Paula's Choice Pro Retinaldehyde Dual-Retinoid Treatment Versus Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 10 0.1% Retinal Serum

Paula's Choice Pro Retinaldehyde Dual-Retinoid Treatment Versus Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 10 0.1% Retinal Serum

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

This anti-aging treatment is formulated around Retinal 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

Oleyl Erucate

Triheptanoin

Cyclodextrin

Cetearyl Olivate

Sorbitan Olivate

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Biosaccharide Gum-1

Allantoin

Retinal 0.1%

Rubus Chamaemorus Seed Oil

Panthenol

Disodium EDTA

Pentylene Glycol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Oleyl Erucate, Glycerin, Triheptanoin, Cyclodextrin, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Allantoin, Retinal 0.1%, Rubus Chamaemorus Seed Oil, Panthenol, Citric Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Disodium EDTA, Pentylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol

Reviews

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%.

Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.

Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.

However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.

Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.

In skincare formulas, citric acid can:

While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.

Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.

Rosacea skin has a lower threshold for acids generally, with 62.5% of rosacea subjects in one study reacting to lactic acid in a sting test. This is why we mark citric acid as a potential rosacea trigger.

However, this ingredient shows up as a pH adjuster or chelator at roughly 0.1-1% in many products. These low levels are unlikely to be an issue for rosacea skin and becomes a potential trigger at exfoliating concentrations (20%). Because everybody's skin is unique, we recommend a patch test if you are unsure.

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.

Tocopheryl Acetate is a stable, shelf-friendly form of vitamin E.

Formulators love it because plain vitamin E oxidizes quickly once it hits air. This acetate version stays stable and resists going off, helping to extend a product's shelf life.

It's actually inactive on its own and works like a slow-release "storage" form; the enzymes in your skin called esterases gradually convert it into active vitamin E over time.

One in vivo study showed 5% of the acetate in the living layer of the epidermis converted to vitamin E after 5 days of application. This study also found the skin gained protection against UV damage even though the conversion was slow and small.

Once converted, vitamin E acts as a skin's main fat-soluble antioxidant that fights free radicals to protect skin from damage.

Topical vitamin E generally boosts the skin's photoprotection, and it reduced UV-damage in animal models.

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.

Overall, it has a pretty solid safety profile and has been found to be non-irritating and non-comedogenic. Allergic reactions may happen but stay rare due to how widely the ingredient gets used.

The concentration will vary depending on the formula; industry data shows 0.1% in baby lotions, 3% in lipsticks, and 5% in foot powders. You can also find this ingredient at 100% in a pure vitamin E oil.

Most leave-on skincare keeps it at the lower end, often between 0.5-1%.

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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