PRODUCT REVIEW

Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum

The "6.5% retinoid blend" counts blue-green algae, which is not a retinoid. The least meaningful percentage here.

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Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum

Key facts

Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum at a glance.

HPR + retinol (true dose undisclosed)

Key active

Silicone serum

Texture

$65–$85

Approximate price

1.01 oz

Size

$85.00

Price

Retinoid

Type

What is it?

Top things to know about Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum

  1. Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum is a silicone-based night serum, $65 to $85, marketed on a 6.5% retinoid blend. It is an anti-aging product, not an acne treatment, and the headline percentage is not a dose.
  2. Two ingredients in that blend are real retinoids. Hydroxypinacolone retinoate, or HPR, is a retinoid ester that appears to bind the skin's retinoid receptors directly. Retinol is the familiar one, converted in two steps before skin can use it. The third part is blue-green algae, which is not a retinoid. The silicone base feels light and slippery, and it does not sting the way a genuinely high dose of retinol does.
Mixed

6.5% is not a dose. The figure adds an ester complex, a retinol blend and blue-green algae together, and algae is not a retinoid. The HPR and retinol in it are real, but the actual retinoid amount is never disclosed. Buy a plain retinol that gives you one active and one number.

— Dr. Schwarz

Skin fit

Is it right for your skin?

Sun Damage

Retinoids are the best-evidenced topical class for sun-aged skin. They tell skin cells to make more collagen and turn over faster, softening fine lines and roughness over months. This serum has two real retinoids, and it does not tell you how much of either.

Maybe

Sensitive Skin

Retinoid irritation happens when turnover outruns the outer layer's ability to rebuild. This one is mild, and the silicone base cushions it further — an advantage if stronger retinoids have failed you, and a clue about the strength.

Good fit

Normal Skin

It is pleasant to use, and people who like it like the texture first. If that is what you are buying, the price is a preference. If you are buying the number on the front, you are buying a number.

Texture

What it feels like on skin.

Serum

A silicone serum. It spreads with almost no friction and dries to a smooth, slightly powdery finish. It does not sting or flush the skin the way a genuinely high-dose retinol does. That is comfortable, and it is informative. No added fragrance, though the formula contains denatured alcohol. Nothing in the bottle is dangerous.

Alternatives

If this isn’t the right product for you

Recommended more

Drunk Elephant A-Passioni Retinol Cream

States 1.0% pure retinol and means it, no fragrance or essential oils. One number you can compare.

Recommended more

Good Molecules Gentle Retinol Cream

Discloses retinol 0.11% and bakuchiol 0.30% to two decimal places, fragrance-free, about $10.

Recommended equally

Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Retinol Serum

Also pairs HPR with retinol behind an undisclosed “3.5% complex,” plus seven essential oils. Around $99.

Ingredients · Interactive

What’s in it, and where each ingredient works.

Full ingredient list · 55 ingredients, in label order. Click one.

PropanediolDimethyl IsosorbideTriheptanoinPentylene GlycolHexyldecanolDisiloxaneCetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 DimethiconeDiheptyl SuccinatePropylene CarbonateHydroxypinacolone RetinoatePPG-24-Glycereth-24Phenyl TrimethiconeRetinolUbiquinoneHoney ExtractSodium Hyaluronate CrosspolymerAlgae ExtractZingiber Officinale ExtractOpuntia Ficus-Indica Fruit ExtractBisabololButyrospermum Parkii ButterPhospholipidsSaccharomyces Cerevisiae ExtractLecithinSodium Acrylates CopolymerHydrogenated Polyisobutene1,2-Hexanediol4-T-ButylcyclohexanolPolyglyceryl-10 StearateCaprylyl GlycolHelianthus Annuus Seed OilSorbitolCetylhydroxyproline PalmitamidePolysilicone-11Benzoic AcidDehydroacetic AcidSodium PhytateGlyceryl PolyacrylatePolysorbate 80Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic AcidStearic AcidBrassica Campestris SterolsPvpCapryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid CopolymerSodium BenzoateAlcoholDecyl GlucosideHexylene GlycolPotassium Sorbate
Holds waterSeals and softensKeeps the product working

  1. The base the other ingredients are dissolved in. Most of it evaporates soon after the product goes on.

  2. A silicone that smooths the surface and adds to the protective film.

  3. A small humectant. It moves into the outer layer of skin and holds water there.

  4. A buffer that keeps the product at a skin-friendly pH.

  5. The preservative. It stops bacteria and mold from growing in the product.

  6. Vitamin E, an antioxidant. Here it mainly keeps the oils in the product from going rancid.

What it does
Where it worksSurface
SurfaceBarrierEpidermisDermis

How to use it

How to use it.

Every day

How to apply it

  1. How muchA pea-sized amount for the whole face.
  2. CarefulAdd a night at a time, only after a week with no flaking. Retinoids raise sensitivity to ultraviolet light, so wear sunscreen every morning. Keep it off the eye area, and no other strong active for a month.
Over time

What to expect

  1. What to expectLittle or no stinging, unusual for a retinoid and a clue about the dose. Any change in fine lines takes three to six months. If nothing has by then, the dose is the reason.

Questions

Common questions.

Is the "6.5%" in Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum the amount of retinol?

No. It adds several ingredients together, including blue-green algae, which is not a retinoid.

What is the HPR in Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum?

Hydroxypinacolone retinoate, a retinoid that binds skin receptors directly. Real, though its strength here is not listed.

Will Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum irritate my skin?

Any real retinoid can cause redness, dryness or flaking at first. Start slowly.

Does Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum contain alcohol?

Yes, denatured alcohol. It can feel drying.

Is Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum worth the price?

You are paying for texture, brand and packaging. Cheaper products disclose their retinoid dose.

References

Sources.

  1. 1. Human Skin Aging and the Anti-Aging Properties of Retinol (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38002296/) — Backs the general mechanism/efficacy framing that topical vitamin-A retinoids act on skin via retinoid signaling and improve texture, fine lines and dermal/epidermal thickness, i.e. a 'real retinoid' works through retinoic-acid receptor pathways. Link
  2. 2. Retinoid stability and degradation kinetics in commercial cosmetic products (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33206444/) — Confirms hydroxypinacolone retinoate is a real, notably stable cosmetic retinoid, and that measured retinoid content was lower than declared in some products, supporting the caution that a serum's true active dose can be undisclosed/uncertain. Link
  3. 3. The synergistic effect of retinyl propionate and hydroxypinacolone retinoate on skin aging (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36762391/) — Shows HPR is a genuine retinoid that engages retinoid receptor (RARB) gene expression and gives anti-aging benefit while causing markedly less irritation than an equivalent concentration of retinol, supporting that HPR is real, interesting, and gentler than high-dose retinol. Link
  4. 4. Prospective, randomized, double-blind assessment of topical bakuchiol and retinol for facial photoageing (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29947134/) — Randomized trial in which retinol users reported more facial skin scaling and stinging, supporting that redness, flaking and stinging are common, expected effects of a real retinoid in the early weeks. Link