Retinyl Esters vs. Retinol: What Matters for PMU

Not all vitamin A ingredients behave the same way in the skin. While many are grouped together under the term “retinoids,” their biological activity varies widely. This distinction is especially important when preparing for permanent makeup (PMU), where skin stability and predictable healing are critical.


Understanding the difference between retinol and retinyl esters helps clarify which products truly need to be avoided before PMU procedures—and which do not.


What Is Retinol?


Retinol is an active form of vitamin A commonly used in skincare to increase cell turnover, stimulate collagen production, and improve skin texture and pigmentation. After application, retinol is converted through enzymatic steps into retinoic acid, the biologically active form that directly influences skin renewal.


Because retinol accelerates exfoliation and can thin the stratum corneum, it is widely considered contraindicated before PMU procedures, including brow treatments such as microblading and nano brows. Active retinol use may increase skin sensitivity, contribute to excess redness or bleeding during the procedure, and reduce pigment retention during healing.


For these reasons, clients using retinol—whether prescription or over-the-counter—are typically advised to discontinue use prior to PMU.


What Are Retinyl Esters?


Retinyl esters (such as retinyl palmitate or retinyl acetate) are inactive storage forms of vitamin A. Unlike retinol, they must undergo multiple conversion steps in the skin before becoming retinoic acid. This conversion process is inefficient, which significantly limits their biological activity.


In cosmetic formulations, retinyl esters are typically included:


  • At very low concentrations
  • For antioxidant or conditioning support rather than exfoliation
  • Without meaningfully increasing cell turnover


Because of this, retinyl esters do not behave like active retinol products and are not designed to produce the same corrective or resurfacing effects.



Why This Difference Matters for PMU


From a PMU standpoint, the primary concern with vitamin A–based ingredients is accelerated skin turnover and thinning, which can interfere with pigment implantation and healing. Active retinol and prescription retinoids present this risk. Retinyl esters, when used at low levels in standard moisturizers, generally do not.


This distinction is particularly relevant for procedures such as microblading and nano brows, where pigment is placed into the superficial layers of the skin and relies on controlled healing for optimal retention.


In practical terms:



Retinol vs Retinyl Esters in Microblading and Nano Brows


Microblading and nano brows are brow PMU techniques that rely on controlled pigment placement into the superficial layers of the skin. Because pigment retention depends on stable skin and predictable healing, vitamin A–based ingredients can influence outcomes differently depending on their activity level.


Retinol is an active retinoid that increases cell turnover and skin sensitivity. When used before microblading or nano brow procedures, this increased activity may contribute to excess redness, more bleeding during treatment, and reduced pigment retention during healing.


Retinyl esters, such as retinyl palmitate, are inactive vitamin A derivatives that require multiple conversion steps before becoming biologically active. When used at low concentrations in standard cosmetic formulations, they do not meaningfully accelerate exfoliation and are not associated with the same PMU-related concerns as active retinol.


For brow PMU preparation, this distinction explains why pre-care guidelines typically restrict retinol and prescription retinoids, while not automatically excluding products that contain trace amounts of retinyl esters.



PMU-Safe Interpretation


When PMU pre-care instructions advise avoiding “retinoids,” this guidance is intended to apply to active retinol and prescription vitamin A products, not to low-level retinyl esters found low on an ingredient list in basic hydrating creams.

Clients with highly sensitive skin, or artists who follow a zero-tolerance protocol, may still choose to pause all vitamin A derivatives as a precaution. However, from a functional and clinical perspective, retinyl esters are not comparable to retinol in their impact on PMU outcomes.