Ursa Major Lunar Bloom Retinal Serum

Lightweight nighttime serum powered by retinal / 1 oz

Ursa Major Lunar Bloom Retinal Serum is a lightweight, unscented, sinks-right-in serum, designed for nighttime use, for anyone interested in reaping the rewards of retinoids. What we love about this one is that it uses retinal, or retinaldehyde — one of the most powerful retinoids (forms of Vitamin A) available without a prescription.

You’re probably already familiar with retinol, a much-loved over-the-counter form of Vitamin A; perhaps you’re also familiar with retinoic acid, or tretinoin, the super-strong, by-prescription-only form. Retinol has to go through two conversion steps to get to retinoic acid: first, it’s converted to retinaldehyde, and then, it’s converted to retinoic acid — the bioavailable form of Vitamin A that can prompt skin renewal, boost collagen, rewind the look of fine lines and wrinkles, improve skin’s texture, and even lead to smaller-looking pores.

By using retinaldehyde, your skin only needs to go through one conversion step to get to that end goal, while still avoiding the irritation typically associated with going straight to retinoic acid. The Ursa Major team says, “We chose retinal specifically because of its efficacy—it’s 20x more potent than retinol! That means we only needed to use a tiny bit (0.1%) in our formula. A tiny amount of potent retinal is much easier on your skin than a larger amount of traditional retinol—because your skin can’t absorb all that retinol, and what’s not absorbed can sit on skin and potentially cause unwanted side effects. We also added barrier-loving ingredients like plant-derived ceramides and hyaluronic acid to soothe even the most sensitive skin types.”

Makes sense, no? Those with sensitive skin (and in our opinion, most anyone) can start by using Lunar Bloom three times per week to allow skin to adjust to retinal — which we suggest for anyone starting to use any type of retinoid. The Ursa Major team notes that, if you’re extra-sensitive and cautious, “You can build a retinal sandwich — AKA applying a layer of moisturizer both before and after your serum — when starting out.”

Lunar Bloom is a great way to dip your toes into the world of more potent retinoids without the flakiness, irritation, and general drama of the Vitamin A of yesteryear.

FYI: Please avoid using any retinoids while pregnant, nursing, or trying to conceive.