← ACTIVESRECORD A-01FAMILY RETINOIDMONOGRAPH 1 OF 12

Retinaldehyde

Retinal

ALSO — RETINAL, VITAMIN A ALDEHYDE

The strongest retinoid available without a prescription pad. Converts faster than retinol, irritates less than tretinoin.

WHERE WE SIT IN THE PUBLISHED RANGE0.03% ——— 0.2%

0.1%

We compound toward the middle of the published range, not the top of it. Past the point where the dose–response curve flattens, the extra percent buys irritation and nothing else.

IDENTITY & RATINGSA

INCIRetinal

FAMILYRetinoid

MOL. WEIGHT284.44 g/mol

HOUSE CONC.0.1% w/w

pH WINDOW5.3 – 5.7

ACTS ATDERMIS

DEPTH60 – 1800 µm

ONSET8–12 WK

STABILITYPHOTOLABILE — 4 H UV

TRIALS ON FILE4

IRRITATION INDEX4 / 10

STRATUM CORNEUMEPIDERMIS▸ DERMIS

The shaded band is the depth this molecule is understood to reach. Anything below it is out of scope, whatever the label says.

Mechanism

EVIDENCE GRADE A

One oxidation step from retinoic acid. Binds nuclear RAR after conversion; upregulates procollagen I and III, accelerates keratinocyte turnover, downregulates MMP-1.

HOUSE NOTES

Compounded in an airless pump. Any retinoid sold in a jar has been oxidising since it left the line.
Retinisation — flaking, tightness, transient erythema — peaks around week 3. It is not an allergy. It is not a sign it is working, either.
Do not layer over an acid on the same night. Alternate.

MEASURED ENDPOINTS

Periorbital wrinkle depth-31%

12 WKREF-01

Skin roughness (Ra)-26%

12 WKREF-13

Procollagen I expression+46%

6 WKREF-07

SUPPORTING RECORDS

REF-01A
Randomised, vehicle-controlled
N=112 · 12 WK · DOUBLE-BLIND
REF-13A
Randomised, vehicle-controlled
N=104 · 12 WK · DOUBLE-BLIND
REF-07B
Ex vivo skin explant
N=24 · 6 WK · N/A

Layering

CONFLICTS & PAIRINGS

DO NOT LAYER

PAIRS WITH

Compounded into

1 FORMULAS

040.1%

RETINAL 0.1%£96 · 30 ML

SPECIMEN MONOGRAPH. FIGURES AND RECORDS ARE ILLUSTRATIVE PLACEHOLDERS AND CITE NO REAL STUDY, AUTHOR OR JOURNAL. NOT MEDICAL ADVICE.

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