Retinyl Propionate
A vitamin A ester that skin converts, by way of retinol, toward retinoic acid, used as a gentler retinoid (notably in Olay serums). It is milder than retinol and carries a lighter evidence base, with much of the supporting research funded or run by the brands that popularized it. Because it needs an extra conversion step, it is generally positioned as an easing-in retinoid for people who find retinol or retinaldehyde too irritating.
Studied for
- ·The appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
- ·The look of a smoother, more even surface
- ·The look of a gentler retinoid option for sensitive or first-time users
How it’s thought to work
Converted in skin, through retinol, toward retinoic acid, and studied for the appearance of smoother, firmer-looking skin; the extra conversion step makes it slower and gentler than retinol. That slower conversion means less active reaches the skin at a given percentage, the trade a formula makes for lower visible irritation.
A regimen with retinyl propionate improved the look of periorbital wrinkles about as much as a prescription tretinoin regimen, with less visible irritation.
A randomized, controlled comparative study of the wrinkle reduction benefits of a cosmetic niacinamide/peptide/retinyl propionate product regimen vs. a prescription 0.02% tretinoin product regimen. British Journal of Dermatology, 2010.
View on PubMed (PMID 20374604) ↗Layering note
Often kept apart from: direct L-ascorbic acid (vitamin C) in the same layer.
Questions
- Is retinyl propionate as effective as retinol?
- It is generally considered milder. The extra conversion step it needs to reach retinoic acid means less active ends up in skin at a matched percentage, so it is positioned as a gentler, slower option rather than a direct swap for retinol.
- Who is retinyl propionate a good fit for?
- People new to retinoids, or with reactive skin that has struggled with retinol or retinaldehyde, since the extra conversion step tends to mean less visible irritation, at the cost of a slower, subtler result.
- Can I use it with vitamin C?
- Best kept to separate routines. Like other retinoids, it is commonly flagged as pairing poorly with direct L-ascorbic acid in the same layer, so many people use one in the morning and the other at night, or alternate nights.