Dropped this on my face last Tuesday night and literally stopped scrolling to just feel it. It’s like chilled silk melting into your skin — not a lick of stickiness.
That texture alone keeps me reaching for it. Most retinoids feel like you’re painting on glue. This one? Gone in 10 seconds flat.
It’s the Allies of Skin 1A Retinal + Ferulic serum — $128 for 30ml. They claim it’s a brightening retinal that repairs without peeling your face off. I called bullshit until I tried it.
1A Retinal vs Retinol
Retinal works one step closer to your skin’s receptors than retinol — so you get results faster without the nuclear fallout.
Ferulic Acid Boost
Stabilizes the retinal so it doesn’t oxidize into uselessness by week three. Smart.
No Irritation Cocktail
They skipped the essential oils that usually calm but secretly burn. My skin didn’t even flush.
Photo: Marcelo Matarazzo / Unsplash
Hero lineup is short and purposeful. Retinal does the heavy lifting on texture and tone. Ferulic acid plays bodyguard — keeps the retinal potent and adds antioxidant defense. Then there’s squalane for slip, and niacinamide to calm any potential freakout.
- Retinal: Speeds cell turnover without the flaking apocalypse
- Ferulic Acid: Doubles as stabilizer + antioxidant shield
- Squalane: Makes it glide like a dream, zero grease
- Niacinamide: Keeps redness in check while retinal works
Photo: Daniel Barnes / Unsplash
First pump — it’s shockingly liquid. I braced for tacky. Instead it sank in before I finished my other hand. Scent is crushed bergamot, not that medicine-cabinet reek most retinoids have. I actually looked forward to applying it.
Week two I woke up and my pores looked… smaller? Not gone, but like they’d been gently told to calm down. Unexpected win: zero purging. I’m someone who usually gets chin bumps from retinol. This gave me nothing but glow.
Three weeks in: my skin is smoother, more even, and that weird orange-peel texture around my nose is basically gone. But I still get the occasional hormonal zit. It’s not magic — it’s just really, really good at its job.
Best retinal texture I’ve tried, period. Smells good, feels better, and actually delivers on the brightening promise without the drama.