NE
AGreat
Retinol Boost Cream
The Neutrogena Retinol Boost Cream is a moisturizer. Our analysis of its 29 ingredients (22 low-risk) rates it Excellent (92/100). 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 Neutrogena Retinol Boost Cream is a moisturizer. Our analysis of its 29 ingredients (22 low-risk) rates it Excellent (92/100). 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
12/7
Oily/Acne-Prone Skin
1/1
Sensitive Skin
4/7
| EWG | CIR | Ingredient Name & Cosmetic Functions | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
1
|
|
Water
(Solvent) |
|
|
1
|
A
|
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
(Binding Agent, Skin Conditioning Agent Occlusive, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Emollient, Viscosity Controlling) |
|
|
3
|
A
|
Dimethicone
(Antifoaming Agent, Skin Protecting, Emollient, Skin Conditioning) |
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
Fungal Acne Trigger
|
|
1
|
A
|
PPG-15 Stearyl Ether
(Skin Conditioning, Emollient) |
|
|
1
|
A
|
Stearyl Alcohol
(Emulsion Stabilising, Fragrance, Emulsifying, Surfactant, Foambooster, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Emollient, Foam Boosting, Masking, Opacifying, Refatting, Viscosity Controlling) |
|
|
1
|
A
|
Cetearyl Alcohol
(Emulsion Stabilising, Opacifying, Foam Boosting, Viscosity Increasingagent Aqueous, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Emollient, Emulsifying, Viscosity Controlling) |
|
|
1
|
A
|
Butylene Glycol
(Fragrance, Skin Conditioning, Solvent, Viscositydecreasing Agent, Humectant, Masking, Viscosity Controlling) |
Good for Dry Skin
|
|
3
|
B
|
Ceteareth-20
(Cleansing, Emulsifying, Surfactant) |
|
|
1
|
B
|
Isohexadecane
(Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Solvent) |
|
9
|
A
|
Retinol
(Skin Conditioning) |
Bad for Sensitive Skin
|
|
|
Hydrolyzed Myrtus Communis Leaf Extract
(Skin Protecting) |
|
|
1
|
A
|
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
(Emollient, Masking, Perfuming, Skin Conditioning, Solvent) |
|
|
1
|
A
|
Ethylhexylglycerin
(Deodorant, Skin Conditioning) |
|
|
1
|
A
|
Sodium Hyaluronate
(Skin Conditioning, Humectant) |
Good for Dry Skin
|
|
1
|
A
|
Caprylyl Glycol
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Humectant) |
|
4
|
B
|
Polyacrylamide
(Binding Agent, Film Forming, Hair Fixing, Antistatic Agent, Binding) |
|
|
1
|
A
|
Cellulose
(Absorbent, Bulking Agent, Slip Modifier, Opacifying, Viscosity Controlling) |
|
|
1
|
B
|
C13-14 Isoparaffin
(Emollient, Solvent) |
|
|
3
|
B
|
Laureth-7
(Emulsifying, Surfactant) |
|
|
1
|
A
|
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
(Emulsion Stabilising, Hair Fixing, Suspending Agent Nonsurfactant, Viscosity Increasingagent Nonaqueous, Viscosity Controlling) |
|
|
1
|
|
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer
(Viscosity Controlling) |
|
|
1
|
A
|
Disodium EDTA
(Chelating Agent, Viscosity Controlling) |
|
|
3
|
B
|
Sodium Hydroxide
(Denaturant, Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent) |
|
|
6
|
A
|
BHT
(Antioxidant, Fragrance, Masking) |
|
|
|
|
ASCORBIC ACID
(Antioxidant, Buffering, Fragrance, Skin Conditioning) |
|
|
4
|
A
|
Phenoxyethanol
(Fragrance, Preservative) |
Paraben
|
|
2
|
A
|
Chlorphenesin
(Cosmetic Biocide, Antimicrobial, Preservative) |
|
|
|
|
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.
ASCORBIC 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.
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