What is The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion?

A lightweight emulsion serum delivering 2% granactive retinoid, designed to reduce fine lines, wrinkles, and acne while offering a creamy, hydrating texture.

Is The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion worth it?

Yes. All 10 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 84%.

What is The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion's Guru Score?

The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion holds a Guru Score of 84%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 10 expert reviewers we have collected. At least one expert has named it a Top Pick in its category.

Who is The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion best for?

The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion is generally suited to acne-prone skin and mature skin.

The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion: Guru Score 84%

What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Yay takes Nay takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored

Darnell Cox | 50+ Healthy Aging Expert

55k subs

✓Yay

"The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid is a 2%, and it is another over the counter retinoid I really like for the neck."

All 4 takes from Darnell Cox | 50+ Healthy Aging Expert

All of your pressing questions answered in today’s Instagram live show!

"We've got The Ordinary, which is a 1% in squalane, so it's not as irritating."

All of your pressing questions answered in today’s Instagram live show!

"We've got The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion, so it's not as irritating."

Curious about peptides? 👀✨ Are they actually worth it… or just another skincare trend? 🎙️ Watch

"This is a dapylene. It's a third generation of a [tretinoin]."

Your neck is snitching on you

"The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid is a 2%, and it is another over the counter retinoid I really like for the neck."

No BS Beauty

89k subs

✓Yay

"This is their retinol 2% emulsion. This is their strongest retinoid product that they have. So if you're experienced in retinoids or maybe used things like that, then this is a nice one. Retinoid is stronger. It requires one less conversion into skin to create retinoic acid. So it's proven to be anti-aging superstar, fights wrinkles, smoother skin, firmer skin, more elastic skin. The nice thing with this one is it also contains several soothing ingredients and then also contains the antioxidant vitamin E. It's for about 15 bucks. So this one's nice."

All 4 takes from No BS Beauty

The Only Products From The Ordinary I've Repurchased - And I've Tried Them All!

"In terms of retinoids they have several different retinoids that I've repurchased and the Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion is one of them. I've repurchased both of these a few times and they're really wonderful. If you're using your evening routine it doesn't become as big of a deal because you're going to sleep usually after you do your evening routine."

Sephora Spring Beauty Sale Picks ✔ What’s in My Cart & Skincare Recommendations

"The Ordinary just came out with a new Retinol 2% Emulsion serum. It's $14.90. It's a Retinol Serum with other hydrating ingredients such as Vitamin E, bisabolol, and oat sterol. So far I've been playing around with it for a little bit and I'm really enjoying it. Really nice product overall. It's kind of tiny how much is in here, half an ounce, so it's a little bit tiny. I guess if you looked at another retinol product that's 1 ounce, it probably looks more expensive than you think when it's only half an ounce, but I like it so it might be worth a try."

Best Anti-Aging Skincare from The Ordinary (That Are Proven to Work) 🙌 Fight Wrinkles Affordably!

I've Tried Every Product From The Ordinary & These are the Skincare I'm Still Using Years Later

"It's got bisulfol and vitamin E. It's really nice. Very similar to the Geek and Gorgeous Agame, but this one's actually if you travel a lot, this might be the preferred packaging because it's pretty compact and small. So airless packaging, but very nice product, nice formula, no issues with dryness or flakiness using it."

Mad About Skin

727k subs

✓Yay

"The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion is great because that emulsion adds to the hydration of the serum. So this is great if you have very dryness prone skin and it's just a more affordable option. [...] Such a wonderful product and definitely one that I think could be a great budget friendly place to start with granactive retinoid."

Top Pick: retinoid

All 13 takes from Mad About Skin

Exclusive: THE ORDINARY SERUMS DISCONTINUED - Is Your Favourite Impacted?

"Am I surprised the Granactive Retinoid in squalane was discontinued? Absolutely not. They were greasy, you didn't have a great application, and I think there's just better products out there. Ultimately I think this fell for the fact that The Ordinary themselves just have a better product, and this is The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion, a rich creamy emulsion that sinks in. Why would you buy the one in squalane, which is greasy and difficult to sink in, when you can get the exact same strength at the exact same price in a rich creamy emulsion that's just going to be a dream to apply? [...] Buy this, forget the one in squalane, not worth it, but this 2% Emulsion is an absolute game changer."

The Big RETINOL LIE - These Work Up To 11x Better ( Retinoids Explained)

"The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion is perfect for people that want granactive retinoid but in a really light emulsion type viscosity. It's not thick. It's not heavy. It's just a really nice emulsion serum. This is also super affordable. So, if you don't want to break the bank and you want a super affordable granactive retinoid, I think the ordinary is where it's at."

RETINOL HAS DISAPPEARED - Heres What To Use Instead ( Best OTC Retinoid )

EXCLUSIVE: Best New Calming Serum (The Ordinary Soothing and Barrier Support Serum Review)

"It has a very similar texture to The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid Emulsion if you've tried that you'll know exactly what this texture is like. The pink doesn't stain the skin or anything, it disappears without a trace. As you work it in you can see it disappears, there's no tackiness, there's no stickiness, there's no residue, definitely one of those products that just disappears."

🏆 BEST DRUGSTORE RETINOLS - Next Level Anti-Aging Skincare

"The Ordinary is a firm favorite of mine. [...] I love the brand, I love the price point, I love their formulations, but I actually think the Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion is the best of their retinoid collection. It sinks in like that, whereas I think some of their other retinoids are a bit greasy. Not with this one. It adds an element of hydration, and that 2% I think is a really great all-around strength of granactive retinoid. [...] Even if you just start and end with this Granactive Retinoid Emulsion, you'll be getting great results. Your skin will love it, and I truly believe that this is a universal product that will work almost for everyone."

RETINOL BAN (Update) - What You Need To Know

"The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion is a beautiful rich emulsion that sinks into the skin so well and will give you really good effects. It's less sensitizing than traditional retinols, and early studies into granactive retinoid show it can be much more effective than retinol anyway, so this could be a much less sensitizing and more effective option. Some studies on granactive retinoid have shown how effective it is in terms of minimizing inflammation caused by acne breakouts and persistent breakouts, so if you're particularly acne prone, granactive retinoid could work really well for you. Whether you're new to retinoids or you're an advanced retinoid user, this could be a really great result, and it's a great affordable option."

ALTERNATIVES TO RETINOL - 2 X Better Anti-Aging

"The Ordinary do a Granactive Retinoid Emulsion which I think is a really nice affordable option if your budget won't stretch to other options. I don't think it's quite as well formulated but it's a fraction of the cost. Granactive retinoid is very similar to retinol in terms of giving very gentle yet enhanced performance versus retinol."

RETINOL DOESNT WORK - Lets Talk (How To Use Retinol)

"One of my favorite of the granactive retinoids is this one by The Ordinary. This is their 2% Emulsion, great performance, less sensitivity, and I actually found this worked really really well on my acne prone skin."

Best OTC RETINOIDS 2023 - Ultimate Anti-Aging Serums

"The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid is a high potency retinoid, not quite the strength of other options but over time you'll get very similar results. It's a much more basic formulation, doesn't have [...] some of the calming and soothing ingredients, but it's 10 pounds. If you're on a budget, the Ordinary Granactive Retinoid is a great option. You might just have to have a little patience because you will have to wait to see those results a little bit longer than you would with other products, but it's worth it because you're saving some of your hard-earned coin. It's one of my favorites. I think Granactive would work for everyone, it doesn't matter what level of skin sensitivity you have, it'll work great for dryness prone skin types, oily acne prone skin types, and everything in between. It's a universal product."

NEXT LEVEL RETINOL - Maximum Anti-Aging (2X The Results)

"Granactive retinoid is fabulous at reducing acne-causing bacteria but still giving great anti-aging benefits. It's a newer generation retinoid, so it won't give you a whole lot of sensitivity, [...] but it definitely packs a punch for fighting acne, fine lines, and wrinkles. I love this."

THE ORDINARY 2024 - My Top 10 Serums

"It's so good if you use this in your skincare routine you'll definitely notice that everything's smoother"

RETINOL BAN - Here Are Some Alternatives To Retinol

"Granactive retinoid is great because it's less sensitizing than retinol and studies have shown it can be particularly effective on acne prone skin because it actually reduces the rate of acne causing bacteria and can minimize inflammation associated with it. My favorite 2% actually comes from The Ordinary. It's a super lightweight emulsion that glides onto the skin and feels great if you've got particularly oily and acne prone skin because it sinks in and doesn't clog the pores. This I absolutely love, and I think for anyone that's using a 1% retinol and wants an equivalent in granactive retinoid, this 2% Emulsion by The Ordinary is the one that I'd go for."

Strongest Anti Aging Serum - 2025 RETINOL SHOWDOWN ( Best Retinal Serum )

"The Ordinary recently launched their retinoid 2%. This is a retinol emulsion. Feels beautiful on the skin. And again, is that super high dose, same concentration as the Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 20. Both that high strength retinol and I think this is delivering something really different available over the counter at an affordable price point for people that really want to kick up their anti-aging game to the maximum strength."

Dr. Vanita Rattan

1.23M subs

✓Yay

"This is the Granactive Retinoid 2%. And in here, it's airless packaging. It's a new form of vitamin A. It's actually good for more sensitive skin. It doesn't have as much data behind it as retinol. Of course, retinol has been around for a lot longer, but it is one that I would recommend, probably over the other two because of the packaging. I think they did a really good job with this product."

All 3 takes from Dr. Vanita Rattan

HYPERPIGMENTATION LAYERING

"I love the 2% granactive retinoid from the ordinary and with this don't forget you have to refrigerate this and you have to use it within 3 months vitamin A is very unstable. I don't love this packaging if I'm completely honest we do want this really in airless packaging but the ordinary right now doesn't do airless packaging it everything tends to be in pump bottles."

ACNE THE ORDINARY AM/PM LAYERING

"Then we go in with our 2% retinoid Emulsion which will increase cell turnover. It comes out quite white, actually penetrates into the skin really easily and there's no irritation."

The best and worst anti-aging and anti pigmentation serums on nykaa

Nipun Kapur

409k subs

✓Yay

"This is literally like the ordinary retinol. But it is not retinol. It's squalene. Because it's formulated in a very similar manner. Squalene is an oil. So if your skin is excessively dry like I said you are maybe you have exzema prone skin. Skin is really really dry this pure oil based wonder is something that you will absolutely enjoy."

Doctorly

3.58M subs

✓Yay

"I think it is good. I would not pick granactive retinoid over tretinoin, I might not even pick it over retinol because of the just plethora and abundance of literature on how retinol works, but for someone who struggles with irritation, I think it's great. And because of that I love granactive retinoid, or HPR, high performance retinoid, same thing. For around the eyes, that's probably my favorite place to use it. It doesn't mean you can't use it elsewhere, but I love it there."

Sincerely Miss Ash

195k subs

✓Yay

"I really loved the 2% Emulsion because of that creamy milky consistency it just felt so comforting on the skin it was also very moisturizing and a great step up from the retinol category. With this one this would be more for frequent users this has that moderate strength. [...] Even with the 2% Emulsion you still want to apply this after water-based serums because this has that thicker texture to it."

Dr. Somji Skin

359k subs

✓Yay

"The Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion was previously another product that has both the granactive retinoid in it and retinols in it, so it's more for patients with oily skin. It's creamier in texture and it's better for beginners, that's what I would start as a beginner. If you're a fan of squalane and you've had squalane before and you know you like the benefits that squalane gives and you've got an impaired skin barrier, then I would start up with Granactive 2% in squalene, and that doesn't have any retinol in it, it just has a granactive retinoid in it. [...] Because the granactive retinoids are more close to retinoic acid, it's much more likely that you will get a better result with the granactive range than you would with the retinol range."

Dr. Shereene Idriss

1.72M subs

✓Yay

"Granactive retinoids are a class of retinoic acid, [...] so it's a cousin of the prescription. It's stronger than retinol and it works faster because it automatically works within your cell, but it is less irritating. So it is an interesting one to try if you've never been able to tolerate a retinol or a retinoid or a retinal ester. You may be able to tolerate this one."

All 4 takes from Dr. Shereene Idriss

Top 5 Ingredients for Acne, Breakouts, Blackheads, Oily Skin! | Dr. Shereene Idriss

Best Skincare for Your 30s: Anti-aging, Oily Skin, Hormonal/Adult Acne & More! | Dr. Shereene Idriss

"The Ordinary has their Granactive Retinoid and I'm mentioning this one last because when you look at the label on the Granactive Retinoid you are going to think that it comes at 2%, but it doesn't. This is an emulsion at 2% and the active form of the retinoic acid ester in here comes at 0.2%. So it is like a beginner's retinoid."

Skin Cycling: Should You Be Following This Routine? | Dr. Shereene Idriss

"The Ordinary is misleading in how it presents the percentage because 2 percent Granactive retinoid is equal to 0.2 percent hydroxypenicolon retinoate, and 5 is equal to 0.5 percent."

5 Golden Rules To Incorporate Retinol In Your Routine! | Dr. Shereene Idriss

"For retinoic acid esters, the cousin of retinoic acid also known as hydroxypinacolone retinoate or grand active retinoid, you have The Ordinary one that a lot of people are used to seeing and we were talking about a lot during the pandemic. These are interesting products to try, especially if you want to jump in, and from the readings of the reviews, people are not getting that much irritation from them, so they seem to be doing great for people who are scared to take the plunge and go stronger or who are ready to go a little bit more than a retinal but don't want a prescription yet."

Cassandra Bankson

2.45M subs

✓Yay

"This is the Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion and with retinoids you can usually find them in creams or as these yellow formulas or in oil but it's hard to find a retinoid that really works for oily skin that absorbs well but is still creamy. This Is The Answer especially for the price. The Ordinary does retinoids really really well and they also give you options on the percentages. This has Granactive Retinoid as well as retinol and look at this creamy texture. It works on dry skin, it works on oily skin, it works on combo skin. I love this especially if someone has fine lines and wrinkles or if someone has acne prone skin and blackheads, this works really well for both. You can use this morning or evening but sun does break down retinoid so evening is probably going to be your best bet. This formula is tried and true and if you haven't gotten your hands on this, probably one of the best bang for your buck options just because retinoids have been proven time and time again in medicine and medical studies to be so effective for skin for skin cell renewal."