Retinol Night Complex

Merle Norman

Where to buy Possibly in stock

About this product

The Merle Norman Retinol Night Complex is a serums, essence, ampoule. Our analysis of its 46 ingredients (31 low-risk) rates it Excellent (96/100). 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.

Vegan-friendly Reef-safe

Summarised from our ingredient analysis — not brand marketing copy.

At a glance

Type
Serums, Essence, Ampoules
Ingredients
46
Low-risk
31
Fragrance
Contains fragrance
Origin
United States

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 14/9
Good for dry skin
Acacia Decurrens Flower Wax Glyceryl Stearate Cetyl Alcohol Cetyl Ethylhexanoate Stearyl Alcohol Caprylyl Glycol Butylene Glycol Sodium Hyaluronate Glycerin Tricaprylin Polyglycerin-3 Jojoba Esters Dimethicone Cyclopentasiloxane
Caution for dry skin
Cetyl Alcohol Stearyl Alcohol Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract Xanthan Gum Glycerin Ceteth-20 Steareth-20 PEG-75 Stearate Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit/Leaf Extract
Oily/Acne-Prone Skin 3/0
Good for oily/acne-prone skin
Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract Retinol Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit/Leaf Extract
Sensitive Skin 8/10
Good for sensitive skin
Acacia Decurrens Flower Wax Ascorbyl Palmitate Glycerin Jojoba Esters Hydroxyacetophenone Dimethicone Tocopheryl Acetate BHT
Caution for sensitive skin
Galactoarabinan Cetyl Alcohol Stearyl Alcohol Ascorbyl Palmitate Butylene Glycol Glycerin Tricaprylin Phenoxyethanol BHT Retinol

Ingredients list

46 total
Lower hazard (1) Higher hazard (9)
All46 Skin Conditioning33 Fragrance13 Emollient10 Emulsion Stabilising7 Solvent6 Humectant6 Masking6 Viscosity Controlling6
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
B
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
(Skin Conditioning, Emollient)
3
A
Cyclopentasiloxane
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Solvent)
Silicone
Silicone
1
A
Stearyl Alcohol
(Emulsion Stabilising, Fragrance, Emulsifying, Surfactant, Foambooster, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Emollient, Foam Boosting, Masking, Opacifying, Refatting, Viscosity Controlling)
1
A
1,2-Hexanediol
(Solvent)
3
A
Dimethicone
(Antifoaming Agent, Skin Protecting, Emollient, Skin Conditioning)
Silicone
Silicone
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
9
A
Retinol
(Skin Conditioning)
Bad for Sensitive Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
Retinyl Palmitate
(Skin Conditioning, Skin Conditioning Miscellaneous)
1
A
Ascorbyl Palmitate
(Antioxidant, Masking)
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
TOCOPHEROL
(Antioxidant, Fragrance, Skin Conditioning)
3
Tocopheryl Acetate
(Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning)
Bad for Oily Skin
Bad for Oily Skin
1
A
Sodium Hyaluronate
(Skin Conditioning, Humectant)
Good for Dry Skin
Good for Dry Skin
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract
(Fragrance, Skin Conditioning)
Citrus Limon Fruit Extract
(Fragrance, Skin Conditioning)
Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit/Leaf Extract
(Astringent, Refreshing, Skin Conditioning, Tonic)
Acer saccharum extract
(Skin Conditioning)
Helianthus Annuus Extract
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Skin Conditioning Emollient)
Saccharum Officinarum Extract
(Moisturising, Skin Conditioning)
rosmarinus officinalis leaf extract
(Antimicrobial, Fragrance, Skin Conditioning)
1
Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract
(Astringent, Skin Conditioning)
Oryza Sativa Bran Extract
(Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting)
1
A
Phospholipids
(Skin Conditioning)
1
A
Cetyl Alcohol
(Emulsion Stabilising, Fragrance, Opacifying, Emulsifying, Surfactant, Foam Boosting, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Emollient, Masking, Viscosity Controlling)
1
A
Glyceryl Stearate
(Emollient, Emulsifying)
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
3
A
PEG-75 Stearate
(Surfactant)
1
Acacia Decurrens Flower Wax
(Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Skin Protecting)
Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax
(Skin Conditioning)
1
Polyglycerin-3
(Humectant)
1
A
Jojoba Esters
(Emollient, Moisturising, Skin Conditioning, Soothing)
1
A
Galactoarabinan
(Film Forming, Fragrance)
2
B
Ceteth-20
(Cleansing, Emulsifying, Surfactant)
3
B
Steareth-20
(Sufactant, Emulsifying, Surfactant)
1
Hydroxyacetophenone
(Antioxidant)
1
A
Polymethyl Methacrylate
(Film Forming)
1
A
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
(Viscosity Controlling)
1
A
Tricaprylin
(Fragrance, Emollient, Masking, Skin Conditioning, Solvent)
1
A
Xanthan Gum
(Binding Agent, Emulsion Stabilising, Skin Conditioning, Surfactant Emulsifying Agent, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Binding, Gel Forming, Viscosity Controlling)
3
A
Glyceryl Polyacrylate
(Film Forming)
1
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
(Emulsion Stabilising, Viscosity Controlling)
6
A
BHT
(Antioxidant, Fragrance, Masking)
PARFUM
(Fragrance, Perfuming)
4
A
Phenoxyethanol
(Fragrance, Preservative)
Paraben
Paraben
1
A
Caprylyl Glycol
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Humectant)
2
A
Chlorphenesin
(Cosmetic Biocide, Antimicrobial, Preservative)

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

Butylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning, Humectant
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
Skin Conditioning, Emollient
Cyclopentasiloxane
Skin Conditioning, Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Skin Protecting, Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant, Skin Protecting

Benefits

Good for dry skin
Good for oily/acne-prone skin

Concerns

Contains paraben
Contains silicone
Not fungal acne (malassezia) safe
Retinol — higher EWG
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
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
Skin conditioning, Emollient
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR B Skin conditioningEmollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emulsion stabilising, Fragrance
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Emulsion stabilisingFragranceEmulsifyingSurfactant- foamboosterViscosity increasing agentEmollientFoam boostingMaskingOpacifyingRefattingViscosity controlling
1,2-Hexanediol
Solvent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Solvent
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin conditioning, Skin conditioning miscellaneous
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Skin conditioningSkin conditioning miscellaneous
TOCOPHEROL
Antioxidant, Fragrance
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A AntioxidantFragranceSkin conditioning
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract
Fragrance, Skin conditioning
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A FragranceSkin conditioning
Citrus Limon Fruit Extract
Fragrance, Skin conditioning
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A FragranceSkin conditioning
Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit/Leaf Extract
Astringent, Refreshing
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A AstringentRefreshingSkin conditioningTonic
Acer saccharum extract
Skin conditioning
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Skin conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Extract
Hair conditioning, Skin conditioning
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Hair conditioningSkin conditioningSkin conditioning emollient
Saccharum Officinarum Extract
Moisturising, Skin conditioning
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A MoisturisingSkin conditioning
rosmarinus officinalis leaf extract
Antimicrobial, Fragrance
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A AntimicrobialFragranceSkin conditioning
Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract
Astringent, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 AstringentSkin conditioning
Oryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin conditioning, Skin protecting
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Skin conditioningSkin protecting
+ 20 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
Cyclopentasiloxane
Hair conditioning, Skin conditioning
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 3 CIR A Hair conditioningSkin conditioningEmollientSolvent Silicone
Dimethicone
Antifoaming agent, Skin protecting
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 3 CIR A Antifoaming agentSkin protectingEmollientSkin conditioning Silicone
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
Retinol
Skin conditioning
Potentially a skin irritantRead moreShow less
EWG 9 CIR A Skin conditioning Bad for Sensitive Skin
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant, Masking
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A AntioxidantMasking Fungal-acne trigger
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant, Skin conditioning
Potentially comedogenic - can block poresRead moreShow less
EWG 3 AntioxidantSkin conditioning Bad for Oily Skin
Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin conditioning, Humectant
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Skin conditioningHumectant Good for Dry Skin
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient, Emulsifying
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A EmollientEmulsifying Fungal-acne trigger
BHT
Antioxidant, Fragrance
Moderate-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 6 CIR A AntioxidantFragranceMasking
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 Evening: Use at night — start 2–3× a week and build up as your skin tolerates it.
  • 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) (Retinol, Retinyl Palmitate)

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.

Retinol, Retinyl Palmitate

Vitamin C (ascorbic) 5–20%

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 Palmitate

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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