The Ordinary Retinol in Squalane: a Guru Score of 73%

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 Approved takes Critical takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored

~Approved

"So, in my opinion, if you're looking for some anti-aging stuff, The Ordinary is a great brand that is affordable uh and effective"

All 2 takes from No BS Beauty

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"I use a very hydrating one uh the ordinary is a lot of ones that are really nice and moisturizing"

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"So, in my opinion, if you're looking for some anti-aging stuff, The Ordinary is a great brand that is affordable uh and effective"

Dr. Vanita Rattan

1.23M subs

~Skip

"If you buy it in a pet like for example from the ordinary you actually don't know how effective it is"

Mad About Skin

726k subs

~Approved

"Pyal will be your very best friend"

Dr. Somji Skin

359k subs

~Approved

"I would recommend the ones that are mixed with squalane because they also help with the skin barrier and the protection of that skin barrier as well."

All 6 takes from Dr. Somji Skin

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"I would recommend the ones that are mixed with squalane because they also help with the skin barrier and the protection of that skin barrier as well."

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"That's why The Ordinary formulate it with Retinol in Squalane, just to take away that edge off for you. You can put something like squalane on as that lower barrier first and then put the retinol on that."

Doctor Recommends The Ordinary for Acne Solutions

"The ordinary do a great retinol range"

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"You can use the lowest strength retinol that ordinary has because there's significant evidence showing that small amounts of Retinol for racea help thicken the skin and help with your barrier over time"

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"We are currently missing out the best ingredient for acne which is retinol so the ordinary do great retinol range"

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"There's great up titration process uh with the ordinary where you can go up slowly I recommend the squalane based ones because they won't irritate the surface of the skin"

Nipun Kapur

408k subs

~Approved

"I like to use my argireline with my retinol pretty much three to four times a week sometimes more"

All 2 takes from Nipun Kapur

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"The Ordinary lash brow serum"

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"I like to use my argireline with my retinol pretty much three to four times a week sometimes more"

Doctorly

3.58M subs

~Approved

"Obviously Dr Shaw's products the poor product and the dark spot product are also retinol products and I can't think of any better version of those for their respective skin concerns"

Dr. Daniel Sugai

720k subs

~Skip

"If you wanted to go with like the ordinary that's quite popular I actually did not like their retinols their retinols felt too oily greasy it just didn't feel nice going on on my skin"

Dr. Aanchal MD

3.48M subs

~Approved

"It is a potent antioxidant and can help in protecting the skin against UV R"

Cassandra Bankson

2.45M subs

~Approved

"This one from the ordinary is under 10 bucks this is great and this one's actually an oily solution so if you feel like you have dry skin and acne this can help lock in moisture"

All 2 takes from Cassandra Bankson

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"I could find products from the ordinary or the inky-less super solution retinol that was a little bit less expensive and gave me a really good run for my money"

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"This one from the ordinary is under 10 bucks this is great and this one's actually an oily solution so if you feel like you have dry skin and acne this can help lock in moisture"

James Welsh

1.58M subs

~Approved

"I've seen a lot of hate for their retinols online which I don't understand because they're very good beginner-friendly retinols. They go up to a high enough percentage for those who've been using retinol for years. They're delivered in squalane so they're less irritating and less drying - your skin's not going to start flaking and peeling. I don't think they're that bad - I think they're decent beginner-friendly retinols."

What the evidence says.

Independent of what the gurus think, this is what the published research supports about the main active ingredients here.

Frequently asked.

What is The Ordinary Retinol in Squalane?

A retinol treatment formulated in squalane oil, designed to minimize irritation while delivering retinol benefits.

Is The Ordinary Retinol in Squalane worth it?

The gurus are split. 8 of the 10 gurus give it their stamp of approval while 2 would skip it, which lands it in the middle at a Guru Score of 73%.

What is The Ordinary Retinol in Squalane's Guru Score?

The Ordinary Retinol in Squalane holds a Guru Score of 73%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 10 expert reviewers we have collected.