The Ordinary Retinol 0.5% in Squalane Review

A comprehensive review of The Ordinary Retinol 0.5% in Squalane. Learn about the benefits of using this retinol serum, how it works, and where you can purchase this product.

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Retinol 0.5% in Squalane from The Ordinary is a topical skin serum meant to help with the signs of aging.

On EWG’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database website, this product is rated a 2, which falls into the green, or low hazard, category. There is zero to fair data on most of the ingredients.

There is also plenty of information on Deceim’s website about this product.

The reviews are mostly positive with many of the lower rated reviews being about the product causing irritation or “purging” or due to shipping issues.

It should also be noted that The Ordinary carries this product in 3 different strengths, 0.2%, 0.5% and 1%.

Benefits of Retinols For The Skin

Retinols are a tried and true holy grail when it comes to anti-aging properties. Some of the benefits you may experience with this product are:

• brighten and even out skin tone
• reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles
• increased hydration from the squalane to counteract the potential drying effects of the retinol

My Review

As mentioned above, many of the lower rated reviews were from consumers complaining about the irritation and purging the product caused. I had no irritation, but very few products have ever been irritating to my skin.

The positive reviews rave about how much healthier and smooth their skin looks.

My Skin Type

I have normal to combination skin. I do get a tad oily, mostly around my nose. There are visible pores on my nose and cheeks. I do not get blemishes often.

There is a larger dark spot on one check and some smaller spots or freckling around my eyes. I also have several areas of melasma under my eyes and on my cheeks.

I’m 45 with only slight fine lines around my eyes that become more visible when I smile. I am also noticing a decrease in firmness.

There are dark circles under my eyes and especially in the inner corners of my eyes.

How I Use Retinol 0.5% + HA

I used this product over my entire face after washing in the evening. I use peptides in the morning and don’t mix these two ever.

It goes on very smoothly but does not absorb quickly. It’s a bit oily from the squalane so I often did not put any type of moisturizer over it.

As mentioned above, I experience no irritation or dryness.

I used this product until the bottle was gone which lasted about 8 weeks. Unfortunately I must have missed the directions to refrigerate the product after opening it for maximum potency. Refrigerating my skin care products is not practical for me.

I do feel that my skin did look hydrated after using this product, however it didn’t seem very effective at evening my skin tone as other retinol products I’ve used. I also didn’t see any significant reduction in fine lines.

It may just be that my skin can stand to have a stronger retinol and the dark spots that I do have tend to respond a bit better to more concentrated formulas.

I do feel that this line of retinols is an excellent choice for those who are just starting out with retinols or who may have somewhat sensitive skin.

I do plan to continue using retinols but will not be re-purchasing this particular product as I plan to increase the potency of the retinols that I use.

Cons

For me, there are no cons to this product except that I feel my skin can handle something stronger.

From the reviews, it may be wise to patch test before using this product over your entire face in case of irritation or purging.

As always, I do still recommend trying this product if you feel that your skin could benefit from it. Products from The Ordinary are so budget-friendly that they are absolutely worth trying. This particular product starts at just $8.30.

You never know, it could end up becoming one of your “holy grail” beauty products. And if not, you won’t be out much money at all.

Where To Buy

You can buy The Ordinary products, including the Multi-Peptide + HA Serum, at the websites below:

• The Ordinary
• Ulta

More Reviews of The Ordinary Products

This is the eighth product of many that I am testing from The Ordinary. You can see my other reviews of products from The Ordinary below:

Or check out the 10 Best The Ordinary Products to help you decide which other products from this brand may work for you.

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