Skinbetter Science AlphaRet Overnight Cream for dry skin
Glycolic Acid
Niacinamide
Ethyl Lactyl Retinoate
Sodium Hyaluronate
Squalane
High
- HighDry Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
One of the best moisturizers for dry skin.
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 high suitability for your dry skin due to the presence of humectants like glycerin and sodium hyaluronate, alongside emollients such as squalane and shea butter, which deeply hydrate and nourish. Ethyl lactyl retinoate and sodium hyaluronate also work to smooth texture and provide excellent moisturization.
- Ingredients like bisabolol and allantoin glycyrrhetinic acid offer soothing benefits, supporting your dry or flaky skin concerns.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation for your dry skin due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the inclusion of soothing components.
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
★4.9Overall rating based on 200+ reviewsUsers consistently praise this cream as a "game-changer" for sensitive and aging skin, noting visible improvements in texture, tone, and fine lines without the harsh side effects typical of retinoids. While highly effective for smoothing rough skin and clearing pigmentation, a small minority of users experienced initial purging or found the hydration insufficient for very dry skin types.
Highlights
Gentle & non-irritating Mostly Mentioned
- “No redness or peeling”
- “Great for sensitive skin”
- “Better than tretinoin”
- “Zero irritation”
High price point Mostly Mentioned
- “Very expensive”
- “Hard on the wallet”
- “Pricey investment”
- “Wish it was cheaper”
Effective anti-aging Often Mentioned
- “Softened forehead lines”
- “Skin looks younger”
- “Firmed my skin”
- “Wrinkles are less deep”
Improves texture & tone Often Mentioned
- “Glass skin effect”
- “Smoothed out texture”
- “Faded acne marks”
- “Evened out skin tone”
Hydrating formula Sometimes Noted
- “Feels moisturizing”
- “Creamy texture”
- “Doesn't dry me out”
- “Nice slip”
Packaging design Sometimes Noted
- “Love the twist top”
- “Sanitary pump”
- “Easy to dispense”
- “Protects the product”
Initial purging Rarely Noted
- “Caused bad purging”
- “Broke me out initially”
- “Acne flared up”
- “Tiny bumps appeared”
Not moisturizing enough Rarely Noted
- “Need extra moisturizer”
- “Not enough hydration alone”
- “Still felt dry”
- “Layered with another cream”
Packaging malfunctions Rarely Noted
- “Pump stopped working”
- “Hard to get empty”
- “Can't see how much is left”
- “Broken dispenser”
Sources: lovi.care, skinelite.com, influenster.com, dermstreet.com, realself.com, reddit.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes AlphaRet Overnight Cream a great fit for dry skin?
This cream is a great fit because it contains hydrating ingredients like glycerin and sodium hyaluronate alongside nourishing squalane and shea butter to deeply quench dry skin. It also includes soothing components that calm flakiness while smoothing your skin texture safely.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for dry skin?
This cream is a great fit for dry skin thanks to humectants like glycerin and sodium hyaluronate, plus emollients such as squalane and shea butter, which deeply hydrate and nourish. Ethyl lactyl retinoate and sodium hyaluronate further help to smooth texture and provide lasting moisture, while bisabolol and allantoin glycyrrhetinic acid soothe flaky areas.
What does Glycolic Acid do for dry skin?
Glycolic acid helps smooth and soften dry skin by speeding up the shedding of older surface cells. Because it can also cause the skin to lose more moisture, dry skin needs extra hydrating ingredients like glycerin or hyaluronic acid alongside it to keep the skin comfortable.
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 cream goes in the evening routine as a treatment step, applied after cleansing and before moisturizing. It is a great fit for dry skin because it deeply hydrates, nourishes, and smooths texture while soothing flakiness with an excellent safety profile.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2022Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
This cream already contains a retinoid and is used in the evening routine before your moisturizer. It is unlikely to irritate dry skin because it includes soothing ingredients and lacks harsh additives.
How often should I use this cream?
You can use this moisturizing treatment in the evening as part of your nighttime routine. Daily application helps improve skin moisture and smooths texture while keeping irritation unlikely.
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 on dry skin, and any initial skin purging is typically low. The formula includes soothing ingredients that help calm your skin while supporting a smooth texture without heavy irritation risks.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
This cream is generally suitable for use on the body, but the thin skin around the eyes requires extra caution with active ingredients like glycolic acid and retinoids.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
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, 2017Repeated short-contact 70% glycolic acid peels provided superior results in atrophic acne scars compared to daily low-strength glycolic acid cream or placebo in 58 women over 24 weeks.
International Journal of Dermatology, 2000Serial glycolic acid peels combined with a modified Kligman formula significantly reduced facial PIH severity in Indian patients compared to the modified Kligman formula alone.
Dermatologic Surgery, 2017Topical 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, 2019Squalane 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, 2025
Ingredients
Water, Sodium Glycolate, Glycolic Acid, Cetearyl Olivate, Pentylene Glycol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Isohexadecane, Sorbitan Olivate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Glycerin, Ceresin, Glycol Palmitate, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Squalane, Methyl Gluceth-20, Ethyl Lactyl Retinoate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Ceramide Np, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ubiquinone, Tocopherol, Bisabolol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Superoxide Dismutase, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Shea Butter, Allantoin Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Sodium Pca, Panthenol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Linoleic Acid, Cholesterol, Linolenic Acid, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, Peg-100 Stearate, Steareth-2, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Acacia Senegal Gum, Xanthan Gum, Hydrated Silica, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, Tromethamine, Disodium Edta, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Titanium Dioxide Ci 77891
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.