Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate (HPR), otherwise known as Granactive Retinoid. The superstar retinol alternative that is no ordinary ingredient.

1.     What is Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate (HPR)?

2.     Where does it fit in the retinol vs. retinoid family?

3.     What is the difference between Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate (HPR) and Granactive Retinoid?

4.     How does it work within the skin and how should I use it?

5.     What is Cyberderm Retin+Erase? What concentration does it use? Where can I buy it?

1.     What is Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate (HPR)?

 Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate (HPR) is a mouthful of an innovative ingredient that has been gaining popularity as a Vitamin A derivative that is capable of binding directly to retinoid receptors in the skin.  HPR is proprietary to and supplied by Grant Industries.  It is not new but its reputation has been building as a potent but gentle way of improving the skin’s appearance from the signs of aging and photo-aging. It is ideal for refining the skin’s texture, clarity and feel and ideal for a retinol-like product even as part of a skin cycling routine.

2.     Where does it fit in the retinol vs. retinoid family?

HPR is a modified version of retinoic acid, meaning that it is closer to the form of retinoic acid than the more conventional retinol.  It does not need to be converted with any form of enzymatic step or metabolic breakdown in the skin in order to be active.  In comparison, retinol and retinal (retinaldehyde) require conversion in the skin in order to be in a bioavailable form that the skin can actually use.  The esterification of retinoic acid renders it more gentle than pure retinoic acid while retaining most of its potency.  HPR is therefore an ideal way to use a Vitamin A derivative regularly to get the main anti-aging benefits while minimizing side effects like irritation and dryness. 

3.     What is the difference between Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate (HPR) and Granactive Retinoid?

This is a huge source of confusion for consumers and one of our most frequently asked questions.  As mentioned, Granactive Retinoid is a raw material that is a blend of ingredients, supplied by Grant Industries.  This raw material is a blend of two ingredients: it contains 90% of a solvent known as dimethyl isosorbide and 10% of the active ingredient Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate (HPR).  

The confusion between the two stems from a marketing choice of one of the biggest skincare companies in the world, The Ordinary. The brand The Ordinary launched their Granactive Emulsion products featuring Granactive Retinoid at 2% and 5% respectively around the same time that we launched our Cyberderm Retin+Erase.  It’s rare for brands to disclose on the label the name of the blend of raw materials, let alone name their products after them.  However, due to the popularity of The Ordinary products, consumers began identifying the active by the name Granactive Retinoid and not by Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate.  This caused further confusion because 5% Granactive Retinoate means that the product contains only .5% Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate because it’s a blend of ingredients, not just the pure active on its own.  As a further example, a 2% concentration of Granactive Retinoid equals a .2% concentration of active Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate.  At the end of the day, the blend of ingredients of which 90% is a solvent, is not what is making a difference to the customer’s skin.  It’s the active concentration of Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, it makes more sense to refer to the product by its active ingredient name rather than the trade name of the blend.

4.     How does it work within the skin and how should I use it?

HPR can directly bind to retinoid receptors within the skin although it’s a modified ester form of retinoic acid.  This sets off a chain reaction that results in new cells being created including essential ones that go into creating collagen and elastin fibers. It also helps stimulate cell turnover.  The underlying network of collagen and elastin fibers and other essential cells within the dermis becomes thicker, replete with healthy, living cells just like younger skin.  It does this with significantly less irritation than the equivalent concentration of retinol and better potency than other Vitamin A analogs like retinol esters like retinyl palmitate.  

 You would therefore use a product featuring HPR as an alternative to either retinol, retinal or even retinoic acid.  In short, you should pick one form and use it rather than trying to use multiple versions and you should definitely not try to layer them.  We generally recommend trying HPR starting 1-2x per week and then increasing use to up to 1x daily depending on how you tolerate it.  As with any Vitamin A derivative, you want to walk the line of stimulating a response in the skin without stripping or damaging your skin barrier. 

We recommend using a pea sized amount for the entire face as your last step in your skincare routine at night. Do night apply any other product over top. This product has a characteristic bright yellow colour that is a positive sign of potency and not a sign of oxidation (as is the case with retinol). The product should be applied in a thin layer, if your skin looks yellow after application, this is simply a sign that you applied too much. This product is fragrance-free.

5.      What is Cyberderm Retin+Erase? What concentration does it use? Where can I buy it?

We launched our Cyberderm Retin+Erase with 1% active Hydroxpinacolone Retinoate or 10% Granactive Retinoid in 2016.  Our company founder, Dr. Denis Dudley met the Chief Regulatory Officer of Grant Industries at a popular industry trade show In-Cosmetics in Barcelona Spain in 2015.  Dr. Dudley loved the idea of HPR since his wife and co-founder Dr. Sharyn Laughlin, a renowned dermatologist, often complained about a lack of compliancy when she prescribed tretinoin and other prescription strength retinoids.  She would often find that her patients were never able to acclimate to their prescriptions and therefore never got the benefits of the regular use of a topical Vitamin A derivative. 

Our third co-founder and chemist partner, Tom Heinar, used his expertise in sunscreen dispersions to create an innovative system for uniformly dispersing the Granactive Retinoid.  He was able to use the full strength of 1% Hydroxpinacolone Retinoate and create a formula that did not require additional antioxidants like Vitamin E for stability.  His chosen dispersion system rendered the HPR into tiny droplets, similar to the concept of micelles in micellar water, that were uniformly distributed within the formula to make them very gentle.  We were initially worried that at a 1% active concentration, people might get their skin into trouble with its full potency with severe irritation and dryness as side effects.  We limited distribution of the product to our co-founders dermatology clinic where it could be sold under her supervision.  However, we quickly discovered that it was gentle enough that everyone could use it without issue, even people who had never before used a Vitamin A derivative product.  It would have been impossible for the equivalent concentration of 1% retinol to be used in the same way without a lot of adverse effects. This confirmed that we had created a unique and promising formula and we opened up distribution to our other retail partners. 

We are so happy to report that as of December 2023 this product can now be sold in Canada and the US as well as globally. Our data shows that after the thousands of units that we have sold, we have virtually had no returns or reports of adverse effects.  It continues to be one of the most gentle Vitamin A derivatives possible and when we use it as its full potency of 1% active HPR, it’s also one of the most effective. 

You can shop our Cyberderm Retin+Erase here and in our US Shop in USD here. Do not sleep on this incredible and unique skincare active.