Pei mei

Retinol C Serum

Treat wrinkles and even skin texture and finelines

Uploaded by: victorychi on 01/17/2026

Ingredients overview

Retinol, Salicylic Acid

Anti-acne: Salicylic Acid

Exfoliant: Salicylic Acid

Soothing: Salicylic Acid

Preservative: Salicylic Acid

Ingredient name	what-it-does	irr., com.	ID-Rating
Retinol	cell-communicating ingredient		superstar
Salicylic Acid	exfoliant, anti-acne, soothing, preservative		superstar

Retinol - superstar

Also-called: Vitamin A, Form of Retinoids | What-it-does: cell-communicating ingredient

Retinol (pure Vitamin A) is probably the most proven anti-aging ingredient available OTC
It has to be converted in the skin to retinoic acid to work its magic
Once converted, it has the same effect as all-trans-retinoic acid, aka tretinoin
A generally accepted ballpark number is that retinol is 10-to-20 times less potent than retinoic acid
It makes skin less wrinkled, smoother, firmer and tighter
It might also be helpful for acne prone skin as it normalizes keratinization and makes the pores produce less sebum
Possible side effects and irritation are also much less than with retinoic acid
Do not use whilst pregnant

Also-called: BHA | What-it-does: exfoliant, anti-acne, soothing, preservative

It's one of the gold standard ingredients for treating problem skin
It can exfoliate skin both on the surface and in the pores
It's a potent anti-inflammatory agent
It's more effective for treating blackheads than acne
For acne combine it with antibacterial agents like benzoyl peroxide or azelaic acid