Golden Retinol Night Serum
The Icon Skin Golden Retinol Night Serum is a serums, essence, ampoule. Our analysis of its 52 ingredients (41 low-risk) rates it Excellent (94/100). Based on its ingredients, it looks well-suited to oily / acne-prone and dry skin. Heads up: it contains fragrance, which can irritate sensitive or reactive skin.
The Icon Skin Golden Retinol Night Serum is a serums, essence, ampoule. Our analysis of its 52 ingredients (41 low-risk) rates it Excellent (94/100). Based on its ingredients, it looks well-suited to oily / acne-prone and dry skin. Heads up: it contains fragrance, which can irritate sensitive or reactive skin.
Summarised from our ingredient analysis — not brand marketing copy.
The evidence
Dry Skin
20/8
Oily/Acne-Prone Skin
1/0
Sensitive Skin
5/10
| EWG | CIR | Ingredient Name & Cosmetic Functions | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
1
|
|
Water
(Solvent) |
|
|
1
|
A
|
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
(Emollient, Masking, Perfuming, Skin Conditioning, Solvent) |
|
|
1
|
A
|
Glyceryl Stearate
(Emollient, Emulsifying) |
Fungal Acne Trigger
|
|
1
|
A
|
Niacinamide
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Smoothing) |
|
|
1
|
|
Isopentyldiol
(Solvent) |
|
|
1
|
A
|
Pentylene Glycol
(Skin Conditioning, Solvent) |
|
|
1
|
B
|
Isononyl Isononanoate
(Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Antistatic Agent) |
|
|
3
|
A
|
Dimethicone
(Antifoaming Agent, Skin Protecting, Emollient, Skin Conditioning) |
Silicone
|
|
1
|
A
|
Trehalose
(Flavoring Agent, Humectant, Moisturising) |
|
|
1
|
|
Hydroxyethyl Urea
(Hair Conditioning, Humectant, Skin Conditioning) |
|
|
1
|
|
Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate
(Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning, Emollient) |
|
9
|
A
|
Retinol
(Skin Conditioning) |
Bad for Sensitive Skin
|
|
3
|
|
Tocopheryl Acetate
(Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning) |
Bad for Oily Skin
|
|
1
|
A
|
Allantoin
(Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Soothing) |
Good for Oily Skin
Good for Sensitive Skin
|
|
1
|
A
|
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
(Flavoring Agent, Skin Conditioning, Humectant) |
|
|
1
|
A
|
Phospholipids
(Skin Conditioning) |
|
|
|
Glycine Soja Oil
(Perfuming, Skin Conditioning, Skin Conditioning Emollient) |
|
|
1
|
|
Glycolipids
(Skin Conditioning) |
|
|
|
|
Glycine Soja Sterols
(Skin Conditioning, Skin Conditioning Emollient) |
|
|
|
|
Ceramide EOP
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning) |
|
|
1
|
|
Ceramide NP
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning) |
|
|
|
|
Ceramide AP
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning) |
|
|
1
|
|
Phytosphingosine
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning) |
|
|
1
|
|
Glycosphingolipids
(Skin Conditioning, Emollient) |
|
|
2
|
A
|
Hydrogenated Lecithin
(Skin Conditioning, Emulsifying, Surfactant, Suspending Agent Nonsurfactant) |
|
|
|
|
Tetraacetylphytosphingosine
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning) |
|
|
1
|
A
|
Cholesterol
(Emulsion Stabilising, Skin Conditioning, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Emollient, Emulsifying, Stabilising, Viscosity Controlling) |
|
|
1
|
A
|
Sodium Hyaluronate
(Skin Conditioning, Humectant) |
Good for Dry Skin
|
|
2
|
A
|
Hydrogenated Polydecene
(Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Emollient, 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
Fungal Acne Trigger
|
|
1
|
A
|
Cetearyl Alcohol
(Emulsion Stabilising, Opacifying, Foam Boosting, Viscosity Increasingagent Aqueous, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Emollient, Emulsifying, Viscosity Controlling) |
|
|
1
|
A
|
1,2-Hexanediol
(Solvent) |
|
|
|
|
TOCOPHEROL
(Antioxidant, Fragrance, Skin Conditioning) |
|
|
1
|
A
|
Beta-Sitosterol
(Emulsion Stabilising, Masking, Skin Conditioning, Stabilising) |
|
|
1
|
A
|
Squalene
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Antistatic Agent, Refatting) |
Fungal Acne Trigger
|
|
1
|
A
|
Xanthan Gum
(Binding Agent, Emulsion Stabilising, Skin Conditioning, Surfactant Emulsifying Agent, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Binding, Gel Forming, Viscosity Controlling) |
|
|
2
3
|
|
Lecithin
(Skin Conditioning, Emulsifying, Surfactant, Antistatic Agent, Emollient) |
|
|
1
|
A
|
Sclerotium Gum
(Emulsion Stabilising, Skin Conditioning, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Viscosity Controlling) |
|
|
1
|
A
|
Pullulan
(Binding Agent, Film Forming, Binding) |
|
|
3
|
B
|
Ceteareth-20
(Cleansing, Emulsifying, Surfactant) |
|
|
3
7
|
B
|
Ceteareth-12
(Emulsifying, Surfactant) |
|
|
1
|
B
|
Cetyl Palmitate
(Fragrance, Emollient, Masking, Skin Conditioning) |
|
|
1
|
|
Arachidyl Alcohol
(Emulsion Stabilising, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Emollient, Viscosity Controlling) |
|
|
1
|
A
|
Behenyl Alcohol
(Binding Agent, Emulsion Stabilising, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Binding, Emollient, Viscosity Controlling) |
|
|
1
|
B
|
Arachidyl Glucoside
(Emulsifying, Surfactant) |
|
|
1
|
|
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer
(Viscosity Controlling) |
|
|
1
|
A
|
Stearic Acid
(Fragrance, Sufactant, Emulsifying, Surfactantsurfactant Cleansing Agent Is Included As A Function For The Soap Form Of Stearic Acid., Emulsion Stabilising, Masking, Refatting) |
Bad for Oily Skin
Fungal Acne Trigger
|
4
|
A
|
Phenoxyethanol
(Fragrance, Preservative) |
Paraben
|
|
1
|
A
|
Ethylhexylglycerin
(Deodorant, Skin Conditioning) |
|
|
4
|
B
|
Lactic Acid
(Exfoliant, Fragrance, Humectant, Ph Adjuster, Skin Conditioning Agent Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Buffering Agent) |
Bad for Sensitive Skin
|
|
2
|
A
|
Tetrasodium EDTA
(Chelating Agent) |
|
|
|
|
PARFUM
(Fragrance, Perfuming) |
No personal ingredient notes yet. Save ingredients to your profile to get good/bad alerts here.
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 →
How to use
General guidance from this product's category and active ingredients — always follow the directions on the package.
Trust & honesty
Contains ingredients some choose to avoid or double-check while pregnant or nursing.
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.
The concentrations these actives are typically effective at in research — not a measurement of this product.
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.
Retinol
L-ascorbic acid is usually used at 5–20% (around 10–15% is common). Above ~20% adds little and tends to irritate more; it also needs a low pH to work.
Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate
Most research uses 2–5%; some formulas go to 10%. Very high levels can cause flushing in sensitive skin.
Niacinamide
OTC leave-on AHAs are usually 5–10%. The effect also depends on pH and free-acid value, not the percentage alone.
Lactic Acid
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.
From the community
Used this product? Rate it in 10 seconds
Alternatives
Other products people analyze alongside this one.