Retinaldehyde Cream Serum 0.05%
Reviewed by SerumTruth Editorial · Price and formula checked 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.
- Built on strong-evidence actives
- Every active discloses its concentration
- Encapsulated delivery protects and time-releases the active
- Air- or light-sensitive actives in protective, opaque packaging
- Evidence30 / 30
Strength of the research behind the key actives
- Retinaldehyde: strong evidence
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
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.
Delivery tech plus packaging, and packaging only counts when actives are fragile.
- 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
Disclosure, active breadth, and current-generation or synergistic actives.
- 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
What a month of use costs: full marks at $6 a month or less, the floor at $60 a month or more.
Tap any row to see how its score was built.
Ranks #4 of 25 retinoids serums we have scored.
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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
What the research says
Clinical studies using skin replica image analysis suggested topical retinaldehyde supported a better looking appearance of photoaged skin, well tolerated.
Clinical use of topical retinaldehyde on photoaged skin. Dermatology, 1999. PubMed ↗
A study of the active, not this exact product. What matters for the score is whether this serum uses it at a comparable dose.
Higher-scoring alternatives
Same category, better SerumProof score. Worth a look before you buy.
Revision history
- July 11, 2026Price and formula rechecked
- July 10, 2026Review published
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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.