blemishes through tretinoin, though other options may fit this skin type better. To work best for acne-prone skin, a product of this type needs effective ingredients like niacinamide, zinc PCA, and propolis to balance hydration and control oiliness without irritation.
The New England Journal of Medicine, 1993Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2020
Which ingredients make this gel a good fit for acne-prone skin?
Tretinoin helps clear breakouts and blemishes by renewing skin cells, while propylene glycol keeps the skin hydrated. Acne-prone skin needs products with ingredients like niacinamide, propolis, or zinc PCA that balance oil and provide hydration without causing irritation.
What does Tretinoin do for acne-prone skin?
Tretinoin helps clear acne-prone skin by reducing acne lesions and porphyrin production. It works to smooth the skin and is generally well tolerated, though it may cause temporary scaling and barrier impairment.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 2022International Journal of Women's Dermatology, 2022
What does Propylene Glycol do for acne-prone skin?
Propylene glycol helps deliver active ingredients deeper into the skin and is unlikely to clog pores, but it can occasionally cause irritation on sensitive skin. A product for acne-prone skin needs lightweight, non-clogging ingredients that help keep pores clear without causing redness.
Where does it go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?
Menarini A-Ret Gel goes in the evening routine after your cleansing toner and before your moisturizer. Acne-prone skin works well with other options that offer stronger blemish-fighting benefits and soothing ingredients.
Can I use this gel with benzoyl peroxide, and in what order?
It is generally best to apply them at different times of day or alternate days, as using tretinoin and benzoyl peroxide together may cause excessive dryness or irritation. To properly treat acne-prone skin while keeping it calm and smooth, this skin type needs soothing hydrators and gentle barrier support alongside treatments.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024American Family Physician, 2012
How often should I use it?
Menarini A-Ret Gel is used in the evening routine, starting once a week to see how your skin reacts. If your skin handles it well, you may carefully use it more often. To get a better fit for acne-prone skin, this type of product needs soothing ingredients and moisture-locking agents to keep the skin calm and smooth.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2023Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2020
Can this gel clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?
This gel helps clear acne and blemishes by speeding up skin cell renewal, but it may cause initial peeling and temporary breakouts as your skin adjusts. It is unlikely to clog pores since it lacks heavy, pore-blocking ingredients, though acne-prone skin often does better with a soothing, hydrating formula that gently calms irritation without harsh drying effects.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2020Archives of Dermatological Research, 2022
Is it fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
A galenic compound containing essential oils and tretinoin demonstrated anti-acne efficacy and anti-inflammatory activity, significantly reducing papular erythema and retinoid-induced rashes compared to clindamycin-tretinoin gel in sixty volunteers over 30 days.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2020Tretinoin-loaded nano lipid carriers resulted in a significantly higher rate of decrease in acne lesions and greater reduction in porphyrin production compared to conventional tretinoin cream in patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 2022Topical tretinoin daily application for 10 to 12 months produced an 80 percent increase in collagen I formation in photodamaged human skin compared with a 14 percent decrease with vehicle alone.
The New England Journal of Medicine, 1993Topical tretinoin improves clinical appearance of photoaging in terms of wrinkling, mottled hyperpigmentation, sallowness, and lentigines and is safe and well tolerated.
International Journal of Women's Dermatology, 2022Topical tretinoin precursors and tretinoin showed no significant difference in efficacy for moderate to severe facial photodamage in 20 patients, while tretinoin precursors caused erythema six times less frequently.
JAMA Dermatology, 2022Topical tretinoin significantly improved photoaging and caused histologic changes in the forearms and faces of treated patients compared to vehicle cream, with side effects limited to skin irritation.
JAMA, 1988Adapalene 0.3% gel showed non-inferior efficacy and a similar safety profile compared to tretinoin 0.05% cream as a treatment for cutaneous photoaging.
European Journal of Dermatology, 2018Treatment with a combination of propylene glycol, ethanol, water, and shampoo was found effective, easy to use, and cosmetically attractive with no observed side effects in patients with dandruff.
Cutis, 1988A moisturizer containing glycerol and propylene glycol reduced transepidermal water loss, decreased epidermal thickness, increased stratum corneum thickness, and reduced dermal inflammatory infiltrate compared to untreated disrupted skin in six healthy beagle dogs.
Veterinary Dermatology, 2020The use of 70% isopropyl alcohol in conjunction with scrubbing with a bristled brush significantly reduced positive bacterial cultures at the nail fold compared to povidone-iodine with soft sponges in volunteers.
The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. American Volume, 2005Friction with 70% ethyl or isopropyl alcohol immediately eliminates the heart-shaped pigmented lesion characteristic of terra firma-forme dermatosis in a 14-year-old boy.
Cureus, 2024Rubbing 70% isopropyl alcohol wipes cleared persistent reticulated brown patches in five patients with terra firma-forme dermatosis.
Skinmed, 2016Topical chloramphenicol-betamethasone combined with sodium hyaluronate/trehalose/carbomer gel compared to chloramphenicol-betamethasone alone reduced most subjective symptoms at 1 week but increased blurred vision at 4 weeks following strabismus surgery in 31 patients, with no significant differences in conjunctival inflammation between treatments.
Journal of Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 2019Incorporating nanoemulsions into hydrogels with increasing Carbopol 934 proportions from 1% to 3% progressively decreased the percutaneous flux rates of terbinafine and citral, increased drug accumulation in the stratum corneum while decreasing it in the epidermis/dermis compared to nanoemulsions alone, and shifted delivery routes from skin appendages to intercellular paths.
International Journal of Nanomedicine, 2016Topical liquiritin carbomer gel treatment restored skin barrier function, increased barrier proteins and antioxidant enzymes, and decreased inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress in a mouse model of glucocorticoid-induced skin inflammation.
Pharmaceutics, 2024
Ingredients
Tretinoin, Propylene Glycol, Isopropanol, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Butylated Hydroxytoluene, Methyl Hydroxybenzoate, Propyl Hydroxybenzoate
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.
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
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Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
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Victoria Derkova, MS
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