Retinol in natural cosmetics

In addition to classic retinol, there are other forms of the natural active ingredient. There is Retinal, also called retinaldehyde. Retinal is considered more potent and less irritating. And there is tretinoin, which is the active retinoic acid. In the skin, retinol esters are converted into retinol. Retinol then becomes retinal and finally tretinoin.

There are different forms of retinol. The main variants are

Retinol ester - you will find on the Inci list as retinyl linoleates and Retinyl Palmitate. These are precursors of retinol. Since the skin must first convert them into retinol, they are less potent in their effect but also in their side effects. Should you Retinol Linoleate or palmitates in the ingredients, these also belong to the retinol esters, but this is a misnomer.

Retinol - Pure retinol must first be processed in the skin in two steps, first into retinal (retinaldehyde) and then into retinoic acid (tretinoin), in order to develop its effect in the cells. Pure retinol is generally used in cosmetic products in the EU at a maximum strength of 1%. 

Retinal - Retinal can also be found as retinaldehyde on the Inci list. As already noted in the point before, this is already the first step further developed form of retinol. Interestingly, a stronger effect with weaker irritation was observed with retinal. Retinal is on average ten times more effective than retinol.

Tretinoin is the second, metabolized stage of retinol and thus the active retinoic acid. It is also called vitamin A acid. Tretinoin is extremely irritating on the skin, which is why you will not find pure tretinoin in cosmetic products. Only a few prescription drugs against acne contain tretinoin.

Retinyl ester - is one of the newest forms of retinol. You will find it on the Inci list as Retinyl Retinoate, Sodium Retinoyl Hyaluronate, Granactive Retinol or Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate. These are conjugates (modification by combination with other substances/molecules) of retinoic acid, e.g. with fatty acids. Predominantly the saturated fatty acids palmitic acid and stearic acid are used for the compound, in smaller quantities also the unsaturated fatty acids oleic acid, linoleic acid and linolenic acid. Another popular form is the combination of retinoic acid with Hyaluronic acid (INCI Sodium Retinoyl Hyaluronate). Retinol in this form is less irritating and are also combined with the appropriate care effect of the additional substance.

Attention when using retinol

The desired effect of retinol and its variants, the boosting of collagen synthesis on the one hand and the rejection of old, dead cells on the surface on the other, is accompanied by an increased risk of sunburn. Peels, both mechanical and chemical, have a similar effect. This is because the dead cell layers of the skin surface also provide natural sun protection for the skin. Once they are shed, healthy and fresh cells appear on our skin surface, making the appearance of our complexion much smoother, but the natural sun protection of our skin also disappears with them. Therefore, we recommend you, Especially when using products containing retinol, use an adequate sun protection factor for your skin and renew it regularly.