If we were to ask what the main difference is between a Ferrari and a Mercedes, the answer would be speed. If we take this concept to the world of assets: retina would be the Ferrari and retinol the Mercedes. Noemí Recasens, technical director of R&D at La Cabine, explains the differences and similarities between the new trendy vegan ingredient ‘retinal’ and the already well-known ‘retinol’.
Is Retinal More Powerful Than Retinol?
The strength of a product always depends on the concentration of the active ingredient in the final product, the cosmetic formula and its stability. To understand the difference in speed and potency between Retinal and Retinol, it helps to understand the cycle of Vitamin A in your skin.
The only form of vitamin A your skin can recognize is retinoic acid, the active form of vitamin A, which is available only by prescription. When we apply retinol, our skin has to convert it to retinal and eventually retinoic acid for your skin to recognize it. This conversion process weakens the overall effectiveness of the retinol ingredient. Therefore, Retinal is faster and more powerful. When using Retinal, the conversion process is instant to retinoic acid, allowing better results and less time to be seen than with Retinol. Retina is considered a molecule 20 times more active than retinol, in addition to a better tolerance profile, so less irritating, without photosensitization or peeling. In addition, since it does not have the drawbacks of retinol, it promotes its use by consumers.
What Makes Retinal Faster Than Retinol?
Retinol is ‘2 steps’ away from Retinoic Acid, while Retinal is only 1 step away. Retina is an intermediate produced when retinol in skin cells is converted to retinoic acid. On the other hand, the transition from retina to retinoic acid occurs only at a specific stage of the differentiation of skin cells (keratinocytes), so we can say that the release of the active ingredient is controlled compared to other retinoids.
What is the difference with Bakuchiol?
Retina and Bakuchiol have several similarities, both are of natural origin, and once applied to the skin, they are non-irritating and also have the same benefits. However, when we go into more detail, both are very different cosmetic ingredients, despite the fact that they have the same benefits for the skin.
Bakuchiol has a different molecule than Retinal or any vitamin A derivative, so Bakuchiol’s mechanism of action is completely different from Retinal. In addition, Bakuchiol is a relatively young cosmetic ingredient, which cannot be compared with the scientific evidence (clinical studies) that vitamin A derivatives have, in this case retina.
What results does Retinal achieve on the skin?
Both retina and retinol accelerate cell regeneration and collagen production to reduce fine lines and wrinkles. They also help inhibit the production of excess melanin to promote a brighter, more even complexion. In addition, retina also has a higher exfoliation potential than retinol, which contributes to glowing, more even skin.
Source: Marie Claire
