How does retinal work in skincare?Updated a year ago
In skincare, retinal has many of the same effects as other forms of vitamin A. It’s excellent for improving skin texture, addressing fine lines, and increasing skin clarity and evenness.
When you apply retinaldehyde to your skin, it interacts with naturally-present enzymes that convert it into retinoic acid. Retinoic acid can directly interact with receptors in the skin, to regulate and improve overall skin cell differentiation and regeneration. That leads to better production of the proteins responsible for skin firmness.
Normally, these types of conversion processes aren’t very efficient, but the enzymatic transformation of retinal to retinoic acid is a major exception. Research shows that retinal is as effective as retinoic acid at visibly reducing signs of photoaging like fine lines and wrinkles.
It’s worth mentioning that full-strength retinoic acid has a high likelihood of irritating the skin, which is why it’s only available by prescription in most countries. Retinal presents a potent yet gentle option that’s available as a cosmetic!