The Ordinary Retinol 1% in Squalane
Product summary
"The Ordinary - Retinol 1% in Squalane" is effective for: Evens skin tone, Anti-blemish and Anti-aging
This product could be helpful for: Moisturizing, but its actives are not the most effective or are not well-studied.
Ingredient callouts
- this product contains an effective form of Retinoids (vitamin A): retinol 3.00% - 4.60%. Retinoids are potent multitasking actives. They work to improve and prevent early signs of aging, reduce hyperpigmentation (age spots and post-acne marks), and prevent inflamed blemishes and clogged pores. The downside of Retinoids is that they can be irritating. If you are not already using a Retinoid in your routine, it is best to start slowly and apply the Retinoid product only a few times per week. If your skin tolerates it well, you can gradually increase the frequency to daily.
About the brand
According to Cruelty-Free Kitty "The Ordinary" is cruelty free and so is its parent company.
Price
The product retails from 6.90£ up to 55.00£ in the United Kingdom, for 2400.00KSH in Kenya, from 8.00$ up to 13.95$ in the United States, at around 13.36A$ in Australia and for 67.00HK$ in Hong Kong.
For a detailed price comparison: click here.
Benefits
Promise: Anti-blemish
What does the product description say?
It also encourages natural cell turnover, helping to promote softer and healthier-looking skin while working to minimise the appearance of blemishes and dark spots.
This product can help reduce breakouts and clogged pores because it contains the following ingredient: retinol. This ingredient is used for treating acne and can have a noticeable effect.
| Ingredient | Effectiveness | Concentration | Irritancy |
|---|---|---|---|
| retinol | HIGH |  |  |
| rosmarinus officinalis leaf extract | MEDIUM |  | |
Promise: Anti-aging
What does the product description say?
As retinol can cause irritation to the skin, newer technologies now exist to mimic the visible effects of retinol without causing as much discomfort for the skin.
This product can help reduce and prevent fine lines and wrinkles, improve skin elasticity and firmness because it contains retinol.
Keep in mind that it typically takes at least 6 weeks to notice any results because the changes that are needed to improve fine lines and elasticity happen in the deeper layers of the skin. No topical anti-aging product can “erase” wrinkles or fully reverse signs of aging.
| Ingredient | Effectiveness | Concentration | Irritancy |
|---|---|---|---|
| retinol | HIGH | | |
Promise: Evens skin tone
What does the product description say?
It also encourages natural cell turnover, helping to promote softer and healthier-looking skin while working to minimise the appearance of blemishes and dark spots.
This product can help reduce hypepigmentation and even out the skin tone because it contains the following effective ingredients: retinol.
Keep in mind that you would need to apply any topical skincare targetted at hypigmentation consistently for a couple of months to get a result. No topical skincare product can help get rid of hyperpigmentation (including post-acne marks and age spots) instantly.
| Ingredient | Effectiveness | Concentration | Irritancy |
|---|---|---|---|
| retinol | HIGH | | |
Other benefit: Moisturizing
What does the product description say?
Ultra pigmented for 24 hours of intense colour and hydration
This product can help soften the skin and reduce its moisture loss with emollients and occlusives: caprylic/capric triglyceride, simmondsia chinensis seed oil.
Keep in mind that this product does not contain effective ingredients to attract water to the upper layer of the skin. This is why an additional product with humectants like glycerin or hyaluronic acid can be helpful (apply it before this product for the best results).
| Ingredient | Effectiveness | Concentration | Irritancy |
|---|---|---|---|
| squalane | HIGH | | |
| caprylic/capric triglyceride | HIGH | | |
| simmondsia chinensis seed oil | HIGH | | |
Honesty check
How honest is this product?
| Promise | Can it deliver? |
|---|---|
| Anti-aging | |
| Evens skin tone | |
| Anti-blemish |
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Potential irritants
| Ingredient | Irritancy | Skin Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| retinol | | |
| rosmarinus officinalis leaf extract | | |
| caprylic/capric triglyceride | | |
User reviews (0)
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Ingredients & concentrations
- retinol
- caprylic/capric triglyceride
- Rosemary extract
- Jojoba oil
- squalane
- +1 more
| Ingredient | Estimated concentration |
|---|---|
| 25% - 38% | |
| An oil naturally present in skin. Works as an emollient to soften the skin and form a protective layer on its surface without a greasy feeling. | |
| 8.7% - 13.1% | |
| A good mix of fatty acids that forms a protective layer on the skin. Improves the shelf life of products. Derived from coconut and glycerin | |
| 5% - 7.4% | |
| Softens the upper layer of skin and helps restore the healthy skin barrier. Has shown to help calm down inflammation in skin. It is a stable oil, meaning that it retains its properties even when exposed to air. | |
| 3% - 4.6% | |
| Two steps removed from the active form of vitamin A - retinoic acid. Once converted to the retinoic acid in the skin, retinol is proven to be effective against all signs of aging. It improves skin cell turnover, helps fight blemishes and clogged pores, can regulate excess oil production and even skin tone. It can, however, be quite irritating | |
| 1.3% - 1.9% | |
| 0.3% - 0.7% | |
| Can be helpful in reducing inflammation in skin, including inflamed acne. It can be irritating | |
| 0.35% - 0.8% | |
| An anti-oxidant. It might be able to neutralize free radicals in skin. The manufacturer claims that it is able to stimulate synthesis of hyaluronic acid in skin, but there is no evidence of effectiveness of this ingredient so far | |
| 0.15% - 0.6% | |
| A preservative | |
Show more | |
Sources
- Retinoids in the treatment of skin aging: an overview of clinical efficacy and safety
- Improvement of naturally aged skin with vitamin A (retinol)
- A comparative study of the effects of retinol and retinoic acid on histological, molecular, and clinical properties of human skin
- Allergic contact dermatitis induced by rosemary leaf extract in a cleansing gel