Retinaldehyde Cream Serum 0.05%
Reviewed by SerumTruth Editorial · Updated July 2026
A well-evidenced retinal at a genuine dose, microencapsulated and disclosed, in a large 50ml bottle for under thirty dollars. On proven active per dollar it is one of the strongest retinal picks on the board.
- 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 & stability20 / 20
Delivery tech + packaging that protects fragile actives
- Delivery: encapsulated (protects and time-releases the active)
- 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 $5 per month to use
- $29 for 50 ml, used about once a day (about 0.3 ml each time), so a bottle lasts about 5.6 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 |
0.05% retinaldehyde (disclosed), the retinoid one conversion step from retinoic acid, microencapsulated for slow release and stabilised with sodium metabisulfite, in an opaque pump. At 50ml it is a generous bottle. This is the retinal line, separate from the encapsulated-retinol Retinol Complex.
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.