With so many different types of retinoids in the world of skincare, there is a lot of ground to cover. We’ve taken a deep dive into a foundational understanding in Back to Basics: What are Retinoids, and covered more in our Comprehensive Guide to Understanding Retinoids.

At The Ordinary, we have multiple products within our retinoid offering that cover different needs for different users (from beginner to intermediate), as well as levels of strength/potency. And after hearing from our community, we saw the need to support users who are more experienced with retinoids. With that, we are launching a new retinal formulation. Let’s take a look at the new Retinal 0.2% Emulsion and understand it further.

Retinoids are a very well-studied group of ingredients. They have been shown to target multiple concerns simultaneously. Once applied, retinoids need to be converted to their bioactive form in order to have their desired effect on the skin. While retinol must undergo two conversions, retinaldehyde is one conversion step away from the most direct form of vitamin A, offering a more efficient delivery of the form of the molecule that will bring about skin benefits. Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion is a creamy serum that targets visible signs of aging.

Both retinol and Granactive Retinoid are effective vitamin A derivatives: while retinol is a familiar, well-studied technology available in a squalane-based formulation, Granactive Retinoid is a newer, next generation retinoid that is available both in squalane and as an emulsion. Once you have chosen your preferred retinoid, you can work your way through the different strengths offered if desired.

Retinal (retinaldehyde) is a form of vitamin A molecule that is one conversion step away from the bioactive form of the molecule . When applied to the skin, it has been shown to improve the appearance of wrinkles and skin roughness, target the look of uneven skin tone, and help promote a more radiant skin appearance.

We are introducing a new Vitamin A molecule to our lineup with Retinal 0.2% Emulsion to offer a retinoid treatment with high strength for experienced users wishing to target signs of aging. This formulation contains a potent concentration of retinaldehyde, as well as synthetic oat molecules (lab-made molecules that are identical to those naturally found in oats) which are known to help target skin discomfort and dryness, common concerns associated with the use of retinoid-based products.

Retinal 0.2% Emulsion offers a high concentration of retinaldehyde for age support. The benefits of retinal helps to improve skin firmness and plumpness, refine visible skin texture, and even the appearance of skin tone, while boosting skin luminosity. It can also reduce the appearance of dark spots, and helps improve the look of lines and wrinkles, including crow’s feet, frown lines, and forehead wrinkles. When incorporating Retinal 0.2% Emulsion into your skincare regimen, you may begin to see results in as little as 2 weeks, but we recommend using the product for at least 10 weeks to see optimal results.

If it's your first time using retinoids, and to start retinal serum application, we recommend starting with the lowest concentration possible (you could explore our retinol- or Granactive Retinoid-containing formulas, for example), and gradually building up to a higher concentration as needed. When incorporating Retinal 0.2% Emulsion into your regimen, we recommend performing a patch-test.

To build your own skincare regimen on your new retinoid journey, this product falls under our Treat category. If regimen-building is new to you at The Ordinary, review this guide to help you along the journey.

We recommend applying Retinal 0.2% Emulsion once a week for the first 2 weeks, and twice a week thereafter, as part of your skincare PM regimen.

So let’s break down how to layer retinoids in a regimen. When applying retinoids as mentioned earlier, they fall under the Treat step in a regimen, ideally in your PM regimen.. If you want to target signs of aging, you could potentially use an age-supporting peptide serum such as Multi-Peptide + HA Serum during the Treat step of your AM regimen. And then for your PM regimen, you can use Retinal 0.2% Emulsion in its place.

For conflicts with Retinal 0.2% Emulsion, we do not recommend combining this product with formulations containing direct acids, direct vitamin C, copper peptides, or other retinoids. The conflicts for our retinoid formulations are as follows:

• Direct Acids: As both retinoids and direct acids have the capacity to support the skin’s natural exfoliating mechanism, combining both into one regimen may increase the chances of developing skin sensitivities. If you wish to combine both products into a regimen, we recommend using them on alternate days and/or nights.
• Direct Vitamin C: With skin tolerance in mind, we do not recommend combining retinoids with Direct Vitamin C (LAA) as this may increase the chances of developing skin sensitivities. If you wish to incorporate both into a regimen, we suggest using them on alternate evenings and waiting until your skin has adjusted to one before introducing another.
• Copper Peptides: As both retinoids and copper peptides have the capacity to support the skin’s natural exfoliating mechanism, combining both into one regimen may increase the chances of developing skin sensitivities. If you wish to combine both products into a regimen, we recommend using them on alternate days and/nights.
• Other Retinoids: Retinoids have the capacity to support the skin's natural exfoliating mechanisms. As such, we do not recommend combining multiple retinoids in one regimen, as this may increase the chances of over-exfoliating the skin and developing skin sensitivities.

Whether you're targeting signs of aging, uneven skin tone, or texture, there is a selection of retinoids to support your skincare concerns, from beginner users to more experienced users.