While the buzz around retinaldehyde has been steadily growing for several years now, it’s recently taken over the retinoid conversation - and taken social media by storm. Touted as “the new, more effective retinol” or even “a rival to prescription retinoids,” its popularity has soared. But how much of this hype is grounded in science? Let’s delve into the research to see if retinaldehyde truly lives up to its promise.

Retinoids in Skincare

To understand retinaldehyde, we first need to define and explore the broader category of retinoids. These Vitamin A derivatives in skincare include retinyl palmitate, retinol, retinaldehyde, prescription tretinoin, and newer generation synthetic retinoids. With the exception of over-the-counter .1% adapalene, retinoids in active form are generally prescription while non-active forms used in retail require conversion.

How They Work

Retinoids work at the cellular level, binding to nuclear receptors of cells in the skin. These receptors regulate gene expression, influencing processes like collagen synthesis, cell turnover, and can even inhibit inflammation. While you can read more about how retinoids work in our retinoid blog, I find it helpful to think of retinoids as “helpers,” assisting the skin in doing what it would normally do - but even more efficiently. 

While there is still much to learn on the mechanism behind what makes retinoids so effective, we know that the processes above are what enable them to address acne, hyperpigmentation, and signs of aging. Backed by decades of research, retinoids—alongside sunscreen—are considered to be the most effective category of skincare ingredients with both a large body of research behind them and a long history of use.

A Brief History

The story of retinoids begins back to the 1960s, with Dr. Albert Kligman spearheading studies on tretinoin and retinol. Tretinoin was FDA-approved for acne treatment in 1971 and for photoaging in 1995. Retinol entered the retail market in the 1990s after chemists overcame challenges in stabilizing it.

Today, we also have newer generation synthetic retinoids (e.g., adapalene, tazarotene, trifarotene) and Vitamin A esters like retinyl retinoate, expanding the options available to consumers.

Formulation Challenges

While prescription retinoids are highly effective, they’re equally potent and with this comes side effects like dryness and irritation. Various delivery systems and vehicles have been developed to minimize this - and improve stability - but some people just cannot tolerate prescription options.

For this reason, there is still a demand for retinoids in retail products even though prescription retinoids often work faster. Non-prescription options like retinol and retinaldehyde can offer gentler alternatives with greater accessibility and more consumer-friendly formulations.

Retinol VS Retinaldehyde

Retinol and retinaldehyde, both in retail products and available without prescription, require conversion within the skin to become active. Understanding their differences begins with the Vitamin A conversion process:

The Vitamin A Conversion Process

1. Retinol Esters (e.g., retinyl palmitate) – 3 steps to activation
2. Retinol – 2 steps to activation
3. Retinaldehyde – 1 step to activation
4. Retinoic Acid (e.g., tretinoin) – Active form

Generally, less conversion steps means the retinoid will be more potent and get to work quicker. However, efficacy also depends on formulation, concentration, and how the product is used.

Describing the conversion process has become a little more complicated with the development of new synthetic retinoids. Adapalene and tazarotene are considered to be in active form, though the latter is technically a prodrug. We also have retinoic acid esters like hydroxypinacolone retinoate that supposedly don’t require conversion, the jury is just out on whether they work.

Retinol

Despite its delay in entering the skincare market, retinol has been extensively researched. It’s second only to prescription medications like tretinoin when it comes to the amount and quality of the studies done. It can take twice as long as tretinoin to begin seeing results - 6 months vs. 3-4 months. Retinol appears to work similarly to tretinoin as well, though perhaps to a slightly less significant degree.

Retinaldehyde

Stabilizing retinaldehyde for cosmetics proved even more challenging than retinol and a shelf stable retinaldehyde was wishful thinking until innovations like IconicA by Covalence Labs have made it possible. IconicA features a transient hemiacetal bond, resulting in a retinaldehyde stable in skincare.

Because retinaldehyde requires only one conversion step, it should start working faster. Early research suggests it performs similarly to tretinoin with less irritation, making it promising for sensitive skin types. It’s also antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, making it a favorite for acne-prone skin as well.

Comparing Retinol and Retinaldehyde

The Final Verdict

So, is retinaldehyde replacing retinol? Not yet.

Retinol has decades of research and real-world use backing its effectiveness. It has been tested and proven against other skincare powerhouses like tretinoin, glycolic acid, and Vitamin C.

While retinaldehyde is exciting and shows great promise, it is still relatively new. More studies—especially long-term ones—are needed to confirm its efficacy. For now, combining retinol and retinaldehyde may offer the best of both worlds, balancing innovation with proven science.

Pro Tip: If you’re new to retinoids or worried about irritation, look for encapsulated retinol products. These formulations release the active ingredient slowly, reducing irritation while maximizing benefits. Stratia Skin Night Shift features a low strength, encapsulated retinol for this reason - and a blend of skin soothers and barrier supporting ingredients reduce irritation during the acclimatization process too. 

References

1. Study on Retinoid Efficacy
2. 40 Years of Tretinoin Review
3. Retinoids in Dermatology
4. Stability Challenges in Retinoids
5. Innovations in Retinaldehyde Formulations

Mira is a skincare educator, blogger, and the content creator behind Skin Science by Mira and The Skincare Forum on Facebook. While skincare keeps her busy, she’s also pursuing her degree in Nursing and loves to spend her free time hiking.  As a content writer for Stratia Skin, Mira shares her evidence-based approach to skincare topics and a passion for making science accessible.