Mychelle might not flash across billboards like the heavyweight beauty giants, yet within skincare circles the Colorado based brand enjoys a quiet cult status built on ingredient transparency and a steadfast cruelty free stance. Its formulas often punch above their price tags, earning nods from dermatologists and green beauty loyalists alike.
Enter the delightfully alliterative Remarkable Retinal Night Cream, a name that all but dares you to expect miracles. Mychelle bills it as an overnight multitasker powered by retinal, ChroNOline peptide and monk’s pepper, promising smoother brighter firmer skin while politely skipping the usual sketchy additives.
I spent a full two weeks slathering it over face neck and décolleté, tracking everything from texture to next morning glow to any sign of irritation, all to decide if this pot of promises is worth your hard-earned cash.
Disclosure: this is not a paid or sponsored review. The jar was purchased with my own money and every observation is personal. Skincare is never one size fits all so individual results may vary.
What Is Remarkable Retinal Night Cream?
Remarkable Retinal Night Cream is an overnight treatment, meaning it is designed to be applied before bed and left undisturbed while you sleep. Overnight formulas take advantage of the skin’s natural nocturnal repair cycle when cell turnover peaks and external stressors are minimal. As a result they are usually richer and more active than a day cream and often contain ingredients that can increase sun sensitivity.
In this case the star active is retinaldehyde, a form of vitamin A positioned between retinol and prescription strength tretinoin on the potency ladder. Mychelle pairs it with ChroNOline peptide, a signal peptide thought to encourage collagen production, and monk’s pepper extract, a botanical said to support hormonal balance at the skin level. The base is a classic emulsion of water, plant oils, glycerin and shea butter that aims to lock in moisture while the actives do their work. According to the label the formula is vegan, cruelty free and free from parabens, silicones, petroleum derivatives, artificial color and fragrance.
The brand says the cream targets fine lines, uneven tone and loss of firmness and is suitable for every skin type. Regular use calls for nightly application across face neck and décolleté followed by daytime sunscreen since vitamin A compounds can heighten photosensitivity.
Did It Work?
First things first, I benched my usual overnight serum for three very disciplined nights so my face could meet Remarkable Retinal without interference. Highly scientific, I know. After that mini washout I committed to the cream every evening for the full 14 days which feels long enough for vitamin A to show early signals without straying into placebo territory.
Application was pleasant from night one. The texture leans buttery but melts quickly, leaving just a soft satin film rather than a greasy layer on my pillowcase. I used a pea-size blob for the face then half that for neck and chest, pressing it in after a gentle cleanse. No tingling, no fragrance blast. So far so good.
Mornings two through five delivered a subtle boost in overnight hydration. My cheeks looked plumper than usual and foundation glided on a bit smoother. Fine lines around the mouth were unchanged yet the surface felt consistently cushioned which I credit to the generous dose of squalane and shea butter.
Around day seven I noticed the first meaningful change in tone. Post-summer sun spots appeared fractionally lighter and there was a faint all-over brightness that prompted a coworker to ask if I had actually slept eight hours. Encouraging, though not quite the “wow who is she” glow that prescription retinoids can pull off.
The second week is where the retinal flexed a little muscle. Two tiny breakouts along my jaw healed faster than usual and the skin under my eyes seemed marginally firmer when I smiled. However deeper forehead lines stayed put and overall firmness did not take a dramatic leap. Importantly, I never experienced peeling or redness so the formula earns marks for being gentle.
So did it work? Partially. Remarkable Retinal delivered respectable brightness and steady hydration with zero irritation which is no small feat, yet the promised firmness and wrinkle reduction were more whisper than shout in my two week window. I will finish the jar gladly but I will not rush to repurchase since other treatments in my rotation offer bolder results for roughly the same effort.
Main Ingredients Explained
The star of the formula is retinaldehyde, a cousin of the prescription heavy-hitters that converts one metabolic step away from retinoic acid. Translation: you get a respectable anti-aging punch with less risk of peeling or flaming redness. It speeds up cell turnover which helps fade hyperpigmentation, smooth fine lines and, over time, stimulate collagen. Because retinal still lives in the vitamin A family, I would not call this pregnancy safe. Dermatologists generally advise avoiding all retinoids while expecting or nursing unless your doctor gives very specific clearance.
Backing up retinal is Caprooyl Tetrapeptide-3, marketed by its snappier trade name ChroNOline. This signal peptide is small enough to nudge fibroblasts into producing more collagen and laminin, proteins that keep the dermal scaffolding bouncy. The science is early but promising and I like that Mychelle lists it higher than the usual trace-amount territory.
Monk’s pepper extract earns a shout-out for its potential to modulate hormonal flux at the skin’s surface which can translate to calmer breakouts and more even tone. That same hormonal link is why I would again flag caution for anyone pregnant or navigating hormone-related medical conditions. Better to run it past your physician first.
The emollient chassis leans on squalane, shea butter, jojoba and sweet almond oils. Squalane is lightweight and virtually non-comedogenic while shea and almond sit mid-range on the comedogenic scale. In plain speak, if you are highly clog prone these richer butters and oils could theoretically trap debris and trigger bumps though I personally dodged any congestion during testing. The formula balances the heft with water-binding glycerin and sodium hyaluronate so skin feels cushioned not suffocated.
Preservatives come from a blend of caprylyl glycol, honeysuckle extracts and radish-root ferment which keeps the jar fresh without traditional parabens. There are also trace essential oils like lavender and ormenis multicaulis that lend a faint herbal scent. Essential oils can irritate sensitive skin so patch test if you know fragrance is a trigger.
Good news for plant-based shoppers: every ingredient is vegan and the brand is certified cruelty free. No silicones, sulfates or artificial dyes make an appearance which will please the clean-beauty purists. All told the ingredient list is thoughtful and largely skin-loving yet the presence of vitamin A plus a hormone-active botanical means certain groups should seek professional sign-off before diving in.
What I Liked/Didn’t Like
After two weeks of nightly use here is the straightforward rundown.
What Works Well:
- Butter-to-satin texture sinks in fast so it layers easily over serums without leaving pillows greasy
- Hydration is impressive thanks to squalane glycerin and shea butter which left skin comfortably plump by morning
- Retinal delivers visible brightness with zero peeling or redness making it beginner friendly
- Formula is vegan cruelty free and free of the usual silicone and paraben crowd pleasing clean beauty devotees
What to Consider:
- Firmness and wrinkle softening were mild in the two week window so expectations should be realistic
- Rich butters and oils may feel heavy on very oily or congestion prone skin
- Jar packaging exposes retinal to air and light which could reduce potency toward the end of the tub
My Final Thoughts
After fourteen nights in a committed relationship with Remarkable Retinal Night Cream I am calling it a solid 7/10. Its gentle retinal glow up, plush hydration and zero sting are wins particularly for first-timers or anyone who thinks prescription strength sounds like too much drama. If you already court stronger retinoids or chase rapid wrinkle reversals you may find the results polite rather than transformative. For combination-to-dry skin that wants a comfortable overnight companion free of silicones and animal testing this little yellow jar is a safe bet. Oily or clog-prone types should sample first since shea and almond can tip into heavy territory.
Would I recommend it to a friend? Yes, with caveats. I would hand it to my sensitive-skin colleague who bailed on tretinoin or my sister who loves clean formulas yet still wants legitimate actives. I would steer my results-in-a-flash friends toward something punchier.
If Remarkable Retinal feels almost right but not quite your perfect pillow partner I have road-tested some worthy alternatives. Nocturnal Revive Cream by Deascal is the Goldilocks option: balanced hydration, a gentle retinoid blend and a wallet friendly price that plays nicely with every skin type. For a silkier texture and a touch more bounce Medik8’s Intelligent Retinol Smoothing Night Cream layers beautifully and nudges cell turnover up a notch. Those craving spa-grade comfort might fancy ELEMIS Pro-Collagen Night Cream, a rich marine-powered pot that leaves skin pillowy by sunrise. Finally the Bouncy & Firm Sleeping Mask from LANEIGE is my pick for nights when dehydration, not wrinkles, is the main villain as its water-gel matrix floods skin without the faintest pore clog.
Before you slather anything new please patch test on a discreet spot, apologies for sounding like the skincare equivalent of an over-protective parent. Remember that vitamin A can heighten sun sensitivity so keep sunscreen in the daytime lineup and know that those bright-firm results only stick around with consistent use. Skincare may be a marathon, but at least this one lets you sleep through most of the work.