Retinol Alternative Serum
✓ Plant-based alternative to retinol
✓ Softens the look of fine lines, refines texture
✓ Aloe base with rosehip & jojoba oil
- Beoordeeld met 4,7/5 uit 980 reviews
- Free shipping on orders over €50
- Ordered today, dispatched within 24 hours
- Made and safety-assessed in the EU
- 14 days to change your mind
- in3
Product details
2% Bidens pilosa · Aloe vera · Rosehip oil · Hyaluronic acid · 30 ml
Smoother-looking skin, without the retinol
Retinol works, but not every skin wants it. Rosa takes the gentler route: a lightweight serum built around 2% Bidens pilosa, a plant extract used as an alternative to retinol, in a base that starts with organic aloe juice rather than water. Evening after evening it refines texture and softens the look of fine lines and dark spots, without retinol itself.
Key benefits
- Softens the look of fine lines: a gentle, plant-based alternative to retinol.
- Refines texture: the skin surface looks smoother and more even.
- Hydrates: aloe juice and two forms of hyaluronic acid.
- Nourishes: jojoba, rosehip, murumuru and mango seed butter leave skin soft, not greasy.
How to use
In the evening, or morning and evening, press a few drops into cleansed skin and let it absorb. Follow with your moisturiser. In the morning, finish with SPF.
Honestly
This is not retinol and it does not work as fast. Hydration and texture show first; give lines and dark spots around eight weeks.
Good to know
No retinol or retinoids · 99% natural origin, 24% organic · Cruelty-free · Scented with natural essential oils (rose, red geranium) · Made in the EU · 30 ml
Full ingredients (INCI)
Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe) Leaf Juice*, Glycerin**, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil*, Pentylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Propanediol, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter, Gossypium Herbaceum Seed Oil, Isoamyl Laurate, Bidens Pilosa Extract, Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil, Parfum/Fragrance, Cellulose, Aqua/Water, Hippophae Rhamnoides (Sea Buckthorn) Fruit Extract*, Lactic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Rhodomyrtus Tomentosa (Rose Myrtle) Fruit Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Rosa Canina (Rosehip) Fruit Oil*, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter*, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Phytate, Octyldodecanol, Tocopherol, Geraniol***, Citronellol***, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Linalool***, Citral***. *Ingredients from organic farming. **Made using organic ingredients. ***From natural essential oils.
How to use
Evening, or morning and evening. Press a few drops into cleansed face and let it absorb before your moisturiser. In the morning, finish with SPF.
Ingredients & benefits
- 2% Bidens pilosa extract: the plant extract used here as a gentle alternative to retinol
- Aloe leaf juice (organic): the first ingredient, a soothing, hydrating base
- Hyaluronic acid, two forms: hydrolysed and sodium hyaluronate
- Rosehip oil & sea buckthorn extract (organic): nourish and support an even-looking tone
- Jojoba oil & rose myrtle extract: softness and antioxidant support, with vitamin E
Common questions
Is this a retinol?
No. There is no retinol or retinoid in it. The active is Bidens pilosa, a plant extract used as a gentle alternative.
Can I use it with the vitamin C serum?
Yes. The easiest split: vitamin C in the morning, this serum in the evening.
Can I use it during pregnancy?
It contains no retinol, but it does contain fragrance from essential oils. Check with your doctor or midwife before using any new skincare while pregnant or breastfeeding.
Does it smell?
Lightly, of rose and red geranium from natural essential oils. It is not fragrance-free.
Shipping & delivery
Ordered today, dispatched within 24 hours. Estimated delivery: 2–4 business days within the Netherlands and Belgium, a little longer for other EU destinations. Tracking is emailed as soon as your order ships.
- Targets
- Huidveroudering, Blemishes
- Skin type
- Alle huidtypen
- Key actives
- Aloë vera-sap, Hyaluronzuur, Retinol Alternative, Vitamine E
- Format
- Serum
- Retinol-free
- Aloe-based
- 99% natural origin
- Cruelty-free
Honest timeline
What to expect
Soft and comfortable
Aloe, jojoba and hyaluronic acid make skin feel softer and hydrated from the first evening. There is no retinol here, so there is no retinol adjustment phase.
Texture looks more refined
The skin surface looks a touch smoother and more even. Dark spots need longer, so do not judge them yet.
Lines look softer
Judge it here, not before. Expect fine lines and dark spots to look gradually softer. Gentle by design, so results are subtle and build over time.
Our honest claims
We’d rather prove it than claim it
99% natural origin, 24% organic
Figures declared by the manufacturer under the COSMOS standard, for the finished serum.
Made & safety-assessed in the EU
Formulated and produced in Latvia under the EU Cosmetics Regulation, which requires an independent safety assessment before a single bottle is sold.
Cruelty-free
No animal testing on the formula or its ingredients: banned for cosmetics across the EU since 2013.
Aloe first, not water
The very first ingredient is organic aloe leaf juice. Water only appears halfway down the list, so the actives sit in a naturally soothing base.
Bidens pilosa, not retinol
There is no retinol or retinoid in this formula. The alternative is 2% Bidens pilosa, a plant extract, carried in jojoba and rosehip oil.
Source: manufacturer formulation data and certifications.
complete the routine
The full routine, in one step
These are formulated to work together. Layer them in order and each one does less work on its own.
Good to know
Questions, answered honestly
Is this suitable for sensitive skin?
It is a gentle alternative to retinol in an aloe base and is safety-assessed under EU cosmetics law. It does contain fragrance from natural essential oils. Skin is personal, so patch test on the inside of your arm for 24 hours first.
How soon will I see a difference?
Skin renews itself in roughly a 28-day cycle, so give a new routine a full month before you judge it. Hydration tends to show first. Tone, texture and fine lines take longer, and how much changes differs from person to person.
In what order do I apply these?
Cleanse first, then serum on slightly damp skin, then eye cream, then moisturiser last to seal everything in. In the morning, finish with SPF.
Is this vegan and cruelty-free?
Cruelty-free, yes: testing cosmetics on animals has been banned across the EU since 2013. The manufacturer does not certify this particular formula as vegan, so we don’t claim it.
Where are the products made?
Formulated and produced in Latvia, within the EU, under the EU Cosmetics Regulation. That regulation requires an independent safety assessment of every formula before a single bottle may be sold.
What does shipping cost and how long does it take?
Shipping within the Netherlands is free on orders over €50. Order today and your parcel is dispatched within 24 hours on working days.
What if it doesn't suit me?
You have 14 days to change your mind. Send us a message and we'll arrange the return with you.