This £15 retinal serum is both affordable and effective
If you often find yourself confused about skincare then believe us when we tell you that you’re not alone. Whether it’s knowing what to use and when, understanding what ingredients do what or something else altogether, try not to stress and remember that keeping things simple is one of the best things you can do for your skin.
That means keeping the products you’re using on the daily to a minimum. As far as we’re concerned (and according to all the derms and skin experts that we speak to a lot) that means you only need a few simple steps: cleansing morning and night, using an antioxidant serum and sunscreen (yup, even when it’s cloudy out there) every day, getting your hands on a good moisturiser for your skin type and finally, using a vitamin A serum or moisturiser before you go to sleep.
What is vitamin A?
Vitamin A is actually the umbrella term for a bunch of ingredients known as ‘retinoids’. Under that umbrella sit different forms of retinoid, including retinol (which you’ve probs heard of), tretinoin (only available on prescription in the UK), and another, newer type, called retinaldehyde – usually shortened to ‘retinal’.
In all of its forms, vitamin A is considered the gold standard in skincare thanks to its ability to help encourage collagen production and increase skin’s hydration levels, as well as helping to clear up any blemishes or breakouts and ensuring skin looks glowy and smooth. So yeah, if you use it a few times a week, it’ll basically give you your dream skin within a few months. It's also one of the most studied and proven-to-work ingredients in existence.
But the problem is that not all retinoid formulas are made equal. Retinal is more effective and will work more quickly than retinol (it's confusing, we know), but most products that use it tend to be quite expensive. Well, they were, until The Ordinary came along and launched its Retinal 0.2% Emulsion which comes in at a pocket-friendly £15.20.
So, how does it fare? We put it to the test to find out.
The Ordinary Retinal 0.2% Emulsion Review
As a brand, one of The Ordinary’s main objectives is to democratise skincare and while we haven’t ever met a product we didn’t like, this retinal is a true gamechanger. If you are patient and are consistent with it, you will see results, guarenteed.
The formula itself comes in an opaque, airless tube which means it’ll remain stable (retinal is notoriously difficult to formulate with which is why it isn’t as common as retinol yet) and effective from start to finish. When you pump it out you’ll notice its bright yellow in colour which did surprise us at first, but don’t worry, it just signifies its potency, so really, that's a very good thing. But we found that we needed to use a mirror to apply it just to make sure it was properly rubbed in before our head hit the pillow – we obvs didn’t want to risk staining our fresh white bedsheets.
Use it after cleansing at nighttime (never during the day as sun exposure will render it ineffective) and note that a pea-sized amount is all you’ll need. If you’re new to vitamin A, it’s always best to slowly incorporate it into your routine to help your skin acclimatise and adjust to it. That means using it twice a week at first, and then slowly increasing usage up to every other night until your skin can tolerate it (trust us, we’ve previously learnt the hard way and we don’t recommend overusing any vitamin A serum or moisturiser unless you want dry, irritated skin).
Our skin can sometimes be a little bit sensitive and if that’s you too, it could be worth trying the ‘retinoid sandwich’ application method. That means putting a moisturiser on, waiting a few minutes before applying your retinoid, and then following up with another layer of moisturiser around 15/20 minutes later.
Is The Ordinary Retinal 0.2% Emulsion good?
The short answer to this is yes. Yes, The Ordinary Retinal 0.2% Emulsion is very good and for the price, we have no complaints at all. We didn’t see visible results straight away though which is completely normal. Like with all similar products, patience is key, so stick with it and you’ll reap the rewards – we promise.
You Might Also Like
