Day 4: a new pimple. Day 7: three more. My skin was staging a mutiny.
This is the infamous “retinization” — your skin freaking out before it gets better. I documented every single flake.
The Ordinary’s Retinol 0.5% in Squalane. $7.90. The claim? Real results for the price of a latte.
0.5% Retinol
A mid-strength dose — strong enough to work, not so strong it’s terrifying.
In Squalane
Suspended in a plant-derived oil, which is the unexpected key to this whole thing.
Airless Pump
No light or air gets in — keeps the retinol from turning into a pumpkin.
Photo: Evangeline Sarney / Unsplash
It’s a short, focused list. Retinol is the star, but the squalane isn’t just a carrier. It’s a buffer and a moisturizer in one.
- Retinol: Speeds up cell turnover — that’s the glow and the purge
- Squalane: Mimics your skin’s own oil, so it doesn’t feel like a chemical burn
- Bisabolol: A chamomile derivative to soothe the inevitable irritation
- Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate: A fancy cousin of retinol for extra support
It’s an oily serum — shiny, slick, absorbs in about 90 seconds. You feel it sitting there, but it’s not sticky.
Week 3: The purge calmed. But the real surprise? My t-zone wasn’t an oil slick by noon. The squalane tricked my skin into producing less grease.
Texture? Smoother. Breakouts? Fewer. Fine lines? A slight softening. Hyperpigmentation? Barely budged — you need a stronger actives for that.
It works, but it’s a teacher, not a magician. It introduces your skin to retinol without the drama or the debt.