Retinol Powder

What Retinol Powder is

Retinol is the alcohol form of vitamin A, CAS 68-26-8, and one of the most researched ingredients in cosmetic skin care. This listing is the powder, light yellow in color, sold by the gram. Some retinol powders on the market are encapsulated blends in which retinol sits inside a carrier; if the CoA for your lot lists such a blend, use the blend INCI and CAS, which then reads Mixture, and base your calculations on the retinol content it states. The CoA, not this page, is the final reference.

Properties

Retinol is oil-soluble and practically insoluble in water. It is also one of the most sensitive actives a lab handles: light, oxygen, heat and some metal ions degrade it, and the yellow color often fades as it does. In finished products it is valued for the look of smoother texture, more even tone and refined pores over weeks of use. Brands usually present it in evening routines and combine it with soothing and moisturizing ingredients to keep the experience comfortable.

Applications

Night creams, serums in oil or emulsion form, eye creams with low retinol content, body lotions and hand creams are the typical uses. Many lines pair it with Bakuchiol, often marketed as a plant-based companion, and with Ceramide NP for a barrier-friendly feel. Other forms of vitamin A and related actives are in our cosmetic actives catalog.

How to use it

Dissolve or disperse the powder in the oil phase or in a compatible ester such as caprylic/capric triglyceride, at the lowest temperature that works. In emulsions, add the premix during cool-down, below 40 °C, under gentle mixing and, ideally, a nitrogen blanket or minimal air incorporation. Add an antioxidant such as tocopherol and a chelator. Calculate the level from the retinol content on the CoA. The EU limits retinol equivalents in face products to 0.3 percent and in body products to 0.05 percent; follow the rules of your own market.

Protecting stability

Retinol products live or die by packaging and process. Airless pumps or aluminum tubes protect better than jars. Work under yellow or dimmed light, keep mixing times short, and fill the same day. Run stability at room temperature and in a warm cabinet and measure the retinol content if you can, or at least track color and odor. Clear consumer instructions, such as evening use and gradual introduction, support a good experience.

Compatibility

Retinol works with emollients, squalane, ceramides, niacinamide, panthenol and hyaluronic acid. Avoid combining it in the same product with strong acids, benzoyl peroxide or oxidizers. Keep iron and copper traces low, since metals speed up degradation; a chelator helps. Copper peptides are better placed in a separate product.

Characteristics

Form: light yellow powder, as stated on the lot CoA. INCI: Retinol, or the blend INCI if the CoA lists an encapsulated blend. CAS: 68-26-8 for retinol. Solubility: oil-soluble. Addition point: oil phase premix, cool-down.

Original recipe: night cream, 100 g

Phase A: distilled water 70.80 g, glycerin 4.00 g, disodium EDTA 0.10 g, xanthan gum 0.20 g. Phase B: cetearyl olivate and sorbitan olivate 4.50 g, cetyl alcohol 1.50 g, squalane 6.00 g, caprylic/capric triglyceride 6.00 g. Heat A and B to 75 °C, emulsify and cool. Phase C below 40 °C: Retinol Powder premixed in caprylic/capric triglyceride 2.00 g at a level calculated from the CoA, here 0.10 g of retinol content, tocopherol 0.50 g, panthenol 1.00 g, niacinamide 2.00 g in a little water, preservative 1.00 g, water 0.30 g. Fill into airless pumps.

Storage

Store sealed, cool, dry and dark, ideally in the fridge, and reseal under minimal air exposure. Ships from Florida in gram packs.