{"id":21852,"date":"2023-01-10T00:00:01","date_gmt":"2023-01-09T19:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thedermreview.com\/?p=21852"},"modified":"2025-10-19T05:15:44","modified_gmt":"2025-10-19T00:15:44","slug":"sunday-riley","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thedermreview.com\/sunday-riley\/","title":{"rendered":"Sunday Riley Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

OUR TOP SKINCARE PICKS<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
<\/th>Rank<\/th>Brand<\/th><\/th><\/th><\/th><\/th>Link<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
<\/td> 1<\/td>Carrot & Stick <\/td><\/td><\/td><\/td><\/td>Review<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td> 2<\/td>Formulyst<\/td><\/td><\/td><\/td><\/td>Review<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td> 3<\/td>Skinceuticals<\/td><\/td><\/td><\/td><\/td>Review<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>-<\/td>Sunday Riley<\/td><\/td><\/td><\/td><\/td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

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Sunday Riley is an indie skincare brand that rose to cult status surprisingly fast. In 2009, the brand\u2019s founder, Sunday Riley, pitched the fledgling line to Barneys with just a few prototypes, including Good Genes (which is now the brand\u2019s most popular product). According to Allure, the Barneys buyer suggested Riley name the collection after herself. The rest, as they say, is history.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Sunday Riley motto is \u201cPowered by science, backed by botanicals.\u201d The brand states it uses \u201cadvanced, clinically proven ingredients blended with balancing botanicals, for non-irritating, fast-acting formulas.\u201d All of this sounds good in theory, but do Sunday Riley products really deliver results?<\/span><\/p>\n

To answer this question, we\u2019ll have to evaluate the key ingredients in Sunday Riley products. We\u2019ll also share some Sunday Riley reviews so that you can get an idea of what customers really think of these products. <\/span><\/p>\n

Is Sunday Riley Skincare Worth The Money?<\/span><\/h2>\n

A common question about this brand is if the products are worth the cost.<\/span><\/p>\n

In our opinion, Sunday Riley products deliver value for money, but take a look at other brands that don\u2019t require you to sacrifice your precious money.<\/span><\/p>\n

We recommend brands that are committed to developing clean yet effective products.<\/span><\/p>\n

One brand is\u00a0Carrot & Stick,<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0a clean skincare brand that perfectly balances the gentle nurturing of plants with the powerful results of innovative science.<\/span><\/p>\n

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What\u2019s Inside Sunday Riley Skincare Products?<\/span><\/h2>\n

All Sunday Riley skincare products are free from parabens, sulfate cleansers, phthalates, synthetic fragrance, mineral oil, and petrolatum. The key ingredients used in Sunday Riley skincare products include a mix of botanicals as well as tried-and-true ingredients, such as vitamin C, peptides, retinol, and alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), just to name a few.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Vitamin C
\n<\/b>We’ve been hearing for years that Vitamin C is the best anti-aging ingredient. It\u2019s a potent antioxidant that protects the skin from free radicals, the unstable molecules that contribute to the formation of premature wrinkles and fine lines on the skin.<\/span><\/p>\n

Vitamin C also helps fade dark spots, evens out skin tone, and increases radiance. As if that wasn\u2019t enough, research suggests that when vitamin C is applied to the skin, it significantly reverses aging-related structural changes by influencing collagen and elastin synthesis.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Sunday Riley CEO collection consists of three vitamin C products: CEO Glow Vitamin C and Turmeric Face Oil, CEO Vitamin C Rich Hydration Cream, and CEO 15% Vitamin C Brightening Serum<\/span><\/p>\n

But our favorite Vitamin C serum is Carrot & Stick The Defence Serum<\/a>. It contains 3 distinct types of Vitamin C that work together to help fight free radical damage. We recommend using it every morning.<\/span><\/p>\n

Peptides
\n<\/b>As you age, your body\u2019s production of collagen and elastin slows down. These two proteins are responsible for your skin’s structural support. As a result, the skin loses its natural plumpness and smoothness.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While collagen is necessary for maintaining youthful-looking skin, the collagen protein is too large to absorb into the skin topically. That’s why applying skin care products that contain collagen won’t provide the anti-aging benefits you’re looking for.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is where peptides come into action. Peptides are the building blocks of protein, and they are easily absorbed into the deeper layers of skin due to their smaller size.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sunday Riley Pink Drink Firming Resurfacing Essence contains Acetyl Tetrapeptide-9 and Acetyl Tetrapeptide-11, peptides that work synergistically to gently resurface and increase the look of skin firmness.<\/span><\/p>\n

One peptides serum we recommend is <\/span>Carrot & Stick The Repair Serum<\/a><\/strong>. It contains 7 plant-based peptides to promote plumper and smoother-looking skin. <\/span><\/p>\n

Retinol
\n<\/b>Retinol is the go-to anti-aging ingredient recommended by dermatologists and skin experts. It\u2019s clinically proven to minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, improve uneven skin tone, restore skin firmness, and shrink the appearance of enlarged pores.<\/span><\/p>\n

The only downside? Retinol can often lead to side effects like skin dryness, peeling, and irritation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At the time of writing this review, the brand offers three Sunday Riley retinol products: A+ Retinoid Serum, 5 Stars Eye Serum, and Luna Sleeping Night Oil.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Use retinoids at night. We recommend this <\/span>retinoid serum<\/a><\/strong>. It contains Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, an ingredient that provides similar benefits with less irritation.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Alpha Hydroxy Acids
\n<\/b>The brand\u2019s most popular products \u2014 Sunday Riley Good Genes \u2014 contain the AHAs lactic acid and glycolic acid. AHAs provide many benefits to the skin, such as exfoliating the skin, stimulating the skin\u2019s natural regeneration process, and helping the skin to retain moisture. Ultimately, this promotes smoother, brighter, healthier skin.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Everything Else<\/span><\/h3>\n

It’s important to note that nearly all Sunday Riley products contain fragrance, typically from fragrant essential oils like lemongrass oil, neroli oil, orange peel oil, and more. And there\u2019s a very high concentration of the fragrance ingredient limonene in the Sunday Riley CEO 15% Vitamin C Brightening Serum.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While these ingredients give the product a pleasant scent, it\u2019s important to note that these fragrance ingredients aren\u2019t helping your skin in any way. So why is fragrance a problem in skin care? Let\u2019s look at the science.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

All fragrance ingredients (whether natural or synthetic) impart scent through a volatile reaction, and this natural reaction almost always causes a sensitizing reaction on skin.\u00a0 In fact, according to a 2016 publication in the scholarly journal <\/span>Dermatitis<\/span><\/i>, nearly 80 essential oils have caused contact allergy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Even if you don\u2019t have a full blown reaction to the ingredient, the damage may still be occurring every day. Ultimately, this can cause mild problems for your skin in the short term and worse problems in the long term. This is something to keep in mind before purchasing Sunday Riley products, especially if you have sensitive skin.<\/span><\/p>\n

What Are The Top 10 Best Sunday Riley Skincare Products?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Sunday Riley sells a wide range of skincare products, including cleansers, exfoliators, oils, treatments, serums, moisturizers, eye care, sun care, and more. Arguably the most popular product is the Sunday Riley Good Genes Lactic Acid Treatment. We\u2019ll discuss this and the other best selling Sunday Riley skincare products below. <\/span><\/p>\n

Sunday Riley Good Genes Lactic Acid Treatment<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n