
Highlights
WHAT IS IT?
A serum containing Pure Retinol, Carnosine, and Comfort Complex
FEATURES
Visibly reduces 7 types of lines and wrinkles in 7 days, lifts and firms skin, brightens and evens skin tone, rejuvenates and nourishes skin for a more radiant look, suitable for daily use, clinically tested, free of parabens, mineral oil, and dyes, recyclable glass bottle & dropper + FSC Carton
BEST FOR
all
CHECKS
parabens, mineral oil, dyes
Who Is It For?
AdultsWhat Does It Help With?
Fine Lines Wrinkles Dullness Skin Firmness Elasticity Pore RefinementBudget
Mid-range ($30-$75)How To Use
Which routine should it be used in?
Instructions:
Key Information
What Neutrogena Says
Product Description:
Ideal for new retinol users, Neutrogena Visible Repair Serum helps visibly reduce and improve signs of skin aging to reveal younger-looking skin. In 7 days, it reduces 7 types of lines and wrinkles and refines the look of pores for more elastic, firmer, and smoother skin. The uniquely stabilized retinol formulation delivers retinol slowly within the skinโs surface to minimize potential irritation. It contains Pure Retinol (a dermatologist-proven form of Vitamin A) to fade the appearance of fine lines, dullness, and wrinkles, Carnosine to improve skin's firmness and elasticity, and Comfort Complex to minimize skin discomfort and irritation.
About the Brand:
Ingredients Overview
Ingredients List
water, glycerin, c12-15-alkyl-benzoate, ethylhexyl-palmitate, dimethicone, pentylene-glycol, cetearyl-olivate, caprylyl-glycol, trehalose, sorbitan-olivate, propanediol, 4-t-butylcyclohexanol, butylene-glycol, chlorphenesin, sodium-cocoyl-amino-acids, carnosine, fragrance, xanthan-gum, polysorbate-20, ammonium-acryloyldimethyltaurate/vp-copolymer, lecithin, retinol, acrylates/c10-30-alkyl-acrylate-crosspolymer, dimethiconol, bht, disodium-edta, yeast-extract, sarcosine, sodium-hydroxide, magnesium-aspartate, potassium-aspartate, portulaca-oleracea-extract
Key Ingredients
Pure Retinol, Carnosine, Comfort Complex
Ingredients Details
4-t-butylcyclohexanol
Common Name(s): 4-t-butylcyclohexanol,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
4-t-butylcyclohexanol has an established safety and efficacy profile within the cosmetic regulatory framework at standard use concentrations.
Last Verified: Cosing database,4-t-butylcyclohexanol technical literature
Primary Sources: 2026-03-12
Bht
Common Name(s): Bht
DESCRIPTION
What It Does: Delivers targeted skin-conditioning or bioactive benefits through a specific mechanism of action suited to the formulation's intended purpose.
Why It's Used: Specialty actives address specific skin concerns through targeted molecular mechanisms, providing efficacy beyond what base formulation ingredients alone can achieve.
How It Works: The bioactive compound interacts with specific molecular targets in skin cells or the extracellular matrix โ enzymes, receptors, structural proteins, or signaling molecules โ triggering beneficial biological responses.
Typically Found In: Serums,treatments,moisturizers,specialty products
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Primary Category: Specialty actives
Secondary Functions: Skin-conditioning,anti-aging
Application Areas:
Facial Skincare
Body Care
Hair Care
Beard Care
Color Cosmetics (Makeup)
Dietary/Oral Supplements
Typical Concentration Range: 0.01โ5%
SOURCING & ETHICS
Vegan Status: Yes
Halal Status: Yes
Source Notes: Specialty active ingredient; check individual sourcing for vegan status.
SKIN COMPATIBILITY
Irritancy Rating: 1
Comedogenicity Rating: 0
Sensitivity Concerns: Low sensitization potential at recommended use concentrations.
Safe for Sensitive Skin: Yes
SAFETY & COMPATIBILITY
Safety Profile: Well-characterized cosmetic ingredient with established safety profile. generally non-irritating at typical use concentrations. suitable for leave-on and rinse-off cosmetics.
Works Well With: Niacinamide,hyaluronic acid,vitamin c,peptides
Avoid Combining With: Incompatible with oxidizing agents; check ph stability
SCIENTIFIC NOTE
Specialty actives typically work through enzyme inhibition (e.g., tyrosinase inhibition for brightening, mmp inhibition for anti-aging), receptor activation (e.g., retinoid receptors, ppar-ฮณ for barrier genes), or transcription factor modulation (e.g., nrf2 for antioxidant gene upregulation). structure-activity relationships determine potency and selectivity.
Last Verified: Cosing eu database; pcpc cosmetic ingredient safety reviews; ingredient-specific safety and efficacy literature
Primary Sources: 2025-01-15
Carnosine
Common Name(s): Beta-alanyl-l-histidine,n-beta-alanyl-l-histidine dipeptide
CAS Number: 305-84-0
DESCRIPTION
What It Does: Provides anti-glycation and anti-carbonylation activity protecting collagen from glycation-induced crosslinking.
Why It's Used: Natural anti-age dipeptide targeting glycation โ complementary to antioxidant-only anti-aging strategies with documented collagen protection.
How It Works: Histidine imidazole chelates cuยฒโบ for antioxidant metal chelation. beta-alanine traps reactive carbonyl species (glycating aldehydes). quenches 4-hydroxynonenal (hne) protein carbonylation. anti-glycation via competing with lysine residues.
Typically Found In: Anti-aging serums,anti-glycation products,longevity skincare
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Primary Category: Active ingredient โ antioxidant
Secondary Functions: Free radical scavenging,anti-aging
Application Areas:
Facial Skincare
Body Care
Hair Care
Beard Care
Color Cosmetics (Makeup)
Dietary/Oral Supplements
Typical Concentration Range: 0.5%โ5%
SOURCING & ETHICS
Vegan Status: Yes โ synthetic
Halal Status: Yes
Source Notes: Plant-derived extract or synthetic.
SKIN COMPATIBILITY
Irritancy Rating: 1/5 โ very low
Comedogenicity Rating: 0/5 โ non-comedogenic
Sensitivity Concerns: Non-irritating; well-tolerated.
Safe for Sensitive Skin: Yes
SAFETY & COMPATIBILITY
Safety Profile: Excellent safety profile. ewg score: 1.
Works Well With: Vitamin c,vitamin e,ferulic acid,spf,other antioxidants
Avoid Combining With: No significant incompatibilities
SCIENTIFIC NOTE
Carnosine's anti-glycation mechanism is sacrificial carbonyl trapping: reactive carbonyl species (methylglyoxal, glyoxal) that would normally glycate collagen lysines are instead captured by carnosine's free amino groups โ carnosine acts as a sacrificial protector for collagen, being consumed in the process of preventing more damaging collagen glycation.
Last Verified: Cosing database,guiotto et al. carnosine anti-glycation review
Primary Sources: 2026-03-12
Chlorphenesin
Common Name(s): 3-(4-chlorophenoxy)-1,2-propanediol,globacid
CAS Number: 104-29-0
DESCRIPTION
What It Does: Provides gram-negative focused preservation complementary to phenoxyethanol for comprehensive spectrum coverage.
Why It's Used: Phenoxyethanol complement โ chlorphenesin's gram-negative and antifungal coverage complements phenoxyethanol's gram-positive activity for full-spectrum preservation at lower individual concentrations.
How It Works: 4-chlorophenol ether glycol disrupts bacterial and fungal membranes. strong gram-negative activity (pseudomonas, e. coli). good candida antifungal activity. used with phenoxyethanol for synergistic broad-spectrum coverage. ph stable 3-9.
Typically Found In: Comprehensive preservation systems,baby products (low concentration)
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Primary Category: Functional ingredient โ glycerol ether preservative
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%โ0.3%
SOURCING & ETHICS
Vegan Status: Yes โ synthetic
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: Eu max 0.3% cosmetics. good safety profile. synergistic combination with phenoxyethanol (0.3% pe + 0.1% chlorphenesin often equivalent to 1% pe alone).
Works Well With: Standard skincare actives
Avoid Combining With: No known significant incompatibilities
SCIENTIFIC NOTE
Chlorphenesin + phenoxyethanol synergy operates through a classic spectrum-filling combination: phenoxyethanol provides strong gram-positive antimicrobial activity while chlorphenesin provides gram-negative and antifungal coverage. the combination's minimum inhibitory concentration sum is subadditive (provides equivalent preservation at combined concentrations below what either alone would require) โ textbook pharmacological synergy enabling lower total preservative load.
Last Verified: Cosing database,eu preservative annex v,cir safety assessment
Primary Sources: 2026-03-12