Beyer & Söhne Retinol Booster review

From a seasoned retinol user and fan – do we have here the Swiss Army knife of retinol products?! Let’s find out in my Beyer & Söhne Retinol Booster review!

Contents

The brand Beyer & Söhne Retinol Booster review – What is it?Retinol, retinal, what!?What is retinoic acid ester And why are they all in a product together?Ingredients Application & Finish Effect Beyer & Söhne Retinol Booster review – worth it?Price & Availability

The brand

“This small family-led company with a background in pharmacy came to be in 2011. Their product range is very small and all based on the same philosophy: no filler ingredients, but instead, effective ones. They don’t use mineral oil, parabens, silicones, colouring agents, fragrance and alcohol.”
Twindly B&S Vitamin C Serum review

We have mentioned their products again and again on this blog:

Last year, both Astrid and I were invited to their 10^th birthday bash in Berlin, where we actually were able to test an early version of the retinol booster. Consequently, I got sent a bottle of the booster when it was released. And that also means that – while this is not a sponsored post, and I don’t get any compensation for it, I have to declare that I got the booster I’m going to review for free.

Beyer & Söhne Retinol Booster review – What is it?

‘Light retinol serum with high doses of vitamin A in 3 effective forms. Equivalent to approximately 0.7% retinol.
0.1% retinol, 0.06% retinal, 0.1% retinoic acid ester
Retinol works against wrinkles and supports a smooth complexion by forming new skin cells
Niacinamide, vitamin C and green tea counteract redness and relieve micro-inflammation’
B&S

Retinol, retinal, what!?

Info dump incoming: retinal, retinol and retinoic acid esters are all forms of retinoids. There’re all compounds derived from vitamin A. Retinol has to be converted to retinoic acid to work, and then has the same abilities as trans-retinoic acid (Tretinoin). Tretinoin is the prescription-only swiss-army knife of skincare, and that is actually (rare in skincare ingredients) approved by independent studies. It’s usually used for anti-acne and anti-aging purposes: the main deal about it is that Tretinoin works on a cellular level and makes skin cells behave in their normal, healthy ways. It also boosts collagen production, accelerates skin turnover and prevents keratinization. Retinol and retinal also do that to a degree. Side effects are the norm, though, although less than with Tretinoin.

What is retinoic acid ester

To understand the hierarchy of retinoids (pardon me when I use ‘retinol’ as a blanket term throughout this post), have a look at this fun graphic:

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Retinoic acid esters are a relatively new form of retinoids that fall somewhere between retinol and retinoic acid on the efficacy and irritation scale. The one used here is Sodium Retinoyl Hyaluronate.

And why are they all in a product together?

Combining all three retinoid forms together in one formula is actually a really good idea: they’re all converted at different paces in your skin, which then can reap the benefits, but with diminished side effects.

Ingredients

Aqua, Pentylene Glycol, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Niacinamide, 3-O Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Betaine, Trehalose, Panthenol, Phospholipids, Retinol, Sodium Retinoyl Hyaluronate, Retinal, Epigallocatechin Gallate, Tetraacetylphytosphingosine, Dehydroxanthan Gum, Glyceryl Citrate / Lactate / Linoleate / Oleate, Ethyl Oleate, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate
B&S

It’s always a good idea to put a few soothing ingredients into a formula that includes retinol(s). Vitamin C and retinol are a very skin-beneficial combo, because vitamin C boosts restinol, as it’s fighting free radicals that can attack retinol and diminsh its potency. I’d love to see a bit more soothing and also maybe more than one antioxidant in here, but I admit that’s nitpicky.

Application & Finish

I, as an experienced retinol user, can easily use this every evening. For beginners, I’d recommend using it at two nights per week for about a month and see what happens. If your skin tolerates it well, proceed for three times a week for two months and so on. If your skin starts to look red, blotchy, uneven, or is excessively dry, stop using it. When you reintroduce the Booster, you can also try ‘buffering’ – applying OVER another (rich) serum or lotion. If your skin is sensitive, take care that your skin is dry when you apply it.

This is really pleasant to use. The slightly milky, rather liquid gel doesn’t smell of anything, spreads easily and sinks in quickly, leaving a satin, skin-like finish. I always use retinol in the evening, so I don’t know how it would perform under makeup or sunscreen.

Effect

Look, I do use 1% Retinol nearly every day. I think it’s unfair to demand that the Retinol Booster should deliver visibly better results. What I can say is that my skin remained its generally good condition, wasn’t aggravated by anything and generally looked like it always looks.

Beyer & Söhne Retinol Booster review – worth it?

There’s a customer group that’ll love this Retinol Booster: it’s relatively cost-effective, it’s made in Germany, and it’ll appeal to a crowd that either wants simplicity in their routine or wants a ‘clean’-adjacent, ‘natural’ approach to their skincare. (But without the fear-mongering and mumbo jumbo that often comes with it.)

It doesn’t have a complicated name, it comes with pared-back ingredients, and is pared-back, no frills, but well-formulated. It also balances on that fine line between ‘gentle’ with noticeable results. While I would be careful as a newbie to retinol, it’s also unlikely your face will fall off if you overdo it.

I like it a lot, and for me it works well as an ‘in-between’ product – I use it in-between other (stronger) retinol products. That means I do get the benefits, my skin doesn’t turn to the worse, and is less stressed.

What I don’t like is the three months expiry date – meaning you should use the product within the indicated timeframe. Three months, in my opinion, is nearly impossible for even a seasoned retinol user who uses the product every night, let alone for newbies. I talked to the brand about it and apparantly, the antioxidants in it will start to discolour after three months, which will not diminish the booster’s performance, but its looks.