Product Overview
Dr. Lara Devgan Retinol + Bakuchiol Serum 2.5x is the introductory strength in the brand’s retinol system, created for evening resurfacing care. The antioxidant formula combines retinol with bakuchiol and botanical extracts to address the visible appearance of fine lines, uneven tone, blemishes, and enlarged pores.
Retinol supports smoother-looking skin and a more refined surface, while bakuchiol complements the formula with plant-derived antioxidant and soothing properties. With consistent use, the serum helps promote a clearer, more even, radiant-looking complexion while offering a gentler starting point than the brand’s higher-strength 5x and 10x options.
The 2.5x designation refers to the brand’s entry concentration level; it does not mean 2.5% retinol.
Recommended For
- All skin types seeking an evening retinol serum.
- Visible fine lines, uneven texture, discoloration, blemishes, or enlarged-looking pores.
- Retinol beginners and those who prefer to build tolerance gradually.
- Sensitive skin that can tolerate retinoids when introduced slowly.
- Not recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
- Those with sensitive skin or existing skin or eye concerns should speak to a qualified skincare professional before use.
Texture and Experience
The lightweight liquid serum spreads easily and absorbs quickly, leaving a smooth, supple feel without a heavy cream finish. Because retinol tolerance varies, temporary dryness or peeling may occur as the skin adjusts.
Key Ingredients
- Retinol: a vitamin A derivative that helps improve the appearance of fine lines, uneven texture, discoloration, blemishes, and pores.
- Bakuchiol: a plant-derived retinol alternative that complements retinol and helps support smoother, firmer-looking skin with improved comfort.
- Green Tea Polyphenols: antioxidant compounds that help support skin against visible environmental stress.
- Caffeine: provides antioxidant support and helps minimize the appearance of redness.
- Licorice Root Extract: a botanical antioxidant that supports a more even-looking complexion.
- Black Tea Leaf Extract: helps reinforce the formula’s antioxidant care.
- Glycerin: a humectant that helps attract moisture to the skin.
Conscious Formula
- Fragrance-free
- Dye-free
- Sulfate-free
- Paraben-free
- Gluten-free
- Formaldehyde-free
- Propylene glycol-free and hexylene glycol-free
- Not tested on animals
- Made in the USA
Available Size
1 fl oz / 30 mL
Safety Information
Use this serum in the evening only, on clean and completely dry skin, and follow with your moisturizer. Introduce it gradually — a few evenings a week to start — and add nights only while your skin stays comfortable. Temporary dryness, tightness or light peeling is common while skin adjusts to a vitamin A routine; if that happens, space applications further apart and keep the rest of the evening simple and hydrating. Wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher every morning and reapply during the day, since skin using a retinoid is more sensitive to sunlight. Keep the serum away from the immediate eye area, and pause use if irritation persists.
Not recommended for:
- Morning use — this is an evening step.
- Skin that is broken, sunburned, waxed or freshly irritated, until it has settled.
- The same evening as several exfoliating acids, scrubs or resurfacing masks.
- The same evening as another vitamin A product, including the Retinal Bakuchiol Serum 5x.
- Use during pregnancy or breastfeeding — the formula contains retinol, so discuss the ingredient list with your own specialist before starting.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is this different from the Retinal Bakuchiol Serum 5x?
This serum is the entry strength of the retinol system: retinol with bakuchiol and botanical antioxidants in a lightweight, fragrance-free liquid. The Retinal Bakuchiol Serum 5x is built around 0.05% retinal, with 2% bakuchiol and 2% retinol alongside it, in a water-based formula with added humectants. Different form of vitamin A, and a different place to start.
Does 2.5x mean 2.5% retinol?
No. The 2.5x designation refers to the brand’s entry concentration level within its own range, not to a percentage of retinol.
Which one should I choose?
If this is your first vitamin A serum, start here. If retinol is already comfortable for you and you want to move on to retinal, the 5x is the entry point of that system. There is no reason to use both in the same evening.
How often should I use it at the beginning?
A few evenings a week, then increase only if your skin stays comfortable. Consistency over months matters more than frequency in the first weeks.
My skin feels dry and is peeling slightly. What now?
Reduce to fewer evenings a week, pause other exfoliating products, and add a richer moisturizer or the Barrier Balm where skin feels tight. Build back up once it settles.
Pairs Well With
- Hyaluronic Serum: a hydrating layer once the serum has absorbed.
- Advanced Recovery Cream: the recovery cream step that finishes the evening routine.
- SPF 44 BB Cream: broad-spectrum daytime protection to pair with an evening retinol.
- Retinal Bakuchiol Serum 5x: the retinal option to consider once retinol feels easy.
- Explore the full Dr. Lara Devgan collection.