I’m a dermatologist – the drugstore anti-aging buy that’s as good as prescription retinol & costs $22 on Amazon
A SKINCARE pro has shared a budget-friendly item that reverses signs of aging without cosmetic surgery.
She said that the Amazon serum works as well as a prescription retinol but for a fraction of the price.
Board-certified Dermatologist Shereene Idriss (@shereeneidriss) shares affordable skincare advice online.
The self-described Skin Nerd revealed a few drugstore retinol creams in a video that she uses herself and recommends to her patients.
She called it the year of e.l.f. Cosmetics and boasted about the benefits of the e.l.f. SKIN Youth Boosting Advanced Night Retinoid Serum, $22.
The anti-aging serum has proven to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
“The reason why this is on the list is because it’s not a straight-up pure retinol,” she explained.
According to the expert, it is a combination of granactive retinoid, also known as hydroxypinicolone retinolate.
“It is supposed to work as equivalently as a prescription, minus the irritation,” she said.
Shereene did admit that she took it with “a grain of salt because nothing’s ever gonna be as good as the real deal.”
For those who are “sensitive and scared of the retinol game,” she recommended that this was an “interesting one to try.”
Her list didn’t stop there and she also suggested three more products with varying percentages of retinol in them.
The Inkey List Retinol Serum can be found at Sephora for $15, which Shereene also said wasn’t pure retinol but had less granactive retinoid than the previous e.l.f item.
“If you are sensitive and you want to try something like e.l.f., but e.l.f. is too strong, this is a good option,” she advised.
For those looking for a budget-friendly and drugstore-friendly retinol, she suggested the No. 7 1% Pure Retinol Night Serum, $42.99, with collagen peptides.
Lastly, she talked about the pros of the pure retinol CosRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream , $27, which contains vitamin E and panthenol.
“It is literally a tenth of the No. 7 one. Much lighter. Much gentler but still a pure retinol,” she said.
Viewers appreciated her anti-aging tips and beauty deal recommendations.
“I’ve been using the e.l.f retinol for a few months now, and as someone with sensitive skin, I’m happy with it,” one commented.
“I use the No. 7 every night,” a woman shared.
“I love the e.l.f one. Been using it for about 2 months now and will definitely repurchase,” a TikTok user wrote.
“So is the No. 7 retinol the best option if my skin has no retinol sensitivity and I want the strongest budget-friendly option?” another asked.