3Rank 03 of 8 · Best Retinol Serums
The Ordinary The Ordinary Retinal 0.2% Emulsion
The strongest retinal here at 0.2%, in an airless pump — the right packaging for an oxidation-prone aldehyde, and notably better than the dropper bottles The Ordinary uses for its retinols.
8.2BPR score
- €18Price
- Retinaldehyde 0.2% — not covered by the EU capRetinoid form and stated concentration
- 3 of 8in Best Retinol Serums
- 8.2BPR score 0–10
Review
What this product is
Written after the analysis, from the same sources the score is built on: the manufacturer's documentation, available studies and verified owner feedback.
The highest retinaldehyde concentration in the ranking, at €17.90 for 15 ml, and a good demonstration that The Ordinary can package properly when the molecule demands it.
The airless pump is the point. Retinaldehyde is an aldehyde and oxidises readily; an airless pump keeps the formula from meeting air until it is dispensed. Contrast this with The Ordinary's own retinol serums, which ship in dropper bottles that reintroduce air on every use — and which the brand itself tells you to refrigerate and finish within three months. The company chose the right format here and the wrong one there, which tells you something about how much packaging matters.
The formula is thoughtfully anti-irritant rather than minimal: ergothioneine as an antioxidant, bisabolol and 4-t-butylcyclohexanol as soothing agents, cetylhydroxyproline palmitamide for barrier support, plus ascorbyl palmitate and tocopherol as further antioxidants. Hydroxyapatite is used as a carrier.
Being retinaldehyde, it is not covered by Regulation (EU) 2024/996 and will not be affected by the 2027 deadline.
At 0.2% this is a strong product and not a beginner's first retinoid. It sits at the top of Medik8's own five-step ladder. If you have never used a retinoid, start lower — the retinisation phase at this strength on unprepared skin is where people give up.
The 15 ml size means the price per ml is €1.19, higher than the Geek & Gorgeous despite the lower headline price. And The Ordinary provides no published clinical testing for any of its products.
Technical data
Specification
Figures from the manufacturer's documentation, verified against available outside sources. Values we could not confirm are marked as declared.
- Retinoid form
- Retinaldehyde (retinal)
- Stated concentration
- 0.2%
- Covered by EU 0.3% cap
- No
- Encapsulated
- No
- Packaging
- Airless pump
- Key ingredients
- Retinal, hydroxyapatite, ergothioneine, bisabolol, 4-t-butylcyclohexanol, cetylhydroxyproline palmitamide, ascorbyl palmitate, tocopherol
- Size
- 15 ml
- Price per ml
- approx. EUR 1.19
- Published clinical testing
- None
Component scores
Where the score
comes from.
Four components, equal weight, each on a 0–10 scale and each resting on a named source. The overall score is their mean — the full procedure is in the methodology.
What we liked
- 0.2% retinaldehyde, the highest retinal concentration here
- Airless pump — correct packaging for an oxidation-prone aldehyde
- Ergothioneine, bisabolol and 4-t-butylcyclohexanol address irritation
- Not covered by the EU 0.3% cap
- €17.90 headline price
- Multiple antioxidants: ascorbyl palmitate, tocopherol
Worth knowing
- 0.2% is too strong as a first retinoid — this is the top of Medik8's ladder
- 15 ml only, so €1.19 per ml despite the low headline price
- No published clinical testing
- Not encapsulated, unlike the Medik8 and Geek & Gorgeous retinals
- The Ordinary's retinol products in the same range use dropper bottles
Comparison
How it compares
within the category
All values come from the same analysis and are comparable only within the category Best Retinol Serums.
| Product | Score | Retinoid form and stated concentration | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 10Top score | 8.8 | Retinaldehyde 0.1% — not covered by the EU cap | €19 |
| The Ordinary Retinal 0.2% EmulsionThis product | 8.2 | Retinaldehyde 0.2% — not covered by the EU cap | €18 |
| Category average8 products analysed | 7.9 | — | — |
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Why does the airless pump matter so much?
Retinoids degrade through light, oxygen and heat. An airless pump keeps the remaining product sealed from air as it empties; a dropper bottle draws fresh air into the bottle every single time you use it. The Ordinary's own advice for its dropper-packaged retinols — refrigerate after opening and use within three months — is effectively an admission of the problem. The same brand chose an airless pump for this aldehyde, which is the right call.
From the same ranking
Other products in Best Retinol Serums.
The same protocol, the same key parameter, the same set of sources.
-
No. 018.8/ 10
Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 10
Cyclodextrin-encapsulated retinal at 0.1% for €18.80 — the same technology and a higher…
-
No. 028.3/ 10
Medik8 Crystal Retinal 6
Cyclodextrin-encapsulated retinaldehyde in a formula built for stability — antioxidants, a…
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No. 047.8/ 10
CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum
Encapsulated retinol with ceramides and niacinamide, formulated for blemish-prone skin. The…
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No. 057.7/ 10
Paula's Choice CLINICAL 0.3% Retinol + 2% Bakuchiol Treatment
Retinol at exactly 0.3%, the maximum the EU now permits, with ceramides and peptides. The one…