Delfanti Milano Retinol Night Cream Review: A Good Retinol for Beginners?

Last Updated on August 28, 2026 by Giorgia Guazzarotti

Can Delfanti Milano Retinol Night Cream actually smooth wrinkles, fade dark spots, and make your skin look younger? That’s what you’re here to find out, right? Retinol certainly has the science to do some of that. But having retinol somewhere in a cream doesn’t automatically mean you’ll get those results. So, let’s look at what’s actually in the jar, how well it’s likely to work, and whether it deserves a spot in your nighttime routine.

Key Ingredients In Delfanti Retinol Night Cream: What Makes It Work?

RETINOL

Retinol is a form of vitamin A. Your skin converts it into retinoic acid, which helps boost collagen and speed up skin-cell turnover. Stick with it and it can soften fine lines and wrinkles, smooth out rough texture, and fade dark spots. And you don’t need a crazy-high concentration to get results. In this clinical study, just 0.1% retinol reduced crow’s-feet fine lines by 44% and mottled pigmentation by 84% after one year. Another randomized clinical trial found that 0.4% retinol improved fine wrinkles and increased collagen production after 24 weeks. 

Generally, more retinol means bigger or faster results. It also means a higher risk of irritation and more severe side effects. Retinol can cause dryness, peeling, redness and irritation, especially when you’re starting out. That’s the price your skin sometimes makes you pay for all that lovely collagen.

Related: How To Counteract Retinol Side Effects

SHEA BUTTER

Shea butter is a rich plant butter made from shea nuts and it’s basically here to stop your skin from feeling like the Sahara. It coats your skin, slows down water loss and fills in the little gaps between skin cells, leaving dry skin softer and smoother. That’s particularly handy in a retinol cream because retinol can be drying. Shea butter isn’t going to make the retinol work better, but it can make the whole experience a lot more comfortable.

This clinical study found improvements in hydration and skin-barrier function with a moisturiser containing shea butter. You’ll also hear that shea butter is anti-inflammatory. There are compounds in shea called triterpenes that have shown anti-inflammatory effects in laboratory and animal research, but that’s a long way from proving that rubbing shea butter on your face will noticeably calm inflammation.

Related: Everything You Need To Know About Shea Butter In Skincare

ASCORBYL PALMITATE

Ascorbyl palmitate is a form of vitamin C. Basically, scientists have attached vitamin C to a fatty acid to make it oil-soluble and easier to add to creams like this one. So, does it give you all those lovely vitamin C benefits, like fewer dark spots, more collagen, brighter skin? Ehhh… we don’t know. Most of the really good research on vitamin C uses L-ascorbic acid (the pure active form), and there just isn’t the same evidence for ascorbyl palmitate.

One of the big problems is getting enough vitamin C into your skin. In this human skin study, applying ascorbyl palmitate didn’t increase vitamin C levels in the skin, while L-ascorbic acid did. It isn’t completely useless, though. Ascorbyl palmitate can work as an antioxidant, helping fight the free radicals that contribute to premature aging. Even then though, there are only a few drops of it here, so don’t expect it to do too much.

Related: All The Forms Of Vitamin C Used In Skincare: Which One Is Right For You?

Texture

This is a creamy face cream, but it doesn’t seem to have that thick, greasy feel you might expect when you see shea butter so high on the ingredient list. It feels smooth and moisturising, with plenty of oils helping it spread easily and leave skin soft.

Fragrance

Yep, it’s fragranced. The scent is noticeable, so whether that’s a good or bad thing really comes down to whether you like fragrance in your skincare – and how sensitive your skin is. Personally, I’d rather Delfanti had left it out. Fragrance isn’t doing anything useful for your skin and it can irritate sensitive skin. Retinol can already be irritating enough, I don’t see the point in adding another potential troublemaker.

How To Use It

Use it at night after cleansing. A thin layer is plenty. New to retinol? Start with two nights a week rather than going all-in from day one and increase frequency to every other day gradually. If your skin isn’t getting dry, red or flaky, you can slowly use it more often. And please wear sunscreen during the day. Retinol can help fade some of the damage UV rays have already caused. You don’t want to undo all that work by skipping SPF every morning.

Packaging

Ugh, it’s a jar. Not what I want to see when I’m buying retinol. Retinol isn’t the most stable ingredient around and gradually breaks down when exposed to things like light and oxygen. Opening the jar night after night isn’t exactly helping matters. At least the jar is opaque, so we’re not dealing with a completely clear container sitting in sunlight. Keep the lid screwed on properly and don’t leave it sitting on a sunny bathroom windowsill.

Related: Why Retinol Products Should NOT Come In Jars

Performance & Personal Opinion

Delfanti Milano Retinol Night Cream is much more of a slow-and-steady retinol cream than a dramatic before-and-after treatment. It leaves skin feeling softer, smoother and well moisturised, without the dryness you’d get from stronger retinol products.

With continued use, I’d expect small improvements in skin texture, fine lines and uneven tone rather than a massive transformation. If you want something gentle that you can work into your routine and stick with, I can see the appeal. If you’re hoping to tackle deeper wrinkles or stubborn pigmentation quickly, I’d look for something stronger (as long as your skin can tolerate it).

What I Like About Delfanti Milano Retinol Night Cream

• It’s moisturising and leaves skin feeling softer and smoother.
• It’s a nice option if you’re just getting started with retinol. You can get some of the benefits without jumping straight into the strong stuff.
• It doesn’t feel ridiculously heavy or greasy

What I DON’T Like About Delfanti Milano Retinol Night Cream

• It has fragrance, which can irritate sensitive skin.
• The jar packaging. Retinol and repeated exposure to air and light aren’t exactly best friends. Give me a proper pump or tube any day.
• This probably isn’t the one for big, fast results. If firmer skin, wrinkles or stubborn dark spots are your main battle, I’d want something stronger.

Who Should Use This?

New to retinol and slightly terrified it’s going to make your face peel off? This is more your speed.It makes the most sense if you want something moisturising, easy to use and gentle enough to ease retinol into your skincare routine. Already happily using stronger retinoids and looking for serious help with wrinkles or stubborn pigmentation? You can probably skip this one. Stick to what you’ve got instead. 

Price & Availability

£31.65 at Amazon

The Verdict: Should You Buy It?

So, is Delfanti Milano Retinol Night Cream worth it? If you want to dip your toes into retinol without putting your skin through hell, I think so. It keeps skin soft and moisturised and gives you retinol benefits without feeling like a hardcore treatment. Just don’t expect it to magically erase wrinkles and dark spots.