Retinal in Skincare: The Complete Guide

Retinal — full name retinaldehyde — is a form of vitamin A that skincare shoppers reach for more and more. For years it sat in the shadow of the better-known retinol, until Korean brands learned to stabilise it, wrap it in liposomes and bring it to the front of anti-aging routines. What sets it apart from retinol is a shorter route to the active form of vitamin A, retinoic acid: retinol needs two conversions in the skin to get there, retinal only one.

This article should help you pick the right format for your skin from the retinal products collection.

What is retinal (retinaldehyde)?

Retinal is a natural form of vitamin A — chemically, the aldehyde of retinol. On ingredient lists it appears under the INCI name RETINAL (CAS 116-31-4), and CosIng, the European database of cosmetic ingredients, gives skin conditioning as its function (the RETINAL entry in CosIng).

In cosmetics it works at low concentrations — in serums, creams and masks — and almost always in a stabilised, encapsulated form, because pure retinal is sensitive to air and light. That is why Korean packaging so often carries the words "liposome" and "stabilized"; more on that below.

Retinal vs retinol: what is the difference?

Both retinal and retinol are retinoids — forms of vitamin A. To do anything, a retinoid has to be converted in the skin into its active form, retinoic acid. Retinol needs two steps to get there (retinol → retinal → retinoic acid); retinal needs just one. That is why it is often called the "faster" retinoid.

The manufacturers describe it the same way: By Wishtrend states that retinal improves skin condition faster than retinol, and Celimax calls it a more advanced form of vitamin A than retinol.

If you are new to vitamin A altogether, start with our detailed guide to retinol in skincare — the ground rules there apply to the whole retinoid family.

Where does retinal sit among retinoids?

The easiest way to picture cosmetic retinoids is as a ladder towards the active form. At the bottom are retinyl esters (retinyl palmitate, retinyl acetate) — the most stable, but needing the most conversion steps. Then comes retinol, the well-studied middle ground. At the top of the ladder available in cosmetics stands retinal, one step away from retinoic acid.

Korean brands are happy to point this out: CKD calls its ingredient "stabilized 3rd generation Retinal". For the classic middle ground, browse our retinol products collection.

Who is retinal for?

Retinoids are the first thing that comes up when the conversation turns to fine lines, loss of firmness, uneven texture and a tired-looking tone. Retinal is chosen by people who want to go one step beyond retinol — to the form closest to the active one among cosmetic retinoids — and by those who like a formula that works "smart": modern liposomal forms exist precisely to deliver a strong ingredient gradually.

Who should be extra careful? Very sensitive, reactive skin (introduce it more slowly and less often), and anyone pregnant or breastfeeding — covered below, and more importantly, a conversation to have with your doctor.

How should a beginner introduce retinal?

The golden rule of retinoids: start less often than you think you need to. The brands give very concrete schedules. By Wishtrend suggests a gradual ramp-up for sensitive skin and vitamin A newcomers — for example, twice a week for two weeks, then three times a week for the next two. Celimax advises applying every other night for the first two weeks and moving to nightly use only once your skin has adjusted.

Beauty of Joseon likewise recommends beginners phase retinal in gradually, working up to daily use as tolerated, and suggests a 24-hour patch test for sensitive skin. You do not need much product either: By Wishtrend, for instance, specifies one or two pumps of cream after the serum step.

How often and when should you apply retinal?

Night is the safest standard. By Wishtrend explicitly recommends its retinal cream at night only — and if you use it during the day, a high-SPF sunscreen is a must. Beauty of Joseon allows morning and night, but daytime use goes strictly under sunscreen.

In other words, follow the instructions of your specific product. If they are not at hand, evening is always the safe default, and a morning without SPF is out of the question.

The adjustment period: dryness, flaking and "retinization"

For the first few weeks your skin is learning to live with a retinoid — a period often called retinization. Mild dryness, tightness, some flaking and short-lived redness are a normal part of adjusting, not a sign the product "isn't working out".

What helps: cut the frequency back (return to twice a week), boost hydration in the rest of your routine, and do not introduce other strong actives at the same time. If the reaction is intense or will not settle, take a break — and persistent discomfort is a reason to talk to a dermatologist, not to keep experimenting.

Retinal and niacinamide: a pairing that makes sense

Niacinamide is one of the most grateful partners a retinoid can have: it supports hydration and skin-barrier care — exactly what skin needs while it adjusts to vitamin A. That is why the two so often share a routine: niacinamide in the morning or in a serum, retinal in the evening cream.

We covered this ingredient in depth in our guide to niacinamide in skincare, and the products live in the niacinamide products collection.

Retinal and bakuchiol: vitamin A's plant-based ally

Bakuchiol is a plant-derived ingredient often described as a gentle, botanical alternative to retinol. By Wishtrend calls it a "plant-based retinol" and notes it is safer for all skin types. In their night cream, bakuchiol keeps retinal company: 300 ppm of retinal alongside 10,000 ppm of bakuchiol, the idea being that bakuchiol softens the skin's introduction to a strong retinoid.

An example of this approach is By Wishtrend Vita A-Mazing Night Cream — a night cream where retinal and bakuchiol work as a pair. Curiously, in Serbian searches bakuchiol gets looked up more often than retinaldehyde — and few people know there are formulas offering both at once.

Retinal and collagen: the Korean take on firmness

Where Western brands usually leave retinal alone in a formula, Korean brands like to pair it with firmness ingredients. Fraijour carries the approach right in the name of its Retin-Collagen line; a case in point: Fraijour Retin-Collagen 3D Core Cream.

CKD takes a similar route: its formula joins stabilised retinal with 73% low-molecular collagen (around 300 daltons), the logic being that firmness gets built from both sides — retinoid and collagen.

What should retinal not be mixed with?

The most common clash in a routine is with exfoliants. Beauty of Joseon explicitly advises against combining its retinal product with AHA, BHA and PHA acids in the same routine, to reduce the risk of irritation. The practical fix: acids and retinal on different evenings.

Vitamin C is not off limits, but it is easier to give the two different times of day: vitamin C goes into the morning routine, where SPF follows it anyway, and retinal stays for the evening. That way your skin never gets everything at once.

The morning after retinal: SPF

On this point, every manufacturer in this article agrees. Celimax: the morning after a retinoid, finish your routine with sunscreen as the final step. By Wishtrend: for any daytime use, a high SPF is mandatory. Beauty of Joseon: during the day, always wear it under sunscreen.

An evening with retinal means a morning with SPF, no exceptions and no matter how cloudy it looks. Find yours in the sun protection collection — Korean SPF formulas are light and made for daily wear.

Retinal concentrations: how to read percentages and ppm

Retinal works in small numbers. Celimax lists 0.1% liposomised retinal; By Wishtrend states its dose in ppm — 300 ppm, which is 0.03% (10,000 ppm = 1%). Many Korean brands, including Fraijour and Beauty of Joseon, publish no percentage at all — Beauty of Joseon, for one, emphasises its liposomal, stabilised form instead — so numbers from different products are not directly comparable: how the ingredient is packaged and what surrounds it in the formula matter too.

For regulatory context: EU Regulation 2024/996 caps retinol, retinyl acetate and retinyl palmitate at 0.3% retinol equivalent in most products (0.05% in body lotions) — retinal is not named in that list, and its CosIng entry lists no annex and no maximum concentration (the regulation text on EUR-Lex). So judge a product by its whole formula and instructions, not just the number on the box.

Serum, cream, "shot" or mask: retinal formats in Korean beauty

Korean beauty has unpacked retinal into a surprising range of formats. The booster ("shot") is a concentrate applied before your cream — a format made famous by Celimax The Vita-A Retinal Shot, with the brand claiming that its A-Shot micro-particles, sixteen times thinner than pores, help active ingredients penetrate.

The night cream is the most classic choice — like the By Wishtrend and Fraijour creams mentioned above. The overnight mask goes a step further: Fraijour Retin-Collagen 3D Core Radiance Mask is a creamy leave-on mask applied before bed to work through the night. And the most unusual format is the peel-off pack: CKD Retino Collagen Small Molecule 300 Cream Pack stays on for 30–40 minutes until it forms a transparent film, which is then peeled off from the bottom up.

Retinal around the eyes

The skin around the eyes is thinner and quicker to show both fine lines and irritation — which is why this zone gets its own gentler formulas. A good example of the approach is Beauty of Joseon Revive Eye Serum: Ginseng + Retinal, where retinal liposomes are paired with ginseng extract specifically for the eye area.

Use all-over-face products near the eyes carefully and strictly by the instructions — CKD, for one, explicitly keeps its peel-off pack away from the eyes and brows. Purpose-made formulas for this zone live in our eye care collection.

Two common questions

Is retinal stronger than retinol?

It is closer to vitamin A's active form, and brands describe it as faster. In practice, "strength" also depends on concentration, form (liposomes, stabilisation) and the rest of the formula, not only on which retinoid it is.

Can retinal be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding?

Beauty of Joseon states outright that its retinal formula contains ingredients not recommended during pregnancy and breastfeeding, and By Wishtrend warns that, due to vitamin A, the product is difficult for pregnant women to use.

Retinal is the closest thing to vitamin A's active form you will find in cosmetics, but that is no reason to rush. Start less often than you think you need to, stick to the instructions on your own product and put on SPF every morning after. As for the format, whether a shot, a cream, an overnight mask or a dedicated eye formula, choose it for your skin.