The Ordinary 1% Retinol in Squalane Review

March 10, 2019September 28, 2020 ~ Michele Raiyne ~ 4 Comments

Having used Retin-A twice before (the last time being over a year ago), I wanted to try the more gentle retinol and decided on The Ordinary’s 1% Retinol in Squalane. On The Ordinary website, this is labelled as high strength with very high irritation. This product claims to reduce the appearance of fine lines, photo damage (damage caused by UV exposure – hyperpigmentation, fine lines, texture issues) and general skin aging.

Ingredients: Squalane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Retinol, Solanum Lycopersicum (Tomato) Fruit Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, BHT.

Directions state to apply a small amount over the face in the evening. Use sun protection.

The first ingredient is squalane. This is naturally found in the skin and decreases as we age. Squalane provides non-greasy hydration. Tomato extract and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) are used as antioxidants. This also contains jojoba oil.

I was a little reluctant to purchase this at first, as it contains squalane and I have generally oily skin, but I used this over the winter for 4 months, as my skin gets dehydrated and combination in colder weather.

I have fine lines on my forehead and around my eyes (I didn’t use the retinol around the eyes), hyperpigmentation from sun damage, large pores, blackheads, breakouts, scarring and texture.

I started right in using this every evening, applying 3 or 4 drops. The product took a couple minutes to absorb (though didn’t seem to absorb fully), but didn’t feel heavy or oily. After the first week I had a tight, tingling feeling on the skin, but no more redness than usual. My nose got a bit dry and had a bit of peeling. My skin felt sensitive in the harsh wind and cold and to almost every other product in my routine. To mitigate some of the irritation and sensitivity, I used Balance from Your Best Face Skincare. After one week of use my skin looked brighter and felt smoother and moisturized. The irritation diminished after about 2 weeks.

After one month of use, I had some flaking around my mouth and between my eyebrows. It was also around this time that I felt texture and bumps on my lower cheeks toward my jawline that had been smooth prior. I stopped use for 2 days, and on reapplication after this time, my skin smoothed out again and the bumps disappeared. About 5 days later, they returned. I tried an application of mandelic acid, also from The Ordinary, which took the bumps away. This seemed to be the typical cycle over the remainder of use. I had a thought that perhaps this is due to the squalane preventing exfoliation as cell turnover increases with the retinol (especially as the mandelic acid improved the texture) – oily skin needs exfoliation as dead skin builds up, though squalane is not really an oil- so I’m not certain. There was not really any further peeling that I noticed in the mirror after about 1-1/2 months.

Over the last week the weather has warmed up and my skin has gotten oilier especially on my forehead and I’ve gotten a couple breakouts.

The retinol diminished the fine lines on my forehead, though it looks a bit more congested (perhaps due to my own increased oil on the skin). My nose looks a bit smoother with some diminishing of some surface blackheads. The pores look a bit more noticeable, perhaps due to being cleaner. My skin looks less blotchy and textured and looks smoother.

I do not see any improvement in the freckles and hyperpigmentation, but I do not really expect to after only 4 months.

I quite like the squalane for hydration and moisturization of the skin without feeling heavy and oily; I’m not sure about use in hot summer weather, however, I might look to purchase a couple products from Biossance that uses a base of squalane in their product line.

I generally like this product and would consider repurchase. I am now moving onto Retin-A again soon before the summer months.

Thank you for reading.

Six Month Results – The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Serum for Hair Density

December 27, 2018October 14, 2020 ~ Michele Raiyne ~ 8 Comments

I’ve been using the Multi-Peptide Serum for Hair Density from Deciem’s The Ordinary for 6 months now. I first noticed thinning hair toward the front of my head probably about 4 or 5 years ago and used the system from Stemm, (shampoo, conditioner and hair serum) when they launched, I believe, in 2016. Stemm was discontinued and “replaced” with The Ordinary hair serum. Please read my first impressions, product claims, my use and information about The Ordinary’s hair serum here, and my 3-month results here.

Below are photos from before, 3 months and 6 months of use of The Ordinary hair serum.

Below are before and 6 months of use.

A couple of other photos after 6 months.

I saw some initial improvement in the 3-month photos and it looks like more improvement in hair density at the center part of my hair, but as far as the edges of the hair, general thickness and growth especially at the front of my head, I hoped for more improvement.

Here is a photo before and after using Stemm for comparison (which is why I had higher hopes for The Ordinary hair serum).

The above is the only photo I have of my Stemm use, but didn’t post a review as it was being discontinued. I wish I took photos from other angles as well. I think the results are quite good especially for only 3 months of use.

The time lapse between my use of Stemm and The Ordinary hair serum was about 2 years, and I can only assume that the cause of my thinning hair is the same as it was 2 years ago (though I am not sure what that is), so I would also assume that I would have gotten similar, if not better, results when using The Ordinary. If the cause of the thinning hair is hormonal or autoimmune, a hair serum may not work. I should also take into consideration the fact that I had been getting my hair bleached and then colored while using The Ordinary hair serum and perhaps that is why it may not have worked as well as it could.

I had been using the serum on my eyebrows to 3 months and forgot to continue use (apologies). I didn’t notice any results on my eyebrows in my 3-month update, and actually haven’t gotten results on my eyebrows with lash and brow growth serums thus far either.

While I can’t say for sure, I should also add that this hair serum may have stained my bleached hair a bit yellow. Here are a couple photos of my newly bleached and toned hair after one week’s use of the hair serum. While this is a scalp treatment, it is unavoidable to get some on the hair as it is massaged in.

As it stands now (while I got some result), I don’t think I would repurchase The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Serum for Hair Density, however, I got another bottle during their 50% off sale and will finish that. If I find that there are significant improvements in hair thickness and density, I will post an update.

I was able to disguise my thinning hair a bit by getting an ombre balayage with dark brown roots fading to blonde ends and got bangs/a fringe so now my hair is not parted in the center where the thinning is noticeable.

Thank you for reading.

Three Month Results – The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Serum for Hair Density

September 9, 2018October 14, 2020 ~ Michele Raiyne ~ 10 Comments

I’ve been using The Ordinary Hair Density serum for thicker, fuller, healthier hair (and eyebrows) for 3 months. Over the summer I got my hair colored blonde and while I like to change as few variables as possible while reviewing products (I had been using the hair serum for 3 weeks before going blonde), I also wanted to see how my hair grows and let my roots grow in a bit so it is easier to see the results. You can read about the hair serum ingredients and use in this post. I’ve used about half the bottle so far and will post the 6-month after photos in the coming months.

I kept forgetting to apply the serum to my eyebrows, so I probably used about every second evening. I don’t think there is much difference in growth or thickness.

Looking at the front of my hair, I think I can see a bit less of my scalp in the after photo. Toward my forehead in the next photo there is definite hair growth.

The edges of my hair have shown some growth and thickening as well. Looking at the root grow out, the edges and front of my hair seem to grow slower than more towards the back (or there is just such thin hair the grow out is not seen as well).

I was surprised to see that I got results with hair growth after 3 months, as I definitely did not notice any results in the mirror. I will continue for another 3 months and write an update at that time, so keep an eye out in December for those photos. Click here for the 6-month results.

Thank you for reading.

The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Serum for Hair Density

June 13, 2018October 14, 2020 ~ Michele Raiyne ~ 4 Comments

Deciem’s recently launched hair care from The Ordinary, Multi-Peptide Serum for Hair Density, replaces Deciem’s discontinued Stemm product (which I also used likely about 2 years ago now). This is a concentrated serum that claims to make hair look thicker, denser, healthier and fuller. This is more of a first impression post (this product has not been on the market long enough for anyone to see results of the claims). I wanted to post some before photos of my hair and invite you to follow/check back, I expect in about 3 to 6 months, when I hope to see some results.

Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Caffeine, Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3, Larix Europaea Wood Extract, Pisum Sativum Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Triticum Vulgare Germ Extract, Glycine Soja Germ Extract, Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Apigenin, Oleanolic Acid, Arginine, Glycine, Calcium Gluconate, Zinc Chloride, Lactic Acid, Gluconolactone, Dextran, Maltodextrin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Xanthan gum, Pentylene Glycol, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Polysorbate 20, PPG-26-Buteth-26, PEG-40, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Sodium Metabisulfite, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin

The serum is thin and slightly yellow. It contains 1% caffeine by weight, and with a quick search I found an article citing the Journal of Dermatology that says “topical treatment with caffeine resulted in the increase in average growth of hair follicles by around 46%. It also extended its life cycle by 33%” and an article saying “hair products that contain caffeine are not able to reach the hair follicle and therefore can’t promote growth” though this was from a hair clinic. This contains the complexes Redensyl, Procapil, Capixyl, Baicapil and AnaGain. Redensyl is a complex that apparently gives better results than hair transplantation in 84 days with visible hair growth. Procapil apparently strengthens hair and prevents hair loss. Capixyl is a peptide from the extract of red clover that reduces the production of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) that causes thinning of the hair follicles which causes hair loss. Baicapil is an active of three plants that stimulates hair growth, increases hair density and reduces hair loss. AnaGain apparently reactivates hair growth, contributing to thicker, fuller hair. Deciem says that the above technologies make up 21.15% concentration by weight. Hydrogenated castor oil is toward the end of the ingredient list.

The ingredients sound promising, and I’m looking forward to seeing if this product works. For reference, I’m 37 years of age, my hair is fine (but I have a lot of it, other than the thinning front area of the head), I have some graying, I get my hair colored about twice a year and I have had thinning hair likely for a couple years now, more toward the front and sides of my head. I’m using the Multi-Peptide Serum on my eyebrows as well, as they are thinning and some hair follicles are likely dead due to over-tweezing in my early 20s.

I’ve used The Ordinary hair serum for about 4 days now. Putting a drop on my fingers, it has a slightly oily feeling for a few seconds, then a bit sticky for a few seconds and absorbs quite quickly into the skin. There is not really a smell to the serum.

Directions say to apply a few drops to clean, dry scalp ideally at bedtime and massage into scalp. This is a leave-on treatment. The first couple uses I parted my hair in a few areas and put a drop in each parted area toward the front of my hair and one drop on each side of my head (edges of the hair) and massaged into the scalp. This left a bit of an oily look and feel to the hair that lasted about 30 to 45 minutes until it absorbed and/or dried, so using before bedtime is ideal. I also tried putting a couple drops on my fingers then massaging into the scalp that way, but I’m not sure that applied product evenly to all areas. In the morning, my hair looked and felt normal with no greasy feeling or residue.

Update: September 2, 2018 – Three-month after photos coming soon; follow for a new Hair Density Serum post on September 8 or 9. Click here for 3-month after results and here for 6-month results.

Before photos: