The Ordinary Retinol Review

I’ve been into skincare since I was in my teens and I’ve recently started to upgrade my anti-aging regimen by integrating retinol into my skincare routine. Before adding retinol into my well established skincare routine, I of course went into full research mode on how to safely and effectively integrate retinols in my skincare regimen.

I also had to choose which retinol product to use and after thorough research, I decided to choose from The Ordinary’s range of retinol products. The Ordinary is known for having clean, simply effective and no nonsense products which I definitely love and look for when choosing skincare brands. Plus, The Ordinary Retinol serums are often recommended by a lot of skincare experts.

The Ordinary Retinol range. Image from theordinary.com

The Ordinary offers a wide range of retinol serums ranging from 0.2% up to 5% concentration. Dermatologists recommend starting with the lowest concentration and working your way up to stronger formulas as your skin gets used to the effects of retinol.

So I purchased my first bottle of The Ordinary Retinol 0.2% in Squalene and here’s my experience with this product after using it 3 times a week for more than 2 months now.

Packaging

The retinol serum came in The Ordinary’s usual clean, minimal, white box. On the inside is an amber dropper bottle with 30ml or 1 fluid ounce of product. That’s actually a lot of product considering that you won’t use this every night and you don’t need much product for every application. It’ll definitely take you months to finish off a single bottle.

Texture

The texture of this serum is quite runny unlike other serums that are quite thick. So be sure to be extra gentle with the dropper since dermatologists recommend using just a small amount of retinol at a time. For me, a limit myself to just 4 drops maximum each time I use this product.

The Ordinary Retinol 0.2% in Squalene texture. Image from theordinary.com

Smell

The serum’s smell is probably my one and only con. For me, it does smell quite bad. It smells like oil or medicine. It doesn’t bother me too much though as I would rather have a clean product that smells like what it’s supposed to smell like than one with too much fragrance in them.

Effects

If you’ve done your research, you already probably know about the side effects of using retinol for the first time — peeling, mild irritation, redness and some say, purging. The first time I used The Ordinary Retinol 0.2% in Squalene, I immediately experienced some itching on the area around my mouth. Granted, some dermatologists recommend against applying retinol on this area but I was just being stubborn about my laugh lines.

Nevertheless, I did not observe any redness or peeling on the area. It looked okay despite the itching sensation.

The 2 words I would use to describe how my skin felt and looked the very next day would be smooth and taut. I was pleasantly surprised with how my skin looked and felt better overnight.

After more than 2 months of using this product, I noticed some bumps on my forehead get flattened out. My skin also continued to appear smoother and tighter. I also did not experience any skin irritation or purging.

The Verdict

After more than 2 months of using The Ordinary Retinol 0.2% in Squalene, I can definitely say that it delivers on its promise of “targeting the general signs of skin aging” such as lines, roughness and uneven skin tone. After finishing off my bottle, I will definitely purchase another retinol serum from The Ordinary now with a higher concentration.

If you’re still at a loss (or scared) on how to start using retinols, check out our article on how to incorporate retinol into your skincare routine safely and effectively.