Sea Retinal

The aging de-celerator
$125

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THE AGING DE-CELERATOR. A super-efficient, stealth sniper, this firming, line-easing retinal serum unravels past damage while soothing redness and irritation. Now you can stimulate cell turnover & collagen synthesis every night.

Aqua (Water), Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Propanediol, C13-15 Alkane, Niacinamide, Cyclodextrin, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Cetearyl Olivate, Heptyl Undecylenate, Caprylyl Glycol, Squalane, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Seed Oil, Bisabolol (L-alpha), Cetearyl Alcohol, Phenylethyl Resorcinol, Ribose (D), Acetyl Zingerone, Sodium Gluconate, Retinal (Retinaldehyde), Coenochloris Signiensis Extract, Pentapeptide-59, Crithmum Maritimum Callus Culture Filtrate, Rubus Chamaemorus (Cloud Berry) Seed Oil, Macrocystis Pyrifera (Kelp), Lonicera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Lonicera Caprifolium (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Sorbitan Olivate, Cetyl Palmitate, Sorbitan Palmitate, Xanthan Gum, Sclerotium Gum, Citric Acid, Sorbitan Oleate, Pentylene Glycol, Maltodextrin, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Corn Starch Modified, Sodium Hydroxide, Lecithin.

Apply to clean, dry face and neck at night. Get all the tips below!

HOW IT GIVES BACK:

5% of each sale supports climate organizations through 1% for the planet

WHY WE MADE IT

Nearly all signs of aging can be attributed to sun damage of years gone by.

Retinoids are the gold standard treatment, but they can wreak havoc on sensitive skin (collateral damage: dryness, flaking, irritation).

Thanks to a combination of our soothing, hand-harvested giant kelp and intelligently stabilized, encapsulated retinaldehyde, ours works with precision for elevated results and a calmer complexion.

WHAT IT DOES

This award-winning serum is powered by ingredients clinically demonstrated to:

- Reduce redness by 70% in 6 weeks
- Reduce wrinkle depth by 52% within 6 weeks
- Boost mitochondrial respiration by 31% within a month
- Increase skin elasticity by up to 66% within a month
- Brighten and balance skin’s tone more effectively than 1% kojic acid

Bonus: if you get breakouts, our team has noticed that Sea Retinal seems to flatten them overnight, which is very kind indeed.

HOW IT WORKS

Remarkably, Sea Retinal can have a soothing effect on skin, which is not something typically associated with retinoids: the retinaldehyde we use solves problems with precision, and our formula actually tones down redness in the skin so that you wake up to a calm, smooth, glowing complexion.

Marine actives and other plant-based goodies boost the proven benefits of Vitamin A while adding to the formula’s calming effects: our special giant kelp partners with a biomimetic peptide based on a sea anemone protein to significantly soothe irritation, allowing zingy (ginger-derived) antioxidants to then supercharge the smoothing, brightening effects of retinaldehyde. 

Even more exciting: this formula contains special supporting actors that take things a step further, activating your skin cells’ longevity switches for a holistically youth-preserving approach. Snow algae and plant sugars energize skin cells — hello, mitochondria! — and activate the same detoxifying, reparative, longevity-boosting enzymes as healthy stressors like intermittent fasting, heat therapy, and cold plunges. (Dara’s a hot/cold therapy devotee, so this might be one of our favorite features of this biointegral formula.)

Key Actives & Their Provenance

Our antioxidant-rich, soothing giant kelp is hand-harvested by our seaweed forager (sometimes with friends!) off the coast of Santa Cruz, California, where wild kelp beds are abundant. We combine it with a biomimetic peptide based on a sea anemone protein to further calm sensitive skin, minimizing irritation; additional hydrating and moisturizing ingredients (propanediol, shea butter, jojoba, squalane, and raspberry & cloudberry seed oils) further help keep skin comfortable.

A powerful, next-generation retinoid, encapsulated and further stabilized with honeysuckle extract, delivers the benefits of retinol in a more bioavailable form for faster results (but without the irritation you’d expect). Ginger- and pine-derived antioxidants act like retinoid amplifiers, treating UV-induced discoloration and supporting the integrity of skin’s extracellular matrix.

A blend of snow algae from Switzerland and sea fennel from France work with plant sugars to activate skin cells’ longevity switches, mimicking the effects of cold plunges, heat therapy, and intermittent fasting on the body’s detoxification and repair processes.

How to Use

The basics

Shake well and apply 2 pumps to clean, dry face and neck at night. (The neck is key! If you’ve neglected your neck before, this will be a game changer.) Follow with your favorite cushy cream, moisturizing serum, or face oil.

Dialing it up or down

If your skin is delicate, use Sea Retinal every other night or once every three nights and/or apply it over a mild hydrating serum.

If you’re in the “More! More power!” camp (remember Christopher Walken in “A View To A Kill”? We do, which is why we like this), apply Sea Retinal, followed by Sea Serum, and then do your cushy cream or face oil. The sea fennel in the Sea Serum will supercharge the Sea Retinal’s power, but applying the Sea Retinal directly to your skin first get the most out of our encapsulated retinaldehyde.

How it works with its sibling

While the magical Sea Serum is a multi-talented, vibrance- and elasticity-boosting ninja protector, the Sea Retinal is its sniper-like sibling. And the two work together beautifully, creating a circular system of their own. During the day, the Sea Serum protects, hydrates, soothes, and nourishes nascent skin cells; at night, the Sea Retinal activates your skin’s much-needed repair and detoxification pathways so that the cells that are ready to do so can peacefully, gently let go.

Sea Retinal press & awards

Dara on substack

What I think you should know about retinoids

How did we get here?

The Sea Retinal origin story

Behind the product-development scenes

4.8
Rated 4.8 out of 5 stars
Based on 13 reviews
Total 5 star reviews: 11 Total 4 star reviews: 2 Total 3 star reviews: 0 Total 2 star reviews: 0 Total 1 star reviews: 0
100%would recommend this product
13 reviews
  • HT
    Holly T.
    Verified Buyer
    I recommend this product
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    19 hours ago
    Effective and light

    I have tried a number of retinals & derivatives. This one, used with the sea serum, is so comfortable and light. Many others feel heavy and almost clog your pores, but this disappears once applied. These two products together are effective and harness nature in an inspired combination. Get the sea glow!

  • L
    lanibas
    Verified Buyer
    I recommend this product
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    11 months ago
    5 Stars

    LOVE this product! Really excellent for sensitive skin yet very powerful at addressing fine lines and wrinkles. Love the texture too.

  • CH
    Christine H.
    I recommend this product
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    1 year ago
    5 Stars

    I use this at night time and my face feel tighter and brighter in the morning. No redness eaither - easy on my skin.

  • L
    Lauren
    I recommend this product
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    1 year ago
    5 Stars

    So grateful to Ayla for creating a retinol that can be used on super sensitive skin! I am highly reactive to active ingredients, but the Sea Retinal has been a little miracle. I'm able to use it without irritation and typically incorporate it every two to three days.  It's almost hard to describe the results, except to say that my skin has subtly started to look really really lovely. A sort of restored healthy vibrance that I didn't know was possible, if I had to put it into words. Magic indeed!

  • D
    Deborah
    I recommend this product
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    1 year ago
    5 Stars

    About a month or so after I started using this, someone came up to me in the gym and said, "your skin is so dewey". That was a pretty good review for me and I hope for you.