The Ordinary Retinol 1% in Squalane Review

 So ever since the folliculitis fiasco I have been paying special attention to my skin. I have added ingredients like niacianamide, arbutin and ferulic acid to deal with the aftermath. Retinol is the latest addition to my regime.

Now before I proceed with the review there are a bunch of things you need to consider when jumping on the retinol bandwagon. 

1. Retinols (Vitamin A and its derivatives) are contraindicated for pregnant women

2. Sunscreen is a must, when you are using oral or topical retinols 

3. Always Start with low dose retinol and build up the concentration

4. Retinols can cause purging which can temporarily flare up acne and make the skin look worse

5. With continuous use retinols can reverse signs of skin ageing to some extend

6. Retinols make skin super dry and flaky so you need to up your moisturiser game.

Okay now that I have listed all the important points let's move onto the review. 

Ingredients:

Squalane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Retinol, Solanum Lycopersicum (Tomato) Fruit Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Hydroxymethoxyphenyl Decanone, BHT.

I bought this serum in March 2021 . I jumped on 1% Retinol because I was already using 0.5% prescription Retinol so my skin was pretty much used to the harsh side effects of retinol. The bottle is made of tinted glass. It is pretty much basic. It is stated on website to refrigerate the serum after opening it. Since the weather was cold at that time, I kept serum in my room

Since this is a squalene baised retinol it has an oily texture. If you apply few drops to the skin it gets absorbed right away but if you use half a dropper then it leaves an oily film on the skin. A lot of people apply thick cream or sleeping mask om top of retinol but I didn't

I initially mixed 4-drops of the retinol with one dime size amount of serum. This way the concentration was slightly diluted. I started off with using 1 % retinol once a week then moved on to using it twice a week. after two weeks of use I stopped diluting the serum and applied it directly to my face

On Day 1 my skin was super dry. It felt smooth and taut . I had to use twice the amount of serum and moisturizer to my face . I didn't see any peeling or purging

On my 2 use I noticed same signs with a little acne breakouts on my cheek. Now after 2 months of use my skin still gets dry and I get a little peeling near my nose and lips. I have noticed that retinol has improved the appearance of PIH on my skin. My breakouts are also under control. My pores look a little refined as well.

This has made massive improvements to my skin . My stubborn acne scars are gradually fading. My feels smooth as well. I wish I bought this magical ingredient a little earlier. I am really happy with The Ordinary 1% retinol is squalene

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[Review] The Ordinary Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2%

This is my third product from the brand, I have the Glycolic Acid toner and the 30% AHA 4% BHA serum from them and I like it. I originally wanted to buy retionol since I am going to turn 30 in a few years. So I should better start working on anti ageing from now but since it was out of stock I did a bit of research and bought this as substitute because vitamin C is an oxidant and I was close to using up my 20% vitamin C serum 

Product Description:

Well-known for its brightening properties, The Ordinary has placed vitamin C in its pure form of L-Ascorbic Acid at the centre of Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2%. Formulated as an antidote to ageing, this antioxidant-rich elixir is also enhanced with hyaluronic acid to hydrate and plump skin while brightening and improving uneven skin tone. Ideally applied at bedtime, this extraordinary treatment allows you to wake up to visibly luminous, younger-looking skin

The Ordinary is one of the very affordable skincare brands which is proving safe , over the counter/ approved skincare products but unfortunately because of custom /import taxes it feels more of a luxury brand in Pakistan. But for those of you who live in England or any country other than Pakistan I am pretty sure it is very affordable for you. 

The packaging is very basic and unusual for a Vitamin C product usually vitamin C serums are packaged in tinted glass bottles so I was surprised to see this come in a squeeze tube. Overall the cap is secure and the packaging is travel friendly so no complains

The texture is perhaps the biggest turn off point of this suspension. I have tried so many vitamin C products that I can't even recall the name of few but none them had gritty texture. This on the other hand is runny to a point that you can accidentally spill it if you are not careful with a flip cap. Moreover it feel very greasy/oil and has a very distinct gritty texture. You can feel the powder particles when you rub the product into the skin

When I read reviews online prior to purchase most of them did call this as oily but according to the reviews the heavy feeling was gone after a minutes. But in my case my skin remained oily even after half an hour post application. Speaking of other vitamin C products my biggest problem was that the product would oxidize within a month and lost efficacy. But The ordinary managed this whole issue with a bit of science. You see vitamin C oxidizes when it comes in contact with moisture. So they used squalene as oil base along with hyaluronic acid to prevent oxidation. That is exactly why it remains stable for longest time and remains effective.

When I added this to my skincare routine, my skin was at its worst. I had a really bad cluster of pustular acne on my cheeks. There were half healed acne scars near my hair line and I had two nodules on my chin. Vitamin C is a known healing agent. It boosts collagen production and brightens skin. On day one I applied it to my freshly washed skin and instantly regretted the decision because it was so greasy that I couldn't sleep properly at night so I added this to my morning routine. 

It was a lot more tolerable. One more unpleasant thing that I noticed about this product is that it is quite difficult to wash off. Even though if you use a foam cleanser. You can still feel an oily residue on the skin. I have noticed that the oily residue was less noticeable when I used it with another serum like the Skinfood Honey Propolis essence. 

I have been using this consistently for the last three weeks now I am really impressed by the results

1. It helped my acne heal faster

2. Despite its thick oily texture it didn't cause any new acne or closed comedones

3. It lightened my PIH and made my skintone even and bright

4. Gave my skin very notable glow

Though the texture is my least favorite out of all the vitamin C serums I have tried..I actually like this one a lot because of its stable formula, high concentration of Vitamin C ( 23%) and positive results. I plan to stock up on more tubes as this one has really won over my heart. I would recommend you all this but if you don't like oily , gritty texture skincare skip this.  

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