Today we're talking about a true hero product from what is lowkey one of my favourite skincare brands; Naturium's retinal. I'll give you a quick summary of retinal and how it fits into the wider family of retinoids (the most proven ingredient on the market to reverse existing signs of photo-ageing) and also do a comparison of the original 0.05% formula up against the 0.1% formula which only launched in the UK a few months back... Ok, let's start with the basics; what is a retinal (what, even, is a retinoid)? Retinal belong to the retinoid family of Vitamin A derivatives, the same as its more-famous sibling retinol. This class of ingredients are pretty much the best of the best when it comes to proven well-ageing benefits (other than preventative measures such as sunscreen). Retinoids boost collagen production (this is what gives our skin its bounce but our stores deplete over the years), even out the skin tone, smooth fine lines and increase skin cell turnover (which slows as we age, leading to drier, duller skin). They should not be used if you are pregnant or breastfeeding and aren't really suitable for under-25s unless you've been advised to use one by a dermatologist as an acne treatment. So, what is retinal specifically? The short version is: only prescription-strength retinoids are formulated with with direct retinoic acid, otherwise your skin has to convert whatever ingredient your skincare uses into it. With each conversion, the ingredient tends to lose some of its potency. Retinal sits between retinoic acid and retinol on this conversion scale, so you may notice similar results to a retinol but these results can be both faster and more noticeable. Personally, it's the best of both worlds! For whatever reason, I find it less drying than most retinol products I've tried, plus I get better results in a shorter period of time. Historically, this ingredient hasn't been that available on the market, and it's tended to be pretty expensive. But this is starting to change and Naturium's formula is one such more-affordable product. Naturium currently offer the 0.05% Retinaldehyde Cream Serum* | £32 | and the 0.1% Retinaldehyde Cream Serum* | £35. Right off the bat, I love that the higher concentration formula is just £3 more expensive than the lower-strength version; a lot of brands would charge considerably more for a 0.1% concentration of retinal. Additionally, you're getting 50ml of product with the Naturium retinal formulas as opposed to the standard 30ml serum size. The base formula is exactly the same and I really couldn't detect any textural differences between the two. This comes out like a watery lotion; definitely thicker than a water-based serum in a dropper, but it melts down effortlessly. The base formula includes plenty of hydrating glycerin, some moisturising plant oils to soften the skin and Vitamin E as a fat-soluble antioxidant (protecting the skin from free radical damage). It's simple but it does the job! I used the 0.05% formula for a good few months almost every night (until I ran out), so I feel like I can really speak to what a wonderful product this is. It's not your first retinoid, but if you've used a retinol and your skin gets on with it but you just want to push your results to the next level; I think this is a great way of doing so. It's incredibly gentle and I experienced no adjustment or irritation, as an experienced retinoid user. This is still a decent concentration of this ingredient (I'd put it around the middle in terms of what's on the market) and is an amazing price, all things considered. It delivered smoother, more even and radiant skin within a couple of weeks of use without any redness, drying or irritation. So, basically everything you could possibly want from a retinoid! But, how does the 0.1% formula compare? I've been using this formula for around 8 weeks now and can report that it also doesn't irritate my skin or dry it out and my skin didn't need to adjust to this, though I have used a 0.1% formula in the past so perhaps have already built a good tolerance. In terms of results, I honestly found this pretty similar to the 0.05% formula (though maybe in the long-long term it could be doing more for my skin). So, if you have sensitive skin: stick to the 0.05% formula and you're honestly probably getting 80%+ of the same benefits. If your skin tolerates the 0.1% formula just as well, you might as well go for it given the minimal price difference and who knows; maybe in 20 years you'll be glad you did! But the takeaway for me is that both of these formulas have worked really well for my skin, so choose the one that you think your skin can tolerate on a nightly basis so you can reap maximal rewards.