You know how every retinal claims to be “encapsulated” but you can’t actually feel a difference? This one is different. The delivery tech behind this serum comes from 30 years of sunscreen research — the same people who figured out how to make UV filters sit *exactly* where they should.
That matters because retinal is a diva. It wants to work, but it also wants to throw a tantrum (read: peel, flake, purge). This system carries it deep enough to do its job without wrecking your moisture barrier. It’s like having a bouncer for your face — only the good stuff gets in.
It’s a 0.1% retinal serum, $78 for 30ml. I tried it because of the origin story — who says no to biotech that’s been hiding in plain sight for three decades?
Oleosome Encapsulation
Microscopic lipid spheres that shuttle retinal into skin without the irritation spike — this is the sunscreen tech, and it’s the whole plot.
Slow-Release Matrix
Delivers over 8-12 hours instead of dumping everything at once. Your skin gets a steady drip, not a fire hose.
Buffer System
Built-in soothing complex means you can skip the “retinol sandwich” method entirely. I was skeptical — now I’m a convert.
Photo: Poko Skincare / Unsplash
Retinal (the stronger, faster cousin of retinol) is the headliner, but the supporting cast is doing real work. It’s a short list — no filler, no fragrance, no 47 botanical extracts that do nothing.
- Retinal (0.1%): The gold-standard retinoid — converts to retinoic acid 11x faster than retinol
- Squalane: Weightless moisture so you don’t get that tight, stretched feeling
- Vitamin E: The peacekeeper — mops up free radicals, calms reactivity
- Bisabolol: Chamomile-derived, takes the edge off any potential sensitivity
Photo: Alexandru Zdrobău / Unsplash
It’s a milky-gel hybrid — thin, fast-absorbing, zero grease. Two drops cover my whole face. It sinks in before I finish my nighttime skincare audio book. No pilling under moisturizer, which is more than I can say for my last three serums.
Week two: I expected the flake-pocalypse. It never came. My skin looked… calm. A little smoother. The fine lines around my eyes are still there, but they look less like canyons and more like creek beds. One surprise — my morning redness is down, and I didn’t see that coming from a retinoid.
Photo: Kaeme / Unsplash
My pores are visibly smaller at week 3. Texture is smoother — like the surface of a table instead of a cobblestone road. The one thing that hasn’t budged: my stubborn forehead line. But it’s softer at rest, and that’s not nothing.
Photo: Linh Ha / Unsplash
This is the retinal I’ll repurchase. It’s not magic — it’s just smarter delivery, and that’s the whole game. If you’re ready to stop playing roulette with retinoids, this is your ticket.