Retinol-Free Renewal: an eye and lip gift built on plant-based alternatives
Two products with one idea: results without retinol. Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Bakuchiol Eye Cream uses bakuchiol, a plant-derived retinol alternative, for the delicate eye area. Evolve Bio-Retinol Glossy Lip Oil nourishes lips with plant oils and a botanical extract; despite its name, it contains no retinol. Every ingredient has been screened. Gift-wrapped in tissue paper.
What's inside
- Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Bakuchiol Eye Cream 20ml: an eye cream built around bakuchiol at 0.5%, the concentration studied against 0.5% retinol in a 12-week trial, with Adenosine, Niacinamide and fermented Black Rice Extract. Vegan and cruelty-free. Worth £21.99
- Evolve Bio-Retinol Glossy Lip Oil 15ml: a glossy lip oil with Castor Seed Oil, Macadamia Seed Oil, Murumuru Seed Butter and Sodium Hyaluronate. Its "Bio-Retinol" is Bidens Pilosa, a plant extract, not a retinoid. COSMOS Natural certified. Worth £18.00
Worth £39.99, yours for £34.99
Key ingredients
- Bakuchiol (0.5%): plant-derived retinol alternative, supported by clinical research
- Adenosine: supported by clinical research for fine lines
- Niacinamide: supports brightening and barrier function
- Bidens Pilosa Extract: the botanical behind the lip oil's "Bio-Retinol" name
- Sodium Hyaluronate (lip oil): supports hydration
Best suited for
- Anyone wanting a retinol alternative
- People who find retinoids too irritating
- A thoughtful gift for someone into ingredient-led skincare
Screening summary
All 42 ingredients in the eye cream passed our screening; 38 passed without comments and 4 carry notes: sunflower seed oil and Usnea Barbata (lichen) extract as botanical sensitisers, wheat amino acids, and Disodium EDTA for environmental reasons. All 28 ingredients in the lip oil (taken from the printed carton) passed our screening; 16 passed without comments and 12 carry notes, including macadamia nut oil (see Important below).
For further information on the ingredients, plain English translations and the screening results, see the collapsible text below.
Important
- 🥜 The lip oil contains macadamia nut oil (a tree nut) and apricot kernel oil. Not suitable for anyone with a tree-nut allergy.
- The lip oil contains limonene, citral, linalool, beta-caryophyllene, menthol, pinene and peppermint oil.
- The lip oil contains cold-pressed lime peel oil, which can make skin more sensitive to sunlight.
- Both products contain sunflower seed oil, which may not suit people sensitive to the daisy (Compositae) plant family.
- 🌾 The eye cream contains wheat amino acids.
- The lip oil's "Bio-Retinol" is a plant extract (Bidens pilosa). Neither product contains retinol.
A patch test is recommended before first use.
Every product here, including these, is checked against our Ingredient Standards before it makes the cut.
Full ingredients list, plain English translations and screening results
Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Bakuchiol Eye Cream 20ml
| INCI | Plain English translation by Abevo | Screening result |
|---|---|---|
| Water | Water | ✅ Passes |
| Glycerin | Moisture-binding humectant | ✅ Passes |
| Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil | Sunflower seed oil | ✅ℹ️ Passes, see below |
| Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride | Coconut-derived lightweight oil | ✅ Passes |
| Niacinamide | Vitamin B3 | ✅ Passes |
| 1,2-Hexanediol | Plant-based preservative booster | ✅ Passes |
| Cetyl Alcohol | Fatty alcohol (not drying alcohol) | ✅ Passes |
| Cetearyl Alcohol | Fatty alcohol (not drying alcohol) | ✅ Passes |
| C14-22 Alcohols | Fatty alcohol blend | ✅ Passes |
| Bakuchiol (5,000ppm) | Bakuchiol (plant-based retinol alternative) | ✅ Passes |
| Stearyl Alcohol | Fatty alcohol (not drying alcohol) | ✅ Passes |
| Carbomer | Gel-thickening agent | ✅ Passes |
| Cetearyl Glucoside | Plant-sugar-derived emulsifier | ✅ Passes |
| Tromethamine | pH adjuster | ✅ Passes |
| Butylene Glycol | Moisture-binding solvent | ✅ Passes |
| Oryza Sativa (Rice) Extract (2,000ppm) | Rice extract | ✅ Passes |
| Cetyl Palmitate | Waxy emollient/thickener | ✅ Passes |
| C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside | Plant-sugar-derived cleansing agent | ✅ Passes |
| Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer | Gel-forming thickener | ✅ Passes |
| Sorbitan Palmitate | Emulsifier | ✅ Passes |
| Sorbitan Olivate | Olive-derived emulsifier | ✅ Passes |
| Polyisobutene | Synthetic silky emollient | ✅ Passes |
| Myristyl Alcohol | Fatty alcohol (not drying alcohol) | ✅ Passes |
| Phyllostachys Pubescens Shoot Bark Extract | Bamboo shoot bark extract | ✅ Passes |
| Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract | Japanese pepper fruit extract | ✅ Passes |
| Usnea Barbata (Lichen) Extract | Lichen extract | ✅ℹ️ Passes, see below |
| Pulsatilla Koreana Extract | Korean pasque flower extract | ✅ Passes |
| Aspergillus Ferment | Fermented mushroom-derived extract | ✅ Passes |
| Ethylhexylglycerin | Preservative booster/moisturiser | ✅ Passes |
| Panax Ginseng Root Extract | Ginseng root extract | ✅ Passes |
| Cyclodextrin | Sugar-derived stabiliser | ✅ Passes |
| Adenosine | Skin-repairing/anti-wrinkle compound | ✅ Passes |
| Lauryl Alcohol | Fatty alcohol (not drying alcohol) | ✅ Passes |
| Sodium Hyaluronate | Hyaluronic acid (salt form) | ✅ Passes |
| Disodium EDTA | Mineral-binder | ✅🟡 Passes, see below |
| Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside | Plant-sugar-derived cleanser | ✅ Passes |
| Sorbitan Oleate | Emulsifier | ✅ Passes |
| Glucose | Plant sugar, moisturiser | ✅ Passes |
| Wheat Amino Acids | Wheat-derived amino acids | ✅ Passes 🌾 Contains wheat |
| Natto Gum | Fermented soybean-derived gum | ✅ Passes |
| Pentylene Glycol | Moisture-binding preservative booster | ✅ Passes |
| Madecassoside | Centella/cica active compound | ✅ Passes |
ℹ️ The eye cream contains Sunflower Seed Oil and Usnea Barbata (Lichen) Extract (botanical contact sensitisers). 🌾 It contains Wheat Amino Acids.
🟡 Environmental note: the eye cream contains Disodium EDTA, which resists biodegradation in surface water once metal-bound.
Evolve Bio-Retinol Glossy Lip Oil 15ml
| INCI | Plain English translation by Abevo | Screening result |
|---|---|---|
| Ricinus Communis Seed Oil | Castor seed oil | ✅ Passes |
| Macadamia Integrifolia/Tetraphylla Seed Oil | Macadamia nut oil | ✅ Passes 🥜 Contains tree nut (macadamia) |
| Oleic/Linoleic/Linolenic Polyglycerides | Plant-derived glycerin and fatty-acid emollient | ✅ Passes |
| Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil | Apricot kernel oil | ✅ Passes ℹ️ Kernel oil, see below |
| Euphorbia Cerifera Cera Wax | Candelilla wax | ✅ Passes |
| Trihydroxystearin | Plant-derived thickener | ✅ Passes |
| Citrullus Vulgaris Seed Oil | Watermelon (Kalahari melon) seed oil | ✅ Passes |
| Rubus Idaeus Seed Oil | Raspberry seed oil | ✅ Passes |
| Sodium Hyaluronate | Hyaluronic acid (salt form) | ✅ Passes |
| Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter | Murumuru seed butter | ✅ Passes |
| Bidens Pilosa Extract | Bidens pilosa plant extract (the 'Bio-Retinol'; not a retinoid) | ✅ Passes ℹ️ No retinol, see below |
| Gossypium Herbaceum (Cotton) Seed Oil | Cottonseed oil | ✅ Passes |
| Linum Usitatissimum (Linseed) Seed Oil | Linseed oil | ✅ Passes |
| Citrus Aurantifolia Peel Oil Expressed | Cold-pressed lime peel oil | ✅ Passes ☀️ Sun sensitivity, see below |
| Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil | Sunflower seed oil | ✅ Passes ℹ️ Daisy (Compositae) family |
| Tocopherol | Vitamin E | ✅ Passes |
| Caproic Acid | Fatty acid | ✅ Passes |
| Sorbitan Olivate | Olive-derived emulsifier | ✅ Passes |
| Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil | Peppermint oil | ✅ Passes ⚠️ Fragrance allergen |
| Maltodextrin | Starch-derived carrier | ✅ Passes |
| Raphanus Sativus (Radish) Root Extract | Radish root extract | ✅ Passes |
| Citric Acid | pH adjuster | ✅ Passes |
| Limonene | Naturally occurring fragrance component | ✅ Passes ⚠️ Fragrance allergen |
| Citral | Naturally occurring fragrance component | ✅ Passes ⚠️ Fragrance allergen |
| Linalool | Naturally occurring fragrance component | ✅ Passes ⚠️ Fragrance allergen |
| Beta-Caryophyllene | Naturally occurring fragrance component | ✅ Passes ⚠️ Fragrance allergen |
| Menthol | Naturally occurring fragrance component | ✅ Passes ⚠️ Fragrance allergen |
| Pinene | Naturally occurring fragrance component | ✅ Passes ⚠️ Fragrance allergen |
🥜 The lip oil contains Macadamia Nut Oil, a tree nut, and Apricot Kernel Oil. Not suitable for anyone with a tree-nut allergy.
⚠️ The lip oil contains limonene, citral, linalool, beta-caryophyllene, menthol, pinene and peppermint oil.
☀️ The lip oil contains cold-pressed lime peel oil, which can make skin more sensitive to sunlight.
ℹ️ The lip oil's "Bio-Retinol" is a plant extract (Bidens pilosa). There is no retinol in it. It also contains sunflower seed oil, which may not suit people sensitive to the daisy (Compositae) plant family.
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