Urban Skin Rx is a brand focused on “inclusive skincare” that improves skin quality regardless of shade. The company is founded by a licensed aesthetician, and some of their products have won awards from health publishers like AskMen and Allure.
But does Urban Skin Rx use research-backed ingredients for improving skin? Does the brand use any unhealthy ingredients? How do real users rate and describe the effects of Urban Skin Rx? And which retailer sells this brand for the best price?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in two of Urban Skin Rx’s most popular products (Even Tone Cleansing Bar and Retinol Rapid Repair), to give our take on whether or not they’re likely to be effective for improving skin quality, and whether or not they're healthy.
We’ll feature real customer reviews of the brand, and provide a cost comparison to show which retailer sells Urban Skin Rx for the best price.
Key takeaways:
- Even Tone Cleansing Bar has research-backed active ingredients
- We currently recommend Even Tone Cleansing Bar
- We do not currently recommend Retinol serum due to preservative combo
Even Tone Cleansing Bar Review
The ingredients in Urban Skin Rx Even Tone Cleansing Bar are shown below:
This formulation contains a number of research-backed ingredients, not only for enhancing skin quality but also for providing an anti-aging effect.
Kojic acid was described in a 2010 medical review to have the capacity to “reduce signs of aging.”
Camellia sinensis leaf extract was found to protect skin cells from sun damage in a clinical trial published in the Photochemistry and Photobiology journal.
Witch hazel is a botanical ingredient that has an anti-inflammatory effect when applied to skin, as documented in a 2011 clinical trial.
Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B3 that’s frequently used in cosmetic formulations, and has a naturally hydrating effect, as we documented in our review of Skinbetter Science.
Glutathione is primarily a skin-lightening agent, although it can also increase skin elasticity according to a medical review published in the Dermatology Research and Practice journal.
The best part about Even Tone Cleansing Bar is that it’s entirely free of unhealthy ingredients like fragrance and harsh preservatives, which is uncommon for cosmetic products we've reviewed to date on Illuminate Health.
We currently recommend Urban Skin Rx Even Tone Cleansing Bar.
Real People Try Urban Skin Rx
A YouTube creator named Tashara shared her experience using Even Tone Cleansing Bar for a month:
A YouTube creator named La’Porsha Hope had a worse experience with the brand, and suggests their products caused a facial burn:
Retinol Rapid Repair Review
The ingredients in Urban Skin Rx Retinol Rapid Repair & Dark Spot Treatment are shown below:
This formulation contains many of the same effective active ingredients that we analyzed in the previous Ingredient Analysis section and believe to be effective, including niacinamide, kojic acid and glutathione.
Retinol is the core active ingredient, and this form of vitamin A is very well studied for dermatologic benefits.
Retinol is clinically shown to have significant anti-aging effects and a favorable safety profile, as we documented in our Meaningful Beauty reviews article.
Malva sylvestris flower/leaf/stem extract is another active ingredient unique to this formulation that was shown to have anti-inflammatory effects on skin in a clinical trial published in the Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy journal.
There are two inactive ingredients in this formulation that we consider to be unhealthy when used in combination.
Phenoxyethanol is a synthetic preservative shown in a 2020 clinical trial to be toxic to human cells.
Ethylhexylglycerin is a synthetic preservative shown to potentiate the toxic effects of phenoxyethanol in a 2016 medical review.
Overall, we consider Urban Skin Rx Retinol Rapid Repair & Dark Spot Treatment likely to have an anti-aging effect and potentially treat dark spots.
We do not currently recommend this product due to the preservative combination highlighted above.
Doctor Reviews Urban Skin Rx
A doctor and cosmetic formulator named Vanita Rattan reviewed Urban Skin Rx in a video that focuses on potential efficacy in people of color:
Where to Get the Best Price
Urban Skin Rx is sold at a variety of online retailers. Here’s a price breakdown for the two products featured in this article at the time of publishing:
Even Tone Cleansing Bar (3.7 ounce)
Brand website: $25 (plus $5.99 shipping, link)
Walmart: $25 (free shipping, link to official Walmart listing)
Amazon: $25 (free shipping, link to official Amazon listing)
Retinol Rapid Repair
Brand website: $26 (plus $5.99 shipping, link)
Walmart: $22.69 (plus shipping, link)
Amazon: $19.50 (free shipping, link to Amazon listing)
Urban Skin Rx is currently around 10-35% cheaper on Amazon than the brand’s website for single orders of the above-listed products when factoring in shipping rates.
Our Clean Skincare Pick
Ritual HyaCera is our top anti-aging skin supplement.
It contains wheat oil extract which is clinically shown to "improve skin damages induced by aging."
This product is free of ingredients that we consider to be unhealthy.
Customers Rate Urban Skin Rx
Amazon is a better resource for honest customer reviews than a brand's website in our opinion.
Even Tone Cleansing Bar has been reviewed over 6,000 times on Amazon, with an average customer review rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars.
The top positive review from a verified purchaser comes from a user named "Heather" who gives the cream a 5/5 star rating and claims it resolved PTSD rashes:
"So I have ptsd rash (to put it simply) so I breakout every time I’m stressed out or whatever and I have scars all over my face tot he point I refuse to not wear make up and I just cry in the mirror sometimes...I have literally only used this 3x and whaaaa ya girl is lookin amazing"
The top negative review from a verified purchaser is written by a user named "marilyn krause" who gives the cream a 1/5 star rating and claims it caused an infection:
"I used this stuff and my face broke out in cysts! Sent it back today. Now I have a large infection on my face."
Even Tone Skin Cleanser currently has a 4.3 out of 5 star rating on Google.
Urban Skin Rx Pros and Cons
Here are the pros and cons of Urban Skin Rx as a brand in our opinion:
Pros:
- Highly effective formulations
- Many active ingredients with research-backing
- Minimal questionable additives
- Affordable given potency
- Mostly positive online customer reviews
Cons:
- Brand website charges for shipping
- Retinol cream contains synthetic preservative
- Doesn’t appear clinically tested
