FAB Skin Lab Retinol Serum 0.25% Pure Concentrate
Reviewed by SerumTruth Editorial · Updated July 2026
A genuinely gentle, disclosed 0.25% retinol with a lot of soothing support, a sensible on-ramp for reactive skin. You pay a premium over drugstore retinols of the same strength for the comfort package and the brand.
- Evidence26 / 30
Strength of the research behind the key actives
- Retinol: strong evidence
- Ceramides: moderate evidence
- Score is the average of the key actives’ evidence grades.
- Potency21 / 25
Dosed at studied levels, not fairy-dusted
- Retinol (0.25%): dosed at a studied level
- Ceramides: dosed at a studied level
- Potency tracks 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 (Retinol), so packaging is scored.
- Formulation4 / 10
Disclosure, active breadth, and ingredient generation
- 1 of 2 actives disclose a concentration
- 2 key actives (breadth credit caps at 3)
- No current-generation or synergy bonus
- Value12 / 15
What a month of use costs vs. the category
- About $17 per month to use
- $58 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 Retinol, which is used no more than 7x a week, so a bottle stretches further
- Band: $6/month or less earns full marks, $60/month or more hits the floor.
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What’s inside
0.25% pure retinol (disclosed) buffered by a complex of colloidal oatmeal, ceramide, hyaluronic acid, allantoin and vitamins C and E, plus a peptide, in an opaque pump. It is aimed squarely at sensitive and first-time retinol users, and the cushioning is the point.
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
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.