Versus

The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 5% in Squalane Versus COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence

Serum
Essence
Canadian Brand Canada
Korean Brand South Korea

Updated on March 07, 2024

Overview

What they are

These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe . They have a total of 0 ingredients in common

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for dry skin, sensitive skin, scar healing and dark spots

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, fragrances, parabens, silicones or sulfates

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that needs an update? Let us know.

Ingredient Info

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What's inside (and what isn't)

What's inside (and what isn't)

At a glance

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Key Ingredients

Benefits

Benefits

When to use

143 Routines
8% use in am
92% use in pm
73% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->
21,130 Routines
48% use in am
52% use in pm
97% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 5% in Squalane 10 ingredients

4.0 /5
from 3 ratings
Oily (3) Great Value (3) Heavy (2)
Daniel.Chin's avatar

Daniel Chin

11 days ago
Review

Fantastic, affordable, retinol product that is gentle and gets the job done! I've used once a week and gone through two bottles. My skin is super-sensitive, so have been impressed with the tolerance it has had for this product. Others may find this oily, but that's because it is squalane oil, not a serum. I'm now tentatively progressing to 0.1% retinal. Wish me luck!

#great value
#heavy
#oily
#works well
AshN.'s avatar

AshN.

1 year ago
Review

(Tried May 2023) Another retinoid in The Ordinary's lineup that I enjoyed using. As far as efficacy, it's the strongest of the three formulations. This is what I upgraded to after using The Ordinary's Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion. I experienced no irritation with this product despite it's strength and I liked how radiant my skin felt the next morning. Very affordable for the amount and how long Show more

#great value
#light
#oily
#light scent

COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence 12 ingredients

3.6 /5
from 343 ratings
Hydrating (97) No Scent (79) Works Well (68)
cgi's avatar

cgi

1 year ago
Review

this snail mucin essence really is one of the best ones out there— it's a holy grail. this product was my very first impression of cosrx, and the short ingredient list is very surprising with how effective it is. i've been using it for about a year now, and it's become a staple in my routine. after my first couple weeks of use, a lot of my dark spots disappeared and calmed down my hormonal acne & Show more

#expensive
#hydrating
#light
#absorbs well
robinorr's avatar

Robin Orr

10 months ago
Review

This ruined my face! I didn’t know that my dust mite allergy also made me allergic to this. I used it for five months and everything seemed fine, but then I started to get a goatee of fungal acne with big red patches. I’d also been getting a lot of big pimples in my hairline from it. It’s taken me months to understand what happened and to soothe my sad skin. Be warned not to jump off the bridge Show more

#broke me out
#irritating