Over the last few years, Retinal Serums have taken the skincare world by storm. Both Retinal (short for retinaldehyde) and Retinol are a form of Vitamin A. They have been proven to stimulate skin cell turnover and stimulate collagen. Many people use them for their ability to treat acne as well as reversing the signs of ageing, such as fine lines and wrinkles.
When you apply retinal or retinol to the skin, it needs to convert to retinoic acid in order to become active to do its job. Retinal only has one conversion step to become retinoic acid, whereas retinol as two. This means retinal works faster on the skin, and can sometimes be less irritating.
At one point, serums formulated with retinal were expensive to obtain. Luckily, some budget-friendly options have become available on the market, so here are a few that will suit the budget of all.
Elf Youth Boosting Advanced Night Retinoid Serum £22
- Contains 0.06% Retinal, 1% Granactive Retinoid plus antioxidants.
Geek & Gorgeous A-Game £13.25 – £17.95*
- Available in two strengths. A-Game 5 contains 0.05% Retinal and A-Game 10 contains 0.1% Retinal. Both are formulated with Allantoin and Panthenol for soothing.
Medik8 Crystal Retinal £45 – £99
- Available in 5 strengths from 0.01% to 0.2%. Medik8 are the OG’s when it comes to formulating retinal products, and are often considered the best.
Trinny London Overnight Sensation £75
- The exact percentage of retinal for this serum is unknown, they just say that it’s a 0.25% blend of Retinal and Granactive Retinoid. In addition to the blend, it also contains Bacillus Ferment and Vitamin F to firm, plump, sooth and condition the skin.
Murad Retinal ReSculpt £105*
- Again, the exact percentage of retinal is unknown for this one. Murad have encapsulated the retinal, which keeps it stable and able to deliver deep within the skins surface. Kangaroo Paw Flower extract and Olive, Oat & Alpha Glucan have been added to support the skin barrier and smooth wrinkles.
Are you using any Retinal serums at the moment?
