What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
C15-19 Alkane
SolventGlycerin
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Lactococcus Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Chlorella Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningVaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract
AstringentTridecapeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus
Skin ConditioningCurcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Lactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Beta Vulgaris Root Extract
Skin ConditioningRetinal
Skin Conditioning
Arginine
Masking
Diisostearyl Malate
EmollientAlpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Inulin
Skin Conditioning
Arachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingCitric Acid
Buffering
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Malic Acid
Buffering
Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice
Skin ConditioningArachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingCellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingGlucose
Humectant
Calcium Chloride
AstringentFructose
Humectant
Cholesterol
Emollient
Sodium Phytate
2,3-Butanediol
HumectantCalcium Alginate
MaskingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Lecithin
Emollient
Cellulose
Absorbent
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, Propanediol, C15-19 Alkane, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Lactococcus Ferment Lysate, Pentylene Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract, Tridecapeptide-1, Ceramide AP, Ceramide As, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide NP, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Lactobacillus, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Lactobacillus Ferment, Beta Vulgaris Root Extract, Retinal, Arginine, Diisostearyl Malate, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Bisabolol, Inulin, Arachidyl Alcohol, Lactic Acid, Sclerotium Gum, Citric Acid, Behenyl Alcohol, Malic Acid, Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice, Arachidyl Glucoside, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Cellulose Gum, Glucose, Calcium Chloride, Fructose, Cholesterol, Sodium Phytate, 2,3-Butanediol, Calcium Alginate, Glyceryl Stearate, Lecithin, Cellulose, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Maltodextrin, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Benzoate, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Chloride, Potassium Sorbate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Retinal (aka retinaldehyde) is a form of retinoid that formulators use mainly as an antiaging and skin-renewing active.
What makes it special is its position in the retinoid family; skin converts it to retinoic acid (the prescription gold standard) in just one step.
Because retinal only requires 1 conversion step to become retinoic acid, it's the strongest over-the-counter retinoid. It also works at lower concentrations than retinol, since retinal is about 10x more bioavailable.
Studies back up its efficacy in skin:
A foundational trial showed that applying 0.05-0.5% retinal for 1-3 months produced a dose-dependent and significant increase in epidermal thickness + cell turnover markers.
And a head-to-head comparison of 0.05% retinal against a 0.05% retinoid acid found both formulations were effective for the basis of wrinkle/skin roughness features, but retinoic acid caused more local irritation.
More recent controlled trials confirm it improves wrinkles, dermal density, and firmness over 12-24 weeks, with significant improvements in skin texture and firmness (particularly with the higher 0.1% concentration).
Retinal also has one trick the other retinoids do not: it directly fights against acne bacteria since a clinical study showed retinaldehyde-treated areas displayed a significant decrease in counts of viable P. acnes.
This makes it a great pick for people who want to treat aging and breakouts.
Typical cosmetic use sits in the 0.05-0.1% range with 0.05% being the gentle starting point and 0.1% giving stronger results.
Like all retinoids, retinal works best with nightly use, a good moisturizer, and daytime sunscreen. It can cause some irritation so ease into it slowly rather than going all in.
The "ramp up" method works well: start with Retinal once a week to give your skin time to adjust, which keeps irritation low.
Slowly add more nights until you reach your goal frequency once your skin feels comfortable.
Retinoids also make your skin more sensitive to the sun in the first few weeks, so wear sunscreen every morning and protect your skin from direct sun while you build up tolerance.
Learn more about Retinal
