What is SkinBetter Science AlphaRet Overnight Cream?

A nightly retinoid cream combining a proprietary retinoid with alpha hydroxy acids (lactic and glycolic acid) designed to address fine lines, wrinkles, and skin texture while minimizing irritation.

Is SkinBetter Science AlphaRet Overnight Cream worth it?

Mostly yes. 12 of the 13 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 91%.

What is SkinBetter Science AlphaRet Overnight Cream's Guru Score?

SkinBetter Science AlphaRet Overnight Cream holds a Guru Score of 91%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 13 expert reviewers we have collected. It is also Guru Certified, our mark for products that hold broad approval across many expert reviewers.

Who is SkinBetter Science AlphaRet Overnight Cream best for?

SkinBetter Science AlphaRet Overnight Cream is generally suited to sensitive skin and mature skin.

SkinBetter Science AlphaRet Overnight Cream: Guru Score 91%

Every take, in full

What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

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Sincerely Miss Ash

195k subs

✓Approved

"I've actually been testing this for a little while now and I really like it. This [...] has a blend of a retinoid along with glycolic and lactic acid. There's also blends of peptides in here, squalane, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, vitamin E, co-enzyme Q10, which is an antioxidant. There's a lot of great ingredients in here to nourish, to brighten, to correct texture, to soften and prevent fine lines and wrinkles. It is so good and it does it all, it just does everything in one product. I would recommend to use this at night time only because of the glycolic, lactic, and the retinoid, [...] and you can use it every night depending on skin tolerance. [...] This could actually replace your moisturizer because it's very moisturizing. [...] The brand recommends not to use this around the eye contour area. I sometimes do, and [...] my under eyes do not get irritated or dry when I use this underneath my eyes, but we should all be cautious around the eye area because the skin is so thin and delicate. [...] I just find this to be so gentle and my skin is so soft, so smooth and bright, everything looks so rejuvenated when I'm consistent with this. I still use tretinoin, but when I was testing this I eliminated my tretinoin just to see how this worked, and it does a really good job, and I really love the performance of this product as well."

Skin Obsessed Mary

33k subs

✓Approved

"This is the SkinBetter Science AlphaRet Overnight Cream. This is the best retinoid I have ever used. It has retinaldehyde, which is the strongest retinoid you can get without a prescription, plus glycolic acid, which gives you daily exfoliation, but it is so kind to the skin, it's absolutely non-irritating. Plus it has peptides, antioxidants, brightener, soothers, the works. It feels so nice on the skin, soft, smooth. It's not what I consider a usual retinoid, which is really all about function, it's not usually so fabulous, this one really feels like it has a bit of luxury to it. But here's the problem, it's so expensive, it's like 180 euros over here. I do not want to like this, but I do, and I'm going to cry actual tears when it runs out."

Top Pick: retinoid

Dr. Aleksandra Brown

136k subs

✓Approved

"My over-the-counter retinol that I tend to gravitate towards and I'm using a lot lately is SkinBetter Science AlphaRet. I'll use this on the nights where my skin is not quite ready for tretinoin and I want a little exfoliation and I still want the benefits of a retinoid, but I want something that's a little bit better tolerated. This is a combination product that pairs a retinoid with an exfoliating acid, so you're going to get both cell turnover and gentle exfoliation in one step. I find it to be a really nice option when I want results but I don't want to push my skin any more, and especially if I don't want that peeling, dryness, and irritation I sometimes get from tretinoin. The key ingredient is the AlphaRet, which is a unique combination of a retinoid and an AHA, particularly lactic acid. There's also a little bit of glycolic acid for that optimal exfoliation in addition to the retinoid."

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"My go-to lately has been the SkinBetter Science AlphaRet Overnight Cream. This contains retinol that's appropriate for even dry sensitive eyes but also has a little bit of AHAs to help increase skin elasticity and help further build collagen. The ingredients in this cream will help firm the skin, minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, but also brighten the skin. Some of the key ingredients in here are the AlphaRet technology, which is a combination of retinoid and AHAs, or alpha hydroxy acids, and they work together to help build collagen and firm up the skin under the eyes. Peptide blend will also help increase skin's elasticity. You also find ceramides, squalane, and niacinamide in this eye cream, they'll help soothe but also hydrate the skin, as well as antioxidants."

Dr. Mamina

280k subs

✓Approved

"A higher-end option that I really do like is the SkinBetter Science AlphaRet. The AlphaRet combines a retinoid with an alpha hydroxy acid in a way that's effective but well tolerated. There's also a bunch of other nourishing goodies in the AlphaRet product."

Dr. Daniel Sugai

719k subs

✓Approved

"Skinbetter science AlphaRet Overnight Cream has become the industry's best-kept secret. I've mentioned it on my channel for many years, and it has quietly earned a permanent place in my practice. It's hands down the best retinoid I can recommend that does not require a prescription, one of the gold standard retinoids with over 10 years of transformative results. I've rated it 10 out of 10. It hasn't made a name for itself through viral trends, but is relied upon by professionals who care about real outcomes, long-term skin health, and consistency. Traditional retinoids rely on multiple conversion steps to become active retinoic acid in the skin, and during that conversion process you can lose potency and also get increased irritation. That irritation leads to dryness, redness, and peeling, and eventually patients stop using it. A retinoid you can't use consistently is not an effective retinoid. This is where AlphaRet is fundamentally different. Formulated with skinbetter science's number-one, 33-time award-winning AlphaRet technology, it uniquely combines a retinoid with an alpha hydroxy acid for visible improvement in fine lines and wrinkles. That pairing allows AlphaRet to bypass the traditional conversion process, delivering efficacy with little to no irritation."

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"My favorite retinoid that does not require a prescription, hands down, is SkinBetter Science AlphaRet Overnight Cream. Just one pump gives you a pea-sized amount for your entire face. You have an alpha hydroxy acid paired with a retinoid, so you get exfoliation from the AHA, and the retinoid has been shown in studies to be comparable to tretinoin 0.025% for fine lines and wrinkles, but without the tolerability issues. With tretinoin, patients will often get irritation, especially if they're not moisturizing well or it's [...] cold out. With AlphaRet, you won't see that problem. [...] If I was on an island worried about fine lines, wrinkles, and dark spots, I'm going to use AlphaRet at bedtime. [...] It is a higher price point."

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"Just a pea-sized amount to the entire face to help with collagen boosting. It helps with fine lines and wrinkles, increases cell turnover, and thus helps with hyperpigmentation. It also helps keep your pores clear with the exfoliative action of the alpha hydroxy acids, plus you have retinoids that prevent the shedding of dead skin into the pore and thus keep them clear and help with the appearance of your pores. Just an overall winner. I know it's a little higher price point, but for me it's been worth it."

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"This is SkinBetter Science AlphaRet. It has lactic acid conjugated to a retinoid, and you also have glycolic acid mixed in. So you have AHAs helping to gently exfoliate the skin plus you have a retinoid that will help boost collagen production and help with hyperpigmentation. Just one pump is all you need for your entire face. You don't want to overdo it. [...] If you want to treat your neck, go ahead, but just put maybe a half pea-size amount for your neck to start off and see how you tolerate it before doing a full pea-size amount to your neck."

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"One of my favorite retinoids is SkinBetter Science AlphaRet. This here has niacinamide in it and that just helps brighten the skin but also help regulate sebum production. So when I recommend something for my patients with acne I want niacinamide a lot of times so that doesn't clog up the pores, it keeps the oil down. This has niacinamide, so it has it all there, it's a moisturizer with SPF so we have SPF 30. Just keep in mind that this is not water resistant."

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"If you don't have access to your dermatologist, the next option for retinoids would be SkinBetter Science. [...] It is at a higher price point. But instead of hitting your skin with Leon exfoliants at home, you could have an exfoliant already attached to your retinoid. Their alpha has alpha hydroxy acids paired with their retinoid. So you're getting exfoliation from the alpha hydroxy acid plus the retinoid. Consider that one in your 40s and up. You can definitely start it like I did in my early 30s and up."

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"If you want to have an exfoliant mixed into your product like the AlphaRet by SkinBetter Science that's probably more preferable than scrubbing the dead skin cells away"

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"They applied one side of the face with AlphaRet and the other side tretinoin for 4, 8, and 12 weeks and looked at fine lines and wrinkles, erythema, dyschromia, skin tone, and pore size. They found that AlphaRet was not inferior to tretinoin, so it performed just as well as generic tretinoin. The conclusion showed early reductions in photo damage and improvements in hydration. At 12 weeks, that's when you really want to assess fine lines or wrinkles because that doesn't usually happen in the first eight weeks of use. AlphaRet has lactic acid, which is an AHA, and two molecules conjugated with retinoid. The retinoid is not truly tretinoin but very similar to tretinoin. This isn't technically prescription, but when it first came out you could only get this at a doctor's office. It is now available online and you can get it without seeing a dermatologist. Do not use this if you're pregnant or if you have very sensitive skin or rosacea. If you do obtain it and have sensitive skin, start very slowly. This also has glycolic acid, which works like lactic acid in exfoliating the skin."

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"If you want to go for something with more of a punch that has alpha hydroxy acids mixed in, a double conjugated retinoid with two molecules of lactic acid plus glycolic acid, consider SkinBetter Science AlphaRet. There's an intensive or non-intensive version. This is the non-intensive I'm using more in the winter time, and the intensive has 18% glycolic acid versus this one here is the 10% glycolic acid. You just want to do a pea-size amount to your entire face, that's usually just one pump, then moisturize over it."

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"I like the AlphaRet by SkinBetter Science, that's a nice retinoid to consider."

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"SkinBetter Science makes a nice retinoid. AlphaRet is a double conjugated retinoid with lactic acid molecules attached to it and it has exfoliative properties from the lactic acid and also glycolic acid. In a split face trial they found that tretinoin 0.025 and AlphaRet were comparable and couldn't say that one was inferior to the other. I've used it for myself for over five years now and I think it's a great retinoid. It's been so good, it's helped change my skin. Start off with the non-intensive if you're starting off, always start off with your retinoid about twice a week and then increase to nightly as tolerated. Some people can only do it every other night otherwise they'll get super dry, and that's totally fine. This one has niacinamide and a whole bunch of other goodies in it as well. We have a peptide blend which we like peptides because of the cell signaling capabilities, it has squalane, the niacinamide, ceramides, fatty acids, centella which is soothing, and you have vitamin C and E. Lots of goodies in there so you got your antioxidants in it."

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"SkinBetter Science AlphaRet, which has niacinamide with it, it's their own special double conjugated retinoid with lactic acid and glycolic acid. It's one of my favorite retinoids that you can get."

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"My favorite alphaRet by SkinBetter Science has niacinamide with their retinoid their Alpha R compound."

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"The ultimate it's the AlphaRet Overnight Cream by SkinBetter Science this one is a higher price point but if you want to talk about packing a punch this one has been shown in a study to be equivalent to Tretinoin 0.25% which I prescribe this one has glycolic acid and lactic acid and that's where you get the alpha R you have the alpha hydroxy acids paired with it without the irritation usually and this one just formulates it so well together it's a higher price point but a 10 out of 10 retinoid to me one of my favorite holy grail retinoids"

Dr. Sam Ellis

870k subs

✓Approved

"The SkinBetter Science AlphaRet is one of my tippy top favorites. Right now, you can only get it in dermatology clinics or from an aesthetician, and it is one of the pricier retinoids on the market. But when it comes to being spendy with skincare, it is one of the things that I think is truly worth the investment if you have really sensitive skin. If you want a clinically tested retinoid that has shown to be good for sensitive skin and yields really efficacious results, it is absolutely worth trying."

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"The AlphaRet Overnight Cream from SkinBetter is a super unique formula. I have so many patients who've not been able to use prescription tretinoin or other over-the-counter retinol or retinaldehyde products, and then they use this and they're like it's a miracle. Not only does my skin tolerate it, but my skin actually looks better because of it, and to me that is absolutely worth the investment."

The Style and Beauty Doctor

220k subs

✓Approved

"Those Alpharett products sound freaking amazing. [...] This combines retinoid and alpha hydroxy acid infused with retinol and lactic acid. It accelerates skin renewal for a visibly smoother complexion. This has all of the things in it. Niacinamide, glycolic, retinol, lactic acid. [...] I'm gonna order this and try it [...] because it sounds freaking amazing."

Doctorly

3.58M subs

✓Approved

"If we're looking at something that's expensive but probably still worth the money, I would say it would be AlphaRet from SkinBetter Science. This is what would be medical grade skincare personified, this would be the definition of that category if it existed. AlphaRet is still a great product."

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"SkinBetter Science AlphaRet is a very well formulated product with enough science to justify it being called medical grade. That product is unique, it's innovative, it's novel, it combines multiple things. [...] I'm a big fan of that product."

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"It works really well. It's just expensive, you know. It's got your retinol and your lactic acid and your antioxidants. But it's a good product. It's just really expensive."

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"This is from SkinBetter Science. The reason why I'm going to shout it out is because right now I'm telling you to take a retinoid and cycle it with glycolic acid. With the SkinBetter Science product, it's actually a retinol attached to a lactic acid that when it enters the skin it releases the retinol and the lactic acid plus it has glycolic acid in it, so it basically eliminates the need to cycle the routine. So it's one product that you would use in your night routine for that pro-aging normal skin: cleanse, apply the SkinBetter Science AlphaRet, and then moisturize."

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"Despite the fact that it has all these ingredients, it's still fragrance-free. It really is. I think that's one of the coolest things. [...] It does have like a kind of light, gentle smell, but it is fragrance-free, so it's fizzy but not cluttered. It's calm and deliberate, and I think that's pretty exceptional for an expensive product because when you get into the expensive skincare world, you'll start seeing a lot of different essential oils and fragrant ingredients, and I think that's sometimes how they justify the cost. [...] This is stripped down. [...] Every ingredient is in there for a purpose, and it's tolerable. I do like the tolerability of this product as well. [...] This is one of the rare products that actually has clinical studies that have been published for the public to read. [...] Before this product was even created, there were separate studies on the ingredient [...] where they looked at the efficacy of that and it showed amazing improvement. They looked at 30 women in the 50-year-old age range [...] with moderate to severe wrinkles and they saw significant improvement in those results. [...] When they compared it to retinol and tretinoin, they found that it was less irritating than retinol and tretinoin."

Dr. Vanita Rattan

1.23M subs

✓Skip

"They really could have done that and they haven't. They failed very badly. It's probably the worst product we've seen so far today and the most expensive."

Tea with MD

111k subs

✓Approved

"My personal favorite retinoid-containing product is the skinbetter science AlphaRet Overnight Cream. That's the only retinoid that my really sensitive, rosacea-prone skin can tolerate. It's actually a retinoid conjugated with lactic acid, along with a whole host of other goodies. That's my retinoid of choice for those with sensitive skin."

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"I actually use this on nights when I'm not using my retinoid, so my retinoid that I'm always using, my ride or die, is my SkinBetter Science AlphaRet Overnight Cream, and I use that about four to five times a week."

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"One ingredient I haven't been able to use is my retinoid, my usual SkinBetter Science AlphaRet, and I've been sorely missing it. I haven't actually replaced it with anything really in terms of its exfoliating property because my skin's really sensitive right now."

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"SkinBetter Science AlphaRet is a very very gentle retinoid that's conjugated with an AHA and it's the only retinoid that I can tolerate. Knowing specifically that someone has sensitive skin I would recommend that product for them and they can even use that with peel pads."

Dr. Jenny Liu

319k subs

✓Approved

"It's not actually irritating and in fact it's the reverse. They've actually compared this product with a traditional over-the-counter retinoid, and [...] patients who use this not only improved better skin hydration but also similar outcomes as far as improving fine lines and wrinkles, and that is also my personal experience. It's a rich creamy retinol serum [...] that is lovely hydrating but not sticky, greasy, or heavy. In addition to the retinoid, the lactic acid also contains peptides along with other antioxidants like vitamin C and vitamin E that just all around a great product to incorporate into your anti-aging skincare routine."

Dr Alexis Stephens

581k subs

✓Approved

"Definitely one of my favorite anti-aging creams. SkinBetter Science AlphaRet Overnight Cream has palmitoyl tripeptide 1 in addition to many other fantastic skincare ingredients."

208SkinDoc

2.08M subs

✓Approved

"If you're going to add one proven active on top of your basics, I'd recommend a retinoid, and your late twenties or early thirties is a great time to start thinking about it. AlphaRet from SkinBetter Science gives you prescription retinoid level results in my opinion, with a gentler experience, and that's where I'd put my money. I'd be using something like that before I'd put anything on my skin with longevity on the label."

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"Skin Better Science is an amazing company with my favorite retinol, the one that I use every night called AlphaRet. This is a retinoic acid, very similar to prescription tretinoin, but it's combined with lactic acid and even glycolic acid to give you a little extra exfoliation. That sounds like it could be drying, but it's so gentle. I use it most nights without even using a moisturizer, and I don't get any dryness or irritation. It is a little bit more expensive than your typical over-the-counter retinol, but it will last you 5 months because one pump is all you need every night, and there's 150 treatments in that bottle. If you're looking for a very good retinol that is not irritating, check out SkinBetter Science AlphaRet Overnight Cream."

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"If you want my favorite retinol, it is from SkinBetter Science. It's called AlphaRet. It's equivalent to 0.025% tretinoin."

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"If you want to splurge on retinol, this is the one I use every single night, the AlphaRet Overnight Cream from SkinBetter Science. It's retinoic acid, the same molecule as prescription tretinoin, but it's also been formulated with lactic acid to create an entirely new molecule, and the scientists at SkinBetter have made it incredibly non-irritating. I can't use prescription tretinoin anymore because it dries out my skin too much, but I have no problem using the AlphaRet Overnight Cream, and most of the time I even skip a moisturizer when I use it. It's a pretty premium price point, but there are 150 pumps in the bottle and you use one pump a night, so it will last you 5 months, and for the price the value is actually pretty decent."

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"One of my personal favorites that I use every day is AlphaRet from Skin Better Science. It's a little more expensive, but you get five months of use out of a single bottle, so when you average it out on a daily basis it's a lot more reasonable. I like it because it's very tolerable. They use retinoic acid, which is the same active as prescription tretinoin, just chemically modified to include lactic acid, and it doesn't require a prescription. I've been using it for almost a full year every single night with no irritation. I've used so many skincare products that I got to the point where prescription tretinoin and other prescription retinoid medications were just too drying on my face, they caused irritation and I couldn't use them, but I've had no trouble using AlphaRet."

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"I use the AlphaRet from Skin Better Science, which has glycolic and lactic acid in it as well as the retinoic acid, and it is my favorite retinol product. I use a retinol daily."

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"My retinol is the SkinBetter AlphaRet, one pump on the finger and that's enough to cover the whole face. I use a retinol pretty much every night, and this is the one I use most of the time. I find it to be super gentle, to the point where I don't need a moisturizer most of the time."

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"At night, once my face is dry, I put on a retinol. I usually use the Skin Better AlphaRet. It does have a little lactic and glycolic acid in it as well at low concentrations, so I'm not overexfoliating. It's a multi-purpose product, but I'm not doing multiple steps."

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"A great alternative to a prescription retinoid is the SkinBetter Science AlphaRet. It's very good for sensitive skin and you get the same effects."

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"If someone has fine lines or subtle wrinkles and doesn't want Botox, I'll often recommend a retinoid. Alpharet from SkinBetter Science is a great option to help smooth those out over time."

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"The retinol I have been using for over a year now is AlphaRet from Skinbetter Science, and I love it. It's retinoic acid, the same as tretinoin, combined with lactic acid and glycolic acid, and somehow the way they formulated it is so gentle that if I'm being honest I don't use a moisturizer most of the time after using it."

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"The AlphaRet Overnight Cream from SkinBetter Science is my personal favorite. It's equivalent to a 0.25% tretinoin, which is available by prescription, but it has the addition of lactic acid and 10% glycolic acid for a little more exfoliation. Even though that sounds like a lot of ingredients, it's the most gentle retinol I've ever used on my skin. I love the results, I've been using it consistently for about a year, and I highly recommend it. If you see the price you're probably going to balk at it a little because it's about $140, but that one bottle will last about 5 months since there are 150 pumps in the bottle, so it lasts a long time for a very cosmetically elegant retinol that doesn't leave you prone to irritation the way many other over the counter retinols do."

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"When it comes to retinol I'm going to go to the SkinBetter Science AlphaRet Overnight Cream. This is a retinoic acid cream, but unlike most other retinoic acids, which are available only by prescription, the AlphaRet Overnight Cream has been combined with lactic acid, essentially creating a new molecule where the FDA did not consider this a prescription product. SkinBetter Science did studies to show that this is just as effective as 0.025 percent tretinoin, so you get great anti-aging benefits plus some exfoliation with the lactic acid, and the formula also contains about a 10 percent glycolic acid to give a little bit more exfoliation. I have very sensitive skin where I can no longer really use a prescription tretinoin, but I have used SkinBetter Science consistently as my evening retinol for a year now with zero irritation, and most of the time I don't even use a moisturizer afterwards and I still don't get irritation. I moved up to their AlphaRet Intense Overnight option, which has an 18 percent glycolic acid. Both the regular AlphaRet and the intense AlphaRet are going to run about 140 dollars online, but you only need one pump out of the bottle and there's 150 pumps in there, so that should last you about 5 months."

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"My personal favorite that I use every day is AlphaRet from SkinBetter Science. It's a little bit more expensive, but you get five months of use out of a single bottle, which when you average it out on a daily basis makes it a lot more reasonable. I like this one because it is very tolerable, they use retinoic acid, which is the same as prescription strength tretinoin, but it's chemically modified to include lactic acid and it does not require a prescription. I've been using this one for almost a full year, every single night, with no irritation. I've used so many skincare products, and I got to the point where prescription tretinoin and many other prescription retinoid medications were just too dry on my face, they caused irritation and I couldn't use them, but I've had no trouble using AlphaRet."

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"The retinol I'm using most frequently nowadays is the AlphaRet from SkinBetter Science. In that thirty milliliter bottle I'm getting about five months of use out of it, which really helps me justify the price I pay for it. It contains retinoic acid, the prescription molecule we write out for patients for acne or anti-aging, combined with a lactic acid molecule, and that lactic acid can act as an additional exfoliator, but there's something about that combination that made it very gentle for the skin. I'm not the kind of person who can use a retinol every single day, even some over the counter retinols, but I've been able to consistently use the SkinBetter Science retinol for going on four months now every single night without irritation, so I've become a big fan of it."

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"The retinol that I choose to use every day is the SkinBetter AlphaRet. It's very similar to prescription strength tretinoin 0.025%. It was studied head to head against tretinoin, primarily for anti-aging purposes, but it was superior to 0.025% tretinoin. It's also formulated with lactic acid as well as glycolic acid, which also help control acne. It is more expensive, definitely more expensive, but in that bottle you get about five months of therapy, so it makes it a little more reasonable over the long term."