Hydroxypinacolone retinoate

Hydroxypinacolone retinoate visibly smooths fine lines, refines skin texture, improves hydration and elasticity, evens out dark spots, and clears acne blemishes. This active ingredient suits dry skin and oily skin best, and it comes in serums. You can easily fit it into a daily routine by keeping it apart from glycolic acid, benzoyl peroxide, and vitamin C.
Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2023Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2023
This page shows hydroxypinacolone retinoate products with a Lovi page. For every product, and a routine built for your skin, use the Lovi app.
Popular hydroxypinacolone retinoate products
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The Ordinary
Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion
€12.00
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IOPE
Retinol Super Bounce Serum
€74.30
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BYOMA
Sensitive Retinol Oil
€30.96
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Medicube
Deep Vita A Retinol Serum
€18.89
Other hydroxypinacolone retinoate products
-
The Ordinary
Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion
€12.00
-
IOPE
Retinol Super Bounce Serum
€74.30
-
Medicube
Deep Vita A Retinol Serum
€18.89
- Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum
-
BYOMA
Sensitive Retinol Oil
€30.96
What reviewers say about popular hydroxypinacolone retinoate products
The highlight reviewers mention most for each popular hydroxypinacolone retinoate product on Lovi.
The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion Improves texture ★4.5 · 1.5k+ reviews
- Lightweight consistency
- Short shelf life
- “Felt a change in the texture of my skin from the very first use.”
IOPE Retinol Super Bounce Serum Improves firmness ★4.8 · 200+ reviews
- Hydrating formula
- Refines texture
- “made my face feel so much firmer”
BYOMA Sensitive Retinol Oil Improves texture ★4.6 · 300+ reviews
- Lightweight, absorbs fast
- Hydrating, barrier support
- “skin was soft the next morning”
Medicube Deep Vita A Retinol Serum Gentle, low irritation ★4.8 · 100+ reviews
- Improves texture
- Hydrating, non-drying
- “only retinol my skin can accept”
Hydroxypinacolone retinoate for dry skin
-
The Ordinary
Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion
€12.00
-
BYOMA
Sensitive Retinol Oil
€30.96
-
IOPE
Retinol Super Bounce Serum
€74.30
- Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum
-
Medicube
Deep Vita A Retinol Serum
€18.89
Hydroxypinacolone retinoate for oily skin
-
The Ordinary
Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion
€12.00
- Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum
-
Medicube
Deep Vita A Retinol Serum
€18.89
-
BYOMA
Sensitive Retinol Oil
€30.96
-
IOPE
Retinol Super Bounce Serum
€74.30
Hydroxypinacolone retinoate for combination skin
-
The Ordinary
Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion
€12.00
- Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum
-
Medicube
Deep Vita A Retinol Serum
€18.89
-
BYOMA
Sensitive Retinol Oil
€30.96
-
IOPE
Retinol Super Bounce Serum
€74.30
Hydroxypinacolone retinoate for sensitive skin
-
The Ordinary
Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion
€12.00
- Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum
-
IOPE
Retinol Super Bounce Serum
€74.30
-
BYOMA
Sensitive Retinol Oil
€30.96
-
Medicube
Deep Vita A Retinol Serum
€18.89
Hydroxypinacolone retinoate for acne-prone skin
-
The Ordinary
Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion
€12.00
- Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum
-
Medicube
Deep Vita A Retinol Serum
€18.89
-
BYOMA
Sensitive Retinol Oil
€30.96
-
IOPE
Retinol Super Bounce Serum
€74.30
Hydroxypinacolone retinoate for mature skin
-
BYOMA
Sensitive Retinol Oil
€30.96
- Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum
-
IOPE
Retinol Super Bounce Serum
€74.30
-
The Ordinary
Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion
€12.00
-
Medicube
Deep Vita A Retinol Serum
€18.89
What to combine hydroxypinacolone retinoate with
| Ingredient | Together | How to use them |
|---|---|---|
| Depends | Use them at different times of day, applying niacinamide in the morning and the retinoid at night, because their combined strength can cause irritation. Hydroxypinacolone retinoate and niacinamide | |
| Keep apart | Use them on alternate nights because they are too strong to put on your face at the same time. Hydroxypinacolone retinoate and glycolic acid | |
| Keep apart | Use them at different times of day, applying benzoyl peroxide in the morning and hydroxypinacolone retinoate at night, because they cancel each other out. Hydroxypinacolone retinoate and benzoyl peroxide | |
| Keep apart | Use them at different times of day, applying vitamin C in the morning and hydroxypinacolone retinoate at night, because combining them causes skin irritation. Hydroxypinacolone retinoate and vitamin C | |
| Keep apart | Use them on alternate nights because combining them can cause severe skin irritation. Hydroxypinacolone retinoate and aha blend glycolic and citric acids | |
| Keep apart | Use them on alternate nights because they can cause too much dryness when layered together. Hydroxypinacolone retinoate and salicylic acid | |
| Keep apart | Use them at different times of day by applying bio-placenta peptides in the morning and hydroxypinacolone retinoate at night, to avoid extra skin irritation. Hydroxypinacolone retinoate and bio-placenta peptides | |
| Keep apart | Use them at different times of day by applying your peptide product in the morning and your hydroxypinacolone retinoate at night. Hydroxypinacolone retinoate and hexapeptide | |
| Keep apart | Use them on alternate nights because combining them can cause skin irritation. Hydroxypinacolone retinoate and lactic acid | |
| Keep apart | Use them at different times of day by applying the peptide product in the morning and the retinoid at night to avoid skin irritation. Hydroxypinacolone retinoate and acetyl hexapeptide-3 | |
| Keep apart | Use them on alternate nights, with mandelic acid on one evening and hydroxypinacolone retinoate on the next, because combining them causes irritation. Hydroxypinacolone retinoate and mandelic acid | |
| Keep apart | Use them at different times of day by applying the peptide product in the morning and the retinoid at night to avoid skin irritation. Hydroxypinacolone retinoate and collagen peptide | |
| Keep apart | Use them at different times of day with copper peptide in the morning and hydroxypinacolone retinoate at night, because combining them can cause irritation. Hydroxypinacolone retinoate and copper peptide | |
| Keep apart | Use them on alternate nights because combining them can cause skin irritation. Hydroxypinacolone retinoate and citric acid | |
| Keep apart | Use them at different times of day by applying hexapeptide-9 in the morning and hydroxypinacolone retinoate at night, to avoid extra skin irritation. Hydroxypinacolone retinoate and hexapeptide-9 | |
| Keep apart | Use them at different times of day, applying the peptide serum in the morning and the retinoid at night, to avoid extra skin irritation. Hydroxypinacolone retinoate and peptide-rich plasma | |
| Keep apart | Use them at different times of day, applying the peptide blend in the morning and the retinoid at night, to avoid extra skin irritation. Hydroxypinacolone retinoate and triple peptide blend | |
| Keep apart | Use them at different times of day by applying the peptide serum in the morning and the retinoid at night to prevent irritation. Hydroxypinacolone retinoate and palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 | |
| Keep apart | Use them at different times of day by applying the peptide in the morning and the retinoid at night, because combining them can cause irritation. Hydroxypinacolone retinoate and palmitoyl tripeptide-1 |
From the ingredient rules behind the "Works well with" and "Don't mix with" notes on every product in the Lovi app.
Questions and answers
What does hydroxypinacolone retinoate do for the skin?
Hydroxypinacolone retinoate helps improve skin wrinkles, smoothness, elasticity, and hydration while reducing signs of photoaging and blemishes. It may also enhance skin barrier function and reduce microscopic acne features.
Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2023Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2023
How do you use hydroxypinacolone retinoate?
You use hydroxypinacolone retinoate at night, and you can pair it with retinyl propionate for anti-aging benefits.
Should you use hydroxypinacolone retinoate in the morning or at night?
You should use hydroxypinacolone retinoate at night. It is typically applied in the evening because certain daytime partner ingredients and sunlight exposure can interact with retinoids.
Can you use hydroxypinacolone retinoate every day?
Yes, you can use hydroxypinacolone retinoate every day, as studies show it improves skin wrinkles, smoothness, and elasticity over weeks of regular use without causing adverse reactions.
Does hydroxypinacolone retinoate cause purging or irritation?
Hydroxypinacolone retinoate helps improve skin aging and may cause skin irritation when combined with certain active ingredients. Using it at night while applying incompatible ingredients in the morning helps avoid this issue.
Which skin types is hydroxypinacolone retinoate best for?
Hydroxypinacolone retinoate is best for oily, combination, sensitive, and acne-prone skin types, with Lovi giving the highest fit rating to The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion for these skin concerns. Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum also achieves a high fit for oily, acne-prone, and dark spot-prone skin.
Can you use hydroxypinacolone retinoate with glycolic acid?
No, you should keep them apart and use them on alternate nights because they are too strong to put on your face at the same time.
Research on hydroxypinacolone retinoate
Behind this ingredient guide
Lovi checks every ingredient with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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