So Skin Rocks quietly swapped their Retinoid 2 formula mid-2025. And now derms are actually arguing about it on Instagram.
The old one was a gentle, slow-burn granactive retinoid. The new one? They swapped in a different retinoid ester that’s supposedly 2x as potent — but feels completely different on skin.
⚠️ **What Actually Changed**
It’s £60 for 30ml. Still a lightweight serum. Still the same minimalist pink tube. But the texture? Thinner. Faster. Weirder.
🔄 **Ingredients That Actually Do Stuff**
Hero is retinyl retinoate — a newer ester that converts faster to retinoic acid than retinol. Less conversion steps = more visible results. But also more potential for the angry red face.
🧪 **Texture & The Two-Week Panic**
Straight out the tube it’s like watery gel — almost runny. Absorbs in 10 seconds flat. No residue. No glow. Just… nothing. That threw me.
Week 2 my chin peeled like a snake. But by week 3, the texture shift was real — that weird bumpy spot under my jaw? Gone. The dryness stopped being scary once I layered a thicker moisturiser on top.
💬 **Did It Actually Do Anything?**
By week 4: fewer clogged pores on my chin. Slightly less oil in my T-zone. But my fine lines? Same. And I missed the old version’s dewy finish — this one leaves me matte.
📊 **Final Call**
If you loved the original for its gentle, glowy vibe — skip this. But if you wanted more oomph without going prescription, this reformulation delivers. Just prepare for the peel.