REVOX B77 JUST Retinol in Squalane Versus Balea Beauty Collagen Retinol Serum
REVOX B77 JUST Retinol in Squalane Versus Balea Beauty Collagen Retinol Serum This anti-aging serum is formulated around Squalane and Retinyl Palmitate to soften the look of wrinkles. This anti-aging serum is formulated around Retinyl Palmitate and Retinol to
REVOX B77 JUST Retinol in Squalane Versus Balea Beauty Collagen Retinol Serum
This anti-aging serum is formulated around Squalane and Retinyl Palmitate to soften the look of wrinkles.
This anti-aging serum is formulated around Retinyl Palmitate and Retinol to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Squalane
Retinyl Palmitate
Tocopheryl Acetate
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Squalane, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate
Water
Glycine Soja Oil
Propanediol
Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate
Glycerin
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Phenoxyethanol
Parfum
Sclerotium Gum
Stearyl Alcohol
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Xanthan Gum
Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
Arginine/Lysine Polypeptide
Ethylhexylglycerin
Retinol
Acacia Seyal Gum Extract
Cyclodextrin
Lecithin
Citric Acid
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
Tocopherol
Potassium Sorbate
Sorbic Acid
Benzoic Acid
Dehydroacetic Acid
Benzyl Alcohol
Water, Glycine Soja Oil, Propanediol, Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate, Glycerin, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Sclerotium Gum, Stearyl Alcohol, Retinyl Palmitate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Xanthan Gum, Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Arginine/Lysine Polypeptide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Retinol, Acacia Seyal Gum Extract, Cyclodextrin, Lecithin, Citric Acid, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Potassium Sorbate, Sorbic Acid, Benzoic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol
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Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Retinyl Palmitate is a form of retinoid. Retinoids are the superstar class of anti-aging ingredients that include Tretinoin and Retinol.
This particular ingredient has had a bumpy year with its rise and fall in popularity.
First, Retinyl Palmitate is created from Palmitic Acid and Retinol. It is a Retinol ester and considered one of the weaker forms of retinoid.
This is because all retinoids have to be converted to Tretinoin, AKA Retinoic Acid.
Retinyl Palmitate is pretty far down the line and has to go through multiple conversions before its effects are seen. Once it's on your skin, enzymes called esterases convert it into Retinol, then into Retinal, and finally into Retinoic Acid; that's three steps with a little lost at each one.
The benefits of Retinyl Palmitate are debated due to this long and ineffective conversion line.
So why use it at all?
The answer is stability. Retinol and Retinoic Acid break down fast when they hit light, heat, and air, and Retinoic Acid can be pretty irritating on top of that.
Retinyl Palmitate is much more stable and gentler, making it easier to formulate with and easier on sensitive skin (even if it's weaker gram for gram).
Studies show Retinyl Palmitate to help:
Newer research from 2023-2025 also found that Retinyl Palmitate works especially well when paired with Retinol. The two seem to cover each other's weak spots; retinol brings the potency while Retinyl Palmitate brings the stability and gentleness. Together, they repair UV damage better than either one does alone.
This ingredient used to be found in sunscreens to boost the efficacy of sunscreen filters.
The downfall of Retinyl Palmitate was due to released reports about the ingredient being correlated to sun damage and skin tumors.
Most of this traces back to a 2012 US National Toxicology Program (NTP) study where hairless mice coated in Retinyl Palmitate cream and exposed to UV light developed skin tumors faster.
Here's the nuance, though.
When the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel went back through that study, they found methodological flaws and decided the results couldn't be interpreted as proof of extra risk.
The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) said the mouse findings might point to a concern but they're hard to apply to humans since hairless mouse skin and human skin behave differently.
While there is a study showing this ingredient to cause DNA damage when exposed to UVA, there is no concrete proof of it being linked to skin cancer. It is completely safe to use when used correctly.
Both the CIR and the SCCS consider it safe at the concentrations used in cosmetics; the SCCS specifically cleared retinoids up to 0.05% in body lotions and 0.3% in face creams, hand creams, and rinse-off products.
As of 2025, the EU has written those limits into law, plus a label warning about your total Vitamin A intake from all sources.
All retinoids increase your skin's sensitivity to the sun in the first few months of usage. Be especially careful with reapplying sunscreen when using any form of retinoid.
One more note: if you're pregnant, high doses of Vitamin A can be a concern, so a lot of people skip topical retinoids (including Retinyl Palmitate) during pregnancy just to be safe. Check with your doctor if you're unsure.
Fun fact: This ingredient is often added to low-fat milk to increase the levels of Vitamin A.
Tocopheryl Acetate is a stable, shelf-friendly form of vitamin E.
Formulators love it because plain vitamin E oxidizes quickly once it hits air. This acetate version stays stable and resists going off, helping to extend a product's shelf life.
It's actually inactive on its own and works like a slow-release "storage" form; the enzymes in your skin called esterases gradually convert it into active vitamin E over time.
One in vivo study showed 5% of the acetate in the living layer of the epidermis converted to vitamin E after 5 days of application. This study also found the skin gained protection against UV damage even though the conversion was slow and small.
Once converted, vitamin E acts as a skin's main fat-soluble antioxidant that fights free radicals to protect skin from damage.
Topical vitamin E generally boosts the skin's photoprotection, and it reduced UV-damage in animal models.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
Overall, it has a pretty solid safety profile and has been found to be non-irritating and non-comedogenic. Allergic reactions may happen but stay rare due to how widely the ingredient gets used.
The concentration will vary depending on the formula; industry data shows 0.1% in baby lotions, 3% in lipsticks, and 5% in foot powders. You can also find this ingredient at 100% in a pure vitamin E oil.
Most leave-on skincare keeps it at the lower end, often between 0.5-1%.