Evidence recordApplied to skin
Retinaldehyde
Answer
Two small controlled studies found retinaldehyde improved fine lines or skin elasticity versus a plain cream, with less irritation than retinoic acid.
Check the formulaEvidence grade
Moderate
Useful human evidence supports the claim, with a meaningful limit in scale, duration, formulation or consistency.
Where it stops
Both controlled studies are more than 25 years old; samples were small and several secondary measurements did not improve.
Sources
Sources · 2
Source 1
J Am Acad Dermatol, 1998- Design
- Randomized vehicle-controlled trial
- Participants
- 125
- Duration
- 44 weeks
- Measured outcome
- wrinkle profilometry, skin roughness, tolerability
- Studied formulation
- 0.05% retinaldehyde cream, 0.05% retinoic acid cream, vehicle cream
Finding
Randomized vehicle-controlled trial in 125 people over 44 weeks: retinaldehyde and retinoic acid improved wrinkle and roughness measures while vehicle did not; retinoic acid was more irritating than retinaldehyde.
Source 2
Dermatology, 1999- Design
- Controlled study
- Participants
- 40
- Duration
- 1 year
- Measured outcome
- epidermal thickness, skin elasticity, dermal thickness, skin stiffness
- Studied formulation
- 0.05% retinaldehyde cream
Finding
One-year controlled study in 40 people: retinaldehyde increased epidermal thickness and elasticity versus control, while dermal thickness and stiffness did not significantly change.