Retinol
1 product
1 product
Vitamin A is essential for our body. Our health, metabolism, and eyes rely on this vitamin. But it also has many positive effects in skincare. Both retinol and retinal improve and refine the skin's texture by stimulating cell renewal. They stimulate collagen synthesis and prevent collagen breakdown. Both contribute to smoothing, increasing skin elasticity, and promoting the rapid shedding of dead skin cells. This accelerates cell turnover. Help clear blemishes, reduce fine lines & reveal glowier skin with our Retinol and retinol alternative Collection. The most effective active you'll ever experience.
The difference between retinol and retinal lies in their effectiveness and skin compatibility. Retinal is more effective as an active ingredient because retinol must first be converted into retinal in the skin before it becomes the pure form of vitamin A. Retinal requires only a single conversion step. As a result, it works faster and is considered more skin-friendly, as less retinal is needed to achieve the same effect as retinol. This helps prevent the active ingredient from accumulating in the skin and causing irritation.
Increased moisture retention helps reduce wrinkles and fine lines. Additionally, faster cell turnover reduces acne scars and pigmentation spots. Even antibacterial effects have been observed in cases of acne. As a result, vitamin A helps create a finer skin texture on the surface while providing a stable foundation beneath. As antioxidants, retinol and retinal counteract the harmful effects of free radicals and prevent premature skin aging. This is why vitamin A plays such an important role in well-aging care, as it inhibits collagen breakdown while simultaneously promoting collagen formation.
Retinol vs Retinal
Retinal and Retinol are both forms of Vitamin A. At first glance, you might have wondered if the 'a' in Retinal was a typo. In fact, Retinal is a distinct active ingredient. In our diagram, you can see the individual forms and their conversion steps. The rule of thumb is: the closer a substance is to retinoic acid, the more effective it is.
Retinyl esters (Retinyl Palmitate, Retinyl Linoleate, etc.) are precursors of Retinol that are converted into Retinol in the skin through a chemical reaction. They are the most tolerable retinoids but have relatively low efficacy because they require three conversion steps to become retinoic acid before taking effect in the skin. With each of these conversion steps, some of their potency is lost.
The most well-known retinoid, Retinol, is significantly more effective as it only requires two conversion steps to take effect: first to Retinal, then to retinoic acid, the bioavailable form of Vitamin A. However, higher concentrations are needed to maintain its potency, which also increases the risk of irritation. Therefore, it is recommended to gradually acclimate the skin to Retinol to avoid skin reactions (skin purging).
Retinal requires only one conversion step, making it more effective and quicker to reach the skin, while also being gentler. Its lower usage concentration prevents accumulation in the skin, reducing the risk of irritation. The conversion of Retinal to retinoic acid occurs exclusively through keratinocytes at a specific differentiation stage, ensuring controlled absorption of retinoic acid and resulting in fewer side effects, such as skin irritation or redness, compared to Retinol.
The strongest retinoid is retinoic acid, also known as vitamin A acid or tretinoin. However, this form of vitamin A is prescription-only and therefore not allowed in the cosmetics market. The reason for this is that while retinoic acid is extremely effective against acne and sun-damaged skin, it also has a very high irritation potential for the skin and can only be prescribed under medical supervision.
Bakuchiol is a plant-based alternative to retinol and has little in common with real retinoids like retinoic acid, retinal, retinol, and retinyl esters. It is derived from the seeds of the Babchi plant, a medicinal plant from the legume family used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine. The chemical structure of bakuchiol differs significantly from that of retinol. However, it partially acts on the same cellular pathways in the skin. Some studies suggest that bakuchiol also has anti-aging properties but is less irritating than retinol. This is why bakuchiol is currently marketed in the cosmetic world as THE retinol alternative. Independent research on the anti-aging effects of bakuchiol is relatively limited compared to the over 40 years of research on real retinoids. However, the effect of bakuchiol on pimples and blemishes is better documented.
Both retinol and retinal improve and refine skin texture by stimulating cell renewal. They stimulate collagen synthesis and prevent collagen breakdown.
By increasing moisture retention, wrinkles and fine lines are reduced, skin elasticity is improved, and rapid shedding of dead skin cells is promoted.
Retinol and retinal accelerate cell renewal, leading to faster shedding of old skin cells. This helps the skin regenerate more quickly.
Through cell renewal and their sebum-regulating, antibacterial effects, inflammation is inhibited, and acne scars and pigmentation spots are reduced.
RETINAL RENEWAL CELL OIL
Our Retinal Renewal Cell Oil with the first 100% natural and encapsulated retinol effectively reduces lines and wrinkles, leaving the skin looking visibly finer and more even. Thanks to the encapsulation technology used, it is particularly gentle on the skin and ideal for introducing Vitamin A into your well-aging routine.
In our Retinol Renewal Cell Oil, we use the first biotechnologically derived retinol. It is highly effective and very well-tolerated. It stimulates the skin's natural collagen synthesis while inhibiting the enzyme responsible for collagen breakdown.
Retinol also visibly refines the skin texture, especially for acne scars or rough skin. For acne-prone skin, retinal has an additional positive effect as it regulates sebum production and helps combat clogged pores and pimples.
Compatibility & Interactions
If you have not used Vitamin A derivatives in your facial care before, you should be patient with your skin. Depending on the dosage, we recommend gradually increasing the application.
Start with just one retinol product, preferably the oil. Introduce the new active ingredient slowly to allow your skin to adjust. Give it time, as our skin also has a renewal cycle of 28 days. If you tolerate retinol well, you can upgrade for maximum results. We advise against combining with other retinol or retinal products, as you should always consider the overall concentration of the ingredients you apply to your skin.
We recommend not using our retinal products during pregnancy and breastfeeding.