Hi guys!
I recently bought this retinol serum from The Ordinary because i want to start acting against fine lines appearing on my face. But I’m not sure how to add it in my routine because I had no experience with such products.
Any words of advice?

How to add retinol to your routine?

For me it had more downs then ups, firstly, the packaging is quite small so with consisten use you will need to repurchase offten. Then, the bottle design is poor, it is almost unpossible to dose the amount of the product you would like to use and around the top lid on the bottle crust of niacinamide often appears. You will need to wipe it with every use if that concerns you. When it’s near end you will hardly extract the remaining product because you need to squeze the packaging and it just won’t come out. Also, it can be really sticky when you apply it and it does not sink into the skin fastly. Due to its high niacinamide concentration some users will find it bad for their skin as it may cause purging, reddness and iritation.

The Inkey List Niacinamide is really affordable and if you have a lower budget it’s a go to. It provides gentle hydration which is a great upscale from similar niacinamide products.

So far this product has worked great for me! Norhing bad to say about it.

I wanted to try SKIN1004 Centella Tone Brightening Capsule Ampoule for such a long time and through the Picky Giveaways I managed to get it! 

It comes in big 100 ml dropper so you will be able to use it for a quite of time. Once you open it you can see that it is watery, gel-like consistency with little white beads suspended in it. Also it has no artificial color and no paraben, nor fragrance, so it is really at its natural colour and smell. 

I use it in my morning routine, I put around 3 to 4 drops on my face and gently massage onto my skin. After that I pat it in for better absorption. The texture of this ampoule is very lightweight and it is easily absorbed on my skin after a few seconds. Therefore it does not leave a sticky feeling on my face. 

It is great for those with oily and acne prone skin as it does not leave your skin with extra oil on it. You can use it as a serum right after cleansing and add a light moisturizer after.

Some of the most recognisable ingredients are Centella Asiatica that calms and soothes skin, the niacinamide which contributes to brightening, soothing and moisturizing skin, also a barrier repairing, tranexamic acid that brightens dark spots and heals hyperpigmentation. It also has madecassoside, panthenol, arginine and 3-0-ethyl ascorbic acid.

The texture can be a downfall for some people because it really resembles the snail slime, but for me it wasn’t a problem. It is sticky so it can be a problem applying it. 

This is one of the best products I’ve tried so far! It helps my skin fees so much plumper and softer after applying it. It gives your skin a healthy glow and it is much smoother afterwards. Unlike other essences, this one really hydrates your skin so it is a great advantage. It is fragrance free which is great for sensitive skin. Size of the bottle and the product whitin is really generous so you will be able to use it for many months in the row. It also keeps my skin acne free which I noticed after few weeks of use. 

The main drawback of this product it is its PAO which is only 3 months. So afther this three months pass, retinol will stop working and you will have to repurchase. You probably won’t even finish a half of a bottle in this time so most of the product ends up for a waste. 

Also, you have to keep it in the fridge so it may be unconvinient for you to go in the kitchen every time you want to do your skincare. Unless you have a beauty fridge in your bathroom. 


This was my first retinol to start with. I’m glad I chose such mild formulation because it’s really great for beginners. 

Firstly, it is really low cost, so even if it ends up as bad product for you, you won’t be in a big loss as you don’t have to invest much money in it.

Due to its low retinol share, only 0.2%, it hasn’t cause me any purging. I started using it twice a week and after some time three times a week. 

I use retinol as a last step in my routine, after applying moisturiser. It has very greasy formula and as it is from sequalene it will keep your skin hydrated as well. 

After my first month of using it, I noticed my acne scars have faded, not completely but still did a little. My fine lines around the mouth and below the eyes have also became less visible. Owerall, my skin felt much healthier and every morning I woke up after using retinol in the evening, I would have so smooth and soft face it is something amazing! 

Enolina