the ordinary granactive retinoid 2 emulsion for acne scars

#The ordinary granactive retinoid 2 emulsion for acne scars skin

Like Luna, this contains only HPR, however, I far prefer this. When it comes to oil serums, my desires are wanton and promiscuous.

#The ordinary granactive retinoid 2 emulsion for acne scars skin

I found it to be an effective serum that has subtly helped the overall condition of my skin – from evening out skin tone to bounciness and to seeing a more youthful complexion.Īfter 2 bottles of the Advanced Retinoid, my wandering eye was seduced by Superstar from Pestle & Mortar. I used this for about 6 months, every other night and love it.

There’s no peeling so I would still need acids or peeling products to slough off excess build up of skin cells, albeit less than I usually need, without the retinoid. I don’t experience any irritation with this nor any skin turnover either. This made my skin feel fabulous but whether or not it’s working in the same way as tretinoin is really difficult to gauge since there are literally zero side-effects to using this. This serum/emulsion is gorgeously light, hydrating and one of my favourite products from the Ordinary. Since the Retinol used in this formulation is encapsulated, it is not as harsh as a regular Retinol and won’t yield the same side-effects. This is because it combines HPR with traditional retinol which some studies have shown to be more effective than HPR acting alone. I started using this at the beginning of 2017 and love the formula which I believe to be even more effective than Luna. Then the Ordinary burst onto the scene and introduced me to their Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion (née Advanced Retinoid 2% but clearly the retinol category isn’t confusing enough, thanks Monkeys). The justification for the presence of the dye being there to protect the active ingredients from oxidation from within the formula is less impressive to me than it is irritating. I don’t need skincare disrupting my sleep. Luna was difficult for me to stick to, the results were nice but the overpowering odor is one that lasts into the morning and literally gives me nightmares. Besides, this actually got me excited about taking my skincare up a level and revisiting retin A. I mean, get that on my face now because this sounds too good to be true! Because it’s so new, there haven’t been a whole lot of studies to prove this but that’s fine, I’m always open to innovation. What makes HPR so conceptually special is that it is not a derivative, it’s an ester of Retinoic acid which means it binds directly to the Retinoid receptors in our skin cells so there is no conversion needed, hence it’s just as active as Retinoic acid BUT, and this is a big-ass but(t), without the harsh side-effects and irritation. So Retinol will have milder effects but is still the most proven OTC ingredient to reduce signs of aging – I will do a more detailed post about the differences between the members of this family. This is an active ingredient that our skin can interpret, while Retinol is a derivative and is not as direct as it needs to go through a metabolic conversion in our skin to retinoic acid in order to become effective. Retinoic acid, aka tretinoin is the reigning empress dowager proven to have age-reversing properties. The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 5% in Squalane It uses Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate (HPR because I’m not gonna spell this out every time) which is the newest star in the retinoid family. Though I’m not a fan of Luna, this innovative Retinol oil is nonetheless kind of a game changer. The recent inundation of ’new age retinoids’ which started with Sunday Riley’s Luna had something to do with my renewed interest. You have seen these in some of my evening skincare routines over the last year. I won’t actually be giving detailed reviews of the different retinoid products but rather giving an overview of where they have fit into my journey. In this post, I will be recapping my journey so far with Retinoids and Retinol this year and sharing with you my latest skincare routine on my Retinol days. But I’m realizing now, those bad experiences had more to do with the error of my uneducated ways than my being allergic to it. It’s taken about 5 years for me to cotton on to the thought of getting back on this treatment, something I swore I wouldn’t put near my face ever again. My first experience was from using Skinceuticals Retinol 1% which the sales associate said was “great for beginners,” 🙄 the second time was with Obagi Tretinoin 0.025%. This year, I introduced Retinoids back into my life after 2 truly off-putting, not to mention, unsightly attempts.Īdmittedly, I had no idea wtf I was doing then and barely stayed on the stuff longer than 2 weeks because I practically burned my face off and endured more days of having a flaking skin beard then I cared to.