Retinoid Serum Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate 0.1%

HiCA

Retinoid Serum Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate 0.1%

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About this product

The HiCA Retinoid Serum Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate 0.1% is a serums, essence, ampoule. Our analysis of its 38 ingredients (28 low-risk) rates it Excellent (96/100). Based on its ingredients, it looks well-suited to oily / acne-prone skin.

Vegan-friendly Reef-safe

Summarised from our ingredient analysis — not brand marketing copy.

At a glance

Type
Serums, Essence, Ampoules
Ingredients
38
Low-risk
28
Fragrance
Fragrance-free
Origin
Japan

The evidence

Quick Product Notes

Paraben-Free Sulfate-Free Alcohol-Free Silicone-Free EU Allergen-Free Fungal Acne (Malassezia) Safe

Notable Effects & Ingredients

No Notable Effects & Ingredients

Ingredients Related to Skin Types

Good   Bad — tap a skin type to see which ingredients · estimated from ingredient functions
Dry Skin 6/7
Good for dry skin
Butylene Glycol Glycerin Triethylhexanoin Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Caution for dry skin
Centella Asiatica Extract Xanthan Gum Glycerin Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract Hydrogenated Lecithin Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Oily/Acne-Prone Skin 3/0
Good for oily/acne-prone skin
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract Retinol
Sensitive Skin 7/8
Good for sensitive skin
Centella Asiatica Extract Glycerin Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract Tocopheryl Acetate Allantoin
Caution for sensitive skin
Arginine Butylene Glycol Glycerin Triethylhexanoin Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract Phenoxyethanol Retinol

Ingredients list

38 total
Lower hazard (1) Higher hazard (9)
All38 Skin Conditioning38 Hair Conditioning10 Fragrance7 Humectant7 Solvent6 Viscosity Controlling6 Emulsion Stabilising6 Masking5
EWG CIR Ingredient Name & Cosmetic Functions Notes
1
Water
(Solvent)
1
A
Butylene Glycol
(Fragrance, Skin Conditioning, Solvent, Viscositydecreasing Agent, Humectant, Masking, Viscosity Controlling)
Good for Dry Skin
Good for Dry Skin
1
A
Pentylene Glycol
(Skin Conditioning, Solvent)
2
A
Glycerin
(Denaturant, Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Humectant, Oral Care Agent, Oral Health Care Drug, Skin Protecting, Viscosity Decreasing Agent, Perfuming, Solvent)
Good for Dry Skin
Good for Dry Skin
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
1
A
Niacinamide
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Smoothing)
1
B
Centella Asiatica Extract
(Cleansing, Skin Conditioning, Smoothing, Soothing, Tonic)
1
A
Panthenol
(Antistatic Agent, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning)
Good for Dry Skin
Good for Dry Skin
1
A
Allantoin
(Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Soothing)
Good for Oily Skin
Good for Oily Skin
Good for Sensitive Skin
Good for Sensitive Skin
3
Tocopheryl Acetate
(Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning)
Bad for Oily Skin
Bad for Oily Skin
Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate
(Skin Conditioning)
9
A
Retinol
(Skin Conditioning)
Bad for Sensitive Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
1
Ceramide NP
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning)
Ceramide AP
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning)
Ceramide Ag
(Hair Conditioning, Humectant, Skin Conditioning)
Ceramide NG
(Skin Conditioning)
Ceramide EOP
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning)
glycyrrhiza glabra root extract
(Bleaching, Perfuming, Skin Conditioning, Skin Conditioning Emollient, Smoothing, Soothing)
1
B
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
(Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, Astringent, Emollient, Humectant, Masking, Oral Care Agent, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Tonic, Uv Absorber)
Good for Oily Skin
Good for Oily Skin
1
Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract
(Antioxidant)
1
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
(Astringent, Humectant, Soothing)
CHAMOMILLA RECUTITA FLOWER EXTRACT
(Fragrance, Skin Conditioning)
rosmarinus officinalis leaf extract
(Antimicrobial, Fragrance, Skin Conditioning)
1
Oligopeptide-6
(Skin Conditioning)
1
Trifluoroacetyl Tripeptide-2
(Skin Conditioning)
1
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
(Hair Conditioning, Humectant, Skin Conditioning)
1
A
Triethylhexanoin
(Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Antistatic Agent, Emollient, Masking, Refatting, Skin Conditioning, Solvent)
1
Dimethyl Isosorbide
(Solvent, Viscosity Decreasing Agent, Viscosity Controlling)
1
A
Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
(Chelating Agent, Emulsion Stabilising, Masking, Skin Conditioning)
1
A
Dextran
(Binding Agent, Bulking Agent, Binding, Viscosity Controlling)
1
A
Phytosterols
(Skin Conditioning)
2
A
Hydrogenated Lecithin
(Skin Conditioning, Emulsifying, Surfactant, Suspending Agent Nonsurfactant)
1
Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate
(Skin Conditioning, Emulsifying, Surfactant)
1
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
(Emulsion Stabilising, Film Forming, Viscosity Controlling)
1
A
Carbomer
(Emulsion Stabilising, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Gel Forming, Viscosity Controlling)
1
A
Xanthan Gum
(Binding Agent, Emulsion Stabilising, Skin Conditioning, Surfactant Emulsifying Agent, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Binding, Gel Forming, Viscosity Controlling)
1
A
Arginine
(Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Antistatic Agent, Masking)
1
A
Pentasodium Pentetate
(Chelating Agent)
4
A
Phenoxyethanol
(Fragrance, Preservative)
Paraben
Paraben

My Ingredient Notes

No personal ingredient notes yet. Save ingredients to your profile to get good/bad alerts here.

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Key ingredients

Ceramides
Locks in moisture and supports skin barrier.
Antioxidants
Shields skin from free radical damage.
Retinoid
Visibly reduces the signs of aging.
Peptides
Supports skin hydration and improves firmness.
Vitamin E
Protects skin and soothes irritation.
Niacinamide
Strengthens, smooths, and brightens skin.
Hyaluronic Acid
Hydrates by attracting and holding water.
Show all 7 key ingredients

Benefits

HydratingBoosts hydration and relieves dry, tight skin.
Barrier RepairStrengthen and restore your skin's natural barrier.
Reduces IrritationEases discomfort and supports skin resilience.
Anti-AgingSoftens lines and helps skin look youthful.
Redness ReducingSoothes visible redness and calms irritation.
Scar HealingImproves the look of marks and scars.
BrighteningRestores radiance to dull, tired skin.
Good For Oily SkinBalances oil and helps reduce shine.

Concerns

Contains paraben
Not fungal acne (malassezia) safe
Retinol — higher EWG
May not suit dry skin
May not suit sensitive skin

EWG flags hazard, not real-world risk — ratings don't account for how much of an ingredient a product contains. Treat these as things to research, not verdicts. How we score →

Ingredients explained

Water
Solvent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Solvent
Pentylene Glycol
Skin conditioning, Solvent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Skin conditioningSolvent
Niacinamide
Hair conditioning, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Hair conditioningSkin conditioningSmoothing
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR B CleansingSkin conditioningSmoothingSoothingTonic
Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate
Skin conditioning
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Skin conditioning
Ceramide NP
Hair conditioning, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Hair conditioningSkin conditioning
Ceramide AP
Hair conditioning, Skin conditioning
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Hair conditioningSkin conditioning
Ceramide Ag
Hair conditioning, Humectant
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Hair conditioningHumectantSkin conditioning
Ceramide NG
Skin conditioning
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Skin conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Hair conditioning, Skin conditioning
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Hair conditioningSkin conditioning
glycyrrhiza glabra root extract
Bleaching, Perfuming
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A BleachingPerfumingSkin conditioningSkin conditioning emollientSmoothingSoothing
Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract
Antioxidant
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Antioxidant
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent, Humectant
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 AstringentHumectantSoothing
CHAMOMILLA RECUTITA FLOWER EXTRACT
Fragrance, Skin conditioning
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A FragranceSkin conditioning
rosmarinus officinalis leaf extract
Antimicrobial, Fragrance
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A AntimicrobialFragranceSkin conditioning
+ 15 more — see the full ingredients list above
Butylene Glycol
Fragrance, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A FragranceSkin conditioningSolventViscositydecreasing agentHumectantMaskingViscosity controlling Good for Dry Skin
Glycerin
Denaturant, Fragrance
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 2 CIR A DenaturantFragranceHair conditioningHumectantOral care agentOral health care drugSkin protectingViscosity decreasing agentPerfumingSolvent Good for Dry SkinFungal-acne trigger
Panthenol
Antistatic agent, Hair conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Antistatic agentHair conditioningSkin conditioning Good for Dry Skin
Allantoin
Skin conditioning, Skin protecting
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Skin conditioningSkin protectingSoothing Good for Oily SkinGood for Sensitive Skin
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant, Skin conditioning
Potentially comedogenic - can block poresRead moreShow less
EWG 3 AntioxidantSkin conditioning Bad for Oily Skin
Retinol
Skin conditioning
Potentially a skin irritantRead moreShow less
EWG 9 CIR A Skin conditioning Bad for Sensitive Skin
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial, Antioxidant
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR B AntimicrobialAntioxidantAstringentEmollientHumectantMaskingOral care agentSkin conditioningSkin protectingTonicUv absorber Good for Oily Skin
Phenoxyethanol
Fragrance, Preservative
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 4 CIR A FragrancePreservative Paraben

How to use

How to use

  • 1 Where it fits: Apply after toner and before moisturiser — thinnest to thickest.
  • 2 Morning only: Apply as the last step of your AM routine, after moisturiser, and reapply every ~2 hours of sun exposure.
  • 3 Wear SPF the next day: Acids and retinoids increase sun sensitivity — daily sunscreen is a must while using this.

General guidance from this product's category and active ingredients — always follow the directions on the package.

Trust & honesty

Pregnancy & breastfeeding

Contains ingredients some choose to avoid or double-check while pregnant or nursing.

Often avoided
Retinoids (Vitamin A) (Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Retinol)

Topical retinoids (retinol, retinaldehyde, retinyl esters) are widely advised against in pregnancy as a precaution. The strongest evidence is for ORAL retinoids; topical absorption is low, but most clinicians err on the side of caution.

This is general information, not medical advice. Pregnancy guidance varies and depends on concentration and your individual situation — always check with your doctor, midwife or pharmacist. How we flag this.

Effective levels — general guide

The concentrations these actives are typically effective at in research — not a measurement of this product.

Retinoids (Vitamin A) 0.01–1%

Most studied between 0.1% and 1%. Higher is not automatically better — irritation climbs with dose, so a well-formulated lower strength is often the sweet spot.

Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Retinol

Niacinamide 2–5% (up to 10%)

Most research uses 2–5%; some formulas go to 10%. Very high levels can cause flushing in sensitive skin.

Niacinamide

INCI lists don't disclose amounts, and we don't claim to know this product's levels — these are the ranges these ingredients are usually effective at, so you can tell a real formula from "fairy-dusting" a marketed active. How we estimate this.

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