Paula's Choice Pro Retinaldehyde Dual-Retinoid Treatment Versus Avène Hyaluron Activ Procedure 0.1% Retinal Lifting Cream

Paula's Choice Pro Retinaldehyde Dual-Retinoid Treatment Versus Avène Hyaluron Activ Procedure 0.1% Retinal Lifting Cream

This anti-aging treatment is formulated around Retinal and Oleyl Adapalenate to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

This anti-aging night moisturizer is formulated around Retinal and Niacinamide to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil

Dimethicone

Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate

Propanediol

Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate

Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate

Retinal

Oleyl Adapalenate

Tocopherol

Tocopheryl Acetate

Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate

Albatrellus Confluens Extract

Punica Granatum Pericarp Extract

Glyceryl Stearate

Stearyl Alcohol

Hydroxyapatite

Butylene Glycol

Cetyl Glyceryl Ether

Ricinus Communis Seed Oil

Sodium Polyacrylate

Isopropyl Myristate

Hydroxyacetophenone

Caprylhydroxamic Acid

Sodium Phytate

Xanthan Gum

Glycerin

Hydroxystearic Acid

Ceramide AP

1,2-Hexanediol

Sorbitan Oleate

Naringin

Citric Acid

Titanium Dioxide

Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Dimethicone, Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate, Propanediol, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Retinal, Oleyl Adapalenate, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate, Albatrellus Confluens Extract, Punica Granatum Pericarp Extract, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Hydroxyapatite, Butylene Glycol, Cetyl Glyceryl Ether, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Sodium Polyacrylate, Isopropyl Myristate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Sodium Phytate, Xanthan Gum, Glycerin, Hydroxystearic Acid, Ceramide AP, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sorbitan Oleate, Naringin, Citric Acid, Titanium Dioxide

Squalane

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil

Pentaerythrityl Tetracaprylate/Tetracaprate

Cetearyl Alcohol

Behenyl Alcohol

Niacinamide

C20-22 Alkyl Phosphate

C20-22 Alcohols

Acacia Senegal Gum

Adenosine

Cetearyl Glucoside

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Sodium Benzoate

Sodium Hyaluronate

Sodium Hydroxide

Terminalia Chebula Fruit Extract

Tocopheryl Glucoside

Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Squalane, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Pentaerythrityl Tetracaprylate/Tetracaprate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Niacinamide, C20-22 Alkyl Phosphate, C20-22 Alcohols, Acacia Senegal Gum, Adenosine, Cetearyl Glucoside, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Retinal, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Terminalia Chebula Fruit Extract, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Glucoside, Xanthan Gum

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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.

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%.

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.

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.

Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.

You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.

Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.

It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.

This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.

This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.

In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.

Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.

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!

Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.

On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.

Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.

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