Retinoids can support skin renewal, refine skin texture and improve the appearance of fine lines and uneven pigmentation.
With retinol, however, the quality of a product is often reduced to a single number: the percentage.
The assumption “the higher the concentration, the stronger the effect” falls short. Two products with different percentages cannot automatically be compared with each other. What matters is not only how much of a retinoid is contained, but also which form is used, how it becomes available and how it is embedded in the formulation as a whole.
Single retinoid vs. multi retinoid
Many classic retinoid products focus on a single form of retinoid, for example retinol or retinal. In such a formulation, the intensity is often controlled through the concentration.
A higher concentration can, however, also increase the potential for irritation. Dryness, redness, a feeling of tightness or flaking can occur, especially in sensitive skin or skin not used to retinoids.
The Advanced Multi Retinol Serum therefore takes a different formulation approach:
Instead of using as much of a single retinoid as possible, different forms of retinoids and vitamin A-related active ingredients are combined.
The formulation contains different forms with different properties and availabilities, including free retinol, liposomal or encapsulated retinol and vitamin A acetate. The concept is complemented by bakuchiol and cacay oil, a natural oil source that also contains retinol.
Different forms - different active availability
Not every retinoid becomes available in the same way.
Free retinol is available comparatively quickly and provides an early onset of action.
Encapsulated or liposomal retinol is embedded in a carrier system. This can protect the active ingredient and influence its availability over a longer period of time.
Vitamin A Acetate (Retinyl Acetate) is a stable vitamin A ester that must first be converted in the skin, giving it a different activity profile than free retinol.
In addition, the formulation contains bakuchiol, a plant-based active ingredient used for its vitamin A-like properties, as well as cacay and nara seed oil with essential fatty acids and antioxidant components.
The result is not an active profile defined solely by the concentration of a single retinoid. Instead, different forms with different properties are deliberately combined in one formulation.
The oil phase is part of the formulation
The base of the serum is not merely a carrier for the active ingredients either.
The Advanced Multi Retinol Serum is formulated on an oil base whose properties are modeled on the skin's natural lipids. Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride is an important component of the base. Cacay and nara seed oil complement the formulation with essential fatty acids and antioxidant components.
In this way, the serum follows our fundamental formulation approach:
The effect of a product does not come from a single “hero ingredient”. What matters is the interplay of the formulation as a whole.
Retinoid forms, concentration, stability, carrier systems, oil base and other active ingredients are considered together.
What does this mean for the percentage?
The percentage of a retinoid can be important information – but it does not tell the whole story.
0.3 % of one retinoid is not automatically comparable to 1 % of another retinoid.
Different forms of retinoids can differ in terms of stability, availability, conversion and activity profile. That is why a retinoid formulation should not be judged solely by its highest percentage.
