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Retinol or retinal — which one actually makes sense for your skin, especially as it changes with age? In this review of the Alpha-H Advocate Vitamin A Serum with 0.5% retinol, we’ll take a closer look at one of the most common questions in skincare: Is a “stronger” retinoid automatically the better choice?

Because while retinal is often presented as the more effective option, the reality for many people — especially those with sensitive or midlife skin — is more nuanced. Tolerance, consistency, and formulation matter just as much as conversion steps. So before you decide whether to upgrade your routine, let’s look at what 0.5% retinol can realistically do, how it compares to retinal, and who will actually benefit from choosing one over the other.

What the Alpha-H Advocate Vitamin A Serum claims

A gentle night serum enriched with 0.5% Retinol and Squalane that plumps and firms skin overnight.

Facts about the Alpha-H Advocate Vitamin A Serum

Prize and size

The bottle comes with a dropper and is made from light green frosted glass. It contains 25 ml, which is 5 ml less than your average serum and is available for 56,96 € on the website here. According to the website it is vegan and has a pH of 4. As the pH usually doesn’t matter as much for retinoids as it does with acids or Vitamin C for example, I am not entirely sure why they provide the information.

Texture and smell

Now if you read Squalane and were worried that the added oil would make this feel greasy, you need not. It feels like a lightweight lotion, not the faintest nod towards oiliness. The color is slightly yellow and there isn’t a strong scent. I’d say it smells like a cream is supposed to smell, at least for someone like me that grew up before the age of fruit scented everything and was brought up on a pot of Nivea.

How to use the Alpha-H Advocate Vitamin A Serum

You probably know by now that most retinoid products are recommended to be used in your evening routine as Retinol on its own can have stability issues when exposed to UV light. Now a finished product is not a single ingredient, yet still the recommendation holds up – this usually goes on at night before bed. I recommend keeping it separate from your stronger exfoliating acids to minimise the risk of irritation.

So after cleansing (and maybe a toner or face mist, should you include this step) you take around 4 drops of the product and distribute it evenly on your face and neck. It spreads with ease, sinks in very quickly and doesn’t leave any tackiness behind, so you can follow up with whatever moisturiser you prefer. If your skin is on the more oily side and it is warm and humid where you live, it might well be enough as last step in your routine as it leave the skin feeling soft and hydrated.

Ingredients of the Alpha-H Advocate Vitamin A Serum

Aqua (Water) solv, Glycerin sii|h 0 0, Methyl Gluceth-20 h, Polysorbate 80 emu|surf 0 0, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6 vc, Phenoxyethanol pres, Squalane sii|emo 0 1, Retinol cci, Polysorbate 20 emu|surf 0 0, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil emo 0 0–2, Solanum Lycopersicum (Tomato) Fruit Extract aox, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil emo 0 1–3, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil so|emo 2 3, Macadamia Ternifolia (Macadamia) Seed Oil emo, Caprylyl Glycol h|emo, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate emu|surf, Disodium EDTA chel, Citric Acid buff

Hover the mouse over an ingredient for short explanation. Read more on INCIDecoder.

Let’s talk about the general formula first and focus on the retinol strength afterwards. You will find Glycerin for hydration and a few oils acting as emollients: Squalane, Jojoba Seed Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Evening Primrose Oil and Macadamia Seed Oil.  (More info: Emollients and occlusives in skincare – What do they do?) For additional antioxidant effects there is Tomato Fruit Extract.

The retinoid used here is Retinol, according to the company at 0.5% concentration. Much more than the actual concentration though will the way it is formulated influence irritation potential. It will also affect how well it works, but quite frankly: I don’t think you’ll see a huge difference between using a medium strength versus a higher strength Retinol for anti aging purposes in real life. It is more important to use your product consistently than to use the highest strength possible.

I would consider 0.5% Retinol a medium strength and usually use my neck and decollete as indicator for irritation potential: On my face I use Tretinoin for my acne, but my neck and decollete aren’t able to tolerate that as they are much more sensitive. Here I experienced no irritation with daily use, which is why I assume it will be well tolerated on the face.

More info: How to read the ingredient list in your skincare products.

Should you use Retinol or Retinal?

Now wouldn’t it be better to use Retinal instead of Retinol? After all it is considered „stronger“ as it is one conversion step closer to Retinoic Acid. (More info: The different types of Retinoids explained) Not necessarily. As I said before, strength isn’t the most important metric if you use your retinoids for anti-aging (it is different if you use it as medication for acne), it is much more important that you use it as often as possible and consistently over a long period of time. A stronger one you’ll need to stop repeatedly because of irritation will not be better than one you’ll use daily without complaint.

This is, to be fully transparent, my opinion. There are no head to head long term studies comparing different skincare products in different concentrations either split-face or on identical twins with a comparable lifestyle, and we will most likely never get that. But I stand by it: The best product for you is the one you enjoy using and use consistently. If that is this one or one of the cheaper alternatives, a Retinol or a Retinal, is completely up to you.

Does it live up to its claims?

Yes.

It is gentle and it will plump the skin over night due to added hydration. It also has the potential to help firm the skin through the Retinol, but not over night. These things take time.

How does it compare to…

The Ordinary Retinal 0.2% Emulsion

This is a Retinal, so you can’t compare the 0.5% to 0.2% directly. While there are no head to head comparisons, 0.2% Retinal is considered high strength, although this one from The Ordinary also has a very low irritation potential. It has a few calming ingredients in the formula, but less to enhance hydration. Just like many other products from The Ordinary, this isn’t a multitasker. It has one job, deliver the retinoid, and that is what it does. The Alpha-H version is certainly better at adding hydration. Pricewise though, The Ordinary clearly wins, despite containing only 15 ml it is still more affordable per ml. A downside you have with this one, but not the one from Alpha-H is that here the product itself is bright yellow, which can transfer to your pillow if you don’t leave enough time to sink in. Alpha-H surely has the more elegant texture. If that is worth spending extra is a decision you have to make yourself, looking only at potential effect on anti-aging vs cost per ml, The Ordinary surely wins.

You can read my full review of The Ordinary Retinal 0.2% Emulsion here.

Geek and Gorgeous A-Game

Another Retinal serum for a drugstore price, this time with the best value for money if you go with the A-Game 20 which equals 0.2% Retinal. A-Game is available three different strengths, giving you the option for a low, medium and strong retinoid experience. My husband has tested all three extensively for me with no irritation, so again I’d say most people should tolerate at least the medium strength, which is A-Game 10. A-Game 20 has the same problem as The Ordinary, being bright yellow and taking a while to fully absorb, but again it is up to you to decide if the better texture is worth spending almost double the money for you.

You can read my full review of the Geek and Gorgeous A-Game here.

Would I repurchase and which skin types do I recommend it to?

I will not repurchase, neither for myself nor for my husband. Thanks to my adult acne I still need prescription to keep blemishes at bay, so skincare retinoids aren’t my priority anyway, but even if that wasn’t the case, I would probably go for a more affordable one like the Geek and Gorgeous A-Game 10. That doesn’t mean it is a bad product, it certainly has advantages over the drugstore versions, both in elegance of use (the texture is really lovely) and in hydration, where it eliminates the need for a separate hydrating product. If that is worth paying extra to you is a personal decision. In general I’d say this is aimed at more mature skin and at people that rate experience as high as effect on the skin.

Shop Alpha-H skincare here

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