Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 10 On your shelf ✓
€0.13 an application · about 150 usesOur review, in one look
Retinal is the reason to consider this serum, with Pro-vitamin B5 behind it.
The case for it
- Retinal, moderate evidence for lines and firmness
- Pro-vitamin B5, strong evidence for the barrier
- No fragrance, alcohol, silicones or parabens
Mind this
- Avoid in pregnancy: Retinal
- Evenings only, sunscreen the next morning
- Add it on its own for a week or two, so you know what your skin is answering to
Maya's readGeek & Gorgeous A-Game 10 is a serum built around Glycerin, Retinal and Pro-vitamin B5. It leans strongest on hydration, barrier repair, anti-aging. Best suited to dry, dehydrated and normal skin. One caveat: it's best skipped during pregnancy.
Cost per use: what a day of it costs
€0.13 an applicationabout 150 uses from 30 ml
a usual amount, not a measured dose: 3-5 drops, about 0.2 ml; from €19 as read in September 2026 and a 30 ml pack.
how this is counted
About €0.13 an application, about 150 uses from 30 ml.
- a convention: no trial has measured a serum dose
- Measured or assumed: the rule, and the dose table
Skip it if you're pregnant or breastfeeding: it contains retinal, best paused until after.
Fragrance, texture and film: what the label says of its feel
- fragrance-free by the label: no parfum, none of the 26
- a serum in a pump
- no film-former or occlusive named on the label
- no silicone on the label
Facts off the label and the pack only. How it feels on a face is not something this page will say without having used it.
The formula, in order
every ingredient at its place on the label
Coloured by the job each one does here.
16 of the 22 sit above the 1% line. The other 6, hatched, are each under 1%. Widths show the ORDER on the label and nothing else: the label never discloses amounts, so we never draw them.
- Actives & signals
- Texture & base
- Preservation
- Not in our library yet
- inferred from the chain length
- did not feed it
- Retinal sits at position 12 of 22
- No fragrance anywhere on the label
Fungal acne: what on this label feeds the yeast (Malassezia)
the yeast: Malassezia furfur, globosa, restricta
Nothing on this label was measured to feed Malassezia; 3 are inferred to from the chain length (cetearyl olivate, sorbitan olivate and cloudberry seed oil).
Each result is a pure ingredient on a lab dish, never this product on skin.
where this comes from
- cetearyl olivateInferred from the chain length: Except for elaidinic and nervonic acids, all saturated and unsaturated fatty acids tested support growth.PMID 1249447
- sorbitan olivateInferred from the chain length: The strongest growth was observed in the presence of natural oils and waxes, primary alcohols, as well in the presence of fatty acid esters with fatty chain lengths above 12 carbon atoms.DOI 10.3390/cosmetics6030045
- cloudberry seed oilInferred from the chain length: Natural oils, which mostly consist of fatty acid triglycerides and fatty acid esters with fatty chain lengths above 12C-atoms, presented good growth mediums.DOI 10.3390/cosmetics6030045
What does it do? What its ingredients deliver
How it feels A rich, cushiony cream that sinks in slowly. Comforting on dry skin, possibly too much for oily skin in summer. (estimated from the formula)
Key ingredients: what in it does the work
Classic humectant with strong evidence for improving skin hydration and supporting barrier when combined with emollients.
Glycerin: This one works on contact: there is nothing to wait for.
how it was measured
Measured on stratum corneum hydration, corneometer capacitance after a single application; on contact, by mechanism.
Potent cosmetic retinoid that sits one step away from retinoic acid, often delivering faster results than retinol with a similar or slightly lower irritation profile.
Humectant and soothing ingredient that helps calm irritation and supports barrier repair and recovery.
Light emollient ester that improves slip and reduces transepidermal water loss. Its C8-C10 chains are below what Malassezia can use: no strain grew on it (Dobler 2019).
Soothing ingredient that helps calm irritation and support surface healing in compromised skin.
Short chain diol that works as a light humectant, co solvent and preservative booster. It keeps a formula less sticky and microbially stable while hydrating the outer layers.
What only this label says
Pentylene Glycol is 18th of 22, under the 1% line: a trace, not a treatment.
why
The 1% line is inferred from Disodium Edta at position 17; below it the order is the brand's choice and 6 ingredients share that tail.
Retinal is the 12th of 22 ingredients: above the 1% line.
why
Position 12 of 22 on the label as printed; compared with the 18 other labels in the catalogue that carry a retinoid.
≈ €0.63/ml, above the median serum in our catalogue (€0.57/ml).
why
~€19 for 30 ml, checked September 2026; the median of the 47 serums in the catalogue with a known size.
why
Actives our base knows on both labels: Glycerin, Retinal, Pro-vitamin B5 and Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride.
Retinal is light-sensitive: the packaging matters more than the percentage.
why
photolability = yes in our base: Thus, irradiation (>300 nm) of retinal and retinol in methanol produces free radicals, as does irradiation of RP in dimethylformamide (13). (PMID:16705812(full)).
4 of the 6 actives carry strong evidence in our base (Glycerin, Pro-vitamin B5, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride and Allantoin); Retinal and Pentylene Glycol are moderate.
why
evidence_level in our base, per row, as printed on each glossary page.
Fragrance allergens: the ones this label names
This label names none of the 26 EU fragrance allergens. What the 26 are →
Does it expire? Light, air and the pack
a pump and one light-sensitive active: the packaging is doing work here.
where this comes from
The pack form is read off the packshot; the light-sensitive actives are the base's photostability rows, sourced on each glossary page; the period after opening (6M on the pack) is read off the maker's page, never a reseller's. Catalogue checked September 2026.
How to use it, and when
Night only. Start 2–3 nights a week and build up as your skin adjusts, and always wear sunscreen the next morning, because retinoids make skin more sun-sensitive.
What not to layer it with
- Exfoliating acids (AHA / BHA)
- Benzoyl peroxide
- Strong vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid)
Where in your skin it works
1 of its 5 placed actives acts below the dead surface layer, 4 on or in it: the same cross-section as our 500 dalton page, with this formula's actives on the layer each one works on. Depth is the anatomy's, never an ingredient's.
Skin surface
The stratum corneum
- Caprylic/Capric Triglyceridederived from what it is
- Glycerinderived from what it is
- Pentylene Glycolderived from what it is
- Pro-vitamin B5derived from what it is
The living epidermis
- Retinalestablished, sourced
5 of this product's actives have a layer we can defend. 1 did not, so it is not on the diagram: no source and no honest derivation means no dot.
Sources for the sourced ones: Szymanski et al. 2020: retinoic acid and its derivatives in skin.
How it compares with the average serum
It scores higher than the median serum on anti-aging.
On hydration, barrier repair, brightening and oil control it is level with the median, so that is not what sets it apart.
A median, not an average: one unusual formula should not move the middle. The numbers are the same 0 to 10 reads the comparison pages use.
Full ingredients list, decoded
18 of these 22 ingredients are in our library, linked and named for what each one does, with anything that can irritate or clog flagged; the 4 we cannot place are left plain, nothing is hidden. Every ingredient on the label, in the order it appears (highest amount first).
All 22 ingredients, decoded
- Aqua (Water)Solvent (base)
- Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideEmollient
- Oleyl Erucate
- GlycerinHumectant
- Triheptanoin
- CyclodextrinCarrier
- Cetearyl OlivateEmulsifier
- Sorbitan OlivateEmulsifier
- Biosaccharide Gum-1Humectant
- AllantoinSoothing
- RetinalRetinoidpregnancy: avoidmild irritant
- PanthenolHumectant
- Citric AcidExfoliantmild irritant
- Tocopheryl AcetateAntioxidant
- roughly the 1% lineThe rules only require descending order above 1%. From Disodium Edta down, these 6 can be listed in any order the brand likes, so position stops telling you anything.
- Disodium EdtaChelator
- Pentylene GlycolHumectant
- Lonicera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower ExtractPreservative
- EthylhexylglycerinPreservative booster
- PhenoxyethanolPreservativemild irritant
Worth knowing: Pentylene Glycol sits below that line. It is in there, and the label does not tell you how much. That is not the same as saying it is too little to matter.
Copy the raw INCI list
Aqua (Water), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Oleyl Erucate, Glycerin, Triheptanoin, Cyclodextrin, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Allantoin, Retinal, Rubus Chamaemorus (Cloudberry) Seed Oil, Panthenol, Citric Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Disodium Edta, Pentylene Glycol, Lonicera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Lonicera Caprifolium (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol
Worried about clogged pores specifically? The pore-clogging checker reads this same list against the published comedogenic ratings.
Add it to your shelf and the app puts it in the right step and checks it against what you already use.
Read enough? Find it on amazon.com →
We don't make or sell skincare of our own. So there's nothing here we're trying to push, just an honest read of whether this formula suits your skin.
Against your shelf
Read from your own shelf, in your browser. We never see it.
Dupes? The closest formulas we have
The 3 products of the same kind sharing the most of its 6 actives. A count, not a likeness: the rest of each label, its base and its preservation, is what the count leaves out.
shares 3 of its 6 actives
Compare it with…
20 duels are built for this serum, Celimax The Vita A Retinal Shot Tightening Booster and Medik8 Crystal Retinal 6 among them: type a name, or pick one below.
Common questions
Is the pentylene glycol in Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 10 enough to do anything?
Pentylene Glycol is 18th of 22, under the 1% line: a trace, not a treatment. Below the 1% line the rules stop requiring descending order, so an ingredient there can be any trace amount the brand likes.
How high up the list is the retinal in Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 10?
Retinal is the 12th of 22 ingredients: above the 1% line. Position is the only amount the law makes a brand declare, so 12th of 22 is the one number on this label a reader can check.
Is Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 10 expensive per ml?
≈ €0.63/ml, above the median serum in our catalogue (€0.57/ml). A price per millilitre says nothing about what the formula does; it only tells you how the bottle compares with the others of its kind we have priced.
Is Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 10 good for dry skin?
By our read of the formula, it suits dry, dehydrated, normal skin. Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 10 is a serum built around Glycerin, Retinal and Pro-vitamin B5. It leans strongest on hydration, barrier repair, anti-aging. Best suited to dry, dehydrated and normal skin. One caveat: it's best skipped during pregnancy.
How do you use Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 10?
Night only. Start 2–3 nights a week and build up as your skin adjusts, and always wear sunscreen the next morning, because retinoids make skin more sun-sensitive.
What are the key ingredients in Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 10?
The actives that do the work are Glycerin, Retinal, Pro-vitamin B5, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Allantoin, Pentylene Glycol. The rest of the list is texture, preservatives and emulsifiers that hold the formula together.
Is Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 10 safe during pregnancy?
Avoid in pregnancy: Retinal. When in doubt, check with your doctor before using it.
What the 3D scene shows
The scene shows Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 10 beside a cross-section of skin, with 4 of its ingredients drawn at the layer each one acts on and at one shared molecular scale: Glycerin and Pentylene Glycol and Pro-vitamin B5 in the stratum corneum, the dead outer layer where most skincare works; Retinal in the living epidermis, among the cells that are still dividing. Depths come from the same sourced layer data as the rest of this site, and any ingredient whose layer is not established is left out rather than guessed.
Geek & Gorgeous prints: 0.1% retinal. Read on the brand's own product page, 2026-08-10.
