Why we chose retinal, not retinol

Every retinoid your skin can actually use has to become retinoic acid first. Retinol takes two conversions to get there. Retinaldehyde - retinal - takes one. That single step is the difference, and the published comparisons put it at roughly eleven times faster.

The reason retinal is rare is that it is unstable. It oxidises in light, in air and in the presence of most surfactants, which is why so many brands quietly reformulate back to retinol after a year.

We encapsulate it. The molecule sits inside a lipid shell that only breaks down at skin temperature, which protects it in the bottle and releases it slowly once it is on your face. Slow release is also why our testers reported almost no peeling: the irritation from retinoids is largely a dose-rate problem, not a dose problem.

Twelve weeks, eighty-four participants, independently assessed. Fine lines improved in 78%. Nobody dropped out for irritation. That last number is the one we are proudest of.