Paula's Choice Retinal Renew Retinaldehyde Gel 0.1%

What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

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✓Yay

"Prequil is absolutely amazing. Their Retinol Renew Retinohyde gel is [...] 29 bucks and comes in two strengths, 0.1 and 0.2. [...] It's wonderful because it has ectoine in it to help soothe skin so you don't experience retinization. [...] Plain tretinoin is full of denatured alcohol and can be very drying and difficult to get started on. This makes it so easy to get into the rhythm of using it without the dryness, flakiness, and peeling."

All 6 takes from No BS Beauty

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"There's a lot of great retinols out there. This one is just one that I've happened to be really enjoying. [...] It's orange. Some people do not like that. I don't mind it because I'm usually using this right before I go to bed. If a little bit of orange gets on my clothes, I just wash them out, but other people did not have that same outcome. They said it stained things. I didn't notice it staining anything of mine, but I don't have fancy sheets or anything."

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"It's got haba oil, it has ectoine, great antioxidant. Ectoine is great at everything. Vitamin E and then rice bran extract. No fragrance or alcohol in here. I'm loving all these new releases so far this year. [...] I can see these being in my routine for a long time because they each offer something unique to my skin that a lot of products don't have."

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"It's got .1% retinaldehyde and then 2% retinaldehyde. $29 and $35. And it's fragrance free. It's got ectoine in there, [...] retinyl alginate 20, and then it's also got rice bran extract and jojoba oil. [...] I like the fact that it's in two strengths, fragrance-free and pretty affordable."

Prequel 🆕 Retinal Renew Retinaldehyde Retinoid Gel Review, How to Use, Dupes & Alternatives

"I gave this one a 10. It's got a lot to [...] like about it. It's a pretty nice product. Definitely will finish it. [...] I do like the fact that it's a little bit bigger packaging. It's pretty darn nice and it's a good product overall."

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"It comes in two strengths, 1% or 2%, I've got the 2%. It's great for fighting fine lines, wrinkles, if you have acne, pores, oily skin. In addition to the retinol, it has ectoin for soothing, jojoba oil, centella, and vitamin E. It helps smooth skin texture, skin appears firmer, improves skin clarity and skin tone, combats the appearance of pores, and helps fight aging and signs of fine lines. I really love this one, it's certainly worth checking out at Target or at Prequel."

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"Prequil is absolutely amazing. Their Retinol Renew Retinohyde gel is [...] 29 bucks and comes in two strengths, 0.1 and 0.2. [...] It's wonderful because it has ectoine in it to help soothe skin so you don't experience retinization. [...] Plain tretinoin is full of denatured alcohol and can be very drying and difficult to get started on. This makes it so easy to get into the rhythm of using it without the dryness, flakiness, and peeling."

Dr Dray

2.69M subs

✓Yay

"That has to be one of my favorite Prequel products and they have a lot of great gems. Retinaldehyde can be a little irritating in the beginning, although it's generally well tolerated, and [...] I find the base of that retinaldehyde is amazing as a moisturizer, it's beautiful. [...] That has to be one of the best products I have tried out this year, I'm not exaggerating. It's going to make an appearance in my best of series most likely towards the end of the year."

All 4 takes from Dr Dray

Dermatologist Reviews Prequel Pre-Gleanse Cleansing Oil

"I love Prequel. They have many fantastic products. Watch my video of their retinaldehyde because that is a really good product. And you're going to want to hear all about retinaldehyde and what it can do for your skin."

Prequel Retinal Review | Better Than Retinol?

"Overall, I feel as though Prequel did an excellent job on this formulation. Everything from the backbone with the ectoin, the B12, the nice lightweight gel texture, the fragrance-free, the delivery system, and I also really love actually the price point because let's be honest, that is pretty competitive amongst the different retinaldehyde products we have available. It's not the cheapest, but there are certainly retinaldehyde products in the 50s, the 60s, the $100 price point range."

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"This has been added to the retinols and retinaldehydes I recommend. This is a lovely, lovely formula. In addition to the retinaldehyde, it's got cica, compounds from centella which are anti-inflammatory, and it has ectoin, an extremolyte that's hydrating and antioxidant. This is the 0.1% retinaldehyde gel, they also make a 0.2%, but I [...] would not put too much stock in those being drastically different."

Dermatologist Reviews Prequel Half & Half Moisturizer

"That has to be one of my favorite Prequel products and they have a lot of great gems. Retinaldehyde can be a little irritating in the beginning, although it's generally well tolerated, and [...] I find the base of that retinaldehyde is amazing as a moisturizer, it's beautiful. [...] That has to be one of the best products I have tried out this year, I'm not exaggerating. It's going to make an appearance in my best of series most likely towards the end of the year."

The Budget Dermatologist

724k subs

✓Yay

"I find this very agreeable on sensitive skin, redness prone skin. I am not worried that this is going to flare it up and make it much worse. It's very gentle. So the 0.1% that's where I'd recommend to start, especially if you've never used retinoids. You don't even have to go up to the 0.2%. If you want to, sure, and it's not causing irritation, yes. But definitely at least start with the lowest option first."

Beyond50Skin

32k subs

✓Yay

"The first one I want to recommend is the new release by Prequel. The ingredients in this formula include ceramides, peptides, it also has squalane. So, a lot of barrier support within a retinol formula. I wouldn't bump up to the 0.2. Just stick with their 0.1 formula."

All 2 takes from Beyond50Skin

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"Their new retinaldehyde is a very gentle formula. I've had no problems using it."

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"The first one I want to recommend is the new release by Prequel. The ingredients in this formula include ceramides, peptides, it also has squalane. So, a lot of barrier support within a retinol formula. I wouldn't bump up to the 0.2. Just stick with their 0.1 formula."

AliceintheRabbitHole

59k subs

✓Yay

"I'm so excited that Prequel has come out with what I'm thinking will be an accessible retinaldehyde product, in two strengths, 0.1% and 0.2%, with a complex that includes retinaldehyde, ectoin, bioactive seca, and glycerin. It's also 1.7 fluid ounces, a larger size, so on a technicality this actually is a better price point than the comparable Geek and Gorgeous version."

Dr. Aleksandra Brown

151k subs

✓Yay

"The first one is the Prequel Retinal Renew. It's retinaldehyde, which is one conversion step away from retinoic acid, and it comes in [...] 0.1% and 2%. The 0.1% is a great place to start if you're new to retinoids or your skin is sensitive, and the 2% is for when you've been using retinols [...] and want to step down to something [...] stronger."

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Dr. Sam Ellis

898k subs

✓Yay

"If you're shopping outside of Sephora, my brand Prequel has a 0.1% and a 0.2% retinaldehyde. For people who maybe want something a little bit more potent or are looking to amp up their routine but are either not ready for or don't have access to prescription tretinoin, all good options."

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All 5 takes from Dr. Sam Ellis

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"And she's tolerating it now beautifully. She's so happy with how her skin is doing. I do this all the time for my patients. I will transition them from tretinoin down to retinol or retinaldehyde. That is not a failure. That is a redirection. It's the whole reason with Prequel I wanted to create a retinaldehyde product because I had so many patients struggling to tolerate their tretinoin either on their face or on their neck and chest."

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"The retinaldehyde gel that we put out this year is the retinoid of the year. If you're not familiar with retinaldehyde, it sits right between retinol and tretinoin on the retinoid spectrum. So it is more potent than retinol, it works faster than retinol, but it's not as intense as tretinoin. And tretinoin is available by prescription only."

Introducing Prequel's NEW Retinal Renew Retinaldehyde Gel 0.1% & 0.2% | Dr. Sam Ellis

"I have used retinaldehyde in my own skincare routine for years and recommended it to my patients and I find it to be such an all-star ingredient. I really wanted to create a retinoid formula that not only delivered real results but also respected the skin barrier and was easy to incorporate into a skincare routine. [...] The main active ingredient is retinaldehyde, which is one of the most potent forms of vitamin A you can get without a prescription."

My Real Routine: What I Tell Patients vs. What I Do Myself | Dr. Sam Ellis

"I wanted something that I could use on my neck and chest. I had used ones from other brands that were great, but it's always nice to do it yourself. And aside from this formula being incredible and not irritating to my neck or chest, it's also effective and super affordable. [...] If you're someone who can't tolerate prescription strength tretinoin, and there are many people out there like that, it's okay. You can still use retinol or retinaldehyde and have wonderful anti-aging benefits."

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"If you're shopping outside of Sephora, my brand Prequel has a 0.1% and a 0.2% retinaldehyde. For people who maybe want something a little bit more potent or are looking to amp up their routine but are either not ready for or don't have access to prescription tretinoin, all good options."

What the evidence says.

Independent of what the gurus think, this is what the published research supports about the main active ingredients here.

Frequently asked.

What is Paula's Choice Retinal Renew Retinaldehyde Gel 0.1%?

A fragrance-free, lightweight gel from Paula's Choice built on retinaldehyde, a form of vitamin A, and designed to renew skin in a 0.1% strength.

Is Paula's Choice Retinal Renew Retinaldehyde Gel 0.1% worth it?

Yes. All 7 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 85%.

What is Paula's Choice Retinal Renew Retinaldehyde Gel 0.1%'s Guru Score?

Paula's Choice Retinal Renew Retinaldehyde Gel 0.1% holds a Guru Score of 85%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 7 expert reviewers we have collected. It is also Guru Certified, our mark for products that hold broad approval across many expert reviewers.