Synergie Skin Acceler-A

This is Synergie Skin's most potent retinoid/Vitamin A serum. It is not recommended for first time Vitamin A users. It contains 6% of 'RetiGen Complex', which is a blend that includes hydroxypinacolone retinoate (HPR) - a Vitamin A derivative that doesn't have the irritation risk that comes with retinol and has less conversion steps to become retinoic acid. The HPR is combined with coenzyme Q10 and green tea to make this 'RetiGen Complex'. It's unclear how much HPR is in this Retigen Complex - Synergie Skin says that this is propriety information that they cannot share. As a comparison, The Ordinary's Granactive Retinoid 5% in squalane contains 0.5% HPR. The serum comes in an airtight pump and a dark frosted glass bottle. It's a good format for retinoids which can deteriorate with exposure to air and light. The texture is a milky emulsion that is not greasy at all and absorbs well. It has a herby rosemary scent that is pleasant. The instructions say to use one pump for the face and neck. I have used up to 1% retinol and 0.5% HPR before, but still eased into it in the first two weeks by only applying twice a week, after which I was able to use it 5-6 nights a week. I personally experienced zero irritation even though there is a chance of irritation for this product. There were some nights that I took a break when my skin felt a bit dry. I've now used this consistently for over 3 months. I would say that it's kept my skin maintained in terms of cell turnover and regulating sebum, however it didn't help any hyperpigmentation which was listed as one of the benefits. In terms of texture I think this is so much better than The Ordinary's 5% offering in squalane, however I did not see any improvement in terms of effectiveness. It's possible that I've just used retinoids for enough years now that I need to go for something stronger like tretinoin on prescription.