Retinol vs Retinal in cosmetics

RETINOL vs RETINAL IN COSMETICS

You must have heard about retinal recently, but … do you know what it is and what its similarities and differences with retinol are. Which one is more efficient? Is it worth trying it? At Labelist we have done thorough research in scientific articles to provide the answers.

Retinoids

Retinoids are compounds that come from Vitamin A or others that look like or act like vitamin A. They can be both natural forms of Vitamin A or synthetic from retinol. Examples of retinoids used in cosmetics, and therefore, over the counter, are retinol, retinal (AKA retinaldehyde) and retinyl palmitate. Retinoic acid or tretinoin need a medical prescription.

Topical retinoids are one of the most widely skincare ingredients used to combat aging and upon which more clinical evidence is available. Their anti-wrinkle properties promote skin regeneration, reinforce the skin barrier, slow down water loss and protect collagen and other structural proteins against breakdown. In addition, they are also used to treat acne and fade age spots.

After topical application of a cosmetic retinoid, retinyl palmitate is hydrolyzed to retinol and retinol is hydrolyzed to retinal which, through an oxidation process, is converted to retinoic acid, the form in which it will perform its function in the skin.

Theoretically, efficacy increases in the following order: retinyl palmitate < retinol < retinal < retinoic acid, but, watch out!!! skin tolerance works the other way round.

From the point of view of cosmetic product formulation, retinoids pose a challenge to researchers due to their demonstrated instability, poor penetration, and potential for skin irritation. Therefore, innovative penetration systems and stabilization methods are being developed and used.

What’s retinal in cosmetics?

Retinal, also known as retinaldehyde, is a natural precursor of retinoic acid with a favorable activity/tolerance ratio after topical application.

According to the retinoid conversion diagram, being more advanced in the Vitamin A pathway, one step away from the active form, retinal should be considered the most effective ingredient in cosmetics.

However, according to research, this appears not to be the case. Retinal was found to have a lower than expected irritation profile and was attributed to limited absorption through the skin. It seems that retinal does not bind directly to retinoid receptors but after topical application it is mostly converted to retinyl esters and only a small fraction is metabolized to retinoic acid or active form. Furthermore, retinal is a very unstable molecule that is easily degraded. It is also light sensitive and has a tendency to auto oxidize.

It is therefore difficult to find products on the market containing only retinal that are bound to promising clinical results. There are some studies which show that applying 0.05% and 0.1% for 3 months is well tolerated and effective against photoaged skin, thus improving hydration, wrinkles, and rough skin. The industry is still working to try to stabilize the active ingredient, for example, by encapsulating it in liposomes or nanovesicles. Some brands promise to have succeeded in stabilizing the molecule, but published data is still poor.

In order to rigorously evaluate the clinical efficacy of retinaldehyde and compare it with retinol, higher quality studies are required.

LABELIST products with Retinol

RETINOL 0,15

Formulated with 0.15% pure retinol encapsulated in liposomes for better tolerance and penetration into the skin. It is considered to be a high tolerance product and can be used for both face and eye contour.

RETINOL 0,3

Formulated with a solid base that stabilizes retinol. Designed to act on the skin surface to promote skin renewal, thus reducing the appearance of wrinkles and blemishes. Smoother, more elastic, and even-toned skin!

We recommend introducing it into the routine in times of mild sunshine and to be attentive to the retinization process.