Is it worth the price? Retinol

[Kyky83]

I have just sampled Drunk Elephant A Passioni retinol. It has quite a heavy price tag of 100$. Meanwhile, The Ordinary has also a Retinol 1% serum for SEVEN buck? That's quite the difference. Anyone on here have tried both?

[WinglessOne]

@Kyky83  It kinda depends on your expectations and skin condition. Compare the full ingredients in various OTC retinol products; you might find that one contains more good-for-you ingredients than another. I don’t use A-Passioni because almost all Drunk Elephant products I’ve tried have caused a bad reaction on my face. (Lala Retro’s original formula is the only one that hasn’t.) I’m not willing to give DE another chance with my skin. 

Also, no OTC retinol will be the same strength as a prescription retinoid. But some of us honestly don’t need a strong retinoid. Retin-A would do too much damage to my particular skin, vs. The INKEY List Retinol Fine Lines and Wrinkles Serum 1 oz/ 30 mL which is gentler and gradually gives me the results I’m after. Some folks use both Rx retinoid and OTC retinol, alternating usage to give their skin a break from retinoid. It’s worth discussing pros and cons of both retinoid and retinol with a dermatologist to see which option’s best for you. 

[prettyinpa]

I get my Retin-a (tretoinin) from Curology. (their site is their name .com) You answer a bunch of questions and send photos and they prescribe the right dosage. Mine costs $20 per month and comes in a pump bottle. They send a new bottle every couple of months so you don't have your meds getting old on you. I've been a happy customer for years and they will review and change your dosage at any time.

[MamaBare27]

ElizabethJoy echoed my thoughts exactly. I stopped buying aPassioni and A+, and ANY retinol/retinoid cosmetic skin care. My dermatologist prescribed a real retinoid cream, which works SO well on sun damage, wrinkles, age spots, etc. I’m lucky my insurance pays for part of it. I get a huge tube of cream that will easily last six to eight months. Now I can stop wasting money on the weaker retinoid preparations sold here. And retiNOL isn’t even comparable to a true retinOID. Thanks for the affirmation EJ, and KyKy83, if you are over 30, I’d highly recommend talking to your doc. You don’t need a dermatologist—your regular doc can prescribe cream or gel.

[ElizabethJoy09]

To add to your price comparison, prescription Retin-A can cost around $55 cash price with an online coupon (may be cheaper through insurance if it’s covered). For me, I’d rather pay 50 for an Rx retinol that’s much higher strength than $100 for an OTC one. I haven’t tried The Ordinary’s retinol yet, but if it works comparably for $7 I’ll likely switch to that.

[Brutalitops]

@Kyky83 I didn't do the Ordinary but I have tried The Inkey's retinol (like $10). I will definitely say the A-Passioni is stronger/more effective. I haven't been using the Inkey one for long enough to say exactly how big the difference is but I'm willing to guess it's not 8x less effective so I'll probably continue to buy it. 

Frankly, my biggest problem with all of them is that they aren't in airtight containers with pumps so they can oxidize/degrade much faster. However, I'm far faster to forgive that in a $10 flexible tube than $75 metal tube which is harder to control product flow (wasteful) and way more likely to develop micro holes where the tube kinks. If you decide to spring for high end, go for one with a pump. At the $10 price I've also been using it on my neck/the backs of my hands -blind spots for many which also tend to reflect aging faster