Menarini A-Ret Gel for dry skin
Tretinoin
Propylene Glycol
Isopropanol
Carbomer
Butylated HydroxytolueneCaution
- CautionDry Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- RiskySafety
A poor match for dry skin; the serums alongside fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dry skin: flakiness, tightness, dehydration, fine lines, and wrinkles. 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 dry or flaky skin due to tretinoin promoting skin cell turnover, but is unsuitable for your dry skin because isopropanol and propylene glycol can be drying and lack humectant action.
- While tretinoin effectively treats acne and fine lines, its potential to cause dryness and irritation means it is not ideal for your dry skin type.
How to apply
- Apply this serum PM, starting 3×/week and working up to daily use as your skin adjusts.
- Place the serum after cleansing and toner, but right before your moisturizer.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin and let it absorb for a minute.
- Apply the serum on slightly damp skin to help lock in extra moisture.
- 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
Why does Lovi advise caution with Menarini A-Ret Gel for dry skin?
Lovi advises caution because isopropanol and propylene glycol can be drying and lack the moisture-locking action dry skin needs, while tretinoin may cause further dryness and irritation. A treatment for dry skin needs soothing and hydrating ingredients like propolis, niacinamide, ceramides, vitamin C, bifida fermentation, and peptides to support the skin barrier without irritation.
International Journal of Women's Dermatology, 2022Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2020
Which ingredients make this gel a poor fit for dry skin?
This gel is a poor fit for dry skin because it contains isopropanol and propylene glycol, which can be drying and lack hydrating action. Treatments that fit dry skin well need soothing ingredients, ceramides, niacinamide, propolis, or peptides to provide deep hydration and support the skin barrier without irritation.
What does Tretinoin do for dry skin?
Tretinoin is likely to cause dryness, roughness, and flaking on dry skin, and a product of this type needs soothing and hydrating ingredients like ceramides or rich moisturizers to keep skin soft and comfortable.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2006The British Journal of Dermatology, 1996
What does Propylene Glycol do for dry skin?
Propylene glycol helps dry skin by holding in moisture and supporting skin barrier recovery, which leaves skin feeling soft and smooth. It carries a low risk of irritation on healthy skin.
International Journal of Nanomedicine, 2013Veterinary Dermatology, 2020
Where does it go in a skincare routine for dry skin?
This treatment goes in the evening routine after cleansing and before your moisturizer. Because it contains ingredients that can dry out your skin, a product of this type for dry skin needs rich moisturizers and soothing ingredients to keep the skin comfortable and hydrated.
Can I use this gel with benzoyl peroxide, and in what order?
Using this gel with benzoyl peroxide may dry and irritate dry skin further, so caution is advised. To minimize discomfort, apply this treatment first in your evening routine, followed by a deeply hydrating moisturizer.
How often should I use it?
This product is a poor match for your dry skin because certain ingredients inside can dry it out further. A product of this type needs rich moisturizers and hydrating ingredients to keep dry skin soft and comfortable.
Can it clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry skin?
This treatment is unlikely to clog pores, but it may cause peeling, dryness, and breakouts as your skin adjusts to the cell turnover. Because it lacks hydrating ingredients and contains drying alcohols, this skin type needs soothing moisturizers and gentle hydrating ingredients to stay soft and calm.
International Journal of Women's Dermatology, 2022Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2020
Is this gel 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, 2020Topical 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, 1993Tretinoin-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 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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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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