The ingredient, explained

Retinal

Also called retinaldehyde, this vitamin A ingredient is distinct from retinol and retinoic acid.

RetinoidSkin conditioning

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Ingredient guide

What it is and what it does

2‚4,6‚8-Nonatetraenal, 3‚7-dimethyl-9--2‚6,6-trimethyl-1-cyclohexen-1-yl--, -all-E--

About this ingredient: EU CosIng ingredient registry (via Open Beauty Facts taxonomy) ↗

Retinoid: Vitamin A or a vitamin A-like compound. This is a compound category; individual retinoids have different research and uses.
Skin conditioning: A broad cosmetic role for maintaining skin condition. It does not identify a particular clinical benefit.

Function definitions: National Cancer Institute: Retinoid definition ↗ · European Commission ingredient function definitions (SCCNFP/0299/00, pages 16 to 20) ↗

Registry functions describe possible formulation roles, not results for a finished product. A dictionary entry is not an approval or a safety assessment.

A closer look

What the research shows

Human topical research

Forty Korean women applied either 0.05% or 0.1% retinaldehyde cream for three months. Both groups showed improved texture, hydration and water-loss measurements, without significant differences between groups. Only the 0.1% group had a significant reduction in melanin index.

What this does not tell us

The trial compared two retinaldehyde creams rather than a vehicle-only control. Improvements from baseline cannot isolate the ingredient from the moisturiser base, and the results do not establish performance of every retinal formula.

Sources for this summary. PubMed 29663701 ↗

Research review checked Sep 30, 2026

Selected primary sources were reviewed for the existing research brief on 30 September 2026, with exact ingredient, route and combination limitations recorded. This was a bounded editorial review, not a systematic search.

Review source 1 ↗

Ingredient research is not proof that a product containing this ingredient works.

Read the 1 selected study

Human topical research · n=40
Efficacy and safety of retinaldehyde 0.1% and 0.05% creams used to treat photoaged skin: A randomized double-blind controlled trial. ↗
Journal of cosmetic dermatology · 2018

Follow the formula

Products containing this ingredient

All 17 products ↗

From the Serenfold edit. Linked by the ingredient list, without an efficacy ranking.

Avène

Avene Retrinal 0.1 Intensive Multi-Corrective Cream

Targeted treatments · 19 linked ingredients

Inside the formula

Names and identifiers

Registry identity