The brand’s second retinoid offering is The Ordinary Advanced Retinol 2% , which uses a retinol ester (called Solubilized Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate) rather than straight retinol in order to minimize skin irritation that the ingredient can cause. But there’s a price to pay for comfort (aside from the $2.10 difference between the brand’s 1% and 2% retinol products). Unlike with pure retinol, our bodies have to convert these esters into retinol in order for the ingredient to work — and that conversion process reduces the strength of the dose. “It is well known that retinoid esters, such as the active ingredient in this product, do not have as much efficacy in smoothing the epidermis and growing collagen in the dermis as pure retinol,” notes Dr. Jegasothy. “I do, however, believe that retinol esters are less irritating than pure retinol.” Schueller says that the particular ester used in this formula isn’t backed by a ton of research (he notes that the company may have completed proprietary research of its own). Still, he says, “In principal, the ester in combination with retinol seems like a reasonable approach.” The formulation for each seems sound. But should we expect these babies to replace our pricier go-tos? On this, our pros are split. Dr. Jegasothy holds some healthy skepticism as to whether these affordable options can replace luxe versions. “I would be cautious in recommending any retinoid-based skin-care product with a very low price point, regardless of a patient’s skin type, because the price hints at the sourcing of the product, which may be from non-pharmaceutical or non-USP grade manufacturers, she says. “Retinol and retinoid esters are generally expensive to manufacture and even more expensive to stabilize in a skin-care product, hence their usual price point,” she says. Dr. Jegasothy also notes that companies (like Neutrogena and RoC) have been able to stabilize quality retinoids at a lower price point because they manufacture in high quantities. But Schueller notes that the The Ordinary’s business model, which includes no-frills packaging and little-to-no advertising (much less a celebrity spokesperson) are other factors that may keep the price down. “Typically, the formula cost for a product is about 10-15%,” he says. “So much of the cost is marketing and package-driven. It could be that the brand is passing the savings off to the consumer.” We reached out to Brandon Truaxe, founder of DECIEM and The Ordinary, to confirm just that. He says that because retinol (and its delivery system) is well-studied, effective, and not a new innovation, the company doesn't believe in wasting money on marketing the products to convince consumers of the efficacy. "The low cost that we offer these products at reflects the fact that these inexpensive ingredients are massively marked up by most companies," says Truaxe. He breaks down the math for one ingredient: "Very pure L-Ascorbic Acid can be purchased for around $3-$5/kg which makes the L-Ascorbic content of this particular formula (23%) between 20 and 30 cents. The majority of the cost is actually in compounding, testing, filling, logistics and retailer margins and we still come to under $5 with our margin included." Hey, we'll take cheap and effective over a fancy jar featured on commercials any day. In all, the chemist thinks either option may be worth a try. “Everything looks like the brand has done a good job to put together efficacious formulas,” he says. “I'm not saying this is the best formulation ever — you can spend a lot of time in research and development stabilizing and encapsulating these ingredients, so there may be ways to optimize these formulations — but the science seems reasonable. In terms of finding a solid candidate at a very good price, I'd feel good about recommending either one of these products.” At less than $10 a shot, it seems like we have very little to lose — and a ton to gain (namely: buckets in saved loot), should either work just as well as our splurgy skin savers.