Retinol products are the gold standard in skincare. This powerhouse ingredient, which is also known as vitamin A, reduces fine lines and wrinkles by stimulating the production of collagen. Retinol can also fade dark spots and improve uneven skin texture.
Vitamin A is undisputedly the best anti-ageing ingredient, as it’s the only one that can help reverse the signs of ageing.
While it’s not essential to spend lots of money to get effective skincare products, if you’re going to spend money in any area of your skincare routine, it should be on active ingredients, like retinol or vitamin C, and targeted formulas. Investing extra money into science-backed and clinically proven formulas guarantee you’ll see benefits.
Perricone MD’s triple retinol range has been proven in clinical studies to increase hydration, reduce dark circles and under-eye puffiness, reduce rough texture, improve skin’s elasticity and radiance, and smooth the skin.
In this review, I share my honest thoughts on Perricone MD’s retinol products, whether I’ve seen any improvement in my skin, and if they’re worth the money.
Get 20% off select Perricone MD products with my code PMD20. Shop here!
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Products in this review
I’ve tried the following products around 3 times a week for the last month for a fair test:
- High Potency Triple Retinol Renewal Eye Serum
- High Potency Triple Retinol Renewal Serum
- High Potency Retinol Recovery Overnight Moisturizer
Below, I review each product individually before sharing my overall thoughts on Perricone MD’s retinol range.
1. Perricone MD High Potency Triple Retinol Renewal Eye Serum
£64 for 15ml
About the product
The Perricone MD High Potency Triple Retinol Renewal Eye Serum is designed to reduce under-eye puffiness, fine lines, and uneven texture while improving firmness and smoothness. It also targets dark circles and discolouration with the help of antioxidants, aiming to create a brighter, more refreshed appearance. It’s fragrance-free.
The eye serum features Perricone MD’s proprietary triple retinol blend: a unique blend of encapsulated retinol, retinol ester, and phyto-retinol. Retinyl linoleate is a milder, gentler retinoid that increases hydration, encourages cell turnover, and decreases fine lines and wrinkles. Retinol smooths wrinkles, refines pores, and firms skin. Beta-carotene is a good antioxidant.
Other key ingredients include the antioxidant and soothing caffeine, niacinamide which helps visibly reduce enlarged pores and strengthens the skin’s barrier, ceramide NP to strengthen the skin’s barrier, and hydrating hyaluronic acid.
In a clinical study of 34 women, 100% showed significant improvement in skin hydration immediately after application, 91% showed a significant reduction in under-eye dark circles, 88% showed a significant reduction in under-eye puffiness, and the participants showed a statistically significant reduction in fine lines and crow’s feet.
Review
I think the Perricone MD High Potency Triple Retinol Renewal Eye Serum is good.
The texture is a lightweight gel-cream that absorbs instantly and feels cooling. Tapping this product into the skin is quick and easy. I don’t find the eye serum sensitising.
The eye serum is instantly hydrating. Some retinol products can aggravate sensitive skin or be quite drying, but I find the formula very tolerable, even for my sensitive/combination skin. It feels wonderfully refreshing on application.
At 29, I don’t have wrinkles or crow’s feet around my eyes. I do, however, have some fine lines under my eyes. The retinol has already improved my fine lines. My under-eye area looks a bit smoother since using the serum. With continued and long-term usage, I think there would be a very noticeable improvement.
My dark circles are never too bad, but the serum makes my eyes appear more radiant, especially if I’ve had a bad night’s sleep (or a few!). It helps to wake my eyes up, so to speak, and makes me look fresher.
This serum hasn’t made a difference to any under-eye puffiness or improved my skin’s texture.
Rating: 4 stars
So far, I’m impressed with this eye serum. I think more mature skin would really notice reduced fine lines and wrinkles under their eyes if they purchased this. But it’s a good idea to introduce retinoids from around 25 onwards, when your skin’s collagen levels begin to decline, as a preventative measure.
2. Perricone MD High Potency Triple Retinol Renewal Serum
£83 for 59ml
About the product
The Perricone MD High Potency Triple Retinol Renewal Serum is lightweight, fragrance-free, and uses the brand’s proprietary triple retinol blend to support skin renewal and improve the appearance of firmness and elasticity. It targets fine lines, uneven texture, and dullness, while antioxidants help promote a more even, radiant complexion.
It features the same triple retinol blend as the Perricone MD eye serum. Other key ingredients include the antioxidant coenzyme Q10 which helps improve signs of ageing, nourishing squalane, exfoliating citric acid, and soothing aloe vera.
In a clinical study of 37 women, 78% showed significant improvement in the feel of rough skin texture; 76% showed significant improvement in skin elasticity, resiliency, and radiance; and 76% showed a significant reduction in fine lines on the cheek and in age and sun spots.
Review
I think the Perricone MD High Potency Triple Retinol Renewal Serum is excellent.
The texture is a gel-cream that absorbs instantly with no pilling. It plays well with other skincare products. It feels weightless once applied and doesn’t feel drying, sensitising, or harsh like some retinol products can. I find it hydrating.
I don’t have any wrinkles on my skin (yet…). I’m also lucky to not have any fine lines except for one on my forehead. But I can tell that this fine line has decreased a bit since using the Perricone MD retinol serum. I’m confident that with longer-term use the fine line would continue to fade.
My skin is fairly firm, and I’ve not noticed any change in the elasticity of my skin thus far.
One of my favourite things about this serum is the impact it has had on excess oil and any skin texture. During the summer, my combination skin can become a bit oilier, which leads to more breakouts and blackheads. While I never suffer with dry patches, sometimes my skin can feel a bit bumpy.
Since using the serum, my skin feels smoother and more even. It means fewer spots, a brighter complexion, and makeup sits on top of my skin better. I’ve also noticed a reduction in excess oil, which is a massive plus.
Rating: 5 stars
This is easily one of the best retinol serums I’ve tried so far. I love that it’s a versatile product, as it’s great for preventative ageing as well as improving uneven skin texture.
3. Perricone MD High Potency Retinol Recovery Overnight Moisturizer
£82 for 59ml
About the product
The Perricone MD High Potency Retinol Recovery Overnight Moisturizer combines the brand’s proprietary three forms of retinol with deep hydration to support the skin’s natural renewal process. It targets fine lines, dryness, and uneven texture while helping to strengthen the moisture barrier for a smoother, firmer appearance by morning.
Other key ingredients include dewy propanediol, nourishing jojoba oil, replenishing sunflower seed oil, and moisturising hydrogenated soybean oil.
In a clinical study of 30 women, 93% showed significant improvement in skin hydration for 12 hours, 93% showed significant improvement in skin barrier function for 12 hours, 80% showed significant improvement in skin brightness and radiance, and participants showed a significant improvement in skin texture, tone, and elasticity.
Review
I’ve tried the Perricone MD High Potency Retinol Recovery Overnight Moisturizer before, and my thoughts on the retinol cream remain the same.
The texture is creamy, but it still massages into my skin quickly and doesn’t feel heavy or greasy. The moisturiser has a delicate rose fragrance that disappears once the product is applied. I like fragranced skincare, but for people who are sensitive to or dislike perfumed skincare products, this is something to be mindful of.
I really enjoy using this night cream. It’s lightweight yet nourishing, and my skin feels soft and looks radiant by morning.
As I mentioned previously, I don’t have many fine lines, so I don’t see dramatic results from retinol creams, which, in my experience, are generally milder than serums. That’s true for the Perricone MD moisturiser as well; I haven’t noticed changes in the few faint lines I have, but I wouldn’t expect to at this stage. Still, I believe it could be more visibly effective on mature skin, given the quality of the formula.
The cream noticeably improves my skin’s hydration throughout the day, and the retinol helps even out both my skin’s texture and tone. For me, a more even complexion is the biggest benefit of good retinol moisturisers at my age, and this one definitely delivers on that front.
Rating: 4 stars
I really like the night cream. However, I think I’d see more benefits if I had more fine lines and wrinkles, where the price would be more justifiable. I’d highly recommend this for more mature skin.
Overall review of the Perricone MD triple retinol range
I’m very impressed with the Perricone MD’s triple retinol range. While these products are on the pricier side, you’re paying for high-quality formulas that have been demonstrated to show improvements in people’s skin in clinical studies.
The retinol trio has led to my skin being more even, smoother, and brighter, all while being delivered in hydrating, non-irritating formulas. I’ve noticed a reduction in excess oil and faded fine lines.
Get 20% off select Perricone MD products with my code PMD20. Shop here!
Sarah Sarsby is the owner of Honest Reviews Woman. With over 6 years' experience of writing in the fields of beauty and lifestyle, Sarah is passionate about all things content, makeup, skincare, wellness, and lifestyle. She has oily skin, is obsessed with lip gloss, and loves cookie dough.
Perricone MD seems to live up to its promises and what better for those pesky fine lines and wrinkles than Retinol.I will look out for this brand when I next buy ant ageing products.
Wow, a great line of products! The moisturiser in particular sounds up my alley as I find some retinols to be drying on my skin overnight and I have to compensate extra in the morning. I quite like fragrance in my skincare too, so that is a plus for me.