What’s the difference between Retinal vs Retinol?
You’ve probably heard about Retinol, a form of Vitamin A that’s one of the buzziest ingredients in an anti-aging skincare routine. You may also know about the genre of Retinoids, otherwise known as Vitamin A derivatives, in other forms. Retinoids are the dermatological gold standard for anti-aging. They are a class of Vitamin A chemical compounds or are chemically related to it, that is, derived from it. Vitamin A includes retinol, retinal, and provitamin A carotenoids.
In this blog post, we’ll discuss Retinol and Retinal—used in some of our best-selling formulations, how each of these skincare products varies and which is right for your skin.
Retinol is a form of Vitamin A and falls under the Retinoid category, like Retinal. Retinol skincare offers one of the most effective anti-aging ingredients. Retinol is proven to dramatically speed up natural skin cell renewal. It also helps skin to boost its own natural collagen production and reduce the look of lines and wrinkles—and prevent dark spots.
What is Retinol?
Retinol skincare offers one of the most effective anti-aging ingredients. Retinol is proven to dramatically speed up natural skin cell renewal. It also helps skin to boost its own natural collagen production and reduce the look of lines and wrinkles—and prevent dark spots.
When it comes to retinol in skincare, you’re probably wondering how long will it take for you to see visible results with regular use. The key is consistency, consistency, consistency! This ingredient provides impressive results, though they do take a little time and dedication. Retinol shouldn’t be combined with other active ingredients. When you use Retinol skincare products, you should wear sunscreen during the day. Retinol is a great choice for impressive anti-aging results, even if it takes a little time and dedication.
What is Retinal?
There are a few different forms of Vitamin A, or retinoids. The first is retinoic acid, or Retin-A, which is a prescription drug. Tretinoin is the generic form of Retin-A. There’s the aforementioned Retinol, which is 20 times less potent than retinoic acid and while less irritating than retinoic acid, sometimes people still react to it. Retinol cream is the most common form of this type of Vitamin A, although it can also be found in a serum or oil format. Last, there’s Retinal, which is a thousand times more effective at stimulating collagen production than retinol, yet it’s gentler on your skin.
When should you start using Retinol?
To address acne, begin incorporating Retinol into your skincare routine in your early 20s. For anti-aging benefits, add Retinol into your skincare regimen in your late 20s or early 30s.
Choosing the right product: Retinal vs Retinol
When choosing the best Retinoid for your skin, retinal or retinol, it depends on a couple of factors. Ask yourself two main questions about your skin’s maturity and sensitivity.
How mature is your skin?
Which formula is better for older skin? If your skin is on the mature side of the spectrum, you’ll want to try a Retinal formula. As mentioned above, this ingredient is a thousand times more effective at stimulating collagen production than retinol—yet it’s gentler on your skin.
How sensitive is your skin?
If you have sensitive skin, you’ll want to go the Retinal route, as Retinol is a bit harder on the skin. There’s less of a chance of irritation with Retinal than Retinol if you’re unsure which one to choose.
Are you also dealing with acne?
With continued use, Retinal fights bacteria that causes acne, breakouts and clogged pores. It is the only retinoid that has these blemish-fighting abilities. The result? A less congested and more radiant complexion.
Want improved skin texture and tone?
Retinal and retinol both work to balance skin tone and smooth the overall surface. They are also both gentle on the skin while offering optimal exfoliating qualities.
Looking for fast results?
Go for Retinal, which is closer in form to retinoic acid (purest form) whereas Retinol is less potent. The greater the potency, the faster you can expect results.
Prefer a particular formula?
If you opt for serums over gels, or prefer certain vehicles to deliver your ingredients, this can affect the potency of the Retinal or Retinol.
How to incorporate retinoids into your evening skincare routine
Retinoids are an integral part of any anti-aging skincare routine. You want to avoid using other active ingredients in your skincare regimen at night while you’re on a Retinal or Retinol program.
Start your evening skincare routine with a cleanser and toner. Then, apply your retinoid.
Feeling like your skin is a little more dry than usual? Address dryness by applying a moisturizer on top of your retinoid. Then, apply your eye cream and it’s off to bed.
See you and your beautiful skin in the morning!
