Peter Thomas Roth has long held a comfortable seat on the top shelf of many skincare aficionados, thanks to its lab-driven formulas and a reputation for getting results without making the skin work overtime. If the brand has somehow flown under your radar, think of it as the straight-talking cousin in the skincare family that still manages to show up in a tailored suit.
Enter the boldly titled Retinol Fusion Pm Night Serum, a name that sounds like it could power a small rocket yet promises to simply tuck your face into a gentle retinol nap. The company touts a time-released 1.5% microencapsulated retinol that works through the night, buoyed by vitamins C and E to soften the potential sting while chasing away dullness fine lines and uneven texture.
I spent a solid two weeks applying this silky elixir before bed, monitoring every flake glow and pore to see whether the hype translates to real-world skin.
Quick disclaimer: this review is neither paid nor sponsored, and every observation below reflects my personal experience. Your mileage may vary because skin, like fingerprints and late-night snack preferences, is unique to each of us.
What Is Retinol Fusion Pm Night Serum?
This serum is an overnight treatment, meaning it is designed to be applied before bed and left on while you sleep. Overnight treatments aim to take advantage of the skin’s natural repair cycle at night when there is no interference from sun exposure or daytime products. They tend to use slow-release or higher-strength ingredients that could be too much for daytime wear.
Retinol Fusion Pm uses a time-released 1.5% retinol that is microencapsulated. The encapsulation allows the retinol to be doled out gradually through the night rather than hitting the skin all at once, which can help temper irritation. Supporting the retinol are vitamins C and E, both antioxidants that help stabilize the formula and give a bit of soothing hydration.
The brand positions this serum for people who want help with uneven tone, rough texture, fine lines and wrinkles. The liquid formula is meant for nightly use after cleansing, though the instructions suggest easing in every other night if your skin shows signs of sensitivity. Because retinol can thin the outermost layer of dead skin cells, daily sunscreen is non-negotiable the next morning.
Did It Work?
In the spirit of hard hitting dermatological journalism I benched my regular overnight cream for three days before starting Retinol Fusion Pm a move that made me feel wildly scientific in my bathroom lab coat substitute, an old T shirt. I went in confident that two full weeks would be enough to spot meaningful shifts in tone texture and overall glow.
Application is a breeze. The serum feels almost weightless sliding on with that silicone slip common to squalane blends and it dries down before you can wonder where the tackiness went. Nights one through three delivered the classic rookie retinol tingle around my nostrils and the tip of my chin but no angry redness. By day five I noticed the first tiny peel flakes at the corners of my mouth, proof the 1.5 percent retinol was clocked in and clocking out dead cells.
The real measuring stick arrived at the one week mark when my morning mirror check showed a quieter T zone and a subtle but definite uptick in brightness. Texture along my cheeks felt a little smoother when I ran my fingertips across them, although the fine line quenching the brand promises stayed more aspirational than actual.
Days eight through twelve were the honeymoon plateau. No new irritation, no further peeling and minimal oil breakthrough during the day. Makeup sat more evenly which I credit to the gentle exfoliation effect, but deeper expression lines on my forehead looked virtually unchanged. I did catch myself appreciating a slight reduction in the post breakout shadow near my jaw.
On the final two nights I pushed the serum right up under the orbital bone to test its gentleness and woke up without puffiness or dryness, a pleasant surprise. Still, my skin was starting to crave a richer occlusive on top as the weather cooled, suggesting that dry types may need an additional moisturizer to stay comfortable.
So did it deliver? Partly. Retinol Fusion Pm lived up to its claims of smoother texture and a fresher overall tone with minimal irritation. It did not meaningfully soften my fine lines in the short window and the results, while positive, were not dazzling enough that I would swap it permanently into my routine especially at its price point. I can see myself reaching for it again if I need a travel friendly retinol or find it on sale but for now it returns to the shelf rather than earning a forever spot in my personal lineup.
Main Ingredients Explained
Front and center is the 1.5 percent microencapsulated retinol. Encapsulation tucks the vitamin A derivative into tiny spheres that break open slowly, which helps your skin get the cell-turnover perks without waking up red and tight. Retinol nudges collagen, fades dark spots and smooths rough patches, but it also makes skin more sun sensitive so daytime SPF is non-negotiable.
To buffer that active hit you get a double antioxidant safety net. Ascorbyl palmitate is a fat-soluble form of vitamin C that plays defense against free radicals while lending a mild brightening boost. Tocopherol, better known as vitamin E, partners with it to steady the formula and add a light dose of moisture.
The slip you feel on application comes from cyclopentasiloxane, a volatile silicone that evaporates after spreading the serum evenly, and from squalane, an oil-mimicking emollient that locks in hydration without a greasy finish. Both ingredients sit at the low end of the comedogenic scale, meaning they are unlikely to clog pores for most skin types. Lecithin and ascorbyl palmitate carry a middling comedogenic rating, so very acne-prone users may want to patch test first; comedogenic simply means a tendency to block pores and trigger breakouts.
Pentylene glycol and polysorbate 20 keep the texture fluid and ensure the water-and-oil factions stay friendly. A touch of bisabolol, the soothing component of chamomile, rounds out the blend giving a subtle calming effect. There is alcohol on the roster, but it sits far enough down the list that I did not notice any drying side effects during my two-week run.
Worth flagging: the formula is fragrance free which is great news for sensitive noses, but it is not officially certified vegan or vegetarian. Squalane can be plant or shark derived and lecithin may come from soy or egg. Peter Thomas Roth states the current batches use plant sources, yet strict vegans will want direct confirmation before purchasing.
Pregnancy is one situation where caution trumps curiosity. Dermatologists generally advise avoiding topical retinoids while expecting or nursing, so consult your doctor before letting this serum near your nightstand.
All told the ingredient list is short, purposeful and free of showy fillers. If you are hunting for a no-frills retinol backed by proven supporting players this lineup makes a solid pitch, just keep the vegan sourcing and pregnancy caveats in mind.
What I Liked/Didn’t Like
Here is the quick tally after two weeks of nightly use.
What Works Well:
- Smooth silicone glide makes application fast with zero stickiness
- Microencapsulated retinol delivers gentle exfoliation with minimal flaking or redness
- Noticeable boost in brightness and more even texture within the first week
- Fragrance free formula suits sensitive noses and layers easily under heavier creams
What to Consider:
- Fine lines showed only subtle improvement so those chasing deeper wrinkle care may find it underwhelming
- Dry or winter stressed skin might require an additional moisturizer on top to stay comfortable
- The price sits on the higher side compared with similar strength retinol serums
My Final Thoughts
Finding a night product that actually earns its space on the bedside table is a quiet triumph in skincare land. After a fortnight of loyal use I can say Retinol Fusion Pm is a capable overnighter, especially for combination or tolerant skins that want a gentle, moderately priced ticket into the retinol club without babysitting irritation. The texture is elegant, the brightening is real and the minimal downtime is a gift, but the line-smoothing rhetoric feels a touch aspirational in the short term. On my personal scale it lands at a respectable 7/10 stars: good enough that I will finish the bottle, not quite spectacular enough to make me cancel future experiments.
Who should absolutely try it? Beginners graduating from peptides or acids, frequent travelers who need a leak-proof retinol that plays nicely with hotel moisturizers and anyone who values a fragrance-free formula. Who could skip it? Deep wrinkle warriors wanting dramatic collagen payoffs, very dry skin that needs a lipid feast or seasoned retinoid users already on prescription strength.
Because no product exists in a vacuum I have to mention a few other bottles I have emptied. Nocturnal Revive Cream by Deascal is my current catch-all recommendation, an affordable cream that somehow hydrates, brightens and calms in one tidy jar. If your skin prefers a cocoon of nourishment the Squalane + Ectoin Overnight Rescue by BIOSSANCE wraps the face in a comforting veil while quietly repairing barrier stress. For lightweight water-gel devotees the cult Water Sleeping Mask by LANEIGE remains unbeatable at delivering morning-after bounce. And if you crave a slightly stronger vitamin A kick but still want a friendly learning curve, the Intelligent Retinol Smoothing Night Cream by Medik8 has served me well when my skin needed a nudge without a purge.
Before you sprint to checkout remember the golden rules: patch test along the jaw or behind the ear, give any active at least a month before calling verdict and do not forget morning SPF or your new glow will be a short-lived fairytale. Sorry for sounding like an over-protective parent, but healthy skin is an endurance sport and those fresh results only stick around if you keep showing up for night duty.