First Aid Beauty Skin Lab Retinol Serum .25% Pure Concentrate Versus Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta Universal Daily Peel

First Aid Beauty Skin Lab Retinol Serum .25% Pure Concentrate Versus Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta Universal Daily Peel

This anti-aging treatment is formulated around Retinol and Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

This smoothing exfoliator is formulated around Glycolic Acid and Salicylic Acid to refine skin texture and brighten dull-looking skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Polysorbate 80

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Polysorbate 20

Butylene Glycol

Persea Gratissima Oil

Glycerin

Dimethicone

Retinol

Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Colloidal Oatmeal

Tocopherol

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Ceramide NP

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Linoleic Acid

Allantoin

Phytosteryl Canola Glycerides

Palmitic Acid

Oleic Acid

Glycine Soja Oil

Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Triolein

Caprylyl Glycol

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Xanthan Gum

Lecithin

Stearic Acid

Maltodextrin

BHT

BHA

Phenoxyethanol

Sodium Hydroxide

Potassium Sorbate

Water, Polysorbate 80, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polysorbate 20, Butylene Glycol, Persea Gratissima Oil, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Retinol, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Colloidal Oatmeal, Tocopherol, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Ceramide NP, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Linoleic Acid, Allantoin, Phytosteryl Canola Glycerides, Palmitic Acid, Oleic Acid, Glycine Soja Oil, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Triolein, Caprylyl Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Xanthan Gum, Lecithin, Stearic Acid, Maltodextrin, BHT, BHA, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide, Potassium Sorbate

Alcohol Denat.

Glycolic Acid

Potassium Hydroxide

Hamamelis Virginiana Water

Salicylic Acid

Citric Acid

Lactic Acid

Malic Acid

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Achillea Millefolium Extract

Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract

Soy Isoflavones

Copper PCA

Zinc PCA

Disodium EDTA

Alcohol

Parfum

Linalool

Benzyl Salicylate

Benzoic Acid

Sodium Benzoate

Sodium Bicarbonate

Ascorbic Acid

Ascorbyl Palmitate

Retinyl Palmitate

Tocopheryl Acetate

Resveratrol

Ubiquinone

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Phospholipids

Sodium PCA

PEG-30 Stearate

Octoxynol-9

Tetrasodium EDTA

Sorbic Acid

Water, Alcohol Denat., Glycolic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Salicylic Acid, Polysorbate 20, Citric Acid, Lactic Acid, Malic Acid, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Achillea Millefolium Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Soy Isoflavones, Copper PCA, Zinc PCA, Lecithin, Disodium EDTA, Alcohol, Polysorbate 80, Parfum, Linalool, Benzyl Salicylate, Benzoic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Ascorbic Acid, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Retinyl Palmitate, Retinol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Resveratrol, Ubiquinone, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Phospholipids, Sodium PCA, Dimethicone, PEG-30 Stearate, Octoxynol-9, BHT, Tetrasodium EDTA, Sorbic Acid

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Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

BHT is a synthetic antioxidant and preservative.

As an antioxidant, it helps your body fight off free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells.

As a preservative, it is used to stabilize products and prevent them from degrading. Specifically, BHT prevents degradation from oxidation.

The concerns related to BHT come from oral studies; this ingredient is currently allowed for use by both the FDA and EU.

However, it was recently restricted for use in the UK as of April 2024.

Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.

What it does:

Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:

Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.

Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.

This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.

Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.

Lecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.

Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:

It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.

Phenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).

It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.

On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.

Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).

You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.

Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.

Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.

Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.

Polysorbate 20 is a gentle, water-soluble emulsifier and mild surfactant. It stops oil and water from separating to keep your formulas blended and stable.

It also acts as a mild penetration enhancer by helping active ingredients absorb slightly better.

The common safety discussion around this ingredient involves a manufacturing byproduct called 1,4-dioxane.

Trace amounts can form during production but the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has concluded that levels at/below 10 ppm in finished products are safe (commercial products consistently fall within acceptable margins).

True allergic reactions are uncommon and the CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be safe as used in cosmetics.

Because it is derived from lauric acid, it may not be fungal acne safe.

Polysorbate 80 is a synthetic surfactant and emulsifier derived from sorbitol and oleic acid.

It reduces the surface tension between oil and water phases to help them stay mixed and stable in a formulation. In other words, it prevents your formulas from separating into an oily mess.

The CIR Expert Panel has evaluated the scientific data and found this ingredient to be safe, non-irritating, and non-sensitizing at concentrations up to 5% (it's even approved by the FDA as an OTC eye drop ingredient).

Retinol is one of the most studied anti-aging ingredients in skincare (and for good reason!).

It's a form of vitamin A that your skin converts into Retinoic Acid, the active molecule that actually does the work in your cells.

That conversion happens in two steps: your skin first turns Retinol into Retinaldehyde (also called Retinal), then turns Retinaldehyde into Retinoic Acid.

Retinol is converted to biologically active retinoic acid via retinaldehyde by dehydrogenases in a two-step oxidation process.

Each step is a little "upgrade" toward the active form which is part of why Retinol is gentler than prescription Retinoic Acid; your skin does the work gradually. This also explains where Retinol sits in the retinoid family.

Here is the retinoid family ranked roughly by strength: Retinyl Esters (like Retinyl Palmitate) < Retinol < Retinaldehyde < Retinoic Acid.

Retinoid activity increases in that order, while tolerance runs in reverse; retinyl esters are the gentlest and retinoic acid the most irritating.

The more conversion steps an ingredient needs, the gentler (and slower) it tends to be, so Retinol lands in a nice middle spot. It's more effective than the esters, gentler than prescription options.

Once it becomes Retinoic Acid, it binds to receptors inside your cells' nuclei (called RARs and RXRs). These receptor pairs bind to specific DNA motifs called retinoic acid response elements and act like switches that turn certain genes on or off.

In practice, this means a few things happen in a formula. It:

That last two are worth a closer look.

A study that tested Retinol directly (not just prescription Retinoic Acid) found that four weeks of retinol thickened the epidermis and switched on the genes for Collagen I and Collagen III, with more procollagen I and III showing up in the skin. And after twelve weeks, facial wrinkles were visibly reduced.

Retinoids more broadly stimulate the skin's synthesis of hyaluronan and other glycosaminoglycans, part of what gives skin a plumper, more hydrated look over time.

So even the gentler OTC form is doing real structural work (not just sitting on the surface).

It's also worth knowing Retinol isn't only a wrinkle ingredient; it can help with uneven tone, dark spots, rough texture, and the look of pores as well because it speeds up turnover and influences pigment.

The research backs this up as well.

A pooled analysis of six clinical studies found that 0.1% stabilized retinol improved all signs of photoaging versus vehicle as early as week 4 and through 12 weeks, with only a few mild cases of irritation.

Another study comparing concentrations found that 0.3% and 1% Retinol were similarly effective at remodeling photodamaged skin, but 0.3% caused fewer adverse reactions when used daily (a useful reminder that more isn't always better).

Retinol is about tenfold less potent than Retinoic Acid. This is why it works as a gentler, non-prescription option that builds results over time.

Typical concentrations range from 0.1-1%, with 0.1% to 0.3% being a well-supported sweet spot for visible benefits with good tolerability.

One quirk worth mentioning: Retinol is famously unstable.

It's highly sensitive to light and oxygen, and UV exposure breaks it down into a range of degradation products.

Real-world testing bears this out, with retinoid content in some products dropping anywhere from 0% to 80% after six months at room temperature, and even more at higher temperatures.

This is why good formulations lean on opaque, air-tight packaging (think tubes and pumps, not clear jars) and often "encapsulate" the Retinol to shield it.

Signs of oxidation include your product turning yellow or smelling "off". Keeping it somewhere cool and dark, and using it up within a few months of opening helps it stay effective.

The most common side effects are mild and temporary: usually some dryness, redness, or light peeling as your skin adjusts. These tend to settle with consistent and lower-frequency use.

Like all retinoids, Retinol works best with nightly use, a good moisturizer, and daytime sunscreen.

The "ramp up" method works well: start with Retinol once a week to give your skin time to adjust, which keeps irritation low. Slowly add more nights until you reach your goal frequency once your skin feels comfortable.

Retinoids also make your skin more sensitive to the sun in the first few weeks, so wear sunscreen every morning and protect your skin from direct sun while you build up tolerance.

One safety note: topical Retinoids aren't recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Systemic absorption from creams is low but because high oral vitamin A is a known teratogen and topical safety data are limited, most clinicians recommend stopping retinoids when pregnant or trying to conceive.

Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.

So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.

You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!

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