A-Game 5
Reviewed by SerumTruth Editorial · Updated July 2026
A budget retinal that gets the important things right: a well-evidenced active, encapsulated, in packaging that keeps it stable. The starting strength is gentle, which is the point. For the price it is one of the better ways to try retinal.
- Evidence30 / 30
Strength of the research behind the key actives
- Retinaldehyde: strong evidence
- Score is the average of the key actives’ evidence grades.
- Potency21 / 25
Dosed at studied levels, not fairy-dusted
- Retinaldehyde (0.05%): dosed at a studied level
- Potency tracks how strongly the actives are dosed, led by the strongest, not how many there are.
- Delivery & stability16 / 20
Delivery tech + packaging that protects fragile actives
- Delivery: standard
- Packaging: airless, opaque
- Air- or light-sensitive actives (Retinaldehyde), so packaging is scored.
- Formulation8 / 10
Disclosure, active breadth, and ingredient generation
- 1 of 1 actives disclose a concentration
- 1 key active (breadth credit caps at 3)
- Current-generation or synergistic: Retinaldehyde
- Value15 / 15
What a month of use costs vs. the category
- About $4 per month to use
- $14.9 for 30 ml, used about once a day (about 0.3 ml each time), so a bottle lasts about 3.3 months
- Frequency is set by Retinaldehyde, which is used no more than 7x a week, so a bottle stretches further
- Band: $6/month or less earns full marks, $60/month or more hits the floor.
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What’s inside
| Active | Disclosed | Dose |
|---|---|---|
| Retinaldehyde | 0.05% | Studied |
A 0.05% retinaldehyde serum in a light, supported base, encapsulated and packaged in an opaque tube. Like the Medik8 version it uses retinal rather than retinol, so a low percentage does real work, and the range steps up so skin can build tolerance. Straightforward, fragrance-free and sensibly protected.
How it’s delivered
Air- and light-sensitive actives (vitamin C, copper peptides) lose potency fast in the wrong packaging, so delivery and the bottle are scored, not just what’s on the label.
The actives, explained
Cosmetic information for general education, not medical advice. The SerumProof score reflects our reading of publicly available research and formulation disclosures. See how scoring works.