**TO:** You
**SUBJECT:** The retinal that broke the internet
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I joined the waitlist thinking this would be some overhyped indie dud. Then it arrived and I understood the chaos.
This is the first non-prescription retinal that made me consider ditching my tretinoin. Not kidding.
[IMG_1: A moody shot of the dropper bottle on a cluttered vanity, morning light hitting the serum’s yellow tint]
€38 for 30ml of 0.1% pure retinaldehyde — no esters, no derivatives, just the real molecule that converts directly to retinoic acid in one step. Most brands use retinyl palmitate. This does not play.
Encapsulated delivery
Means it stays stable and releases slowly so you don’t peel like a lizard.
Opaque airless pump
No air exposure = no oxidation. This matters more than the ingredient list.
No fragrance, no essential oils
Smells like nothing. Your skin won’t know what hit it until morning.
[IMG_2: The pump mechanism close-up showing the opaque bottle design]
Four active ingredients. That’s it. No filler flower extracts, no “complex” marketing nonsense. Just the stuff that works.
- Retinaldehyde 0.1%: Converts to retinoic acid in one enzymatic step — faster than retinol
- Ceramide NP: Repairs barrier before you damage it
- Bisabolol: Chamomile-derived, calms the purge without dulling results
- Tocopherol: Stabilizes the retinal so it doesn’t degrade in the bottle
[IMG_3: Ingredient list text shot against a marble counter]
Texture is watery-gel — absorbs in 12 seconds flat. Zero greasy residue. I applied it over damp skin night one and woke up with that tight-but-not-dry feeling. You know the one.
Week two I had a minor purge on my left jawline. Week three that purge was gone. Week four my boyfriend asked if I was wearing foundation. I wasn’t.
[IMG_4: Side-by-side week 1 vs week 4 under same lighting — no filter]
My fine lines along the nasolabial folds softened by maybe 30%. Texture on my chin? Almost gone. But my under-eye area saw zero change — this isn’t a miracle cream.
[IMG_5: The bottle next to a €50 bill for scale]
Already did. This is the retinal that made me finally box up my tretinoin tube. It’s gentler, cheaper, and actually works — rare trifecta.