Two Retinal Creams Compared by Formula Companions: A Label-First Guide for Ingredient Shoppers
6 min read
Quick pick: two creams with retinal named on the label
- Choose Abib PDRN Volume fill-it Booster crème for retinal alongside PDRN, Volufiline, and a long, named peptide list.
- Choose Avène RetrinAL 0.1 Intensive Cream for a stated 0.1% retinaldehyde formula with named peptides and vitamin E ingredients.
- For a strict retinal shortlist, screen the ingredient list for “retinal” or “retinaldehyde”; “retinol” names a different ingredient.
For shoppers who want to see retinal named rather than infer it from a broad vitamin A label, the clearest two cream options here are Abib PDRN Volume fill-it Booster crème and Avène RetrinAL 0.1 Intensive Cream. Abib pairs retinal with PDRN, Volufiline, and multiple peptides, while Avène identifies 0.1% retinaldehyde and lists peptide and vitamin E ingredients. The useful choice is the formula profile you want alongside retinal, plus the application directions that fit your routine.
How to spot retinal on a product label
For this comparison, the ingredient list should name “retinal” or “retinaldehyde”; “retinol” is a different ingredient name.
An independent dermatology review, A Clinician’s Guide to Topical Retinoids, describes the sequence as retinyl esters to retinol, then retinaldehyde, then retinoic acid. That sequence explains why a broad “retinoid” or “vitamin A” phrase answers a different label question than the precise ingredient name.
A product name or headline that says “retinoid” can cover more than one vitamin A ingredient. The named ingredient list gives a more precise screening answer: retinal or retinaldehyde qualifies for this comparison, while a label that names retinol belongs in a retinol comparison.
Two familiar examples show why that distinction changes a shortlist. CeraVe’s Resurfacing Retinol Serum formula page names encapsulated retinol, three ceramides, and niacinamide. RoC’s Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream page identifies patented retinol in a night cream. Both are retinol examples, so their companion ingredients do not make them retinal products.
CeraVe’s official serum listing identifies encapsulated retinol alongside licorice root extract, three essential ceramides and niacinamide. That gives retinol shoppers a useful example of several named companions in a serum formula. RoC’s example is a cream, but its product page still names retinol, so the cream format alone does not make it a retinal option.
Use this quick label screen before comparing claims:
- Abib’s product details list PDRN at 15,000 ppm and Volufiline at 10,000 ppm; Avène’s RetrinAL 0.1 details identify 0.1% retinaldehyde.
- Compare each number with the ingredient it measures: the Abib figures describe PDRN and Volufiline, while Avène’s percentage describes retinaldehyde.
- The companion lists offer a separate choice: Abib names several peptides, while Avène lists two oleoyl peptides and vitamin E-related ingredients.
Concentration figures become useful when each number stays beside its ingredient. Avène gives a percentage for retinaldehyde, while Abib highlights ppm values for PDRN and Volufiline. Those figures describe different ingredients, so compare what each product discloses rather than treating every number as one shared strength scale.
Abib: retinal with PDRN, Volufiline, and multiple peptides
Abib PDRN Volume fill-it Booster crème is the option for shoppers who want retinal in a formula built around PDRN and Volufiline, with several named peptides in the ingredient list. Abib’s official product page identifies the crème as containing PDRN, Volufiline, retinal, and peptides, and its product description specifically highlights 15,000 ppm PDRN and 10,000 ppm Volufiline.
Abib assigns different cosmetic aims to its headline ingredients. The product page says 15,000 ppm salmon DNA helps target the look of volume loss in nasolabial folds, the forehead, under-eyes and neck. It says 10,000 ppm Volufiline helps visibly plump hollow areas and support elasticity. The page also connects retinal and peptides with the appearance of skin texture and elasticity, making the formula a fit for shoppers who want those ingredients together.
Abib identifies PDRN as salmon DNA, and the ingredient list includes Sodium DNA, retinal, panthenol, squalane, ceramide NP and tocopherol. The list names palmitoyl tripeptide-5, acetyl hexapeptide-8 and copper tripeptide-1. It also includes palmitoyl pentapeptide-4, acetyl tetrapeptide-5, palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7 and palmitoyl tripeptide-1.
The same list includes glycerin, niacinamide, macadamia seed oil and mango seed butter.
That peptide list is a formula attribute, not a single ingredient with one universal role. A 2025 review indexed by PubMed identified 102 commercially available cosmetic peptides and reported varying levels of in-vitro and ex-vivo evidence across the group. The review also reports varied levels of laboratory and ex vivo evidence across those ingredients, which is why a named peptide list is more useful for ingredient screening than a general “peptide complex” phrase.
The review says most of those commercial peptides were inspired by molecules found in the human body, including extracellular-matrix sequences called matrikines. It groups their claimed activities into different areas, such as signaling for collagen or hyaluronic-acid production, pigmentation modulation, antioxidant activity, microbiome maintenance, immunomodulation, enzyme inhibition and trace-mineral carriage. These are distinct proposed activities, so the general word “peptides” does not describe one uniform companion ingredient. Abib’s list gives shoppers specific names to match against their own formula preferences, while the review reports varied methods and evidence levels across peptide research. A count of peptide names describes breadth in the ingredient list; it is not a common performance score.
Abib says the cream targets the appearance of forehead lines, smile lines, under-eye areas, and neck wrinkles. It also positions the formula for the look of skin texture and elasticity. The official listing gives the tube a 30 ml size.
Choose Abib when the combination itself is your priority: named retinal, PDRN and Volufiline quantities, a broad list of named peptides, and stated attention to several facial areas.
Avène: a stated retinaldehyde percentage with peptide and vitamin E ingredients
Avène RetrinAL 0.1 Intensive Cream suits shoppers who want a retinaldehyde percentage stated directly and a clear set of formula highlights. Avène’s official U.S. product page lists retinal in the ingredient list and names peptide and vitamin E companions, including oleoyl dipeptide-15, oleoyl tetrapeptide-31, tocopheryl glucoside, and tocopherol.
Avène also highlights Pre-tocopheryl as photostable vitamin E and describes it as providing antioxidant protection. Its full ingredient list includes Avène Thermal Spring Water, evening primrose oil, retinal, tocopheryl glucoside and tocopherol, giving shoppers additional named formula details alongside the peptide ingredients.
Avène’s RetrinAL 0.1 product details identify the featured retinoid as 0.1% retinaldehyde. Avène describes Relastide® as a pro-elastin peptide that helps skin appear plump, firm and more radiant.
Avène’s directions set out the routine placement: apply the cream to the face, neck, and décolleté in the evening. The manufacturer recommends daily sun protection while using the product. Its product page describes the cosmetic focus as smoothing the appearance of wrinkles and brightening skin, giving a shopper a clear match for an evening routine centered on those appearance goals.
Which formula profile fits your ingredient priorities?
| Cream | Retinoid label | Named companion profile | Manufacturer-stated use | Strongest label-first fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abib PDRN Volume fill-it Booster crème | Retinal | PDRN at 15,000 ppm, Volufiline at 10,000 ppm, and multiple named peptides | Targets the appearance of forehead lines, smile lines, under-eye areas, and neck wrinkles | You want a broad companion-ingredient list and PDRN/Volufiline quantities alongside retinal |
| Avène RetrinAL 0.1 Intensive Cream | 0.1% retinaldehyde | Oleoyl dipeptide-15, oleoyl tetrapeptide-31, tocopheryl glucoside, tocopherol and Relastide® | Apply in the evening to the face, neck and décolleté; daily sun protection is recommended | You want the stated retinaldehyde percentage and named peptide and vitamin E ingredients |
Abib fits shoppers prioritizing PDRN, Volufiline and several named peptides; Avène fits shoppers prioritizing 0.1% retinaldehyde, oleoyl peptides and vitamin E-related ingredients.
For example, a shopper organizing a routine around a cream with several named formula companions may prefer Abib’s label. Someone who wants a numerical retinaldehyde concentration and evening-only directions may prefer Avène.
FAQ
Is retinal the same as retinol?
No. Retinol and retinaldehyde are different vitamin A ingredient names; Dermalogica describes retinol converting to retinaldehyde and then to retinoic acid.
Which cream states its retinaldehyde percentage?
Avène RetrinAL 0.1 Intensive Cream is identified as a 0.1% retinaldehyde product. Abib’s product information names retinal and prominently gives concentrations for PDRN and Volufiline.
Which option names the under-eye area?
Abib does. Its product description includes the under-eye area among the appearance concerns it targets, alongside forehead lines, smile lines, and neck wrinkles.
What application directions does Avène give?
Avène’s directions say to apply RetrinAL 0.1 Intensive Cream to the face, neck and décolleté in the evening and recommend daily sun protection during use.