Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Night Cream for dry skin
Retinol
Niacinamide
Sodium Hyaluronate
Hydrolyzed Yeast Extract
GlycerinAverage
- HighDry Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for dry skin; other moisturizers 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 benefits for your dry skin, as retinol and sodium hyaluronate work to hydrate and smooth texture, while glycerin provides essential moisturizing effects.
- Niacinamide and hydrolyzed yeast extract offer additional soothing and barrier-strengthening properties, supporting overall skin health.
- The formulation is safe for your dry skin, containing no harsh or prohibited ingredients that could cause irritation.
How to apply
- Could be used as part of your AM or PM routine. Start using it 3 times a week and work your way up to daily use.
- Apply your moisturizer after your toner and before your sunscreen in the morning. At night, use it as the final step after your serum.
- Gently press a small amount of the moisturizer into your skin. Avoid rubbing to keep your dry skin happy.
- Apply the moisturizer on slightly damp skin to help lock in extra hydration. This is great for soothing dry and flaky areas .
- Avoid the sensitive eye area and do a patch test before your first use .
People Say
★4.5Overall rating based on 1.6k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, users report this night cream effectively smooths fine lines and improves skin texture without the harsh irritation often associated with retinol. Many praise its hydrating, lightweight formula for creating a plump and radiant complexion, though a subset of users with sensitive skin experienced dryness or breakouts.
Highlights
Gentle and hydrating Mostly Mentioned
- “gentle enough to use every night”
- “doesn't dry out my skin”
- “no flake... skin looked soft”
Luxurious texture Often Mentioned
- “sinks in easily without leaving any residue”
- “creamy and light texture”
- “feels quite luxurious when you massage onto the skin”
Visible anti-aging Often Mentioned
- “diminished the fine lines and dark circles”
- “forehead wrinkles getting less noticeable”
- “skin looks soft, bouncy and happy”
Radiance and glow Sometimes Noted
- “skin will glow in the morning”
- “reduces uneven skin tone”
- “visibly reduces acne and clears skin”
High price point Sometimes Noted
- “product is costly but worth every penny”
- “definitely not worth the price”
- “expensive... quantity is very less”
Strong fragrance Sometimes Noted
- “get rid of the strong perfume”
- “fragrance is a little much for me”
- “good product, not a fan of fragrance”
Adverse reactions Rarely Noted
- “made my skin very dry”
- “works but dries out skin”
- “caused too much flaking and irritation”
Packaging issues Rarely Noted
- “pump wasn't really working as well anymore”
- “hard to tell how much is left”
- “dispenser clearly doesn't work”
Sources: lovi.care, ulta.com, kohls.com, dermstore.com, nykaa.com, sephora.co.uk, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Night Cream work for dry skin?
This cream works moderately well for dry skin, as retinol and sodium hyaluronate help hydrate and smooth texture while glycerin provides essential moisture. Because other products fit dry skin better, a moisturizing treatment for this skin needs a rich blend of extra emollients, occlusives, and peptides to lock in moisture and fully support the skin barrier.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for dry skin?
Retinol and sodium hyaluronate help smooth texture, while glycerin, niacinamide, and hydrolyzed yeast extract provide essential moisture and support the skin barrier. Because it is an average fit, dry skin needs a product of this type to include a richer blend of softening ingredients and heavy sealants to lock in moisture.
What does Retinol do for dry skin?
Retinol is a poor fit for dry skin because it frequently causes scaling, stinging, and dryness. To care for dry skin properly, a product needs gentle, hydrating ingredients like ceramides, glycerin, and hyaluronic acid to lock in moisture and keep the skin barrier calm and smooth.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2019Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023
What does Niacinamide do for dry skin?
Niacinamide helps dry skin by strengthening the skin barrier, increasing hydration, and reducing water loss. It supports ceramide production and helps keep the surface smooth and calm. This ingredient tends to be very well tolerated and is unlikely to irritate dry skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2004Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2026
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for dry skin?
This treatment goes in the evening routine after cleansing and before moisturizing. Dry skin needs a rich moisturizer with hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and heavy oils to deeply lock in moisture and soothe tightness.
Can I use this cream with vitamin C, and in what order?
You can use this cream with vitamin C by applying vitamin C in your morning routine and this cream at night, as using them at the same time may cause irritation on dry skin. A product for this skin type needs extra rich hydrating ingredients and soothing plant oils to lock in moisture and fully prevent dryness.
How often should I use this cream?
You can use this treatment cream in your evening routine. A product of this type for dry skin needs rich hydrators like hyaluronic acid and glycerin, plus soothing barrier ingredients to keep the skin comfortable.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2015
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry skin?
This cream is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for dry skin, though retinol may sometimes cause mild initial purging. It is formulated with safe ingredients that help smooth and hydrate dry areas without harsh irritants. To better care for dry skin, this type of product needs rich moisturizing oils and barrier-repairing ingredients like ceramides to lock in deep hydration.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
This cream is safe for the thin skin around the eyes and body, but dry skin needs richer hydrating ingredients and heavier oils to provide better comfort.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (citronellol and parfum). Cetyl alcohol and oleyl alcohol are fatty alcohols, which soften the skin.
What the research says
A single application of a moisturizing fluid containing hyaluronic acid 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract significantly increased skin hydration by 29% and reduced transepidermal water loss at 24 hours compared to baseline and an untreated control site in twenty healthy women.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Topical moisturizers improved skin barrier function and surface moisture, while a postbiotic moisturizer with yeast extract uniquely supported microbiome balance and modulated biomarkers of skin barrier, structure, and inflammation in participants and ex vivo explants exposed to environmental aggressors.
Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2023Topical 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, 2017Topical 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, 2019Silicone 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, 2018Topical 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, 2021Topical 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, 2008Topical 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, 2005Topical 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, 2011Topical 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, 2022Treatment 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, 2019A maintenance therapy with a cosmeceutical formulation containing hydroxyphenoxy propionic acid, ellagic acid, yeast extract, and salicylic acid over 20 weeks significantly improved even skin tone, spot intensity, spot size, and overall hyperpigmentation in 33 healthy subjects with moderate facial dyspigmentation.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2015A methanol yeast extract increases proliferation and migration while decreasing entrance into senescence and apoptosis phases in 3T3 fibroblast cells.
Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2014Yeast extract from the A154 mutant strain increases cell viability by 1.4- to 1.9-fold in human skin cell lines (HFF, A431, HaCaT) after UVA irradiation and exhibits stronger ROS-scavenging properties compared with the parental strain.
BMC Microbiology, 2026The emollient V0034CR significantly reduced TEWL compared to vehicle and vehicle plus glycerol, and significantly increased corneometry scores compared to vehicle and vehicle plus petrolatum in healthy volunteers with dry skin, demonstrating combined barrier function improvement from petrolatum and hydration improvement from glycerol.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Ten days of treatment with a cream containing 20% glycerin significantly increased skin hydration measured by corneometer values in 17 healthy volunteers compared to a placebo cream, but showed no influence on transepidermal water loss or skin sensitivity to an irritating surfactant.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2001Niacinamide/glycerin body moisturizers provided better rapid and prolonged improvement of cosmetic xerosis through functional improvement of stratum corneum barrier function compared to no treatment and conventional moisturizers in female subjects.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012
Ingredients
Water, Isostearyl Hydroxystearate, Niacinamide, Propanediol, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, C14-22 Alcohols, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Dimethicone, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydrolyzed Yeast Extract, Isopropyl Palmitate, Retinol, Retinyl Propionate, Oleyl Alcohol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Serine, Hexyldecanol, Glycine Soja Extract Soybean Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glycine Soja Soybean Sterols, Urea, Yeast Amino Acids, Trehalose, Inositol, Taurine, Betaine, Glycerin, Polyglucuronic Acid, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Yam Root Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Algin, Caprylyl Glycol, Swertia Chirata Extract, Lecithin, Pullulan, Disodium Phosphate, Potassium Phosphate, Peg-75 Stearate, Ceteth-20, Steareth-20, Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Picolinamide, Disodium Edta, Sodium Hydroxide, Hexylene Glycol, Sodium Benzotriazolyl Butylphenol Sulfonate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Vp Copolymer, Yellow 5 Ci 19140, Red 4 Ci 14700, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Citronellol, Parfum
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.
-
Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
-
Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
-
Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
-
Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
-
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
-
Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
-
Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
-
Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
How does it fit your skin?
Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.