Retinal vs Retinol: Why Sensitive Skin Should Make the Switch
CollaGlow Team
Why Sensitive Skin and Retinol Don't Get Along
Retinol is the gold standard of anti-aging — clinically proven to stimulate collagen, accelerate cell turnover, and reduce wrinkles. But for sensitive skin, retinol often causes what the industry calls "retinization": redness, peeling, burning, and increased sensitivity that can last weeks.
The reason is conversion. Retinol must convert to Retinoic Acid in the skin to be active — and this conversion process itself can trigger irritation, especially at the concentrations needed to be effective.
How Retinal Is Different
Retinal (Retinaldehyde) sits one conversion step closer to Retinoic Acid than retinol. This means:
- It works 11x faster than retinol — delivering visible results at lower concentrations
- Less conversion = significantly less irritation
- The same end result — collagen stimulation, cell renewal — with a fraction of the inflammatory response
SEOUL 1988 Retinal Serum: 2% Liposome Delivery
Most retinal products irritate because the active sits on the skin surface where it's unstable and triggers a surface reaction. SEOUL 1988 Serum: Retinal Liposome 2% encapsulates Retinal inside liposomes — microscopic spheres that deliver the active deep into the dermis slowly, bypassing the surface irritation entirely.
Paired with Black Ginseng — a fermented Panax Ginseng with extraordinary antioxidant and firming properties — the result is effective, visible anti-aging with minimal sensitivity.
How to Introduce Retinal (Sensitive Skin Protocol)
- Start 2x per week in the evening only
- Apply after essence, before moisturizer
- Always follow with SPF the next morning
- Increase to 3x, then nightly as tolerance builds
- Do not use same night as AHA, BHA, or Vitamin C
