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Just when you think you have seen it all in terms of different retinoids, you stumble upon something new – in my case when I started testing the Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Night Cream and Eye Serum.

If you look at the claims, you will see that Murad advertises with a „Tri-Active Retinol Technology for a gentle yet extra effective retinol treatment“ – but what does that actually mean?

Well, in this case it means that Murad uses a mixture of two retinoids and a so called „retinol booster“:

Retinol, the most common one in over the counter skincare, and then a time released version, retinylproprionate, a retinol ester. If you have watched my video on Retinoids here, you might remember me saying that Retinylpalmitate, another retinol ester, needs so much transformation that it is basically useless when applied topically.

Retinylproprionate on the other hand claims to be much more efficient that the other retinol esters, due to having the ideal molecular weight and configuration to remain stable. This has however only been shown by a few studies and only at a concentration of at least 0,15%, so I wouldn’t rely solely on it for a retinol effect. In conjunction with a retinol though I think it is a great idea to possibly increase the effect with reduced side effects.

The „Retinol Booster“ is not exactly defined, so I can not provide you with any data on how exactly it boosts the retinol effects.

Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Night Cream

Claims

Working alongside our skin’s natural repairing cycle, Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Night Cream promotes a faster recovery for dry and normal skin types as you sleep. Crafted with a powerful retinol formula, this lightweight night cream works hard to reduce the visible signs of aging while requiring little effort from you.

Texture and scent

Nourishing, but not greasy, sinks in quickly and leaves the skin really soft. The scent is a typical „cream“ scent with a hint of floral – not my favorite, but not that strong that it bothers me.

The packaging is amazing, a pot with a press-down lid – airtight, no UV exposure and hygienic. What more could you ask for?

Ingredients

Water solv, Dimethicone emo 0 1, Glycerin sii|h 0 0, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter emo|vc, Stearyl Dimethicone emo, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride emo, Arachidyl Alcohol emo|vc, Octyldodecanol emo|perf, Cetearyl Alcohol emo|vc|emu|surf 1 2, Squalane sii|emo 0 1, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil so|emo, Retinyl Propionate cci, Retinol cci, Swertia Chirata Leaf Extract, Urea sii|h, Yeast Amino Acids h, Trehalose h, Inositol h, Taurine buff, Betaine h, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Extract, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Macrocystis Pyrifera (Kelp) Extract, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Pvp vc 0 0, Ahnfeltiopsis Concinna Extract, Isopropyl Palmitate emo|perf 1 3–4, Lecithin emo|emu, Cetearyl Olivate emu, Octadecane emo|perf|solv, Disteardimonium Hectorite vc, Propylene Carbonate solv|vc, Oleyl Alcohol emo|perf|solv|vc 2 4, Dioscorea Villosa (Wild Yam) Root Extract, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Sterols emo, Hydrolyzed Yeast Extract h, Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose vc, Polyglucuronic Acid h, Sorbitan Olivate emu, Behenyl Alcohol emo|vc, Arachidyl Glucoside emu|surf, Tocopheryl Acetate aox 0 0, Zinc Gluconate aacne|so, Sodium Polyacrylate vc|emo, Dicaprylyl Carbonate emo, Polyglyceryl-3 Caprate emu, Xanthan Gum vc|emu|surf, Disodium Edta chel|vc, Sodium Hydroxide buff, Phenoxyethanol pres, Caprylyl Glycol h|emo, Chlorphenesin pres|amic, Fragrance perf, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone perf, Citronellol perf, Yellow 5 (Ci 19140) col, Red 4 (Ci 14700) col

Hover the mouse over an ingredient for short explanation. Read more on INCIDecoder.

Retinol and Retinylproprionate are both at around a third of the ingredient list, so not in a very high concentration. Vitamin E as antioxidant, Zinc against inflammation and a nice blend of Glycerin, Urea and sugars like Trehalose as humectants.

The main emollients are Dimethicone and Shea Butter and it also contains a few plant extracts as well as Squalane and Yeast aminoacids. Red flags for some might be fragrance and Citronellol as part of essential oils.

How it works on the skin

As the description gives away, this is one of the richer creams, and probably best suited to normal or dry skin. It is by no means oily, but feels a tad heavier than I personally like it. My skin feels babysoft after using it though, and I have since passed it on to my mother that enjoys it a lot.

The Retinol effect is not very strong, I used it both on my face and neck/decolletage, an area where I can’t tolerate strong retinoids (prescription gives me eczema) and had no issues.

Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Eye Serum

Claims

Retinol-powered eye treatment dramatically improves the look of wrinkles and firmness all around eyes with 360 application.

Texture and scent

The texture is much more lightweight than the night cream (it is called a serum after all) and sinks in within seconds. There is some faint creamy scent to it that doesn’t linger.

Packaging is again a pump that delivers exactly the right amount of product for your eye area and keeps the ingredients safe and hygienic.

Ingredients of the Murad Retinol Eye Serum

Water/Aqua/Eau solv, Glycerin sii|h 0 0, Butylene Glycol h|solv|vc 0 1, Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract h, Dimethyl Isosorbide solv|vc, Meadowfoam Delta-Lactone, Retinyl Propionate cci, Retinol cci, Swertia Chirata Leaf Extract, Urea sii|h, Yeast Amino Acids h, Trehalose h, Inositol h, Taurine buff, Betaine h, Fucus Vesiculosus Extract emo|so, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Extract, Macrocystis Pyrifera (Kelp) Extract, Isopropyl Palmitate emo|perf 1 3–4, Lecithin emo|emu, PVP vc 0 0, Hexylene Glycol solv|emu|perf|surf 0–1 0–2, Capryl Glycol h|emo, Punica Granatum Seed Oil aox|emo, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride emo, PVM/MA Decadiene Crosspolymer vc, PEG-8 h|solv, Carbomer vc 0 1, Sodium Bisulfite aox|pres, Silica vc, Sodium Hydroxide buff, Chlorphenesin pres|amic, Phenoxyethanol pres, Fragrance (Parfum) perf, Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891) col 0 0, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite vc, Red 4 (Ci 14700) col, Yellow 5 (Ci 19140) col

Hover the mouse over an ingredient for short explanation. Read more on INCIDecoder.

The ingredients in the eye serum are pretty similar to the ones of the night cream, with the exception that it contains no silicones and barely any other emollients, which makes it feel much lighter on the skin, and no Citronellol. There is still fragrance added though, should you want to avoid that.

Performance on the skin

The eye area is usually more sensitive than the rest of your skin, so high retinol concentrations can easily lead to irritation. I experienced no irritation with daily use, but noticed my skin looking smooth and firm over the course of application. It is hydrating and works well under makeup although I prefer to use it in the evenings.

If your undereye area is very dry, you might feel the need to top it up with a cream, but for me it was more than enough on its own.

How does it compare to…

Instytutum Ultimate Anti Wrinkle Brightening Eye Cream

A long standing favorite of mine, in fact one of my most expensive repurchased products of all times. Also a retinol eye cream that leaves me looking awake and well rested, and in this similar to the Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Eye Serum.

It comes in a pot though as opposed to the much preferred pump and is slightly more expensive, which is why I will stick to the Murad Retinol Eye Serum from now on.

You can read my full review here.

Final Verdict

While the Night Cream is not the best for my skin type, I do think it is a beautiful product well worth the money. The Eye Serum has replaced my former favorite eye cream, so I don’t think I need to say more – I recommend it.