22/04/2026
Retinoids, retinol, retinaldehyde, retinoic acid! Anyone confused yet?
Lots of people try strong Vitamin A products or retinoids and end up wrecking their skin barrier. So then they use the sandwich method of putting moisturiser on first then the retinoids and then more moisture. That’s just not necessary.
There are very few people who need retinoic acid, the most active form and the prescription strength retinoids. It’s so harsh and often people don’t tolerate it.
The skin stores Vitamin A via the ester forms of retinols, so retinyl palmatate and acetate for example. Then when needed, the skin converts the ester form into retinoids acid. This takes milliseconds by the way, so no need to use retinaldehyde to be closer to retinoic acid.
Ester forms if retinoids are much less harsh and make them great for sensitive skins. It is critical for the skin to have Vitamin A so every skin needs
What are your experiences with retinoids?