Index / Naturium / Retinaldehyde Cream Serum 0.5%
Naturium

Retinaldehyde Cream Serum 0.5%.

Naturium Retinaldehyde Cream Serum 0.5%
Retinoids

About this product

A lightweight, creamy serum formulation containing 0.5% retinaldehyde, a vitamin A derivative designed to address fine lines, wrinkles, and skin texture.

Full ingredients

Guru Score

84%

Yay

11 experts · Strong agreement
11Gurus
11Yay
0Mixed
0Nay
#9 in RetinoidsSee the ranking →

What they liked

  • Affordable option
  • Available in two strengths
  • Lightweight texture

What they flagged

    Nothing. None of the experts who reviewed it raised a problem.

    What the gurus are saying

    Retinaldehyde in this serum earns consistent praise for delivering results comparable to stronger retinoids while remaining gentler on sensitive skin. Dermatologists and skincare experts highlight that the encapsulated formula boosts stability and reduces irritation, making it an accessible over-the-counter option for tackling fine lines and early signs of aging. The creamy texture and tested formulation appeal to those building a retinoid routine slowly, though beginners may want to start with the milder 0.05% strength first.
    Synthesized from 11 expert reviews · most recent take May 2026

    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.

    All takes Yay takes Nay takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored
    Yay
    "I've talked about Naturium quite a bit. I love their vitamin C serum. Their vitamin C complex is hydrating, but they've done a great job with their retinaldehyde, as well. It has a nice cool yellowish color, and that's actually the color of the retinal. And it's actually hard to formulate retinaldehyde because it's"
    All 2 takes from Dr. Daniel Sugai
    The Best Retinoids for Beginners (Before You Try Tretinoin)
    "I've talked about Naturium quite a bit. I love their vitamin C serum. Their vitamin C complex is hydrating, but they've done a great job with their retinaldehyde, as well. It has a nice cool yellowish color, and that's actually the color of the retinal. And it's actually hard to formulate retinaldehyde because it's"
    Overhyped Skincare Ingredients for Collagen Boosting- Dermatologist Reviews
    "I've talked about Ntorium's [retinaldehyde] as well as MOV's Moonlight retinol super serum."
    Yay
    "The Naturium Retinaldehyde Cream Serum is the best affordable retinaldehyde on the market. It exists in two different potencies, 0.05% and 0.1%. It's lightweight yet it feels kind of cushiony on the skin. If you're using retinaldehyde in your routine, you can put it on right after you cleanse your face before you do any of your other serums or moisturizers. I personally like to layer my retinoid products over my serums before I put my moisturizer on."
    All 2 takes from Dr. Sam Ellis
    Dermatologist's Favorite Affordable Anti-Aging Skincare Products! | Dr. Sam Ellis
    "If you're looking to step up the strength of your retinoid product and go from retinol to retinaldehyde, which is more potent, then I definitely recommend the Naturium Retinaldehyde Serum. This is just an incredible serum. This retinaldehyde serum currently comes in two strengths, 0.05% and 0.1%. So if you're more beginner or you have more sensitive skin, start with the 0.05%. I love how creamy and moisturizing the serum is. I actually think the full name is Cream Serum, and I think that's the perfect description of this."
    10 Anti-Aging Skincare Routine UPGRADES! | Dr. Sam Ellis
    "The Naturium Retinaldehyde Cream Serum is the best affordable retinaldehyde on the market. It exists in two different potencies, 0.05% and 0.1%. It's lightweight yet it feels kind of cushiony on the skin. If you're using retinaldehyde in your routine, you can put it on right after you cleanse your face before you do any of your other serums or moisturizers. I personally like to layer my retinoid products over my serums before I put my moisturizer on."
    Yay
    "My product recommendation here could be Naturium Retinaldehyde Cream Serum. This comes in two different strengths, the 0.5% and the 0.1%. Both formulations are designed to combat the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. The retinaldehyde is a little bit gentler form of vitamin A that's ideal for beginners. It's effective in addressing fine lines and wrinkles without the irritation often associated with the stronger retinoids, making it great for sensitive skin. Plus, because it's just one step away from active retinoic acid, it delivers results quickly while helping prevent early signs of aging, keeping skin smoother and firmer over time. The key ingredient here is retinaldehyde, a potent next-generation retinoid that directly converts to retinoic acid, effectively addressing signs of aging and improving skin texture. It also contains fermented oligopeptides which help surface to smooth skin texture and brighten the skin. These help to fade the appearance of dark spots, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, and overall give smoother appearance. It also contains paradot mineral extract which is rich in magnesium and helps reenergize fatigued and stressed skin. The active niosome complex fights oxidative stress and increases skin hydration, helps smooth skin texture and increases radiance."
    Yay
    "I think they're doing as much as tretinoin would have done for my neck over the last six years since I haven't been able to use it. I think they definitely are doing something and so I do continue to use them. I don't really see a difference in my mind between these two because these are products that tell me the percentage of the active ingredient in there and that's what's important to me. This is the Naturium Retinaldehyde Cream Serum, it's 0.5% retinaldehyde."
    All 5 takes from HotandFlashy
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    "I think they're doing as much as tretinoin would have done for my neck over the last six years since I haven't been able to use it. I think they definitely are doing something and so I do continue to use them. I don't really see a difference in my mind between these two because these are products that tell me the percentage of the active ingredient in there and that's what's important to me. This is the Naturium Retinaldehyde Cream Serum, it's 0.5% retinaldehyde."
    Faves + Fails! Brands that Go the Extra Mile! August 2023
    "This is a 0.1 percent retinaldehyde, which is the strongest retinoid that you can get over the counter. So prescription retinoids are what I use on my face, but my neck is too sensitive to use tretinoin there, so I use retinaldehyde and I really really like this. This is 32 dollars for 1.7 ounces, so it is a really really great price point on this, and it does contain a peptide as well that is supposed to help with smoothing texture on the surface of the skin."
    Best Skincare & Anti-Aging of 2023! Everything You Need to Age Backwards At Home!
    "Another company came out with a retinaldehyde serum and I thought I'd give it a try and I really like it. The Naturium retinaldehyde cream serum is a 0.5% formulation. Using it on my neck daily, I don't have any irritation from it. It rubs in really quickly and easily. This one has been a great new addition to my skincare routine. I do love and recommend it."
    Do These This FALL for Beautiful Healthy Skin! 7 Fall SKINCARE TIPS!
    "Retinaldehyde is one step closer to the kind of retinoid that really works best in our skin, which is tretinoin, but that is available only by prescription here in the United States. It's said to be 10 times weaker than the prescription version but it's also going to be less irritating to your skin. I really like a lot the one from Naturium, it's their Retinaldehyde Cream Serum. This is the 0.1%, it also comes in a 0.05% that's the one that I would pick if you're a real beginner, but if you've used a retinoid before and you know that your skin's not going to be sensitive to it then you could go ahead and use this 0.1%. I use this every night on my neck because my neck is super sensitive, can't use a prescription retinoid there, and I've never had any irritation with this at all. It's a really great cream to start if you're like me and you have a lifetime of accumulated sun damage and you want to go for the big guns."
    Best BUDGET Anti-Aging Skincare from the Drugstore!
    "There is an actual drugstore product that you can walk into a Target and pick up that is much more reasonably priced than other retinaldehyde products. It's from Naturium and it is their Retinaldehyde Cream Serum. It's a 0.1% retinaldehyde serum and it's $30 for 1.7 ounces. The formula looks really good to me. I do have it on the way and I will be trying it and I can let you know in a later video."
    Yay
    "If you want a cheaper option in terms of encapsulated retinol, reach for Naturium with their Retinaldehyde Serum. This is great and they now do two strengths which is wonderful. The 0.05% again best for beginners, the 0.1% kind of suitable for everyone. An affordable, budget-friendly encapsulated retinaldehyde that I would recommend all the time."
    All 2 takes from Mad About Skin
    RETINOL BAN - Here Are Some Alternatives To Retinol
    "I adore the Naturium Retinaldehyde Cream Serum 0.5%. This divine, same great mid-strength option, which I think will be universally applicable. Easy to get your hands on, I think you can now get this in Target, which is great to walk into that Target store and pick it up off the shelves. Similar great price points to the Mad About Skin product. Just working universally, suiting every skin type and of course budget."
    2 X BETTER ANTI AGING - How To Use Retinal
    "If you want a cheaper option in terms of encapsulated retinol, reach for Naturium with their Retinaldehyde Serum. This is great and they now do two strengths which is wonderful. The 0.05% again best for beginners, the 0.1% kind of suitable for everyone. An affordable, budget-friendly encapsulated retinaldehyde that I would recommend all the time."
    Yay
    "Nerium's retinaldehyde cream serum 0.5% is a fabulous, affordable retinaldehyde. Retinaldehyde is only one vitamin A conversion from the prescription formula, so it's not surprising that a lot of people are picking this up."
    Yay
    "I do have one from drugstore that I really really love and that is from Naturium, their new retinaldehyde cream serum that's 0.5%. This was just a lovely rich creamy serum with retinaldehyde that's encapsulated, which means that it is formulated in a way that is more stable, allows for better steady delivery, but also less irritating. And I really appreciate the fact that Naturium actually have done testing of this product at various temperatures to ensure its stability, which is one of the biggest concerns that we have when it comes to retinol. Now, retinols are often unstable and actually a study has been shown, it's kind of scary, but a lot of the retinols degrade when they're even on the shelf before you use it on your skin. So I really love the formula, love the creamy texture. It's really great for individuals who are looking for a good effective retinoid that's over the counter that helps to tackle fine lines and wrinkles in a gentle manner."
    Yay
    "These are retinaldehyde, and they're good, like anti-aging, they help with lines and wrinkles, all of that stuff."
    Yay
    "If I was in the US I would be using Naturium. You have a retinaldehyde serum cream and they actually have two different strengths depending on where you are, 0.05 or 0.1. For me I'd be going for the 0.1, the mac daddy. Just making sure that you build it into a routine very slowly. This is the one I would be using if I was in the US."
    Yay
    "Naturium have just launched one in the UK and this is also 0.05 still reasonably priced even though it's in Space NK."
    Yay
    "This is the retinaldehyde cream serum 0.5%. I stick with 0.5% because it's the one I can use on a regular basis like every single night without irritation. To me it's better to be on a lower percentage and then be able to use it more consistently than to try to amp it up and then only use it every other day or every two days. So I prefer to use this one."
    SponsoredFounder's own brand
    All 2 takes from Mixed Makeup
    My Updated Skincare Routine for Melasma & Dark Spots
    "This is the retinaldehyde cream serum 0.5%. I stick with 0.5% because it's the one I can use on a regular basis like every single night without irritation. To me it's better to be on a lower percentage and then be able to use it more consistently than to try to amp it up and then only use it every other day or every two days. So I prefer to use this one."
    My Hardest Breakup... Why I Stopped Using Tretinoin in My Skincare Routine | Susan Yara
    "I highly recommend bumping over to a retinaldehyde. We have our Naturium Retinaldehyde Cream Serum, which I love. It's such a beautiful light formula. I feel like everybody, no matter what your skin type, can use these. We have two different percentages: our 0.05% and our 0.1%. The 0.1% is a little strong for me to use on a regular basis, so I'm very much a 0.05% girl. I've decided this even with regular retinol. I'm a solid 0.05% girl. When I just started to like tiptoe over that percentage and I try to go like every single day, which is what I feel like you should be aiming to do, is try to use your retinoid every single day, when I try to go higher than 0.05%, that's when my skin starts to act up. I have enough confidence now and experience to say I'm a solid 0.05% retinoid girl."

    What the evidence says.

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

    Retinoids

    Retinoids are among the best studied ingredients in dermatology, with solid evidence for acne and for the fine lines and rough texture that come from sun exposure. Dryness and flaking in the first few weeks are common and usually settle.

    Source: DermNet

    Vitamin E

    Vitamin E is an antioxidant, and it is often in a formula to keep the other ingredients stable rather than as the active itself. It pairs well with vitamin C, though on its own the evidence for visible change is limited.

    Source: NIH, National Library of Medicine

    Frequently asked.

    What is Naturium Retinaldehyde Cream Serum 0.5%?

    A lightweight, creamy serum formulation containing 0.5% retinaldehyde, a vitamin A derivative designed to address fine lines, wrinkles, and skin texture.

    Is Naturium Retinaldehyde Cream Serum 0.5% worth it?

    Yes. All 11 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 84%.

    What is Naturium Retinaldehyde Cream Serum 0.5%'s Guru Score?

    Naturium Retinaldehyde Cream Serum 0.5% holds a Guru Score of 84%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 11 expert reviewers we have collected.

    Who is Naturium Retinaldehyde Cream Serum 0.5% best for?

    Naturium Retinaldehyde Cream Serum 0.5% is generally suited to mature skin.

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