Menarini A-Ret Gel for oily skin
Tretinoin
Propylene Glycol
Isopropanol
Carbomer
Butylated HydroxytolueneHigh
- HighOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
One of the best serums for oily skin.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily skin: shine, enlarged pores, blackheads, and blemishes. 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 excellent suitability for your oily skin and acne-prone concerns, as tretinoin effectively reduces acne lesions and regulates sebum production, while propylene glycol acts as a humectant to maintain hydration.
- The formulation is well-suited for managing oily shine by promoting exfoliation and desquamation regulation.
- The product is safe for your skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Use this serum in your PM routine. Start by applying it 3 times a week and build up to daily use if your skin tolerates it well.
- Apply the serum after cleansing and toning, but right before your moisturizer for the best results.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin. Let it absorb ⏱ for a minute before applying the next product.
- Apply the serum on clean and dry skin since your skin is not sensitive and you want to target oily shine. This helps control excess oil throughout the night.
- Avoid the delicate eye area and do a patch test before using the serum for the very first time.
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
What makes Menarini A-Ret Gel a great fit for oily skin?
Menarini A-Ret Gel is a great fit for oily skin because tretinoin helps reduce breakouts and controls oil, while propylene glycol maintains hydration without feeling heavy. It manages oily shine by gently promoting skin renewal and safe exfoliation.
Which ingredients make this gel a good fit for oily skin?
Tretinoin makes this gel a great fit for your oily skin because it effectively reduces acne blemishes and controls oil, while propylene glycol maintains essential moisture. Together, they help manage oily shine and smooth your skin by encouraging gentle cell renewal.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 2022Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2020
What does Tretinoin do for oily skin?
Tretinoin helps keep oily skin clear by reducing blemishes and clearing clogged pores. It speeds up skin renewal, which may reduce breakouts and leave your skin looking smoother over time.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 2022Clinical Therapeutics, 1992
What does Propylene Glycol do for oily skin?
Propylene glycol helps other ingredients soak deeper into your skin and works well as a light moisturizer that leaves skin soft without feeling greasy. It is safe for most people, though it is unlikely to cause irritation unless your skin is already sensitive or broken.
Where does this gel go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This treatment goes in the evening routine after cleansing and before moisturizing. Putting it at night helps avoid extra sun sensitivity, while tretinoin actively works to clear acne and oiliness.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2023Acta Dermato-venereologica, 2001
Can I use it with benzoyl peroxide, and in what order?
You can use this treatment alongside benzoyl peroxide, but apply them at different times of the day to keep your skin calm and comfortable. Using them together in the same routine may lead to dryness, so spacing them out helps your skin stay balanced while managing breakouts.
American Family Physician, 2012Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2020
How often should I use this gel?
Apply this gel in your evening routine, starting just once a week to see how your skin tolerates it. If your skin feels comfortable and you see good results, you may carefully use it more often.
Can it clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This treatment is unlikely to clog pores and instead helps clear breakouts for oily skin by reducing acne spots and managing oil production. You may experience some initial peeling or dryness as it encourages skin cell renewal.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 2022Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2020
Is it fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Tretinoin-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, 2022A 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, 2020Pranoprofen-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers dispersed in Carbomer 940 and Sepigel 305 gels provided sustained drug release and demonstrated anti-inflammatory efficacy in animal models without causing skin irritation or altering biophysical properties in humans.
Gels, 2023Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) is safe as used in cosmetic formulations at concentrations ranging from 0.0002% to 0.5% due to low dermal penetration and systemic exposure compared to oral administration.
International Journal of Toxicology, 2002Topical 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 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 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, 2022Treatment 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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