Regenerist Retinol 24 Night Serum
Reviewed by SerumTruth Editorial · Price and formula checked July 2026
A gentle, barrier-friendly drugstore retinoid built on retinyl propionate plus niacinamide rather than a straight retinol. Easy to use and cheap, but the ester and the low retinol mean the evidence and the potency are modest.
- Air- or light-sensitive actives in protective, opaque packaging
- Cheap to use, about $7 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
- Retinyl Propionate: limited evidence
- Niacinamide: moderate evidence
- Retinol: strong evidence
The average of the key actives’ evidence grades.
- Potency18 / 25
Dosed at studied levels, not fairy-dusted
- Retinyl Propionate: dosed at a studied level
- Niacinamide: present, but below a studied dose
- Retinol: 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: standard
- Packaging: airless, opaque
- Air- or light-sensitive actives (Retinyl Propionate, Retinol), so packaging is scored.
Delivery tech plus packaging, and packaging only counts when actives are fragile.
- Formulation3 / 10
Disclosure, active breadth, and ingredient generation
- 0 of 3 actives disclose a concentration
- 3 key actives (breadth credit caps at 3)
- Current-generation or synergistic: Retinyl Propionate
Disclosure, active breadth, and current-generation or synergistic actives.
- Value15 / 15
What a month of use costs vs. the category
- About $7 per month to use
- $29 for 38 ml, used about once a day (about 0.3 ml each time), so a bottle lasts about 4.2 months
- Frequency is set by Retinyl Propionate, 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 #23 of 25 retinoids serums we have scored.
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What’s inside
| Active | Disclosed | Dose |
|---|---|---|
| Retinyl Propionate | n/a | Studied |
| Niacinamide | n/a | Light |
| Retinol | n/a | Below 1% line |
A vitamin B3 plus retinol complex: retinyl propionate as the main retinoid high on the list, with niacinamide, a little retinol and a peptide lower down, in an opaque pump. It is fragrance-free and gentle. Retinyl propionate is a milder ester that carries lighter evidence than retinol at a real dose.
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
A regimen with retinyl propionate improved the look of periorbital wrinkles about as much as a prescription tretinoin regimen, with less visible irritation.
A randomized, controlled comparative study of the wrinkle reduction benefits of a cosmetic niacinamide/peptide/retinyl propionate product regimen vs. a prescription 0.02% tretinoin product regimen. British Journal of Dermatology, 2010. PubMed ↗
Topical 5% niacinamide was linked to more even looking skin tone, softer looking lines, and less visible blotchiness after 12 weeks.
Niacinamide: A B vitamin that improves aging facial skin appearance. Dermatologic Surgery, 2005. 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.