Quick answer for experienced retinoid shoppers
- Choose Abib PDRN Volume fill-it Booster crème for a targeted booster with retinal, seven named peptides, PDRN at 15,000 ppm and Volufiline at 10,000 ppm.
- Choose Avène RetrinAL 0.1 Intensive Cream for a lightweight, velvety cream with retinal, two named peptides, vitamin E ingredients and evening directions for the face, neck and décolleté.
- Screen for the ingredient name first: a product labeled retinol, such as the CeraVe and RoC examples below, is not a retinal cream.
For a cream-format retinal shortlist, choose Abib when its targeted appearance areas and PDRN, Volufiline and seven-peptide profile match your priorities. Choose Avène RetrinAL 0.1 Intensive Cream for its named retinal and peptide ingredients, vitamin E companions and evening directions for the face, neck and décolleté.
Check the retinoid name before comparing companions
Start with the ingredient name, not the word “retinoid” on the front of a package. The retinoid overview from Dermalogica describes retinol as converting to retinaldehyde and then to retinoic acid. For a shopping shortlist, that distinction means checking whether the ingredient list names retinal or retinaldehyde, rather than assuming every retinoid-containing cream has the same active form.
Dermalogica’s retinoid guide identifies tretinoin as retinoic acid itself and prescription-only. That places tretinoin in a different category from the retinal- and retinol-labelled creams in this comparison.
The two candidates here pass that label screen. Abib’s official ingredient list names Retinal; Avène’s U.S. product page also lists Retinal and identifies retinaldehyde as the featured ingredient. “Retinal” and “retinaldehyde” are the names shoppers will see across the product copy and ingredient list for these formulas.
CeraVe and RoC show why the distinction matters when you compare formats. CeraVe’s Resurfacing Retinol Serum ingredient page names encapsulated retinol alongside three essential ceramides, hyaluronic acid and niacinamide. Its U.S. Skin Renewing Day Cream page also names encapsulated retinol, in a cream with SPF. RoC’s Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream page likewise identifies retinol. RoC’s Deep Wrinkle Night Cream listing names “RoC Patented Retinol” and Mineral Complex as key ingredients.
Abib: a targeted booster with PDRN, Volufiline and multiple peptides
Abib PDRN Volume fill-it Booster crème is the more targeted of these two formats. Abib describes it as a booster crème formulated with PDRN, Volufiline, retinal and peptides. Its product page gives the highlighted amounts as 15,000 ppm PDRN and 10,000 ppm Volufiline, and identifies PDRN as salmon DNA.
The formula puts several different companion types in one product. Abib’s ingredient list includes Retinal, Sodium DNA, niacinamide, panthenol, squalane and Ceramide NP, as well as macadamia oil and mango seed butter. The brand also highlights Volufiline by name and amount in the product description. For shoppers who prefer to screen by the full disclosed list, this gives more to compare than the headline actives alone.
Abib’s product listing says retinal and peptides help improve the appearance of skin texture and elasticity.
The ingredient list names seven peptides: Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Copper Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1. The official Abib product listing also frames the product around the appearance of forehead lines, smile lines, under-eye areas and neck wrinkles. Its description mentions hollow areas and volume-loss concerns such as the nasolabial folds, forehead, under-eyes and neck.
Abib assigns different cosmetic descriptions to its highlighted companions: the PDRN feature names volume-loss areas including nasolabial folds and under-eyes, while the Volufiline feature describes visible plumping of hollow areas and support for elasticity.
Choose Abib if you want its targeted appearance positioning and its combination of PDRN, Volufiline and seven named peptides. The official listing gives the product size as 30 mL in a tube.
A PubMed-indexed review of cosmetic peptides identified 102 commercially available peptides and describes the supporting efficacy data as varying across in-vitro and ex-vivo research. A separate overview of peptides in skin care organizes the subject by peptide sources, functions, cosmetic uses and delivery. These reviews show why “peptides” describes a broad ingredient family rather than one uniform formula benefit.
That PubMed-indexed review also reports that most of its identified cosmetic peptides are inspired by molecules found in the human body, including extracellular-matrix sequences called matrikines. It says cosmetic peptides are made by chemical synthesis or biotechnology, details that show the range behind the broad ingredient-family name.
Avène: an intensive cream with retinaldehyde, peptides and vitamin E ingredients
Avène RetrinAL 0.1 Intensive Cream suits shoppers looking for an intensive cream with an explicit retinaldehyde identity and a simple, broad application direction. On the U.S. product page, Avène describes the texture as lightweight and velvety, lists Retinal in the ingredient list and directs users to apply the cream to the face, neck and décolleté in the evening.
A separate official product-information page specifies 0.1% retinaldehyde for RetrinAL 0.1 Intensive Multi-Corrective Cream. The main U.S. product page’s ingredient list also names Oleoyl Dipeptide-15 and Oleoyl Tetrapeptide-31, along with Tocopheryl Glucoside and Tocopherol. Avène separately describes its Pre-Tocopheryl ingredient as photostable vitamin E.
Avène describes Pre-Tocopheryl as photostable vitamin E and says it provides antioxidant protection against free radicals.
That list creates a different profile from Abib’s. Avène puts two named peptide ingredients and vitamin E derivatives alongside retinaldehyde in a cream whose directions cover the face, neck and décolleté. Its product page also lists evening primrose oil. Shoppers who prioritize these specific names and want one cream with an explicit evening-use direction for those areas have a straightforward match.
Avène’s U.S. product page also labels the cream fragrance-free, paraben-free, mineral-oil-free and free of animal-derived ingredients, and recommends daily sun protection during use.
Abib highlights named amounts for PDRN and Volufiline; Avène foregrounds two named peptides, vitamin E ingredients and a lightweight, velvety texture.
Choose by formula, target area and stated use
| Cream | Retinoid named by maker | Notable disclosed companions | Format and stated use | Best fit by documented profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abib PDRN Volume fill-it Booster crème | Retinal | PDRN, Volufiline, seven named peptides, niacinamide, panthenol, squalane and Ceramide NP | Targeted booster crème in a 30 mL tube; product description names forehead lines, smile lines, under-eye areas, neck wrinkles and hollow areas | A shopper who wants a multi-peptide formula with the brand-highlighted PDRN and Volufiline amounts and those named appearance targets |
| Avène RetrinAL 0.1 Intensive Cream | Retinal in the ingredient list; retinaldehyde identified as the featured retinoid | Oleoyl Dipeptide-15, Oleoyl Tetrapeptide-31, Tocopheryl Glucoside, Tocopherol and evening primrose oil | Lightweight, velvety intensive cream; maker directs evening use on face, neck and décolleté | A shopper who wants two named peptides and vitamin E ingredients in a broadly directed evening cream |
On October 2, 2026, Abib’s PDRN Volume fill-it Booster crème product page showed the 30 mL tube at $23.80, reduced from $28, and marked it sold out. Avène’s RetrinAL 0.1 Intensive Cream product page listed it at $79 on the same date, $55.20 above Abib’s displayed price.
Abib lists 15,000 ppm PDRN and 10,000 ppm Volufiline; Avène’s separate page for RetrinAL 0.1% Intensive Multi-Corrective Cream states 0.1% retinaldehyde.
For a targeted-area priority, Abib is the closer formula match because its own description names forehead lines, smile lines, under-eye areas and neck wrinkles, then pairs that positioning with the PDRN and Volufiline amounts and its peptide list. For an all-over face, neck and décolleté evening routine, Avène is the more direct fit because its cream format and directions explicitly cover those areas. If the ingredient profile matters more than a specific target area, decide between Abib’s PDRN/Volufiline and multi-peptide grouping and Avène’s two named peptides and vitamin E ingredients.
FAQ
Does “retinal” on an ingredient list count as retinaldehyde?
Yes. Abib’s product list names Retinal, and Avène’s product information identifies retinaldehyde as the featured retinoid while its ingredient list names Retinal.
Does Avène specify when to use RetrinAL 0.1 Intensive Cream?
Yes. Avène directs evening application to the face, neck and décolleté. That is the maker’s stated use for this intensive cream.
Does Abib name under-eye areas as a target?
Yes. Abib’s product description includes the appearance of under-eye areas among its stated targets, alongside forehead lines, smile lines and neck wrinkles. Its PDRN and Volufiline descriptions also mention hollow areas and volume-loss concerns.
Do CeraVe or RoC retinol creams qualify for a retinal-only shortlist?
No. The cited CeraVe and RoC pages name retinol. Their product format or companion ingredients do not change the retinoid name on the label.