Comparison of Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate and Retinyl Retinoate

Asked by: kakurasaku On: June 26, 2023 Product Type: Cosmetics

Question

What are the differences between Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate and Retinyl Retinoate, and which one is better in terms of efficacy, stability, and skin irritation?

Answer

Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate and Retinyl Retinoate are not the same ingredient. They are both derivatives of Vitamin A, developed for use in skincare products to reduce wrinkles and acne, with slightly different properties.

Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate (HPR)

  • It is a relatively new Vitamin A derivative with high stability and less skin irritation compared to Retinol.
  • According to the product information for Perfect-A™ (which contains Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate), the order of efficacy (from highest to lowest) is: Retinal > Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate > Retinol.
  • The order of stability (from highest to lowest) is: Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate > Retinal > Retinol.
  • The order of skin irritation (from highest to lowest) is: Retinol > Retinal > Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate.
  • Therefore, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate has high efficacy, second only to Retinal, is the most stable, and causes the least skin irritation when compared to Retinal and Retinol.

Retinyl Retinoate

  • It is another type of Vitamin A derivative. It has high efficacy and causes less skin irritation than Retinol.
  • Based on the product information for Retinyl Retinoate (Pure Powder), it is found to be no less effective than Retinol and causes less skin irritation than Retinol.

Conclusion:

Both Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate and Retinyl Retinoate are Vitamin A derivatives that offer good efficacy and less skin irritation compared to Retinol, the traditional and widely used form.

Considering the available information (especially the ranking in the Perfect-A™ data), Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate appears to have the highest stability and lowest irritation among the mentioned Retinoids (Retinal, HPR, Retinol). Meanwhile, Retinyl Retinoate is also a good option that is effective and less irritating than Retinol.

The choice between them may depend on the specific needs of the formulation, such as desired stability or the level of irritation control required.

Products containing Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate include Perfect-A 99™, Perfect-A 10™, Perfect-A Nano™.
A product containing Retinyl Retinoate is Retinyl Retinoate (Pure Powder).