A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum
Reviewed by SerumTruth Editorial · Updated July 2026
A genuinely high-dose retinoid serum with unusually clear disclosure, pairing a top-of-range 1% encapsulated retinol with a gentler ester and proper protective packaging. You pay a prestige price, and the strength is not a beginner level, but on potency, delivery and transparency it is one of the stronger cosmetic retinoids for the appearance of fine lines.
- Evidence30 / 30
Strength of the research behind the key actives
- Encapsulated Retinol: strong evidence
- Score is the average of the key actives’ evidence grades.
- Potency25 / 25
Dosed at studied levels, not fairy-dusted
- Encapsulated Retinol (1%): dosed at a clinical, high-end level for its category
- Potency tracks how strongly the actives are dosed, led by the strongest, not how many there are.
- Delivery & stability20 / 20
Delivery tech + packaging that protects fragile actives
- Delivery: encapsulated (protects and time-releases the active)
- Packaging: airless, opaque
- Air- or light-sensitive actives (Encapsulated Retinol), so packaging is scored.
- Formulation8 / 10
Disclosure, active breadth, and ingredient generation
- 1 of 1 actives disclose a concentration
- 1 key active (breadth credit caps at 3)
- Current-generation or synergistic: Encapsulated Retinol
- Value11 / 15
What a month of use costs vs. the category
- About $26 per month to use
- $85 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 Encapsulated 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
| Active | Disclosed | Dose |
|---|---|---|
| Encapsulated Retinol | 1% | Clinical |
A disclosed 6.5% stabilised retinoid solution, layering a 5% retinoid ester blend (hydroxypinacolone retinoate) with 1% liposomal-encapsulated retinol and a blue-green algae extract, in an opaque airless pump. The 1% encapsulated retinol sits at the top of the over-the-counter range, and the encapsulation and opaque pump suit a molecule that oxidises fast in air and light. This is the assertive end of a cosmetic retinoid, so ease in.
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.