Skinbetter Science

AlphaRet is what Skinbetter Science is built on and the reason most people find the brand. It is a retinoid and an alpha hydroxy acid combined into a single molecule rather than two ingredients mixed in a jar.

The point of building it that way is to get retinoid results from a formula the skin tolerates better than the two used separately, which is normally a combination that would be too much on the same night.

It is still a retinoid though, and it still needs the same respect. See question four.

Four of them, and you only need one.

• AlphaRet Overnight Cream for general ageing, lines and texture, and the one most people start with
• AlphaRet Clearing Serum if breakouts and congestion are the main issue
• EyeMax AlphaRet Overnight Cream for the eye area, which is thinner skin and needs its own formula
• AlphaRet Exfoliating Peel Pads as a weekly step rather than a nightly one

Do not run the cream and the pads on the same night. That is the mistake this range invites, because the pads look like a separate category when they are the same active.

Both are antioxidant serums for the morning, worn under sun protection, and both sit alongside AlphaRet rather than competing with it. Alto Advanced Defense and Repair Serum is the newer and more comprehensive of the two.

If you already use Alto Defense Serum and get on with it, there is no need to switch. If you are buying for the first time and want the fullest version of the formula, take the Advanced.

Mystro Active Balance Serum is a different job again, aimed at skin that reacts to everything and needs calming rather than more actives.

That is the design intent and plenty of people find it true in practice, but treat it as a retinoid and not as a gentle cream that happens to contain one.

• Start two nights a week, not nightly
• Build up over a couple of months if your skin stays comfortable
• Expect some dryness or flaking in the first few weeks, which usually settles
• Wear sun protection every morning without exception

Skipping the build-up because a product is described as well tolerated is the most common way people end up abandoning something that would have worked.

Mostly no, and this is the single most useful thing to know about the brand. AlphaRet already contains an acid, so adding an exfoliating toner, an acid cleanser or a weekly scrub on top is doing the same job two or three times over.

Take the AlphaRet as your exfoliation and your retinoid together and leave the rest of your routine gentle. A plain cleanser, a moisturiser, an antioxidant in the morning and a sunscreen is all it needs around it.

If you already use a retinoid from another brand, swap rather than stack. Two retinoids is not twice the result.

Two products cover the whole brand for most people. An AlphaRet at night and an Alto serum in the morning. The A Team Duo Kit pairs them in smaller sizes if you would rather try before committing.

Add a Trio Moisture Treatment if your skin wants more comfort, Rebalancing for normal to combination and Luxe for dry.

This is an expensive range and it does not need to be bought whole. Two products used properly for six months will do more than five bought at once.