A retinol-based serum that's supremely gentle, the Skingredients Skin Protein (£44) serum is another hero of the collection. The reason? It contains retinyl palmitate versus retinol. "I use retinol every single night from other brands. I adore it, and I think it's absolutely needed to challenge the skin. But because I wanted to create a simplistic, almost introductory skin-care brand for people, I felt retinol could be overwhelming," Rock explained.
The serum combines retinyl palmitate with vitamin C in a way that won't irritate the skin. The two hard-hitting ingredients actually complement each other very nicely, and lately we're seeing more and more skin-care brands find ways to incorporate them in one serum. "Vitamins A and C work incredibly well together," skin-care biochemist Nausheen Qureshi told POPSUGAR last year. "Whilst vitamin A regenerates and keeps the cells alive, vitamin C protects them from free radical damage and brightens the surface of the skin. So not only do you get a better texture and more voluminous facial tissue, but you also get bright and radiant-looking skin. They are a great tag team."