Clinique
Clinique Smart Clincal Repair AM/PM Retinoid Balm Stick
Clinique Smart Clincal Repair AM/PM Retinoid Balm Stick
Clinique
clinique-smart-clincal-repair-am-pm-retinoid-balm-stick
Serum
10085093572901
Morning or Evening?
How often will you use this product?
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Highlights
WHAT IS IT?
Targeted retinoid treatment, 16 ingredients
FEATURES
Visibly repairs lines and wrinkles, smooths skin texture, clinically proven to reduce 7 types of lines in 14 days, instantly plumps fine dry lines, gentle for sensitive skin, fragrance free
BEST FOR
sensitive
CHECKS
Fragrance, Parabens, Phthalates, Sodium lauryl sulfate, Sodium laureth sulfate, Synthetic colors, Drying alcohol, Gluten
Who Is It For?
What Does It Help With?
Anti-aging Lines And WrinklesBudget
Premium ($76-$150)How To Use
Which routine should it be used in?
Instructions:
Key Information
What Clinique Says
Product Description:
Targeted retinoid treatment that instantly softens and plumps fine, dry lines and targets deeper ones over time too. Dermatologist tested. Safe for sensitive skin. Allergy tested. 100% fragrance free. Clinically proven to visibly reduce 7 lines in 14 days. Instantly plumps fine, dry lines. Helps visibly correct even the most stubborn lines. Helps smooth the look of skinโs texture. Gentle enough to use morning and night. Provides precise application in an easy-to-use stick format.
About the Brand:
Ingredients Overview
Ingredients List
glyceryl-triacetyl-ricinoleate,bis-diglyceryl-polyacyladipate-2,hydrogenated-polyisobutene,synthetic-beeswax,squalane,diisostearyl-malate,jojoba-esters,c10-18-triglycerides,helianthus-annuus-seed-wax,oryza-sativa-bran-wax,butyrospermum-parkii-butter,silica,mangifera-indica-seed-butter,sodium-hyaluronate,tocopherol,ricinus-communis-seed-oil,hydrogenated-castor-oil,caprylyl-glycol,hydroxypinacolone-retinoate,glyceryl-distearate,dimethyl-isosorbide,mica
Key Ingredients
Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Squalane, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter
Ingredients Details
Mica
Common Name(s): Muscovite mica,sericite,potassium aluminum silicate
CAS Number: 12001-26-2
DESCRIPTION
What It Does: Provides shimmer and pearlescence from flat-platelet mica crystal light reflection.
Why It's Used: Universal cosmetic shimmer ingredient โ mica's flat-platelet morphology provides the directional light reflection responsible for the dimensional shimmer effect in all pearlescent cosmetics.
How It Works: Flat platelets (1-200ฮผm) reflect and refract light specularly producing shimmer. when coated with tio2 or iron oxides, provides colour-shifting pearlescence via thin-film optical interference. natural slip from platelet layering reduces application friction.
Typically Found In: Foundation,eyeshadow,highlighter,blush โ virtually all colour cosmetics
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Primary Category: Colorant โ mineral shimmer pigment
Secondary Functions: Skin conditioning
Application Areas:
Facial Skincare
Body Care
Hair Care
Beard Care
Color Cosmetics (Makeup)
Dietary/Oral Supplements
Typical Concentration Range: 0.01%โ50%
SOURCING & ETHICS
Vegan Status: Yes โ natural mineral
Halal Status: Yes
Source Notes: Commercially produced for cosmetic use. verify vegan/halal status with supplier.
SKIN COMPATIBILITY
Irritancy Rating: 1/5 โ very low
Comedogenicity Rating: 0/5 โ non-comedogenic
Sensitivity Concerns: Well-tolerated by most skin types.
Safe for Sensitive Skin: Yes
SAFETY & COMPATIBILITY
Safety Profile: Good safety profile at recommended concentrations. ewg score: 1โ2.
Works Well With: Standard skincare actives
Avoid Combining With: No known significant incompatibilities
SCIENTIFIC NOTE
Mica-based pearlescent pigments (mica coated with tio2 or iron oxides) produce colour-shifting optical effects via thin-film light interference โ the same phenomenon as oil on water or butterfly wings. as tio2 coating thickness increases, the interference wavelength shifts from silver โ gold โ red โ violet โ blue โ green, creating the entire pearlescent colour palette from a single mineral substrate by controlling coating thickness.
Last Verified: Cosing database,eu cosmetics regulation annex iv,cir safety assessment
Primary Sources: 2026-03-12
Silica
Common Name(s): Silica,cosmetic active,functional ingredient
CAS Number: N/a
DESCRIPTION
What It Does: Delivers characteristic cosmetic function at recommended use concentration.
Why It's Used: Selected for functional contribution and formulation compatibility supported by cosmetic science and regulatory safety data.
How It Works: Works through the mechanism of its molecular class โ physicochemical or biological interaction with skin proteins, lipids, or receptors as documented in peer-reviewed cosmetic literature.
Typically Found In: Skin care formulations
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Primary Category: Active ingredient โ cosmetic active
Secondary Functions: Skin conditioning
Application Areas:
Facial Skincare
Body Care
Hair Care
Beard Care
Color Cosmetics (Makeup)
Dietary/Oral Supplements
Typical Concentration Range: 0.1%โ10%
SOURCING & ETHICS
Vegan Status: Conditional
Halal Status: Yes
Source Notes: Commercially produced for cosmetic use. verify vegan/halal status with supplier.
SKIN COMPATIBILITY
Irritancy Rating: 1/5 โ very low
Comedogenicity Rating: 0/5 โ non-comedogenic
Sensitivity Concerns: Well-tolerated by most skin types.
Safe for Sensitive Skin: Yes
SAFETY & COMPATIBILITY
Safety Profile: Good safety profile at recommended concentrations. ewg score: 1โ2.
Works Well With: Standard skincare actives
Avoid Combining With: No known significant incompatibilities
SCIENTIFIC NOTE
Silica has an established safety and efficacy profile within the cosmetic regulatory framework at standard use concentrations.
Last Verified: Cosing database,silica technical literature
Primary Sources: 2026-03-12
Squalane
Common Name(s): Perhydrosqualene,2,6,10,15,19,23-hexamethyltetracosane
CAS Number: 0111-01-03
DESCRIPTION
What It Does: Provides endogenous-skin-identical emolliency with exceptional stability and skin compatibility.
Why It's Used: The most skin-compatible emollient โ chemically identical to human sebum squalene component with outstanding tolerability across all skin types.
How It Works: Fully saturated hydrocarbon with zero oxidation sites provides exceptional stability unlike squalene's 6 double bonds. integrates into stratum corneum lipid bilayers with near-perfect biocompatibility. provides antioxidant protection to formulation via radical quenching.
Typically Found In: Facial oils,serums,non-comedogenic moisturizers,luxury body care
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Primary Category: Functional ingredient โ emollient
Secondary Functions: Maximum biocompatibility,antioxidant stabilizer,non-comedogenic
Application Areas:
Facial Skincare
Body Care
Hair Care
Beard Care
Color Cosmetics (Makeup)
Dietary/Oral Supplements
Typical Concentration Range: 1%โ100%
SOURCING & ETHICS
Vegan Status: Conditional โ plant-derived (sugarcane, olive) preferred; shark liver-derived being phased out
Halal Status: Yes โ plant-derived
Source Notes: Sustainable plant-derived squalane from sugarcane fermentation (amyris) or olive oil fractionation is preferred over shark liver-derived. chemically identical regardless of source.
SKIN COMPATIBILITY
Irritancy Rating: 1/5 โ very low
Comedogenicity Rating: 0/5 โ non-comedogenic
Sensitivity Concerns: Non-irritating.
Safe for Sensitive Skin: Yes
SAFETY & COMPATIBILITY
Safety Profile: Excellent safety profile. ewg score: 1.
Works Well With: Humectants,ceramides,actives as carrier
Avoid Combining With: No significant incompatibilities
SCIENTIFIC NOTE
Squalene constitutes approximately 12-15% of human sebum โ the highest proportion of any skin lipid. topical squalane (stable, hydrogenated form) replenishes this abundant endogenous skin lipid. the complete absence of oxidizable double bonds (unlike squalene's 6 double bonds) eliminates the pro-oxidant concerns of natural squalene oxidation.
Last Verified: Cosing database,huang et al. squalane review,cir safety assessment
Primary Sources: 2026-03-12
Tocopherol
Common Name(s): Vitamin e,alpha-tocopherol,d-alpha-tocopherol,(+)-alpha-tocopherol
CAS Number: 59-02-9
DESCRIPTION
What It Does: Tocopherol neutralizes free radicals that damage skin cells, protects cell membranes from lipid peroxidation, moisturizes, and helps maintain a healthy skin barrier.
Why It's Used: It is used as both a skin-active antioxidant and a formulation stabilizer (preventing oxidation of other ingredients). it has decades of safety and efficacy evidence and works synergistically with vitamin c.
How It Works: As a chain-breaking antioxidant, tocopherol donates hydrogen atoms to interrupt lipid peroxidation chain reactions. it is regenerated by vitamin c (ascorbic acid) in the vitamins c+e antioxidant cycle, creating a more durable antioxidant defense.
Typically Found In: Moisturizers,serums,oils,sunscreens,eye creams,lip balms,antioxidant formulations,haircare products
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Primary Category: Active ingredient โ antioxidant/vitamin e
Secondary Functions: Emollient,formulation stabilizer,barrier support
Application Areas:
Facial Skincare
Body Care
Hair Care
Beard Care
Color Cosmetics (Makeup)
Dietary/Oral Supplements
Typical Concentration Range: 0.1%โ1% (typical: 0.1โ0.5% as active; higher as formulation antioxidant)
SOURCING & ETHICS
Vegan Status: Yes โ plant-derived (soybean, sunflower, wheat germ oil) or synthetic
Halal Status: Yes โ plant-derived or synthetic
Source Notes: Natural d-alpha-tocopherol is derived from plant oils and is more bioactive. synthetic dl-alpha-tocopherol is less expensive. tocopherol acetate (tocopheryl acetate) is the more stable ester form.
SKIN COMPATIBILITY
Irritancy Rating: 1/5 โ very low; rare contact sensitivity reported
Comedogenicity Rating: 2/5 โ mildly comedogenic at higher concentrations; formulation-dependent
Sensitivity Concerns: A small percentage of people report contact sensitization to tocopherol, particularly with leave-on products. comedogenicity risk is higher in oil-heavy formulations.
Safe for Sensitive Skin: Generally yes; perform patch test if history of vitamin e sensitivity
SAFETY & COMPATIBILITY
Safety Profile: Very safe; widely used. ewg hazard score: 2โ3 (depending on concentration). no significant systemic concerns from topical use.
Works Well With: Ascorbic acid (vitamin c) โ synergistic antioxidant pair,ferulic acid โ stabilizes and boosts both c and e,ceramides,spf,retinol
Avoid Combining With: Very high concentrations of benzoyl peroxide may oxidize tocopherol; potential comedogenicity concerns in acne-prone skin when in heavy oil bases
SCIENTIFIC NOTE
The combination of vitamin c, vitamin e, and ferulic acid (the 'ce ferulic' formulation) provides fourfold photoprotection against uv-induced free radical damage โ a synergy documented in landmark research by pinnell et al.
Last Verified: Cosing database,cir safety assessment,pinnell et al. (2005) journal of investigative dermatology,efsa panel on food additives
Primary Sources: 2026-03-12