NEW Retinal Product on the market at an unbelievable price point

You may have already heard the news about a new Retinal Product on the market at an unbelievable price point. The Ordinary has done it again; this could be my new favorite for my neck issues. I wouldn’t be using it all over my face, not that you shouldn’t. But I use Tretinoin on my face and I have for some time. If you use Tretinoin on your face I would not double up on Vitamin A, that is just too irritating on your skin. But some parts of your body have lower oil production like under your eyes and neck. This product may be less irritating on those parts.

What is Retinal and how does it compare to Tretinoin

They both belong to the family of retinoids. Retinoids are compounds or different versions of Vitamin A. You may have heard Retinal called Retinaldehyde, they are the same. Retinal is not the strongest in the retinoid family. That is Tretinoin.

Tretinoin is the highest strength Vitamin A and it is available through a prescription. In some countries, it is available over the counter. Tretinoin is considered the golden ingredient in skincare. It has been studied since the 1970s, but so has the whole retinoid family.

Even though Retinal is a lesser strength of Vitamin A. There is nothing weak about Vitamin A. It can do remarkable things for exfoliation, strengthening, and fighting free radical damage on the skin.

Positives for Retinal/Retinaldehyde

Retinols are a different member of the Retinoid family. It is weaker and it is easily confused with Retinal. Every ingredient in the Retinoid Family has benefits for the skin. The stronger the vitamin A compound have stronger the benefits. These ingredients have many benefits as in the thickening (strengthening) of the epidermis. It helps increase procollagen production in the skin as indicated in numerous studies. It is hard to get that product of collagen back as we age.

Collagen in the body is very important for our whole body and skin. Collagen holds moisture in the skin and increases healthy skin cells. It also helps fight free radical damage as does antioxidants. If you want serious help with fighting damage or aging to your skin – this would be a good step. Middle of the road isn’t a bad thing, it has the same benefits (perhaps a bit less) but less irritation as well.

Sun damage

If this was available in my 30s I would have been elated. That is when I started noticing changes in my skin. If I had started sooner with well-formulated Vitamin A (Retinoids), I may have been able to get a head start on reversing some of the sun damage. Also, I had very oily skin and this could have helped control that oil production. Yes, it does that as well.

Dropbacks to Retinoids

Retinoids are amazing ingredients in many, many ways but there are drawbacks to using them. They can be extremely drying on the skin. Exfoliation can be more than you have ever seen on your face except for maybe a sunburn. It is almost as if you have had a chemical peel. Your face may get sore, red, irritated, and tight. These dropbacks can last for months and perhaps years. This can be hard to deal with and some people can’t handle it. It is a hard process so no shame if you can’t handle higher strength Retinoids.

Suggestions on starting Retinoids

If you have sensitive skin I would probably start with Differin. Differin is an OTC retinoid that works differently than other retinoids. It is far less drying and spreads nicely on the skin. I was prescribed Differin before it was an OTC product at a higher percentage in my 30s for closed comdomes. Yes, it works on acne as well, and perhaps better than other Retinoids. Even, teenagers can use this product for their acne and have additional skin benefits as well. It is a great place to start.

Moving on to Retinol – the weakest of the Retinoid family

I would then move on to Retinol. Many products now have retinol in them. Some products with a lower price point are Olay Regenerist Retinol24 Night Moisturizer, Ordinary Retinol 1% in Squalane, or the Granactive Retinoid 5% in Squalane, with Olay being the highest priced but all of these are still moisturizing on the skin. Ordinary products are well-proven and well-liked by most people.

New Retinal Product and comparison to another highly rate product

Then move on to the New Retinal Product on the market at an unbelievable price. I like the price point for a Retinal/Retinaldehyde with this new product. This is not the first product with retinal, I use Avene PhysioLift eyes as it was suggested by a dermatologist for its Vitamin A properties it was $52.00 for 15 ml.

It is hard to stabilize retinal so usually in the past it has come with a higher price tag. This product has a yellow tint just as higher quality retinal/retinaldehyde usually have in their formula. Just like my current product, I have enjoyed using this product. The Ordinary Product isn’t as thick but they are fairly similar in consistency.

Avene PhysioLIft has been discontinued recently (I would have had to find a replacement, so this product launch has perfect timing) and the ingredients for the Avene product is:

Glycerin is a favorite moisturizing ingredient and then there is the Retinal further down the ingredient list. This product also contains ASCOFILLINE^TM a brown algae that gives a firming effect. The Ordinary product doesn’t have that ingredient.

The Ordinary’s New Retinal Product compared

The Ordinary’s Retinal 0.2% Emulsion is a strong product and has some exceptional ingredients.

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate – a Coconut (derived) light hydrator, Retinal is high on this ingredient list so it is stronger than my previous retinaldehyde. There are some sugar hydrators in this formula. Most I am not very familiar with but I have studied some of the ingredients used by The Ordinary, mainly The Niod line. One thing I know about these brands is that the makers are excellent formulators. The Niod Line is exceptional for their price as well.

This New Retinal Product on the market at an unbelievable price point is only $14.90 for 15 ml which is a $37.00 savings to me. It is more than the savings, it is the ingredients and the packaging. If this was another product in that dropper packaging, I would not buy it. The retinal is an unstable ingredient and it needs to be in an airless plump. The yellow color is similar to other higher-quality retinal products. I was wondering if it would be more irritating than my other products because of the retinal being so high in the ingredient list.

It possibly could be but the pH of this product is 6 or 7 which is a less irritating indicator. 7 is a natural pH. That was my deciding factor in knowing I needed to purchase this product. However, I will need to finish up my Avene product first.

I will update the post after I have given the New Ordinary products some weeks to work. Avene is a good brand and their Retinal line products are good products. However, I am hopeful that this New Retinal Product will be just as good.