No. 157
in skincare
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How it works.
41% would recommend
Why we ranked it No. 157 in skincare
Sample
37 redditors with explicit opinion · 5 positive · 4 negative · 3 neutral
Score0.451 — formula: 0.75 × % positive + 0.25 × pos/neg ratio
Confidence95% CI: 19–68% · the true approval rate falls in this range with 95% statistical confidence
Verdict
Reddit Confirmed — Threshold-based label from our methodology.
Sources
r/SkincareAddicts, r/SkincareAddiction, r/30PlusSkinCare, r/acne, r/SkincareAddictionUK + 2 more
The Ordinary · skincare
Reddit Confirmed
Retinol 0.5% in Squalane
r/SkincareAddictsr/SkincareAddictionr/30PlusSkinCarer/acner/SkincareAddictionUKr/koreanskincare
TL;DR — Reddit consensus
The intermediate step, not a beginner pick: a straight 0.5% retinol in a squalane base. Effective and cheap, but Reddit flags a higher irritation rate than The Ordinary's gentler Granactive emulsion - best once your skin already tolerates a starter retinoid.
Amazon vs Reddit
Amazon loves it. Reddit isn't sold.
On Amazon: ★4.5 from 11,111 reviews — that's roughly 88% positive.
On Reddit: 41% of 37 redditors recommend it.
The gap of 45 points is unusual and worth reading the cons before you buy.
COMPARE WITH
Premium pick
CeraVe
CeraVe retinol
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Direct quotes
What 27 redditors actually said.
Top 6 by confidence shown — expand below for the rest. Click any to open the original on Reddit.
S
u/Skincare_Sam
·
r/SkincareAddiction
also love the smooth feel of applying it. And it works well under foundation. **-** **My PM Routine:** **1. The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser** In the evenings, I always do a double-cleanse. I just love the feeling of a properly cleaned skin (but making sure I use products that don'
I
u/IrishStruggles
·
r/SkincareAddiction
this helped A LOT) Night Routine (PM): Same gentle cleanser BHA exfoliant 2–3x/week (Paula’s Choice 2% BHA) Retinol every other night (The Ordinary Retinol 0.5% in Squalane) Thicker moisturizer Spot treatment if needed (I used benzoyl peroxide cream or pimple patches) I still get
S
u/SkimMochas
·
r/30PlusSkinCare
Moisturizer which is really soothing and hasn’t triggered any irritation for me • I add a few drops of The Ordinary squalane oil mixed in to help keep my skin moist, especially in colder weather • I top everything off with SkinMedica Essential Defense Mineral Shield **Night** • I
E
u/EmotionalCount4446
·
r/koreanskincare
like the ordinary retinol,cerve retinol ,vit c serums,,salicylic acid,ordinary madelic acid but i never find much difference
C
u/CitrusMistress08
·
r/TheOrdinarySkincare
why did you choose it over retinoid when TO's website lists them
Show all 27 mentions ↓
"cosrx advanced snail 96 mucin power essence on top of the other cosrx products and under sunscreen * PM - the ordinary retinol 0.5% in squalane (would use this a few times a week, not in conjunction w the below peel) …"
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"cleanser. I am overwhelmed by the options listed everywhere and sometimes go through phases where l'll do a The Ordinary routine for a few months or retinol for a few months or vitamin c or something, but I just need …"
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"- Vitamin C: The Ordinary Ascorbyl Glucoside 12% - SPF: CeraVe Ultra-Light Moisturizing Lotion SPF 30 - Retinol: The Ordinary Retinol 0.2% - Night moisturizer: Clinique Moisture Surge Intense - Salicylic Acid: Paula’s…"
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"Good Molecules Hyaluronic Acid Serum, Depology Matrixal 3000 applied directly to fine lines and wrinkles, The Ordinary Rose Hip Oil, Cocokind Barrier Serum, Biossance Squalane, Kosas sunlit mineral tinted sunscreen PM…"
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"Remove makeup (if applicable) with la roche posay makeup remover + single use cotton pads Cleanse twice w/ the ordinary squalane cleanser Slather face in la roche posay effaclar duo cream (THIS IS THE HOLY GRAIL! It d…"
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"roche posay’s effaclar duo :) i apply it twice a day (once after i cleanse my face - whenever that may be) (the ordinary squalane cleanser/makeup remover) and then again right before i go to sleep"
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"ordinary vitamin c powder, i mix it in with my moisturiser in the morning before putting on sunscreen. and the ordinary retinol serum at night after washing my face and before my moisturiser. make sure to stay hydrate…"
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"Try the Ordinary or Biossance Squalane oil. Adding a water based serum like Hada Labo Gokujyun Premium Hyaluronic serum first is a good option for your dry skin that should work better with your skin type than regular…"
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"murad is definitely a retinol cream ! I also got retinol 0.5 from the ordinary"
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"Hey sorry for the late reply been busy. Um for the LED as i said i use a Solawave mask and for retinol i started with the ordinary before switching to prescription tret. Those two basically have been the core of my ro…"
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"Wash with a basic light facewash at night (I use Cerave foaming facial cleanser), use retinol at night if your face can handle it. Mine can’t, so I use The Ordinary copper peptide serum both day and night, and top wit…"
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"The Ordinary Retinol - gave me the deepest cystic pimples all over my cheeks that took at least 6 months to clear up fully . Never again !!!"
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"I got rid of mine using SkinMedica Retinol, The Ordinary Glycolic Acid Toner and Reroot Organics Manuka Beef Tallow Balm."
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"it on my moms dresser and started using it a couple times a week and i instantly saw a difference. I use the ordinary retinol b3 serum. But the downside I believe it made my chin worse? Not sure if it is cuz of the re…"
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"Second the azelic acid from The Ordinary. Started skin cycling a barrier repair cream, azelic acid and retinol from The Ordinary and my skin has never looked better."
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"but once I found a better retinol I very rarely do! I use cerave moisturiser and it's brilliant. I tried the ordinary retinol you are using and my skin hated it, it was causing spots, now I've got a better retinol for…"
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"Moisturizer which is really soothing and hasn’t triggered any irritation for me • I add a few drops of The Ordinary squalane oil mixed in to help keep my skin moist, especially in colder weather • I top everything off…"
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"all these actives at once. I started with just the cleanser, sunscreen, one of the lowest concentrations of retinol from the Ordinary and moisturizer. I slowly built up the number of times I used the retinol per week …"
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"this helped A LOT) Night Routine (PM): Same gentle cleanser BHA exfoliant 2–3x/week (Paula’s Choice 2% BHA) Retinol every other night (The Ordinary Retinol 0.5% in Squalane) Thicker moisturizer Spot treatment if neede…"
View thread →
Threads tracked
The conversations we're watching.
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r/SkincareAddictionUK
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r/koreanskincare
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