The ESK blog

Retinaldehyde: Why it's the best skincare ingredient you've never heard of

02 April 2025

Dr Anne Thomson

If you’re using anti-aging skincare products, then you’ve probably heard of Vitamin A, the undisputed king of anti-aging and acne skincare. And when you think of Vitamin A skincare, you probably think of retinol. But have you heard of retinaldehyde yet? Also known as retinal, this latest over-the-counter retinoid is really making waves in the skincare world, with growing evidence that it is faster-acting with better results for anti-aging, acne and even rosacea, than its older retinoid cousins like retinol. Best of all, it’s gentler action means it’s can be used even on sensitive skin and it’s surprisingly easy to incorporate into your existing skincare routine.

What is retinal?

Retinal, also known as retinaldehyde, is part of a larger group of Vitamin A derivatives known as retinoids. Because it is the direct precursor of retinoic acid, the active form of Vitamin A within the skin, it’s been dubbed the “the most efficient cosmeceutical retinoid” and the best tolerated.

Retinal, like other retinoids, has significant anti-aging effects like reducing fine lines and wrinkles and improving skin tone and elasticity. It does this a number of ways, including by stimulating collagen production, controlling pigmentation, and boosting skin cell turnover. Retinoids are great at unclogging pores and controlling sebum production too which makes them the mainstay of acne treatment and retinal specifically has been shown to have anti-bacterial qualities, making it the ideal pick for break-out prone skin.

Why is retinal better than retinol?

Retinol has to go through 2 conversion steps on the Vitamin A pathway before your skin can actually use it. This makes it less effective with a greater chance of side-effects like redness, flakiness and irritation than retinal, which is only one step away from the active retinoic acid.

Where in the skin this conversion takes place also makes a difference - retinaldehyde is converted to retinoic acid inside skin cells that have already differentiated, making its release more controlled. Not only does this make retinal more efficient, it means far fewer (if any) side-effects.

Retinol has been shown to disrupt the skin barrier, causing excessive dryness whereas retinal actually supports the skin barrier (great news for sensitive skin!) and, as already mentioned, retinal has unique anti-bacterial effects, boosting its effectiveness against the break-outs of acne or rosacea.

And unlike retinol, retinal skincare has been shown to be as effective as prescription-strength Vitamin A cream (tretinoin) but without the side-effects (a whopping 61% of people experience side-effects with tretinoin!). All of which makes retinal cream or serum the better choice when it comes to anti-aging skincare, especially for sensitive skin.

Is there clinical evidence backing retinal as the Vitamin A skincare of choice?

Here at ESK we are ALL about the evidence! Our ingredients are backed by solid science, and retinal is no exception. In fact, trying to find effective and evidence-based Vitamin A skincare was one of the driving forces behind the birth of ESK Skincare –the evidence pointed to retinal which was near impossible to find on the shelves!

If you’re as interested in this sort of thing as we are (hello fellow science geeks!), you can click on the links in this article which will take you directly to the data. For the TL;DR abridged version, here’s a selection of quotes from researchers:

“With respect to choosing a cosmeceutical, the efficacy
of retinol is lower in skin treatment which is why retinaldehyde is preferred.
In fact it has been shown that most retinoids in cosmeceutical products are
deemed ineffective for photoaging unless the ingredient used is retinaldehyde”
Motamedi M, Chehade A, Sanghera R, Grewal P. A Clinician's Guide to Topical Retinoids. J Cutan Med Surg. 2022 Jan-Feb;26(1):71-78.

“Retinol, a precursor to retinaldehyde and retinoic
acid, is widely used in cosmetic products, but…there is little evidence
to support the efficacy of this derivative in the treatment of
photoaging…Retinaldehyde has been shown to be effective in improving fine line
and wrinkles…A concentration of 0.05% appears to be effective, is well
tolerated, and allows prolonged use on sensitive areas such as the face”
Babamiri K, Nassab R. Cosmeceuticals: the evidence behind the retinoids. Aesthet Surg J. 2010 Jan;30(1):74-7.

“Of the evidence for over the counter retinoids, RAL
[Retinaldehyde] seems to be most efficacious”
Levin J, Momin SB. How much do we really know about our favorite cosmeceutical ingredients? J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2010 Feb;3(2):22-41.

Convinced? Here’s how to start using retinal cream or retinal serum

Always use it at night – retinal is broken down by sunlight.
Because of its gentle (but effective) action, you can use your retinal night cream or serum every night to start off with, no need to go slow. Unless you have super sensitive skin, then you might want to start gradually every third night and build up from there.

Ultimate A

Ultimate A Night Cream contains 0.06% Retinal, the most gentle and effective form of Vitamin A, paired with Niacinamide to help maintain skin barrier function and support brighter, firmer and more even looking skin tone and texture. Well suited even for the most irritable skin.

Key features:

0.06% Retinal to support a brighter, smoother and firmer skin texture
Niacinamide to support skin barrier function and a more even looking skin tone
Gentle formulation suitable for nightly use

Usage: Apply at night after cleansing (and serum if being used) as part of your evening skincare routine.

Retinal night cream or serum pairs well with soothing, moisturising ingredients like niacinamide, panthenol, ceramides and hyaluronic acid.

B Calm

B Calm is formulated to support irritable and blemish prone skin while maintaining a healthy skin barrier. Ceramides strengthen resilience, Salicylic Acid exfoliates and calms the skin, and Niacinamide helps regulate oil and reduce the appearance of blemished skin.

Featuring:

- Ingredients to support an improved skin barrier

- Helps manage excess oil production

- Supports a clearer-looking skin

Don’t forget your daily sunscreen, every day no matter the weather. Retinal skin care can make your skin more sensitive to the sun and undo all the benefits! Choose a broad-spectrum, non-comedogenic sunscreen like zinc oxide.

Zinc Shade

Zinc Shade is a lightweight matte day cream and primer. Its non-greasy, matte finish allows for smooth application and works well under makeup.

We spent countless iterations perfecting this lightweight, non-greasy formula to avoid the typical white cast and thick feel of zinc products. The results? A matte finish that works beautifully under makeup. With well tolerated matte finish, it's also well suited to irritable and blemish and bump prone skin. With SPF 15 it also provides broad-spectrum sun protection against UVA and UVB rays.

Key features: