One Thing Peptide Retinal Serum Versus Theramid A-Retinoate

One Thing Peptide Retinal Serum Versus Theramid A-Retinoate

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Retinal and Retinyl Retinoate to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Butylene Glycol

Niacinamide

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Dipropylene Glycol

Cetyl Ethylhexanoate

Propanediol

Vinyldimethicone

Glycerin

Glyceryl Polymethacrylate

1,2-Hexanediol

Betaine

C14-22 Alcohols

Cetearyl Olivate

Glyceryl Stearate

Hydroxyacetophenone

Propylene Glycol

Sorbitan Olivate

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Tromethamine

C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside

Ethylhexylglycerin

Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6

Adenosine

Hydrolyzed Gardenia Florida Extract

Hydrolyzed Malt Extract

Hydrolyzed Viola Tricolor Extract

Sodium Polyacrylate

Dextrin

Disodium EDTA

Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate

Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract

Hyaluronic Acid

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Sodium Hyaluronate

Hydrogenated Polydecene

Carbomer

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate

Sodium Lactate

Trideceth-10

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5

Polysorbate 20

Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Copper Tripeptide-1

Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil

Phosphatidylcholine

Cholesterol

Phytosteryl/Behenyl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate

Aluminum/Magnesium Hydroxide Stearate

Brassica Campestris Sterols

Retinal

Potassium Cetyl Phosphate

Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate

Water, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dipropylene Glycol, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Propanediol, Vinyldimethicone, Glycerin, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Betaine, C14-22 Alcohols, Cetearyl Olivate, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Propylene Glycol, Sorbitan Olivate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Adenosine, Hydrolyzed Gardenia Florida Extract, Hydrolyzed Malt Extract, Hydrolyzed Viola Tricolor Extract, Sodium Polyacrylate, Dextrin, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Carbomer, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate, Sodium Lactate, Trideceth-10, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Copper Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Phosphatidylcholine, Cholesterol, Phytosteryl/Behenyl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Aluminum/Magnesium Hydroxide Stearate, Brassica Campestris Sterols, Retinal, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate

Coco-Caprylate

Dimethicone

Tribehenin PEG-20 Esters

Silica

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate

Panthenol

Cetearyl Alcohol

PPG-13-Decyltetradeceth-24

Retinyl Retinoate

Sodium Retinoyl Hyaluronate

Jojoba Esters

Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax

Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Mannitol

Isopropyl Lauroyl Sarcosinate

Cetyl Alcohol

Acacia Decurrens Flower Wax

Polyglycerin-3

Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate

Benzotriazolyl Dodecyl P-Cresol

Xanthan Gum

Tocopherol

Phosphoric Acid

Citric Acid

Sodium Benzoate

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Chloride

Phenoxyethanol

Sodium Hydroxide

Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Coco-Caprylate, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Tribehenin PEG-20 Esters, Silica, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Betaine, Panthenol, Cetearyl Alcohol, PPG-13-Decyltetradeceth-24, Retinal, Retinyl Retinoate, Sodium Retinoyl Hyaluronate, Jojoba Esters, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Carbomer, Butylene Glycol, Mannitol, Phosphatidylcholine, Isopropyl Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Cetyl Alcohol, Acacia Decurrens Flower Wax, Polyglycerin-3, Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate, Benzotriazolyl Dodecyl P-Cresol, Xanthan Gum, Tocopherol, Phosphoric Acid, Citric Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide

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Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Betaine is a humectant. Like hyaluronic acid, it helps attract and retain moisture in the skin. It’s known for being gentle and for helping the skin maintain balanced hydration.

Betaine is mainly used to improve hydration and support calmer skin. It helps skin cells regulate water balance because it functions as an osmolyte.

Some studies suggest betaine may support making skin tone more even.

Fun fact: Betaine naturally exists in the skin and the body. In cosmetic products, it can be either plant-derived (most commonly from sugar beets) or synthetically produced for consistency and stability.

Betaine is also known as trimethylglycine.

Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.

Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.

Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.

In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.

While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.

Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.

This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.

This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.

Carbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.

Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.

It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.

Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.

A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.

Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:

The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.

Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.

Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.

Topically, glycerin does several things at once:

Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.

Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.

This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.

Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Phosphatidylcholine (PC) is a type of phospholipid, a class of molecule that makes up our own cell membranes.

It has a glycerol backbone, two fatty acid tails (mostly linoleic, palmitic, and oleic), and a phosphate-choline head group.

In skincare, PC pulls double duty:

The linoleic acid it carries gets incorporated into skin ceramides and helps reinforce the lipid matrix.

Interestingly, it can help top of the omega-6 fatty acid that's often low in acne-prone and atopic skin. There's a sizeable body of literature that supports its use in dry, barrier-impaired, and breakout-prone skin.

There are two kinds of PC you'll see on ingredient lists.

Use levels range from <1% as a liposomal carrier and between 20-40% in lamellar matrix sytems.

Potassium Cetyl Phosphate is the potassium salt of a mixture. This mixture consists of the esters from phosphoricacid and cetyl alcohol.

Potassium Cetyl Phosphate is an emulsifier and cleansing agent. Emulsifiers help stabilize a product. It does this by preventing certain ingredients from separating.

As a cleansing agent, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate helps gather oils, dirts, and pollutants from your skin. This makes it easier to rinse them away with water.

Retinal (aka retinaldehyde) is a form of retinoid that formulators use mainly as an antiaging and skin-renewing active.

What makes it special is its position in the retinoid family; skin converts it to retinoic acid (the prescription gold standard) in just one step.

Because retinal only requires 1 conversion step to become retinoic acid, it's the strongest over-the-counter retinoid. It also works at lower concentrations than retinol, since retinal is about 10x more bioavailable.

Studies back up its efficacy in skin:

A foundational trial showed that applying 0.05-0.5% retinal for 1-3 months produced a dose-dependent and significant increase in epidermal thickness + cell turnover markers.

And a head-to-head comparison of 0.05% retinal against a 0.05% retinoid acid found both formulations were effective for the basis of wrinkle/skin roughness features, but retinoic acid caused more local irritation.

More recent controlled trials confirm it improves wrinkles, dermal density, and firmness over 12-24 weeks, with significant improvements in skin texture and firmness (particularly with the higher 0.1% concentration).

Retinal also has one trick the other retinoids do not: it directly fights against acne bacteria since a clinical study showed retinaldehyde-treated areas displayed a significant decrease in counts of viable P. acnes.

This makes it a great pick for people who want to treat aging and breakouts.

Typical cosmetic use sits in the 0.05-0.1% range with 0.05% being the gentle starting point and 0.1% giving stronger results.

Like all retinoids, retinal works best with nightly use, a good moisturizer, and daytime sunscreen. It can cause some irritation so ease into it slowly rather than going all in.

The "ramp up" method works well: start with Retinal once a week to give your skin time to adjust, which keeps irritation low.

Slowly add more nights until you reach your goal frequency once your skin feels comfortable.

Retinoids also make your skin more sensitive to the sun in the first few weeks, so wear sunscreen every morning and protect your skin from direct sun while you build up tolerance.

Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.

So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.

You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!

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