Retinol (vitamin A)
On the label: Retinol · Active
What it is
The alcohol form of vitamin A, converted by skin into retinoic acid. Used in night products at 0.1 to 1 percent; degrades in light and air, so it comes in opaque, airless packaging. Not used in pregnancy by most guidance.
Actives: Actives are the ingredients a product is built around: acids, retinoids, vitamins and the like.
Wikidata: Fat-soluble vitamin A alcohol used in skincare for skin cell renewal. Q424976 →
In the research
917 PubMed papers mention it with skin, cosmetics or hair; the three most recent:
- Multi-omics profiling reveals epigenetic alterations and a candidate SIRT1-β-catenin axis in bakuchiol ferulate-mediated photoaging protection · Frontiers in pharmacology, 2026
- A decellularized skin matrix/GelMA epidermal-dermal skin-on-a-chip for transdermal assessment and modular skin-liver modeling · Lab on a chip, 2026
- Retinol Stimulates Growth Factor Production and Extracellular Matrix-Related Marker Levels in Human Dermal Fibroblasts · Biomolecules, 2026
A paper is a paper, not a verdict: titles are listed so you can read them, and a study on cells or mice says little about a cream on a face.
Products whose label lists it
4 on the siteMatched from the ingredient list the supplier printed; the position in the list (first or thirtieth) is on each product page.
Made in the USA
Made in the USA
Made in the USA
Made in the USAOther actives
Dew & Balm describes ingredients from the public record and makes no claim about what a product will do for you. Statements about dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA. If a product causes a reaction, stop using it; a reaction that spreads or affects breathing is a call to a doctor or 911.