Verified Beauty Data

Dupe report Nº 017 / Encapsulated retinaldehyde serums

Medik8 Crystal Retinal dupes, ranked by formula match

Crystal Retinal 10 is 0.1% retinal. A $14.90 bottle discloses double that number — and every serum here publishes its own.

Some links earn us a commission. It never changes the verdict — the methodology is public.

02 / The scoreboard

4 formulas, one number that matter

Read the actives column first — it is the apples-to-apples comparison. $ per gram of active is what the working ingredients cost you; the base-formula score is supporting evidence, not the verdict.

Product Actives vs original $ / g of active Price Base formula Verdict
Medik8 Crystal Retinal 10 Concentration disclosed by brand (encapsulated) $3633.33 $111.00 30 mL · Amazon $109.00 retail 100% the reference The original
Exact disclosed active the direct clones — same actives, same percentages
Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 10 (0.1% Retinal Serum) Concentration disclosed in product name $663.33 $19.90 30 mL · retail 82% Skip currently unavailable
Naturium Retinaldehyde Cream Serum 0.10% Concentration disclosed in product name $1066.33 $31.99 30 mL · Amazon 73% Skip price on Amazon
Partial overlap missing actives — different formula wearing the keywords
The Ordinary Retinal 0.2% Emulsion Concentration disclosed in product name $496.67 $14.90 15 mL · Amazon 76% highest measured The winner Amazon →

✓ same % as original ≠ different % ? in formula, % undisclosed — not in formula

03 / The original

Why the original is the original

Crystal Retinal is built on one disclosed number: retinaldehyde, on a 1–3–6–10–20 ladder that maps to 0.01%, 0.03%, 0.06%, 0.1%, and 0.2%. Retinal sits one enzymatic step from retinoic acid — the most potent retinoid you can buy without a prescription — and Crystal Retinal 10 delivers 0.1% of it.

What Medik8 adds around that 0.1% is real. A stabilising cyclodextrin encapsulation cages the molecule (retinal degrades fast in light and air, which is why the bottle is an opaque airless pump), and a "complete" supporting cast rides alongside it: two vitamin C derivatives (ethyl ascorbic acid, tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate), squalane, sodium hyaluronate, and cloudberry seed oil. It is a genuinely well-built serum.

But the hero active is not proprietary. Retinaldehyde at 0.1% is a disclosed, commodity concentration — and because every serum on this page discloses its retinal percentage, you can compare potency honestly for once. The candidates below show what 0.1% retinal costs when you strip the supporting cast, and what it costs when you want even more active for less.

04 / The candidates

Every candidate, examined

01 / Geek & Gorgeous

Skip
$663.33 per g of active
$19.90 retail · 30 mL
82% base formula · highest of 6

Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 10 (0.1% Retinal Serum)

Shared formula DNA 4 of 38 original ingredients present
Aqua Caprylic Glycerin Isododecane Cyclodextrin Cetearyl Alcohol Cetearyl Olivate Sodium Acrylate Sorbitan Olivate Tocopheryl Acetate Retinal Squalane Sodium Hyaluronate Ethyl Ascorbic Acid Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil Hydroxyethyl Acrylate Ethylhexylglycerin Pentylene Glycol Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose Rubus Chamaemorus Seed Oil Sodium Polyaspartate Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate Dipteryx Odorata Bean Extract BHT Polyhydroxystearic Acid Disodium EDTA Titanium Dioxide Phenoxyethanol Alumina Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract Isostearic Acid Lecithin Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate Stearic Acid Coumarin CI 14700

shared with original not shared rare marker — weighs more in the score

What matches
Discloses the identical 0.1% retinaldehyde — the same concentration as Crystal Retinal 10 — and shares the formula's most distinctive markers: the same cyclodextrin encapsulation carrier, the Cetearyl/Sorbitan Olivate emulsifier base, and cloudberry (Rubus Chamaemorus) seed oil. 4 of the original's 38 ingredients shared. At $663.33 per gram of active versus the original's $3633.33, that is the same retinal strength for about a fifth of the price.
What differs
No "complete" supporting cast — A-Game drops the two vitamin C derivatives, the squalane, and the sodium hyaluronate that Crystal Retinal layers in, in favour of a deliberately minimal, gentle base (allantoin, panthenol). You are buying the 0.1% retinal, not the multi-active serum built around it.
Who it's for
The exact-strength match — the pick if you want Crystal Retinal 10's own 0.1% and nothing else changed. $22.90 on Amazon ($19.90 direct) versus $109 for the identical disclosed 0.1%. It does not take the verdict only because The Ordinary discloses double the retinal for less money; on formula proximity to the original, nothing here is closer. If the encapsulation and the vitamin-C/HA supporting cast matter to you, the original earns its premium.
Ships in
Packaging not verified No brand or retailer statement on the bottle — we won’t guess.
pH
pH not published L-ascorbic acid needs pH below 3.5 to absorb
Data source
Concentration disclosed in product name 0.1% retinaldehyde (Retinal in INCI, INCIDecoder-verified); ASIN+price PA-API-verified 2026-06-14.

$19.90 for 30 mL → $663.33 per gram of active — 5.5× cheaper per active gram than the original's $3633.33.

Currently unavailable on Amazon

02 / Naturium

Skip
$1066.33 per g of active
$31.99 retail · 30 mL
73% base formula · 3rd of 6

Naturium Retinaldehyde Cream Serum 0.10%

Shared formula DNA 1 of 38 original ingredients present
Aqua Caprylic Glycerin Isododecane Cyclodextrin Cetearyl Alcohol Cetearyl Olivate Sodium Acrylate Sorbitan Olivate Tocopheryl Acetate Retinal Squalane Sodium Hyaluronate Ethyl Ascorbic Acid Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil Hydroxyethyl Acrylate Ethylhexylglycerin Pentylene Glycol Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose Rubus Chamaemorus Seed Oil Sodium Polyaspartate Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate Dipteryx Odorata Bean Extract BHT Polyhydroxystearic Acid Disodium EDTA Titanium Dioxide Phenoxyethanol Alumina Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract Isostearic Acid Lecithin Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate Stearic Acid Coumarin CI 14700

shared with original not shared rare marker — weighs more in the score

What matches
Discloses 0.10% retinaldehyde — the same concentration as Crystal Retinal 10 — in a cushioned cream-serum with a ferment extract and barrier lipids, the richest-feeling texture of the dupes. Retinal is the shared hero active.
What differs
Shares far less of the original's distinctive formula than A-Game (1 of 38 ingredients, no cyclodextrin encapsulation), and at $31.99 for 30 mL its cost-per-active ($1066.33/g) sits well above A-Game's.
Who it's for
Consider it if you want 0.1% retinal in a more emollient, comforting base and don't mind paying more than A-Game for the texture. On price against the original, A-Game is the better 0.1% buy; this is the option for drier or reactive skin that prefers a cream.
Ships in
Packaging not verified No brand or retailer statement on the bottle — we won’t guess.
pH
pH not published L-ascorbic acid needs pH below 3.5 to absorb
Data source
Concentration disclosed in product name 0.1% retinaldehyde (Retinal in INCI, INCIDecoder-verified); ASIN+price PA-API-verified 2026-06-14.

$31.99 for 30 mL → $1066.33 per gram of active — 3.4× cheaper per active gram than the original's $3633.33.

price on Amazon ($31.99) — not recommended as a dupe

03 / The Ordinary

The winner
$496.67 per g of active
$14.90 retail · 15 mL
76% base formula · 2nd of 6

The Ordinary Retinal 0.2% Emulsion

Shared formula DNA 1 of 38 original ingredients present
Aqua Caprylic Glycerin Isododecane Cyclodextrin Cetearyl Alcohol Cetearyl Olivate Sodium Acrylate Sorbitan Olivate Tocopheryl Acetate Retinal Squalane Sodium Hyaluronate Ethyl Ascorbic Acid Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil Hydroxyethyl Acrylate Ethylhexylglycerin Pentylene Glycol Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose Rubus Chamaemorus Seed Oil Sodium Polyaspartate Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate Dipteryx Odorata Bean Extract BHT Polyhydroxystearic Acid Disodium EDTA Titanium Dioxide Phenoxyethanol Alumina Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract Isostearic Acid Lecithin Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate Stearic Acid Coumarin CI 14700

shared with original not shared rare marker — weighs more in the score

What matches
Discloses 0.2% retinaldehyde — double Crystal Retinal 10's strength — in a lightweight emulsion buffered with ergothioneine and bisabolol. At $496.67 per gram of active it is the cheapest retinal-per-dollar on this page, and the lowest sticker price at $14.90.
What differs
A different concentration, not a match: 0.2% is the strength of Crystal Retinal 20, not 10 — more potent and more likely to trigger retinization in beginners. Smaller 15 mL bottle, no encapsulation claim, and a simpler supporting cast than the original.
Who it's for
The winner — the lowest sticker price on the page and the most retinal in the bottle, for experienced retinoid users who want more active for less money. $14.90 versus $109, at double the original's disclosed concentration. If you are new to retinal, that is a reason for caution, not a bonus: A-Game matches the original's exact 0.1% instead. Start low and build up.
Ships in
Packaging not verified No brand or retailer statement on the bottle — we won’t guess.
pH
pH not published L-ascorbic acid needs pH below 3.5 to absorb
Data source
Concentration disclosed in product name 0.2% retinaldehyde (Retinal in INCI, INCIDecoder-verified); ASIN+price PA-API-verified 2026-06-14.

$14.90 for 15 mL → $496.67 per gram of active — 7.3× cheaper per active gram than the original's $3633.33.

Buy on Amazon $14.90

05 / Methodology

How we verified this

Verified 2026-06-14

Every formula on this page was tokenized — split into its individual INCI ingredients — and matched against the EU CosIng ingredient database, so "Aqua," "Water," and "Eau" all resolve to the same ingredient.

The base-formula match score works like this: sharing a rare ingredient counts far more than sharing a common one. Almost every serum contains water and glycerin — that proves nothing. Almost nothing contains Ethoxydiglycol or Laureth-23, so when a candidate shares those with the original, it says something real about how the formula was built. (For the statisticians: it is an IDF-weighted Jaccard similarity over the normalized ingredient lists.)

Scores are computed, not opinions. The verdict tags are our editorial read of the actives, the scores, and the prices — and the methodology stays public so you can disagree with us precisely.

Where the ingredient lists come from

  1. Concentration disclosed by brand (encapsulated)

  2. Concentration disclosed in product name

Sources for this report

  • INCIDecoder product pages (live crawl 2026-06)
  • Medik8 DTC product page — Crystal Retinal concentration ladder (1/3/6/10/20 = 0.01/0.03/0.06/0.1/0.2%)
  • Amazon Creators PA-API — ASIN/price verification (2026-06-14)
  • products.json ingredient data (verifiedbeautydata internal, 2026-06)

06 / Questions

Frequently asked

What is the best Medik8 Crystal Retinal dupe?
It depends which number you are matching. Our winner is The Ordinary Retinal 0.2% Emulsion ($14.90) — the lowest price on the page and double Crystal Retinal 10's disclosed retinal, which lines up with Crystal Retinal 20 rather than 10. If you want the original's exact 0.1%, Geek & Gorgeous A-Game ($22.90) is the closest formula: the identical disclosed concentration plus the original's most distinctive markers, including the same cyclodextrin encapsulation carrier and Olivate emulsifier base. Neither replicates Crystal Retinal's supporting cast of vitamin C derivatives, squalane, and hyaluronic acid.
Is Geek & Gorgeous A-Game the same as Crystal Retinal?
On the hero active, it was effectively the same: both disclosed 0.1% retinaldehyde and both used a cyclodextrin encapsulation system to stabilise it. Geek & Gorgeous A-Game is no longer available on Amazon US as of 2026-08-27 — the brand appears to have left the platform. Naturium's Retinaldehyde Cream Serum is the closest available substitute at the same 0.1% concentration, in a richer cream-serum texture.
What do the Crystal Retinal numbers (1, 3, 6, 10, 20) mean?
They are the retinaldehyde concentration: Crystal Retinal 1 = 0.01%, 3 = 0.03%, 6 = 0.06%, 10 = 0.1%, and 20 = 0.2%. The ladder lets you build tolerance gradually. This report compares against Crystal Retinal 10 (0.1%), the most popular tier — Naturium's Retinaldehyde Cream Serum (also 0.1%) is the direct concentration match still available to buy, while The Ordinary Retinal 0.2% lines up with Crystal Retinal 20 instead.
Why is Medik8 Crystal Retinal so expensive?
Three things, only one of which is the active. The retinaldehyde itself is a disclosed, commodity concentration. What you are paying $109 for is (1) Medik8's stabilising cyclodextrin encapsulation and opaque airless packaging, which protect the light- and air-sensitive retinal; (2) a multi-active "complete" formula with vitamin C derivatives, squalane, and hyaluronic acid; and (3) brand and channel positioning. The encapsulation and supporting cast are real — but the 0.1% retinal at the centre is available for far less.
Is The Ordinary Retinal 0.2% stronger than Crystal Retinal 10?
Yes — on concentration. The Ordinary Retinal 0.2% ($14.90) discloses double the retinaldehyde of Crystal Retinal 10 (0.2% vs 0.1%), which matches Crystal Retinal 20, not 10. More active means more potential results and more potential irritation, so it is better suited to experienced retinoid users. At $496.67 per gram of active it is also the cheapest retinal-per-dollar on this page, and this report's overall pick. If you are new to retinal, Naturium's 0.1% is the gentler, concentration-matched starting point.
Is retinaldehyde (retinal) better than retinol?
Retinal is one enzymatic conversion step closer to active retinoic acid than retinol, so it acts faster and at lower concentrations — it is widely described as the most potent retinoid available without a prescription. It is also generally better tolerated than prescription tretinoin. The honest caveat: large, long-term head-to-head trials of retinal versus retinol at matched real-world strengths are still thin. See our <a href="/ingredients/retinaldehyde/">retinaldehyde ingredient dossier</a> for the full evidence.

→ / Related

Dig into the ingredients