Retinol 1% in Squalane, High-Strength Retinol Serum for Anti-Aging and Skin Smoothing

I’ve been really happy with The Ordinary retinoid! I like that it’s a simple addition to my skincare routine and doesn’t require a bunch of complicated steps. The product goes on smoothly and is easy to incorporate into my nighttime routine. After using it consistently, my skin feels smoother and looks more refreshed. I especially like how my skin texture has improved and looks more even overall. It’s a nice product to have when you’re trying to maintain a simple skincare routine while adding a retinoid-based product. The packaging is also simple and practical, which is something I appreciate about The Ordinary products. A little product goes a long way, so the bottle lasts a while when used as directed. Overall, I’m pleased with this retinoid and feel like it’s a great option for someone looking for an affordable skincare product to add to their routine. I would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in trying a retinoid, especially if they want something simple and reasonably priced.

I’ve been using this retinol a few evenings a week, and it’s one of the stronger over-the-counter retinol products I’ve tried. The 1% concentration is no joke, so I started slowly and always followed with a good moisturizer. The squalane base makes it feel silky and helps reduce some of the dryness, although I still noticed a little peeling during the first couple of weeks. The glass bottle and dropper feel sturdy, and everything arrived well packaged and sealed, just as shown in the photos. The serum itself is a lightweight oil that spreads easily—a few drops cover my entire face. After several days of consistent use, my skin already felt smoother, and my overall texture looked more refined. The only downside is the oily finish, which takes a little time to absorb, and beginners may find the strength too much if they don’t ease into it. Overall, I think it’s an excellent value for an effective high-strength retinol

I'm in my late 20s and noticed I needed to update my face routine for my maturing skin. I read that retinol increases cell turnover and vitamin A is overall good for fine lines and collagen production. I love the toner I use from The Ordinary so decided to start here (another customer's review sold me because her skin in her photo looked AMAZING). I started with just a few drops each night before bed. It is very greasy feeling but I honestly liked that about it because it was easy to distribute around my face. I follow that with a good moisturizer (I started using Aquaphor at night.. I think 22 year-old me would cringe at how absolutely slathered I get). My face IMMEDIATELY looked bright and healthy, like I swear I felt and saw results immediately. The next day, it was still tight and bright looking, clear and SOOO soft. I got this about three months ago and I'm just over halfway through the bottle, using it every night. I just feel cleaner and prettier and more confident when my skin appears to be GLOWING like this! There is a slight fragrance that I only notice sometimes. It's not particularly pleasant but also not really bothersome, hard to describe, but always fades once it's absorbed into your skin. Everyone's skin is different but I have quite sensitive skin and luckily experienced ZERO irritation, ZERO breakouts. The results were right away and lasting. I am so happy with this product and it has definitely earned a permanent spot in my face care routine.

What a surprise! I have strawberry skin on my arms around shoulders and any creams made looks better before but this one. It's like a first time in my life that my both arms feel so smooth and nice. No irritation at all and I put sunscreen so the new sensitive skin won't be damaged. I also use it on my face but I got a small reaction around my eyes which I avoid now. Of course it's got better in few days and my skin feels better. I only put around my forehead, nose and cheeks and never forget to put sunscreen next day. this one is strong so if you have a sensitive skin then you should get 0.5% first. My face feels much smoother and brighter with this price?! I can't live with this one now lol

Hard to tell if it's working. I have seen a freshening in my complexion. Some slight sensitivity on areas so it has a kick to it. The oily substance it's paired with just sits on the skin very greesy.

I’ve been using this for about a month and have seen a reduction in the lines under m eyes. I try not to get it anywhere else on my face as it makes me break out pretty bad. It’s got a lot of an oily base to it that’s why but great for under eye area and my lips Too.

I’ve been enjoying this retinol so far. It feels smooth on my skin and is easy to add to my nighttime skincare routine. I like the texture and how my skin feels after using it. A little goes a long way, so the bottle should last for a while. Overall, I’m happy with my purchase.

This stuff is great! I have old, sun-abused skin on arms, and some hematoma damage to skin on my lower legs (I had a bad cut, and after getting it stiched up, we didnt apply enough pressure to keep it from bleeding under the skin, so my calves swelled up like Popeye's forearms. That left the skin pretty badly stretched and its still painful when I brush up against something). So arms first: Wow, this is really effective, and quickly. I use 5 drops spread out along each arm, and them quickly rub it over the area I want to cover. Quickly cuz it absorbs and starts to dry pretty quickly, like 30 seconds. I've been using Gold Bond, medicated, for couple years, and that helps some on smoothing out the skin for a while. But this stuff is great. It says to keep it out of daylight (makes skin sun-sensitive), so I put it on at night, and the next morning, nice smooth arms! On the stretched, painful skin on legs, this seems to be helping make them less sensitive, and look better. Retinol is said to repair skin by accelerating cell turnover and boosting collagen, and it seems to be doing that. And bonus, I get weeks of usage from a bottle (only apply drops at a time), and it lasts waaaay longer than other retinol brands and types that dont last very long, and dont apply as evenly and easily as this. I've included a before and after pic for how effective it is. And yes, I would (and do) buy again. Better than anything else I've found.

Un poco grasoso, pero aun así un producto muy bueno. Mi piel luce increíble cuando me despierto por la mañana.

Good quality

Les taches acnés sont presques invisibles après 3 jours

The oil does the job. My skin looks more radiant when I apply the oil every evening.

Really good. It improves the skin by a lot, it even helped make my skin less dry. I stopped now in the summer cause going out more i needed to be more careful of wearing sunscreen, but during the winter its a no brainer. Super value for the price, just look at some tutorials for how to apply. I did have a small breakout period, but nothing crazy