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Retinol vs retinal (and retinyl esters, HPR and bakuchiol) for your skincare brand

Which vitamin A form to put in a private label serum or cream, at what level, what each market allows, what you can claim, and how to package it so it still works on the last day of its shelf life.

Not legal or medical adviceThis guide summarizes published rules and studies as of October 2026. Your safety assessor, importer or regulator has the final word for your product and market, and pregnant customers should always ask their doctor.

Short answer

Retinal (retinaldehyde) is one conversion step from retinoic acid, the form that acts in skin, while retinol needs two steps and retinyl esters three, so retinal is usually stronger at the same percentage and retinyl palmitate the mildest. In the EU, Regulation (EU) 2024/996 caps retinol, retinyl acetate and retinyl palmitate at 0.05% retinol equivalent in body lotion and 0.3% in other products, with the warning "Contains Vitamin A. Consider your daily intake before use", for products placed on the market from 1 November 2025 and for all products sold from 1 May 2027. Canada's Hotlist caps retinol at 1.0% and retinal at 0.05% in face products, Korea lets retinol 2,500 IU/g carry a wrinkle functional claim, and the US sets no limit but treats "rebuilds collagen" style claims as drug claims. Bakuchiol is not a retinoid and has no vitamin A limits.

The vitamin A family and their INCI names

"Retinoid" means vitamin A and the molecules made from it. Prescription retinoids (tretinoin, adapalene, tazarotene) are medicines. Cosmetic brands use the weaker forms below. The INCI name is the standard ingredient name that goes on your label; see our guide to INCI lists for how labels are built.

Form	INCI name	Steps to retinoic acid	Cosmetic status
Retinoic acid (tretinoin)	Not a cosmetic ingredient	0 (the active form)	A prescription drug. Banned in EU cosmetics (Annex II entry 375), on Canada's prohibited list and on Korea's banned list
Retinal (retinaldehyde)	Retinal	1	Cosmetic; no EU Annex III entry; restricted in Canada
Retinol	Retinol	2	Cosmetic; limited in the EU and Canada
Retinyl acetate, retinyl propionate	Retinyl Acetate, Retinyl Propionate	3	Cosmetic; retinyl acetate is in the EU vitamin A entry
Retinyl palmitate	Retinyl Palmitate	3	Cosmetic; in the EU vitamin A entry
HPR (hydroxypinacolone retinoate)	Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate	Suppliers say it binds retinoid receptors directly; limited independent proof	Cosmetic; not named in the EU vitamin A entry
Bakuchiol	Bakuchiol	None: it is a plant compound, not vitamin A	Cosmetic; no specific limits found in the EU, Canada or Korea lists

How skin converts each form

Skin cells only respond to retinoic acid. Every cosmetic form has to be converted first, and each step loses some of the dose. That is why the same percentage of two forms can feel very different.

Retinyl esters become retinol
Enzymes in skin split off the fatty acid (palmitate, acetate or propionate). This step makes esters the gentlest and slowest choice.
Retinol becomes retinal
Retinol is oxidized to retinaldehyde. This is a slow, controlled step, so retinol needs weeks of regular use.
Retinal becomes retinoic acid
One more oxidation step gives retinoic acid, which binds the retinoid receptors in the cell nucleus. Retinal skips the slow step above, so it acts faster and can irritate more.
HPR and bakuchiol sit outside this chain
HPR is an ester of retinoic acid that suppliers describe as binding receptors without conversion; most data come from lab and company studies. Bakuchiol is a different molecule that showed similar gene and clinical effects in some studies.

What the evidence shows

Evidence levels differ a lot between forms. Use this to decide how strong your claims can be.

Form	Best human evidence	Evidence level
Retinol	A randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled study applied 0.4% retinol lotion up to 3 times a week for 24 weeks to the arms of 36 elderly people and found significant fine-wrinkle improvement (Kafi 2007). A 2016 study found retinol caused the same kinds of changes in skin as retinoic acid, with a smaller size, and fewer facial wrinkles after 12 weeks (Kong 2016).	Good for a cosmetic: several controlled studies
Retinal	Skin biopsies showed dose-dependent retinoid activity; in tolerance studies with 229 patients, 0.05% and 0.1% were well tolerated on the face for up to 3 years, while 1% was tolerated by up to 70% (Saurat 1994).	Moderate: activity well shown, fewer wrinkle trials
Retinyl palmitate	Mostly lab and animal data; a 2024 mouse and cell study found it active (Shu 2024). Few strong human wrinkle trials.	Limited
HPR	Cell and mouse data (Shu 2024) and an 8-week study of a serum combining retinol, HPR, peptides and silybin (Shen 2026), which cannot separate HPR's own effect.	Limited
Bakuchiol	A randomized, double-blind, 12-week study in 44 people: 0.5% bakuchiol cream twice daily and 0.5% retinol cream daily both reduced wrinkle surface area and hyperpigmentation with no significant difference; retinol users reported more scaling and stinging (Dhaliwal 2019).	Moderate: one good trial

Reviews of retinoids in skin aging (Mukherjee 2006) rank prescription tretinoin as the best studied, then retinol and retinal. None of these studies tested your formula, so they support ingredient-level statements, not claims about your finished product. For product claims you test the product itself; see our efficacy claims testing guide.

Typical use levels

Only well-documented ranges are shown. "Studied at" means the level used in the cited study, not a recommendation for your product.

Form	Studied at or capped at	Notes
Retinol, face	0.4% (Kafi 2007); EU cap 0.3% retinol equivalent; Canada cap 1.0%	For an EU and US product, 0.3% or less covers both
Retinol, body lotion	EU cap 0.05% retinol equivalent; Canada cap 0.2% in full-body leave-on products	Body products are capped lower because they cover more skin
Retinal	0.05% and 0.1% well tolerated (Saurat 1994); Canada cap 0.05% face, 0.01% full body	Start low; encapsulated grades are common
Retinyl palmitate	EU: 0.3% retinol equivalent is about 0.55% retinyl palmitate	Calculated from molecular weights (see the EU section)
Bakuchiol	0.5% (Dhaliwal 2019)	Oil soluble; suits oils, creams and lotions
Korea wrinkle functional (report route)	Retinol 2,500 IU/g; retinyl palmitate 10,000 IU/g	See the Korea section for what IU means

EU rules: Regulation (EU) 2024/996

Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/996 of 3 April 2024 added vitamin A to Annex III of the EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, the list of ingredients allowed only under conditions. It followed the scientific opinions of the SCCS (Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety), which found that cosmetics add to the vitamin A people already get from food.

Annex III entry 376	What the regulation says
Substances covered	Retinol, Retinyl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate
(a) Body lotion	0.05% retinol equivalent (RE)
(b) Other leave-on and rinse-off products	0.3% RE
Mandatory label text	"Contains Vitamin A. Consider your daily intake before use"
New products	Products that do not comply may not be placed on the EU market from 1 November 2025
Products already on shelves	Non-compliant products may not be made available (sold) from 1 May 2027

How to calculate retinol equivalent

Retinol equivalent converts an ester to the amount of retinol it carries, by molecular weight. Retinol weighs about 286.5 g/mol, retinyl acetate about 328.5 and retinyl palmitate about 524.9. So:

0.3% RE is about 0.34% retinyl acetate or 0.55% retinyl palmitate.
0.05% RE (body lotion) is about 0.06% retinyl acetate or 0.09% retinyl palmitate.
If a formula contains two forms, add their RE values; the total must stay under the cap.

ExampleA 30 mL night serum for the EU with 0.2% retinol and 0.1% retinyl palmitate has 0.2% + (0.1% x 0.546) = about 0.25% RE. That is under 0.3%, and the label must carry "Contains Vitamin A. Consider your daily intake before use". The same formula sold as a body lotion would be five times over the body cap.

Three points founders miss. Retinal and HPR are not named in entry 376, but the EU safety assessor still has to judge them in the safety report (CPSR); "not in Annex III" does not mean "no limit". Retinoic acid itself is banned (Annex II entry 375). And the UK has its own rules since Brexit, so check UK limits separately; see our UK cosmetics guide. The full EU picture is in our EU cosmetics regulation guide.

US, Canada, Korea, Japan and China

Market	Limits	Claim route
United States	No FDA limit for retinol, retinal, esters or bakuchiol in cosmetics	Cosmetic if claims are about appearance. FDA says products intended to affect the structure or function of the skin are drugs, even if they change appearance
Canada	Hotlist (page dated 13 August 2025): retinol and its esters 1.0% total RE in most cosmetics, 0.2% in full-body leave-on products; retinal 0.05%, or 0.01% in full-body leave-on products; retinoic acid prohibited	Cosmetic claims only; drug claims need a drug or natural health product license
Korea	Retinoic acid (tretinoin) banned; no general cap on retinol found in the 2026 restricted list	Wrinkle functional cosmetic (report route) with retinol 2,500 IU/g, retinyl palmitate 10,000 IU/g, adenosine 0.04% or polyethoxylated retinamide 0.05 to 0.2%, in lotion, liquid, cream, solid or soaked-mask forms
Japan	Cosmetic Standards apply	A wrinkle-improvement claim is a quasi-drug claim that needs approval. Shiseido reports that retinol became the first quasi-drug active approved for wrinkle improvement in 2017
China	Retinoic acid banned	Since 1 May 2021, efficacy claims such as anti-wrinkle need an efficacy evaluation, with a summary published online

What 2,500 IU/g means in Korea

IU (international unit) is an old vitamin A unit: 1 IU equals 0.3 micrograms of retinol, according to the US National Institutes of Health. So 2,500 IU/g is 750 micrograms per gram, which is 0.075% retinol. For retinyl palmitate, 1 IU is about 0.55 micrograms, so 10,000 IU/g is about 0.55% retinyl palmitate. If your product meets one of these levels in an allowed form, the Korean importer can file a functional cosmetic report and print "helps improve skin wrinkles" (피부의 주름개선에 도움을 준다). Any other active or level needs a full MFDS review with efficacy data. See our Korea cosmetics guide and Japan guide.

Pregnancy and who should avoid retinoids

In 2018, after a review of retinoid medicines, the EU medicines regulator (EMA) said topical retinoid medicines must not be used during pregnancy or by women planning a pregnancy. Its own assessment called systemic exposure after topical use negligible, so this is a precaution. A 2026 meta-analysis of 8 studies covering more than 3.6 million pregnancies found no significant link between first-trimester topical retinoid exposure and major birth defects or miscarriage (Alali 2026). Those studies looked at medicines, not cosmetic retinol.

What careful brands do: leave all retinoids out of products marketed for pregnancy, offer bakuchiol or peptides instead, and add "If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, ask your doctor before use." Our pregnancy-safe formulating guide covers the wording.
Others who should be careful: people with very sensitive or rosacea-prone skin, people using prescription retinoids or acne medicines, and anyone right after peels, laser or waxing on the same area.
Sun: recommend daily sunscreen and night use; retinoids are sensitive to light and can leave new skin more reactive.

pH, stability and packaging

Retinol and retinal break down with oxygen, light and heat. A formula that tests well on day one can lose much of its retinoid in an open jar. Plan the protection in four layers.

Raw material grade
Use a stabilized or encapsulated grade from a supplier with a certificate of analysis. Encapsulation slows release and can lower irritation.
Formula protection
Chemists add antioxidants (for example tocopherol or BHT) and chelating agents, and keep oxygen out during mixing. Retinoids are oil soluble, so they sit in the oil phase of a cream or in an oil-based serum. A mildly acidic to near-neutral skin pH is typical; extremes speed up breakdown and irritation.
Packaging
Use an airless pump, an opaque or UV-protective bottle, or an aluminum or laminate tube. Avoid clear droppers and wide jars. Our airless vs dropper guide compares the options.
Stability test in the final pack
Measure the retinoid content over time at room temperature and at higher temperature, in the real container, to set the shelf life and period after opening (PAO). See our stability and compatibility testing guide and what stability testing checks.

Pairing and conflicts

Pair with	Why	Use care with	Why
Ceramides, squalane, panthenol	Support the barrier and reduce dryness	AHAs and BHA in the same product	Adds irritation; many brands use acids on other nights
Niacinamide	Common partner for tone and texture	Strong oxidizers such as benzoyl peroxide	Can degrade retinoids; keep them in separate steps
Peptides, bisabolol	Gentle actives that add claims without much irritation	High-strength vitamin C at low pH	Stacked irritation; usually used morning (vitamin C) and night (retinoid)
Daily sunscreen	Protects newly renewed skin	Essential oils and strong fragrance	Extra irritation on already reactive skin

Claims you can and cannot make

The ingredient never decides the category on its own; the words you use do. The general rules are in our cosmetic vs drug guide and claims guide.

Usually fine as a cosmetic	Drug or regulated claim
"Smooths the look of fine lines"	"Removes wrinkles", "repairs sun damage" (US and Canada: drug territory)
"Skin looks firmer and more even"	"Boosts collagen production", "regenerates cells" (structure or function claims)
"With 0.3% retinol" (if true and the level is documented)	"Prescription strength", "works like tretinoin"
"Gentle alternative to retinol" for bakuchiol, if you keep it to feel and tolerance	"Retinol-free retinol" or "natural retinol" (misleading: bakuchiol is not vitamin A)
Korea, after a functional report: "helps improve skin wrinkles"	Japan: "improves wrinkles" without quasi-drug approval

Common mistakes

Using one retinol formula for both a face serum and a body lotion in the EU: the body cap is six times lower (0.05% vs 0.3% RE).
Forgetting the EU warning "Contains Vitamin A. Consider your daily intake before use" on retinol, retinyl acetate or retinyl palmitate products.
Printing a raw material percentage (for example "2% retinol complex") when the complex holds far less retinol; state the actual retinoid level or none.
Selling a retinal serum above 0.05% in Canada, where the Hotlist caps retinal at that level in face products.
Packing retinol or retinal in a clear dropper bottle or a jar, then finding the active gone before the expiry date.
Marketing bakuchiol as "natural retinol" or a product line as "pregnancy safe" without evidence or a doctor statement.
Claiming "boosts collagen" or "repairs" in US ads, which can make a cosmetic an unapproved drug.

Checklist for a retinoid product

Markets chosen (EU, UK, US, Canada, Korea, others) before the level is set.
Retinoid form chosen: retinol, retinal, ester, HPR or bakuchiol, with the reason.
Level written down as both the raw material input and the actual retinoid percentage.
Retinol equivalent calculated for EU products, including every vitamin A form in the formula.
Body products checked against the lower body caps (EU 0.05% RE, Canada 0.2% RE or 0.01% retinal).
EU warning text on the label for retinol and its esters.
Airless, opaque or tube packaging chosen and tested with the formula.
Stability data in the final pack, including retinoid content over time.
Directions: night use, start slowly, daily sunscreen, avoid eyes.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding line on the label or product page.
Claims reviewed: appearance only, no "repairs", "regenerates" or "collagen boosting".
Korea or Japan claim route decided (functional report, full review or quasi-drug) if you sell there.

How KoreanOEM helps

KoreanOEM is a Korean skincare OEM and private label manufacturer: our own formulation chemists develop your formula, and we produce it in Korea at an ISO 22716 GMP facility in Pyeongtaek. Our formula library already has ready formulas with these actives:

Retinol: retinol serum, retinol cream, retinol neck cream and retinol body lotion (for the EU, the body lotion must stay at or under 0.05% RE; tell us your markets).
Retinal: an encapsulated retinal serum at 0.05 to 0.1% and a retinal eye cream (Canada needs 0.05% or less).
Bakuchiol: a bakuchiol face oil and a bakuchiol neck cream for retinoid-free lines.
A serum starts from about USD 3.40 per unit at 500 units and a cream from about USD 3.41 at 500 units, with a stock container and a one-color label included. See fees for adjusted and custom formulas.
Before printing, our label proof check covers the EU vitamin A warning, ingredient order and market details. Stability data for library formulas is included; extra tests are listed on fees.

Get a free quote Order a sample box

Frequently asked questions

Is retinal better than retinol?

Retinal is one conversion step from retinoic acid and retinol is two, so retinal usually acts faster at the same percentage and can irritate more. Retinol has more controlled wrinkle studies; retinal studies mainly show activity and good tolerance at 0.05% to 0.1%.

What is the EU limit for retinol in cosmetics?

Under Regulation (EU) 2024/996, retinol, retinyl acetate and retinyl palmitate are limited to 0.05% retinol equivalent in body lotion and 0.3% in other leave-on and rinse-off products, with the label warning "Contains Vitamin A. Consider your daily intake before use". It applies to new products from 1 November 2025 and to all products sold from 1 May 2027.

Does the EU vitamin A limit cover retinal and HPR?

No. Entry 376 of Annex III names only retinol, retinyl acetate and retinyl palmitate. Retinal and hydroxypinacolone retinoate must still pass the safety assessment in your CPSR, and retinoic acid itself is banned.

How much retinol can I use in Canada?

Health Canada's Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist allows retinol and its esters up to 1.0% total retinol equivalents in most cosmetics and 0.2% in full-body leave-on products. Retinal is capped at 0.05%, or 0.01% in full-body leave-on products.

What does retinol 2,500 IU/g mean in Korea?

It is the level that lets a product use Korea's report route for a wrinkle functional cosmetic. Since 1 IU of vitamin A equals 0.3 micrograms of retinol, 2,500 IU/g is about 0.075% retinol; retinyl palmitate needs 10,000 IU/g, about 0.55%.

Is bakuchiol as good as retinol?

In one randomized, double-blind 12-week study of 44 people, 0.5% bakuchiol twice daily and 0.5% retinol daily improved wrinkles and pigmentation similarly, and bakuchiol caused less scaling and stinging. It is one trial, so present bakuchiol as a gentler option, not as a proven equal.

Can pregnant women use retinol products?

The EU medicines regulator says topical retinoid medicines must not be used in pregnancy as a precaution, and most brands leave retinoids out of products for pregnancy. Tell customers who are pregnant or breastfeeding to ask their doctor.

What packaging does a retinol serum need?

An airless pump, an opaque or UV-protective bottle, or an aluminum or laminate tube, because retinoids break down with air and light. Confirm the choice with a stability test in the final container.

Sources

Checked against these sources in October 2026. Rules and fees change; check with the authority or your importer before you sell.