Pharma Développement A313 Vitamin A Retinol Cream for combination skin
Retinyl Palmitate
Peg-4000
Polysorbate 80Average
- AverageCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- Low RiskSafety
Works for combination skin; other serums fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with combination skin: an oily T-zone, enlarged pores, and dry cheeks. 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 benefits for oily shine and combination skin due to the presence of multiple forms of retinol, which promote cell turnover but may also pose risks of irritation and increased oiliness for your specific skin concerns.
- The formula provides excellent anti-aging effects by minimizing fine lines and wrinkles, though it lacks sufficient humectant and emollient ingredients for drier zones of your combination skin.
How to apply
- Use your serum as part of your PM routine. Start using it 3 times a week and move to daily use if your skin likes it.
- Apply the serum after cleansing and toner, and right before your moisturizer.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin and wait a minute ⏳for it to soak in.
- Apply the serum on clean and dry skin since your skin is not sensitive.
- Always do a patch test before using the serum for the first time, and avoid the eye area .
People Say
★4.5Overall rating based on 2.0k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this French pharmacy favorite is celebrated for delivering radiant, smooth skin and reducing acne, with users frequently waking up to a glowing complexion. However, its thick, Vaseline-like consistency and initial itching are polarizing aspects. While many praise its hydrating and plumping effects, some find it too mild for significant anti-aging results.
Highlights
Incredible glow Mostly Mentioned
- “Users consistently report waking up with "glass skin," a "dewy complexion," and a "noticeable glow" after overnight use.”
Intense itching Mostly Mentioned
- “the most common complaint is the "unbearable itch" or "tingling sensation" that can last for 20-30 minutes after application.”
Smoother texture Often Mentioned
- “Reviews frequently mention the cream makes skin feel "baby soft," "plumps fine lines," and "refines pores" significantly.”
Greasy texture Often Mentioned
- “Users dislike the "Vaseline-like goo" consistency that "never fully absorbs" and "sticks to pillowcases."”
Acne reduction Sometimes Noted
- “Many users claim it "flattens pimples overnight," "fades acne scars," and helps "unclog pores" effectively.”
Affordable price Sometimes Noted
- “Users appreciate it is a "fraction of the cost" of luxury retinols, often calling it a "budget holy grail."”
Occlusive hydration Sometimes Noted
- “Fans love that it "seals in moisture," acts like a "hydrating mask," and prevents "flaky patches."”
Ineffective for some Sometimes Noted
- “Several users and dermatologists argue it is "too weak" and saw "no anti-aging difference" compared to stronger retinoids.”
Application difficulty Rarely Noted
- “Reviews mention it is "hard to spread" on dry skin and requires "warming up" in hands first.”
Pore clogging Rarely Noted
- “A minority of users with oily skin reported it "caused congestion" or "led to more blackheads" due to the heavy base.”
Sources: lovi.care, frenchpharmacy.com, amazon.com, bustle.com, youtube.com, thingtesting.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does A313 Vitamin A Retinol Cream work for combination skin?
This cream works moderately for combination skin by using multiple forms of retinol to help smooth fine lines and manage oily shine, but it may cause irritation and lacks enough softening ingredients for drier zones. Products that fit this skin better need ingredients like niacinamide, propolis, or zinc PCA to provide balanced hydration and control oil without irritation.
Colloids and Surfaces. B, Biointerfaces, 2011Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2013
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for combination skin?
This cream works for combination skin because it contains multiple forms of retinol like retinyl palmitate, retinyl acetate, and retinyl propionate that help renew the skin and smooth out fine lines. However, because it can sometimes cause irritation or extra oiliness and lacks hydrating ingredients for drier zones, combination skin actually needs a balanced formula with ingredients like niacinamide, propolis, and zinc PCA to provide moisture and control shine safely.
Colloids and Surfaces. B, Biointerfaces, 2011Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2013
What does Retinyl Palmitate do for combination skin?
Retinyl palmitate helps smooth fine lines, even out skin tone, and improve texture on combination skin. Because it works gently, it is unlikely to cause irritation while helping keep both dry and oily areas looking clear and firm.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2013Colloids and Surfaces. B, Biointerfaces, 2011
What does Retinyl Acetate do for combination skin?
Retinyl Acetate helps smooth texture, improve firmness, and manage signs of aging in combination skin while keeping irritation low. Advanced delivery systems help the vitamin sink in evenly to balance both dry and oily areas.
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for combination skin?
This treatment goes in the evening routine after cleansing and before moisturizing, though it requires extra hydration for drier zones and careful use to avoid irritation on combination skin.
Can I use this cream with niacinamide, and in what order?
You can use this cream with niacinamide by applying niacinamide first in your routine to keep drier zones hydrated and calm. This product works for combination skin while offering anti-aging benefits, but a product for this skin also needs nourishing hydrators and soft smooth moisturizers to prevent irritation and dryness.
How often should I use this cream?
Use this treatment in your evening routine, starting just once a week to see how your combination skin tolerates it. Retinol products help smooth fine lines, but they may cause irritation and oily shine if used too frequently. A product of this type for combination skin needs soothing ingredients and hydrating components to comfort drier zones while managing oil.
Facial Plastic Surgery, 2014Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2013
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for combination skin?
This cream may cause breakouts or skin irritation on combination skin because its multiple forms of retinol speed up cell turnover while its greasy texture can increase oiliness in certain areas. To work better for combination skin, this type of product needs to include balancing hydrators and soothing ingredients that comfort dry zones without clogging pores.
What the research says
A cosmetic niacinamide/peptide/retinyl propionate regimen significantly improved periorbital wrinkle appearance relative to a 0.02% tretinoin regimen at 8 weeks with comparable benefits at 24 weeks, while demonstrating significantly better tolerability in 196 women.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2010A novel triple-active cosmetic formulation containing 4-hexylresorcinol, retinyl propionate, and niacinamide improved the visual appearance of photoageing similarly to 0.02% tretinoin and reversed a consensus gene signature associated with ageing in female adults while causing less skin irritation.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2024A combination of retinyl propionate and climbazole (RPC) resulted in significant improvement in aging attributes, including deep wrinkles and hyperpigmentation, with significantly less irritation compared to 0.1% retinol in 45 healthy Caucasian females with moderately photodamaged facial skin.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2017Retinyl palmitate-loaded non-ionic lamellar liquid crystalline systems provided a significant reduction of orbicular wrinkles in human volunteers compared to systems without retinyl palmitate.
Colloids and Surfaces. B, Biointerfaces, 2011A vitamin A palmitate and antioxidant-containing oil-based moisturizer improved fine lines, wrinkles, pigmentation, tone, texture, dryness, firmness, and clarity across various body sites compared to a no-treatment group over 12 weeks.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2013Over-the-counter retinol products provided only weak evidence for a mild ameliorating effect on fine facial skin wrinkle lines in randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled trials, and major methodological flaws call the validity of positive results into question.
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2021Topical retinyl propionate cream produced no statistically significant differences compared to placebo for any clinical, histological, or profilometric parameters of skin photoageing in 80 subjects.
Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 1998Topical Retinol palmitate improves tear production, reduces corneal and conjunctival staining, decreases ocular surface keratinization, and promotes goblet cell development in patients with chronic Stevens-Johnson Syndrome with ocular surface keratinization compared to conventional treatment.
The Ocular Surface, 2023Topical application of 20% 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin in a polyethylene glycol formulation resulted in significantly more herpes labialis relapses compared to the vehicle control among 40 patients over 6 months.
Dermatology, 2013Binary systems of trans-resveratrol with polyethylene glycol or beta-cyclodextrin enhanced its antioxidant activity and in vivo skin anti-aging effects compared to trans-resveratrol alone in human keratinocytes and volunteers.
Drug Development and Industrial Pharmacy, 2014Topical application of 30% salicylic acid in polyethylene glycol effectively cleared comedones and papules in 436 patients with acne while causing no stinging, burning, edema, bleeding, or crusting.
Dermatologic Surgery, 2008Hempseed or flaxseed oil-based lyotropic liquid crystals with the highest oil content and lecithin/Tween 80 mixture provided a 2-fold reduction in TEWL values and decreased skin erythema levels in healthy adult subjects compared to baseline.
Acta Pharmaceutica, 2024Liquid crystalline emulsions formulated with camellia seed oil and four different surfactant combinations reduced transepidermal water loss and increased skin hydration without causing skin irritation, with the formulation containing Lecinol S-10 and Tween 80 demonstrating the best clinical results.
Scientific Reports, 2023The cytotoxic effect of sodium lauryl sulphate on normal human keratinocytes was significantly decreased when combined with cocamidopropyl betaine, Tween 20, and Tween 80 at concentrations well below the critical micelle concentration.
Skin Pharmacology and Applied Skin Physiology, 2003
Why other serums fit combination skin better
- Retinol in this serum
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
Ingredients
Retinyl Acetate, Retinyl Propionate, Retinyl Palmitate, Peg-4000, Peg 400, Polysorbate 80
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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Elina Nazarenko, MD
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Victoria Derkova, MS
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