In short, yes, this can help treat visible signs of aging like fine lines and wrinkles as claimed, though it’s certainly not superior to retinol as The Ordinary says (and in fact, this contains regular retinol, too!).
#THE ORDINARY GRANACTIVE RETINOID SERUM 2% IN SQUALANE SKIN#
There are also claims that this process makes it easier for skin to tolerate than retinol (which some people can find sensitizing).
There’s research showing that it might be able to bind directly to skin’s retinoid receptors instead of being metabolized into retinoic acid, thus saving a step in the conversion process. This is part of an emerging group of next-generation retinoids, or vitamin A derivatives, that are an ester of retinoic acid, which is what retinol breaks down to in the skin. On to the ingredients – you might be wondering what The Ordinary is referring to with “granactive retinoid.” In this case, it’s a retinoid known as hydryoxypinacolone retinoate (or HPR). It’s non-greasy, sinks into skin quickly, and works well both over and under other skin care products. The fragrance free emulsion inside is a pale yellow color (common of high-strength retinol products) and has a lotion-liquid texture. That’s great, but given retinol’s delicate stability, an opaque pump bottle would be even better. That aside, this comes in packaging that adequately protect its ingredients – a dark brown, UV-protected bottle with a dropper dispenser. In addition to the different arrangement of ingredients, there’s also been a name change this used to be called Advanced Retinoid 2%, but is now called Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion to distinguish it among The Ordinary’s growing lineup of retinol and retinol-like products. The Ordinary’s Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion’s had a bit of an ingredient makeover since we first reviewed it, and we’re glad to say that it’s an upgrade.