What is retinaldehyde (retinal) and how does it compare to retinol and tretinoin?
Of all the anti-aging skincare products retinoids are probably the most discussed and widely recommended.
By retinoids I’m talking about a group of vitamin A derivates in three main forms – retinol, retinal and retinoic acid.
What’s the difference between the retinoids?
Well though the source is the same, they each work at different paces and intensity to help reduce the appearance of fine lines and help clear your skin.
Each of them will speed up the life cycle of skin cells making them divide faster and die faster so that newer healthier cells can take their place.
The aim is to achieve smoother looking skin but it’s helpful to understand how they work before deciding which form is right for you.
Retinol
Retinol is a natural form of vitamin A so it’s milder than the other forms and is available without a prescription.
Tretinoin (also known as retinoic acid) is a synthetic version of vitamin A.
It’s stronger and acts much more quickly than retinol and is only available with a prescription – but those are becoming increasingly easy to come by without even seeing a dermatologist through online prescription sites in the UK.
Tretinoin/retinoic acid pros and cons
Tretinoin is not as well tolerated by users and is more likely to cause significant irritation, dryness and skin peeling, especially when you first start using it.
The trick there is to begin on a low strength and build up the concentration over time.
I used tretinoin for nearly a year and, after pushing through the initial irritation, I did notice skin smoothing benefits.
But it also caused ongoing dryness and slight redness for me – something we want to avoid because while short-term irritation and inflammation can be useful to skin, long-term is definitely not. In the end I decided to opt for the middle ground – retinaldehyde.
Retinal v retinol
More commonly known as retinal, this retinoid bridges retinol and retinoic acid and that’s because in order to have an effect on the skin vitamin A must first be converted to reach its biologically active form (retinoic acid).
So when you apply retinoic acid/tretinoin topically it’s already in that biologically active form. It will get to work straight away so it’s going to act more quickly but then, because it’s acting so directly, it can cause greater irritation.
Retinol is two conversion steps away from retinoic acid whereas retinal/ retinaldehyde is just one conversion step away. The fewer conversions required the faster it works on the skin.
What I find with retinal is that it offers visible skin-smoothing results but without the irritation and that’s why I love it.
Just note that retinal is naturally yellow in color and some people complain about pillow staining. That hasn’t been an issue for me but that’s likely because I will usually do my nighttime skincare routine at least an hour before going to bed so it has fully absorbed into my skin by that point.
How to use retinal
You don’t have to use retinoids daily to see results, but it should be used frequently. A. respected dermatologist told me she thought you needed to use retinoids at least 3 times a week to see results so I use retinal every other day.
It’s also best to apply retinoids at night.
That’s because ultraviolet light can break retinoids down and make them less effective.
Using any retinoid also makes your skin more sensitive to the effects of UV light so you should wear sunscreen daily when using it.
I use a retinal serum after cleansing and before moisturising every other day and find my skin thanks me for a rest day between uses.
So if you want to dip into the world of retinoids, a low-strength retinal is a great place to start and you can build intensity from there.
Product picks
The interesting thing about retinal is I have by now tried multiple different products and not one of them irritated my skin. The most I feel is a little itchiness when I first switch between brands.
But there are a few I particularly love.
The first, by boutique skincare brand Geek & Gorgeous, is at the lower end of the price range at around £18 or $20.
The second, by Medik8, has a silkier, more luxurious feel but is considerably more expensive at around £66 or $81.
The idea with each is to start on a lower strength if you’re not used to retinoids and build up to the higher ’10’ (0.10) strength, which is what I use.
At around £35/$45, Naturium’s retinal takes the middle ground on price and applies pretty similarly to the Geek& Gorgeous product while potentially having a slightly smoother formula. It’s also at the higher 0.10 strength.
And I also want to flag the brilliant Barrier Renew Retinal Serum from another boutique brand, Apothaka. It contains 0.06% retinal so is suitable for newbies, but it cleverly also includes peptides and ceramides to give you a nice all-in-one anti-aging serum (£65) which you could use under a face oil or your usual moisturizer.
