Murad Retinal ReSculpt Overnight Treatment for acne-prone skin
Retinal
Squalane
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Shea Butter
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract Oat Kernel Extract
UreaAverage
- AverageCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for acne-prone skin; other serums fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with acne-prone skin: breakouts, blackheads, and post-acne marks. 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 suitability for your combination skin, as retinal helps regulate cell turnover to address acne and blemishes, while urea and oat kernel extract provide soothing benefits. However, the formula lacks sufficient humectants like glycerin to fully combat potential dryness in certain areas of your combination skin.
- The product is safe for your acne-prone skin, with no harsh ingredients and the inclusion of soothing agents.
- It provides excellent wrinkle reduction and general skincare benefits, supporting your primary goal of managing acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
How to apply
- Use your serum as part of your PM routine and start 3x/week before working up to daily use.
- Apply this treatment after cleansing and toner, and before your moisturizer.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin and let it absorb for a minute.
- Apply the product on clean, dry skin to help manage your breakouts safely.
- Avoid the eye area and do a patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.8Overall rating based on 600+ reviewsUsers report this treatment effectively targets advanced signs of aging, leading to visibly firmer, smoother, and bouncier skin. It is frequently praised for delivering results on deep wrinkles and sagging without the typical irritation associated with potent retinoids.
Highlights
Visibly smooths texture Mostly Mentioned
- “skin feels smooth and soft”
- “noticeably smoother to the touch”
- “improved texture after a few weeks”
Firms and lifts Often Mentioned
- “jawline seems more defined”
- “skin feels more taut”
- “helps with sagging neck skin”
Gentle and non-irritating Often Mentioned
- “no tingling or redness”
- “great for sensitive skin”
- “less irritating than prescription tretinoin”
High price point Often Mentioned
- “too expensive for the amount”
- “price tag is steep”
- “hard to justify the cost”
Fast-acting results Sometimes Noted
- “saw results in 2 weeks”
- “immediate glow the next morning”
- “works faster than retinol”
Pleasant consistency Sometimes Noted
- “lightweight and absorbs easily”
- “creamy but not greasy”
- “soaks in quickly”
Deceiving packaging Sometimes Noted
- “bottle looks big but holds little”
- “bulky plastic packaging”
- “hard to tell when empty”
Lack of results Rarely Noted
- “no difference in 2 months”
- “didn't do much for deep lines”
- “expected more for the price”
Scent/Fragrance Rarely Noted
- “has a floral scent”
- “added fragrance not listed”
- “smell is a bit strong”
Sources: lovi.care, ulta.com, murad.com, dermstore.com, lovelyskin.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Murad Retinal ReSculpt work for acne-prone skin?
This treatment works moderately well for acne-prone skin, as retinal helps clear breakouts while oat kernel extract and urea soothe the skin. However, to work best for acne-prone skin, a product of this type needs soothing ingredients, effective hydrators like niacinamide, and antioxidants that balance oil and keep the skin clear without irritation.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2015Skin Pharmacology and Applied Skin Physiology, 2002
Which ingredients make this treatment a good fit for acne-prone skin?
Retinal helps regulate cell turnover to clear blemishes, while urea and oat kernel extract soothe the skin. To work best for acne-prone skin, a treatment of this type needs ingredients like niacinamide, propolis, and zinc PCA for balanced hydration and oil control.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2015Skin Pharmacology and Applied Skin Physiology, 2002
What does Retinal do for acne-prone skin?
Retinal helps clear acne-prone skin by reducing blemishes, clogged pores, and redness while improving overall skin texture. Side effects are very uncommon when using this ingredient.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2026Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 1999
What does Squalane do for acne-prone skin?
Squalane may help keep acne-prone skin soft and smooth, but peroxidated forms can trigger inflammation in skin cells. For a better fit on acne-prone skin, products need non-clogging, soothing ingredients that balance oil without causing irritation.
Where does this treatment go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?
This treatment goes in the evening routine after cleansing and before moisturizing. Products of this type work best for this skin when they also include extra hydrating ingredients to keep your skin smooth and comfortable.
Can I use this treatment with niacinamide, and in what order?
You can use this treatment with niacinamide by applying niacinamide first and following with this treatment once it absorbs, or by alternating nights to keep your skin calm. This type of skin needs a treatment that pairs cell-regulating ingredients like retinal with extra water-attracting ingredients to prevent dryness.
How often should I use this treatment?
This treatment works for your acne-prone skin, though other products fit it better because it lacks enough hydrators to fully prevent dryness. To get the best results, an acne-prone skin type needs a product of this type that also includes extra hydrators to keep skin comfortable while addressing blemishes.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2015Skin Pharmacology and Applied Skin Physiology, 2002
Can this treatment clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?
This treatment is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts on acne-prone skin, as it features soothing ingredients that help calm irritation. However, because it contains retinal to speed up skin cell turnover, you may experience some initial purging as blemishes come to the surface. To work best for acne-prone skin, a product of this type needs lighter hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid or glycerin to keep skin balanced without feeling heavy.
Skin Pharmacology and Applied Skin Physiology, 2002Pharmaceutics, 2021
Is this treatment fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (citronellol and parfum). Cetearyl alcohol and cetyl alcohol are fatty alcohols, which soften the skin.
What the research says
Colloidal oat extracts diminished pro-inflammatory cytokines in vitro and colloidal oat lotion improved skin dryness, scaling, roughness, and itch intensity in healthy female subjects compared to baseline.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2015Topically applied Avena sativa and Avena Rhealba oatmeal extracts significantly reduced skin irritation parameters including a* parameter increase and blood flow increase compared to vehicle in 12 healthy individuals subjected to the sodium lauryl sulfate irritation model.
Skin Pharmacology and Applied Skin Physiology, 2002Colloidal oatmeal induced skin barrier-related gene expression in vitro and showed significant clinical improvements in skin dryness, moisturization, and barrier in 50 healthy female subjects treated with a colloidal oatmeal lotion.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2016A multiple W/O/W emulsion containing Rosmarinus officinalis L., Avena sativa L., and Linum usitatissimum L. extracts showed no irritant, phototoxic, inflammatory, or allergenic potential in human skin models and patch tests, establishing its safety as a cosmetic base.
Pharmaceutics, 2021Topical application of a vitamin C-squalene bioconjugate significantly increased epidermal thickness, type III collagen production, and glycosaminoglycans production in human skin explants compared to free vitamin C and vitamin C-palmitate.
Scientific Reports, 2020Twice daily application of retinaldehyde 0.1% and 0.05% creams for 3 months improved skin texture and hydration and reduced transepidermal water loss in 40 female Korean volunteers, with only the 0.1% cream significantly improving the melanin index.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2018Topical retinaldehyde demonstrated significant antibacterial activity against gram-positive bacteria both in vitro and in vivo, leading to decreased bacterial counts without inducing resistance.
Dermatology, 2002Topical 0.05% retinaldehyde applied over 1 year significantly increased epidermal thickness of the temple and cutaneous elasticity compared to an emollient control group in 40 aging skin patients.
Dermatology, 1999Squalane at 0.005-0.015% counteracts UVA-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and collagen metabolism inhibition while stimulating fibroblast migration in human dermal fibroblasts.
Molecules, 2025Plant-derived squalane protected human dermal fibroblasts against UVA-induced damage by counteracting ROS formation, suppressing apoptosis-related proteins p53, caspase-3, caspase-9, and PARP, and restoring the pro-survival p-Akt/mTOR pathway.
Antioxidants, 2025A 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, 2025A repair cream containing Rhealba oat plantlets extract, l-ALA-l-GLU dipeptide, and hyaluronic acid provided immediate relief and was judged by doctors as good or very good in 96.8% of cases for wound healing in 2,363 patients following dermatological acts.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2018Colloidal oat increased the growth rate, metabolism, and lactic acid production of Staphylococcus epidermidis compared to Staphylococcus aureus in vitro, matching clinical increases in lactic acid on dry skin after 6 weeks of lotion use.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2021A dermocosmetic product containing oat plantlet sap and Garcinia mangostana extract reduced retentional and inflammatory acne lesions by 21% and 35% respectively after 2 months in 54 subjects with mild-to-moderate acne.
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2024Topical 40% urea cream achieved improvement in less time and showed superiority over 12% ammonium lactate lotion in skin roughness, fissure reduction, thickness, and dryness at day 14 in patients treated for moderate to severe xerosis.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002Topical treatment with K101 achieved a significantly higher mycological cure rate compared to placebo in patients with ≤50% nail involvement (27.2% vs 10.4%), while showing early visible improvements in nail appearance and no safety issues.
Mycoses, 2012
Why other serums fit acne-prone skin better
A panthenol-enriched mask improved skin hydration, regulated sebum, and reduced redness and TEWL across dry sensitive, oily sensitive, and oily acne skin subgroups with excellent tolerance and no adverse reactions.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Topical dexpanthenol formulated in lipophilic vehicles improved stratum corneum hydration and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to vehicle control in humans.
Arzneimittel-Forschung, 2000A cream combining propolis, tea tree oil, and Aloe vera reduced erythema scars, acne severity index, and total lesion count better than erythromycin cream in sixty patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris compared to placebo.
Clinical Pharmacology, 2018
Ingredients
Water, Diisostearyl Malate, Pentylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Zea Mays Kernel Extract, Squalane, Propanediol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Ricinoleate, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract Oat Kernel Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Shea Butter, Retinal, Urea, Yeast Amino Acids, Trehalose, Inositol, Taurine, Betaine, Anigozanthos Flavidus Extract, Phosphatidylcholine, Olea Europaea Leaf Extract Olive Leaf Extract, Mannitol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Cetyl Alcohol, Hectorite, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Chloride, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Leuconostoc Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Chlorphenesin, Potassium Sorbate, Citronellol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, 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.
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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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Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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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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