Retinol Complex Serum
Reviewed by SerumTruth Editorial · Price and formula checked July 2026
A lot of well-delivered retinol for around twenty dollars: encapsulated, sensibly packaged and easy to tolerate. The bakuchiol is essentially garnish, but the retinol is the real draw and it is strong value for a well-evidenced active.
- Encapsulated delivery protects and time-releases the active
- Cheap to use, about $6 a month
- 1 listed active is fairy-dusted below the 1% line
- No active concentrations are disclosed
- Evidence22 / 30
Strength of the research behind the key actives
- Encapsulated Retinol: strong evidence
- Bakuchiol: limited evidence
The average of the key actives’ evidence grades.
- Potency18 / 25
Dosed at studied levels, not fairy-dusted
- Encapsulated Retinol: dosed at a studied level
- Bakuchiol: below the 1% line, treated as fairy-dusted
How strongly the actives are dosed, led by the strongest, not how many there are.
- Delivery & stability16 / 20
Delivery tech + packaging that protects fragile actives
- Delivery: encapsulated (protects and time-releases the active)
- Packaging: tinted glass
- Air- or light-sensitive actives (Encapsulated Retinol), so packaging is scored.
Delivery tech plus packaging, and packaging only counts when actives are fragile.
- Formulation4 / 10
Disclosure, active breadth, and ingredient generation
- 0 of 2 actives disclose a concentration
- 2 key actives (breadth credit caps at 3)
- Current-generation or synergistic: Encapsulated Retinol, Bakuchiol
Disclosure, active breadth, and current-generation or synergistic actives.
- Value15 / 15
What a month of use costs vs. the category
- About $6 per month to use
- $21 for 30 ml, used about once a day (about 0.3 ml each time), so a bottle lasts about 3.3 months
- Frequency is set by Encapsulated Retinol, which is used no more than 7x a week, so a bottle stretches further
What a month of use costs: full marks at $6 a month or less, the floor at $60 a month or more.
Tap any row to see how its score was built.
Ranks #20 of 25 retinoids serums we have scored.
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What’s inside
| Active | Disclosed | Dose |
|---|---|---|
| Encapsulated Retinol | n/a | Studied |
| Bakuchiol | n/a | Below 1% line |
A layered retinol complex (encapsulated retinol alongside other retinoid forms) with bakuchiol as a gentler supporting act, in an opaque tube. The encapsulation buys stability and comfort at a budget price. Bakuchiol sits low on the list, well below the 1% line, so it is a bonus rather than a real second dose, and the evidence for it is early regardless.
How it’s delivered
Air- and light-sensitive actives (vitamin C, copper peptides) lose potency fast in the wrong packaging, so delivery and the bottle are scored, not just what’s on the label.
The actives, explained
What the research says
Silicone-particle encapsulation extended retinol stability and was linked to less visible irritation than standard encapsulation in human testing.
Encapsulation and controlled release of retinol from silicone particles for topical delivery. Journal of Controlled Release, 2018. PubMed ↗
Topical bakuchiol was linked to visibly softer looking wrinkles and more even toned skin after 12 weeks, with less visible scaling than retinol.
Prospective, randomized, double-blind assessment of topical bakuchiol and retinol for facial photoageing. British Journal of Dermatology, 2019. PubMed ↗
A study of the active, not this exact product. What matters for the score is whether this serum uses it at a comparable dose.
Higher-scoring alternatives
Same category, better SerumProof score. Worth a look before you buy.
Revision history
- July 11, 2026Price and formula rechecked
- July 10, 2026Review published
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Cosmetic information for general education, not medical advice. The SerumProof score reflects our reading of publicly available research and formulation disclosures. See how scoring works.