My Current Skincare Routine: Step 7 Night Cream (Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Night Cream)

Step 7 Night Only:

Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Night Cream

Pros:

• Retinol (The ONLY scientifically-proven anti-aging ingredient! Reverses, reduces & prevents wrinkles/fine lines & helps acne, smooth & firm skin, even skin tone, age spots, and hyperpigmentation such as acne scars, repair skin barrier function so your skin can better regulate itself keep itself clear and hydrated…
  so everything you could ever want in your skin life by rapidly accelerating cell turnover rate a.k.a. the speed your skin regenerates itself & boosting collagen & elastin production)
• Delayed-time release retinol (gentler & slower form of usually highly irritating ingredient)
• Fancy night cream w/actual scientifically-proven anti-aging ingredient
• Cream (slows/buffers irritating effects of retinol)
• Hygienic & super-cool Drunk-Elephant-style dispensing packaging
• Dispenses a lot of product (and there’s a lot of product)
• Niacinamide for slight brightening/evening tone + helps soothe potential irritation from retinol
• Fatty alcohols (for moisturizing)
• Richer/thicker
• But not TOO moisturizing
• Soothing agents to mitigate effects of retinol + fragrance/preservatives/dyes
• Nice aesthetic sturdy packaging
• Feels expensive
• From Murad, a science-backed brand for adult skincare issues
• Was even promoted by Manny MUA if you care about that shit (seriously)

Cons:

• Has a shit ton of preservatives/silicones (probably more than necessary to prevent the retinol from breaking down)
• Fragrance
• Colored dyes
• Combined with retinol that’s a reaally stupid combination
• Slightly to moderately irritating (gives me slight pimples every time I use it)
• Slightly greasy
• But drier than expected (it’s a rich thick cream)
• Product goes bad faster due to retinol (despite great number of preservatives)
• Slower form of retinol gives slower results
• In a cream form vs. a serum (slower results due to larger molecular size penetrates the skin slower)
• Annoying packaging (hygienic dispensing container also causes some of it to get stuck/not want to come out; this could particularly be a problem towards the end when it might prevent you from getting a significant amount of product)
• Wayy too long ingredients list
• Overpriced at full retail price
• Annoying to wait for Ulta coupon if you don’t want to give Murad.com your email address

My Full Review:

This product was the only splurge item I had in my 6-step skincare routine at the time I initially wrote this post because I am (still) 26, am turning 27 this year, and anti-aging has suddenly become very important to me (along with the terror of becoming old, wrinkles, and death).

Like its name says, this night cream is supposed to prevent or reverse signs of aging and wrinkles. But unlike many or even most other night creams that don’t really have active ingredients that are scientifically proven to reverse aging, this one actually has an ingredient that will really get you there, with a gentle slower time-release form of retinol, the ultimate and only scientifically-proven skincare ingredient to reverse aging.

In my opinion it’s effective at firming my skin and smoothing out my tiny fine lines on my forehead.

Nostalgic Anecdote Time/Product Comparison:

It’s not AS fast at doing that as the old version of CeraVe’s Renewing Serum with encapsulated retinol that was only $18 and caused NO IRRITATION WHATSOEVER. NONE. Nada. Practically almost completely safe for sensitive skin (the only reason I say “almost” is because I am not God so I cannot predict with 100% certainty how everyone on the whole planet’s skin is going to react to specific skincare products). But I’m 99.98% positive it would cause no negative reactions to pretty much anyone. Within a few days, that pretty much completely flattened out all the fine lines on my forehead.

Unfortunately as the universe has proven time and time again, nothing gold can stay, and they have since reformulated that product so it is now a “Cream” serum that I’m 100% certain is not as good or the same as the original. (And besides, that serum sadly stopped working towards almost the bottom of the tube.)

.~End Anecdote~.

That said, it is very gentle and hasn’t caused me TOO much “initial” irritation like most retinols are said to do before your skin adjusts to the ingredient (however for some or even many people retinol may just be too harsh of an ingredient and their skin may never adjust to it). Just a few flat pimples. And it’s a somewhat thick/somewhat richer cream form which is somewhat moisturizing but not too greasy (just a little). That’s supposed to further mitigate the irritating effects of retinol.

It is however a good bit drier than expected given the thickness and richness of the cream. The texture gives an immediate sharp nod to shea butter in the top ingredients. It absorbs almost instantaneously.

The Skincare Science Tea on The Star & Gold Standard Ingredient Retinol:

Retinol is the gentlest form of retinoids, and is (a form of) Vitamin A.
(I already extrapolated on its benefits on the first bullet point of this post, so I hope you didn’t miss it, but if you did just scroll back to the top. :P)

I was confused EXACTLY about how retinol works so amazingly as a skincare ingredient at reducing my fine lines because increasing cell turnover rate sounds like to me it would INCREASE signs of aging, so I consulted the Internet (aka Google) and it presented the answer to me in a relatively timely fashion:

"Retinoid receptors are proteins naturally found in skin. They act like shuttles that carry and release retinoids (Vitamin A derivatives) into skin cells, triggering collagen production. Retinol – the strongest form of retinoid available without a prescription – is converted by skin enzymes into the even stronger form of Retinoic Acid, which is what causes the irritation.“

Packaging: My favorite part of this product is that it comes in a very hygenic dispense-style packaging (similar to Drunk Elephant’s packaging for their famous cult-favorite Protini Polypeptide Cream and Lala Retro Whipped Cream).

One of the only things that I hate about this product is that sometimes I have to tip the container upside down in order to correctly dispense the product, and sometimes nothing/very little comes out. Because I refrigerate mine in my mini skincare fridge to prevent the degradation of the retinol, which is an ingredient w/a shorter shelf life, this causes mine to solidify into a thicker form that’s even harder to get out. It helps to shake the container upside-down before you use it.

MORE Tea: The other “things” are that this product unfortunately decided to pair the irritating ingredient (granted time-release) retinol with a SHIT TON of silicones, preservatives, colored dyes, and even fragrance at the very bottom of the list, which is generally not a winning combination in skincare, and is not in this product either.

But “Everything’s Not Lost”: However, it has also been mitigated by a series of various soothing agents such as soybean extract, hydrolyzed yeast extract and yeast amino acids, vitamin E, urea, and sodium hyaluronate (a solid form of hyaluronic acid).

Plus it has niacinamide, which is a brightening agent (not to mention trendy AF rn) which I do believe I notice signs of when I use this skincare product, and is said by Skincare Goddess Liah Yoo to be a winning combination with retinol to mitigate the irritating effects. This is my guess as to why it doesn’t cause *too* much irritation, although it has notably caused significant more irritation than some other gentler retinol products I’ve tried (such as CeraVe’s old Renewing Serum + The Inkey List’s Retinol Serum) due to the stupid combination of it with a TOOON of preservatives, dyes, and fragrance.

TIPS For Using Retinol:

Warning: Retinol is a very strong, powerful, and sensitizing ingredient. Not everyone’s skin can handle retinol, even with long-term use. Side effects can include extreme redness, peeling, dryness, flaking. In the long run retinol will make your skin stronger and thicker, but in the short-term at first retinol use will cause your skin to become thinner. Everyone including people who have never had negative reactions to any products before can and often will experience irritation at the beginning of using retinol.  

• Start off small, slow and gentle. Begin with using products with small percentages of retinol, or encapsulated, or delayed time-release retinol.
• Don’t start off using it everyday; try using it at least every other day, a few times a week, once a week at first.
• Always use an SPF of 30 or greater during the daytime when using retinol. Retinol increases your skin’s sensitivity to light, including sunlight and UV rays, and using retinol without protecting your skin from the sun can cause a lot of damage to the skin.
• Do not use retinol during the daytime. Only apply during the evening or at night. Failure to do so can result in even more increased sensitivity to light and may damage your skin a LOT.
• Do not apply more than one product with retinol at the same time. This can cause excessive irritation to your skin.
• Do not use other active ingredients at the same time as using retinol, such as Vitamin C, or chemical exfoliants such as AHA and BHA, or acne treatments such as salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide.
• Do not apply retinol near your eyes. The skin around your eyes is the thinnest skin on your face and very sensitive, and the irritation caused by retinol would be too strong. (Yes that includes if the label is labeled “Retinol Eye Cream”….stay away from those no matter what they say about being safe for immediate eye area use! They are NOT.)

Positive Tips:

• Use retinol and products with other active ingredients at different times of the day, such as morning and night, to prevent possible negative interaction between the chemicals and resulting irritation to your skin.
• It is recommended that you also use products with soothing, nourishing ingredients to the skin while using retinol to decrease potential irritation, provide a buffer between the retinol and your skin and protect your skin’s barrier while it is being accessed and changed by retinol.
• Recommended ingredients include products with hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and vitamin E, such as serums, thick moisturizers or facial oils with nourishing ingredients such as rosehip oil.
• Try mixing the product with retinol into your moisturizer before applying it to your skin if at first you experience skin irritation, or are moving onto products with higher percentages or stronger forms of retinol.
• Try starting off retinol in the form of a cream to create a buffer between your skin and retinol and provide nourishment to the skin to prevent or reduce irritation. Creams have larger-sized molecules than serums that cannot penetrate the skin as fast as water-based serums which have smaller molecules, and will provide more time for your skin to process and use the retinol in smaller increments, resulting in a gentler application.
• If your skin can handle the initial use of retinol without excessive irritation, you can slowly and cautiously move onto products with a higher percentage of retinol, or non-encapsulated or non-time release forms of retinol.
• If your skin’s irritation does not decrease, dissipate or disappear within a few months of retinol, stop using retinol.
• Try using gentler retinol alternatives, such as bakuchiol.

Speculation About The Presence of Some Sensitizing Ingredients: This in my opinion was probably due to the formulator’s attempt to prevent the retinol from degrading so fast since retinol breaks down faster than some other ingredients. It does however still noticeably age somewhat faster than my other night creams as well despite the many measures taken to prevent it.

MY VERDICT: Murad’s Retinol Time Renewal Youth Night Cream is a good to very good/decent anti-aging night cream with the only scientifically-proven skincare ingredient known to reverse the signs of aging, which is refreshing given that tons of night creams take it for granted that you think they prevent aging and don’t even bother explaining why. (Granted all moisturizers are anti-aging products.)

It’s rich, thick, and slightly greasy, but also drier/not as moisturizing as expected. The retinol’s in a gradual time-release form AND in a cream, not a serum, so it WILL firm your fine lines and wrinkles but it will be slower than many retinol serums which have smaller molecules and potentially higher concentrations of retinol which will work and penetrate the skin faster.

If you are new to retinol or have sensitive skin and/or want an expensive night cream with active ingredients that actually do something, or even are just taking a break from more intense retinols, it might be a good product to start off with.

However it also has a good number of irritating ingredients such as a lot of silicones, other preservatives and fragrance that when combined with retinol do not make a golden pair, but the effects have been noticeably mitigated somewhat by the soothing ingredients and cream form.

You will probably still experience slight irritation while using this product, especially if you have sensitive skin, though the irritating effects of sensitizing ingredients such as retinol (and all others such as essential oils and fragrance) do not only affect those with sensitive skin but EVERYONE.

Where to get it:

• Ulta (its normal retail price is $82, but wait until a 20% off prestige/high-end items coupon and it will only be $65!),
• Sephora (they have 2-day Flash shipping on all items for a year for $15, so if you get that it should get to you lightning-fast, although probably a little slower in light of the effects of Coronavirus on shipping times and business),
• Murad.com (give them your email for 20% off if you can’t wait for an Ulta coupon, sometimes have sales though often similar to Ulta/Sephora discounts)
• PRO TIP: Use Rakuten (aka eBates) every time you shop for a % of cash back of all the money you spend!

Affordability Grade: Very Expensive (But Reasonable When There Are Sales Given The Effects)

Would I repurchase? Yes! BUT only IF it was on sale or if I had a discount because it’s hella expensive, and/or I needed a new night cream or retinol product.

Here is the full list of ingredients as listed on Murad.com:

Ingredients: Water/Aqua/Eau, Isostearyl Hydroxystearate, Niacinamide, Propanediol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, C14-22 Alcohols, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Dimethicone, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydrolyzed Yeast Extract, Isopropyl Palmitate, Retinol, Retinyl Propionate, Oleyl Alcohol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Serine, Hexyldecanol, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Extract, Tocopheryl, Acetate, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Sterols, Urea, Yeast Amino Acids, Trehalose, Inositol, Taurine, Betaine, Glycerin, Polyglucuronic Acid, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Dioscorea Villosa (Wild Yam) Room Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Algin, Caprylyl Glycol, Swertia Chirata Extract, Lecithin, Pullulan, Disodium Phosphate, Potassium Phosphate, PEG-75 Stearate, Ceteth-20, Steareth-20, Cetyl Hydroxethylcellulose, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Picolinamide, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Hexylene Glycol, Sodium Benzotriazolyl Butylphenol Sulfonate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Yellow 5 (CI 19140), Red 4 (CI 14700), Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Citronellol, Fragrance (Parfum)

Note: Bolded ingredients, while not necessarily all bad (such as obviously Retinol), may cause irritation to the skin.

Other Retinol Products I Recommend: I am not normally a name-dropper and am probably the skincare world’s biggest skeptic BUT The Inkey List’s Retinol Serum, from the hot trendy brand new skincare brand at Sephora that I was initially skeptical AF about because of their price, the packaging, their newness, their trendiness, and their hype, but have now surprisingly changed my mind after using their products, this one only being $9.99 for a standard 1 oz tube at Sephora.

It’s a bit thicker texture and almost more like a cream, and gentle AF: most importantly, I experienced NO IRRITATION WHATOSEVER using it! That being said, the packaging looks and feels cheap, and they only give you a relatively small amount. But it’s a bigger size than their other items, and 100% worth it for an effective and gentle retinol at that price is a steal if you can suspend your skepticism of that New Skincare Kid on the BLock and DGAF or think you can get past that stuff for great skincare!