SkinCeuticals Retinol 1.0 Maximum Strength Refining Night Cream for combination skin
Retinol
Glycerin
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Shea Butter
Silybum Marianum Milk Extract
Passiflora Incarnata ExtractAverage
- HighCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
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 skin refinement for your combination skin due to retinol, which helps smooth texture and minimize fine lines, while bisabolol provides anti-inflammatory action to calm and hydrate. Glycerin further supports hydration, addressing general skincare needs and contributing to a balanced complexion.
- The formula is highly suitable for combination skin, with retinol regulating desquamation and bisabolol offering soothing benefits.
- The product is safe for your skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
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
★4.6Overall rating based on 2.3k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, users consistently describe this cream as a powerhouse professional-grade treatment that delivers dramatic improvements in skin texture, clarity, and firmness, often outperforming prescription alternatives. While the results are highly praised, the majority of reviews emphasize that the retinization period—characterized by peeling, redness, and dryness—is intense and requires a slow, careful introduction to the routine.
Highlights
Effective anti-aging Mostly Mentioned
- “Lines around mouth vanished”
- “Forehead wrinkles significantly reduced”
- “Skin looks years younger”
Refines skin texture Mostly Mentioned
- “Texture is completely gone”
- “Skin feels like porcelain”
- “Smoothest my face has ever been”
Clears acne & pores Often Mentioned
- “Stopped my hormonal breakouts”
- “Pores look invisible now”
- “Faded dark spots from old acne”
Intense irritation Often Mentioned
- “Face peeled like a snake”
- “Burned my sensitive skin”
- “Redness lasted for days”
Fast-acting results Sometimes Noted
- “Saw difference in one week”
- “Woke up glowing”
- “Works faster than other brands”
Drying formula Sometimes Noted
- “Sucked moisture out of skin”
- “Must use heavy cream after”
- “Too drying for winter”
High price point Sometimes Noted
- “Hard on the wallet”
- “Very expensive for the size”
- “Wish it was cheaper”
Packaging design flaws Rarely Noted
- “Metal tube split on the side”
- “Product oozed out of cap”
- “Packaging is frustrating”
Sources: lovi.care, skinceuticals.com, dermstore.com, lovelyskin.com, bluemercury.com, amazon.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does SkinCeuticals Retinol 1.0 work for combination skin?
SkinCeuticals Retinol 1.0 is an average fit for combination skin because it helps smooth texture and calm the skin, though other treatments fit it better. Treatments of this type need ingredients like niacinamide, propolis, or zinc PCA to enhance radiance and balance oiliness without making the skin too dry or too oily.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for combination skin?
Retinol helps smooth texture and minimize fine lines on combination skin, while bisabolol and glycerin calm and hydrate it. To fit this skin type even better, products need ingredients like niacinamide, propolis, and zinc PCA to enhance radiance and balance oiliness without causing excess oiliness or dryness.
What does Retinol do for combination skin?
Retinol helps smooth fine lines, even out skin tone, and improve firmness in combination skin. It works by encouraging faster skin renewal and boosting collagen, though it may occasionally cause mild dryness or scaling while your skin adjusts.
What does Glycerin do for combination skin?
Glycerin helps keep combination skin soft and smooth by pulling moisture in and keeping it there. It improves hydration and supports your skin barrier, which is unlikely to cause irritation.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2008Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for combination skin?
This treatment goes in the evening routine after cleansing and before moisturizing, which keeps it simple and safe around sun exposure. Combination skin of this type needs a balanced formula with retinol to smooth texture, along with soothing ingredients and hydrating agents like glycerin to calm and keep the complexion balanced.
Can I use this cream with glycolic acid, and in what order?
You can use this cream with glycolic acid by applying the glycolic acid first and waiting a few minutes before putting on this treatment, but using both at the same time may increase the likelihood of skin scaling and stinging. To care for combination skin well when mixing strong ingredients, use soothing plant extracts and gentle hydrators like glycerin to keep the skin calm and comfortable.
How often should I use this cream?
This cream works best as an evening treatment, starting just once a week so your combination skin can adjust. Once your skin handles it well, you can gradually use it more often. Combination skin of this type needs a balanced approach with ingredients like retinol to smooth texture alongside soothing agents like bisabolol and hydrating ingredients like glycerin to keep the complexion even and comfortable.
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for combination skin?
This cream is unlikely to clog pores, but the strong retinol inside helps clear skin by speeding up cell renewal, which may temporarily cause breakouts or purging when you first start using it. Because this is an average fit for your skin, combination skin often needs a product with balanced hydrators and gentle smoothing ingredients that refine texture without causing dryness.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
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, 2019Topical 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, 2017Silicone 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 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, 2017A 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, 2017The 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, 2001A combination cream of stimu-tex AS and saccharide isomerate reduced erythema, increased skin capacitance, and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to placebo in 20 subjects after fractional CO2 laser procedure without causing serious adverse events.
Lasers in Medical Science, 2025A skin barrier restoring cream with shea butter, silkflo, and vitamin E increased type I procollagen synthesis, enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity, decreased reactive oxygen species generation, and promoted hyaluronic acid production in H2O2-stimulated human keratinocyte cells compared to untreated cells.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2025Silybum marianum flower extract increased human hair follicle dermal papilla cell proliferation and VEGF production while suppressing cellular senescence, and in a clinical study using hair shampoo, it significantly increased hair density and total hair count at 16 and 24 weeks compared with a placebo group.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Topical 0.5% silymarin-loaded antioxidant serum applied twice daily significantly reduced clinical acne severity, lesion counts, and melanin pigmentation in 22 Korean acne patients over 4 weeks without associated adverse events.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2023Topical silymarin cream 1.4% showed comparable results to salicylic acid 30% peels in reducing acne severity in 30 patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris.
Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery, 2024Topical chrysin nanoemulgel improved percutaneous absorption and in vitro cytotoxicity on A375 and SK-MEL-2 cell lines compared to unformulated chrysin, demonstrating effective localized transcutaneous delivery.
Pharmaceutics, 2021Chrysin attenuated apoptosis, ROS production, COX-2 expression, and AQP-3 down-regulation induced by UVB and UVA in HaCaT keratinocytes, while showing efficient percutaneous absorption and no skin irritation in animal studies.
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2011Chrysin treatment reduced injury area and inflammation while increasing bFGF secretion, promoting the healing of amiodarone extravasation-induced skin injury in rats compared to control and 10% DMSO groups.
Microvascular Research, 2022
Ingredients
Water, Cyclomethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Propylene Glycol, Polysorbate 20, Allyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Shea Butter, Dimethiconol, Dimethicone, Dimethicone Peg-7 Isostearate, Retinol, Laureth-23, Laureth-4, Sodium Polyacrylate, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Glycerin, Polyacrylamide, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Bht, Bisabolol, Tetrasodium Edta, Passiflora Incarnata Flower Extract, Rosa Canina Leaf Extract, Silybum Marianum Fruit Extract, Hypericum Perforatum Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Leaf Extract Matricaria Leaf Extract, Citric Acid, Methylisothiazolinone
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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