Why is retinol yellow?Updated a year ago
Carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and mango. What do they all have in common?
Yeah, you guessed it. They’re all orange. They’re also rich in vitamin A.
They contain vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene, a vitamin A precursor that doubles as a vibrant red-orange pigment. Lycopene, another vitamin A precursor, is more of a deep red, and it’s responsible for the color of tomatoes, watermelon, and even pink grapefruit.
Other forms of vitamin A have a similar structure and a color that’s more yellow than orange or red. As a skincare manufacturer, we buy these ingredients in powder form. The weaker retinoids, like retinyl palmitate and even retinol, look like cornflour or lemonade powder concentrate. The more potent and bioavailable retinoids, like retinal and retinoic acid, look like turmeric.
Once applied to the skin, weaker retinoids undergo enzymatic conversions to become stronger retinoids. Retinol transforms into retinal which eventually transforms into retinoic acid, the type of retinoid that the human body can use.
Quite a bit of power is lost with each one of those conversions, but retinal hits the sweet spot - it’s potent enough to rejuvenate and smooth the skin without causing irritation. The color of the serum is a signal that we use it at an effective percentage.