Head to head
Medik8 Crystal Retinal 6 vs The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion
Same comparison whichever way you searched it: The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion vs Medik8 Crystal Retinal 6.
The bottom lineMedik8 Crystal Retinal 6 and The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion are close on what they deliver, so it comes down to your skin: The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion is the kinder pick for sensitive or reactive skin since it is fragrance-free.
Answer nine questions and the app picks between them for your skin.
Cost per use
€0.57 an applicationabout 150 uses from 30 ml
a usual amount, not a measured dose: 3-5 drops, about 0.2 ml; from €86 as read in September 2026 and a 30 ml pack.
how this is counted
About €0.57 an application, about 150 uses from 30 ml.
- a convention: no trial has measured a serum dose
- Measured or assumed: the rule, and the dose table
€0.09 an applicationabout 150 uses from 30 ml
a usual amount, not a measured dose: 3-5 drops, about 0.2 ml; from €13 as read in September 2026 and a 30 ml pack.
how this is counted
About €0.09 an application, about 150 uses from 30 ml.
- a convention: no trial has measured a serum dose
- Measured or assumed: the rule, and the dose table
Per application, The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion is the cheaper: €0.09 against €0.57.
Which should you pick?
Pick Crystal Retinal 6 if
- dark spots, dullness or an uneven tone are your focus
Pick Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion if
- your skin is sensitive or reacts to fragrance
- you want the more affordable option
What each delivers
Side by side
| Crystal Retinal 6 | Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Serum | Serum |
| Key actives | Glycerin, Retinal, Squalane | Glycerin, Retinol, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate 2% |
| Texture | A rich, cushiony cream that sinks in slowly. | A light, fast-absorbing texture that layers cleanly under the rest of your routine, with no greasy film. |
| Fragrance | Contains fragrance | None detected |
| Feeds Malassezia | 4 measured / 3 inferred | 3 measured / 1 inferred |
| Pregnancy | One caution | One caution |
| Ingredients | 47 listed | 33 listed |
| Price | ~€86 | ~€13 |
What's in one but not the other
The two labels share 7 of the 73 ingredients between them. The actives are where they part company.
What each one adds acts on The living epidermis, The stratum corneum, Not established for Medik8 Crystal Retinal 6 and The living epidermis, The stratum corneum, Not established for The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion. That is the layer each is understood to act on, not how deep it travels.
Only in Medik8 Crystal Retinal 6
Only in The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion
The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion is a different bottle only for: retinol, hydroxypinacolone retinoate, cetearyl isononanoate, bisabolol.
Which keeps longer
a tube and one light-sensitive active: the packaging is doing work here.
where this comes from
The pack form is read off the packshot; the light-sensitive actives are the base's photostability rows, sourced on each glossary page; the period after opening (not printed) is read off the maker's page, never a reseller's. Catalogue checked September 2026.
a dropper bottle and two light-sensitive actives: the packaging is doing work here.
where this comes from
The pack form is read off the packshot; the light-sensitive actives are the base's photostability rows, sourced on each glossary page; the period after opening (3M on the pack) is read off the maker's page, never a reseller's. Catalogue checked September 2026.
Medik8 Crystal Retinal 6 is the one to keep if you use it slowly: a tube, one light-sensitive active.
Where each label stops telling you the dose
Ingredients are listed in order of how much is inside, but only down to 1%. Below that the brand may list them in any order it likes, so the bottom of a label is a set, not a ranking. These two stop being a ranking in very different places.
Medik8 Crystal Retinal 6
ordered for its first 32%
- 1Aqua (Water)
- 2Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
- 3Glycerin
- 4Isododecane
- 5Cetearyl Olivate
- 6Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
- 7Cetearyl Alcohol
- 8PPG-12/SMDI Copolymer
- 9Sorbitan Olivate
- 10Tocopheryl Acetate
- 11Titanium Dioxide
- 12Eclipta Prostrata Extract
- 13Cyclodextrin
- 14Squalane
- 15Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
- 16Phenoxyethanol
- 17Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
- 18Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
- 19Sodium Hyaluronate
- 20Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
- 21Rubus Chamaemorus (Cloudberry) Seed Oil
- 22Alumina
- 23Isostearic Acid
- 24Lecithin
- 25Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate
- 26Polyhydroxystearic Acid
- 27Stearic Acid
- 28Pentylene Glycol
- 29Retinal
- 30Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil
- 31Sodium Polyaspartate
- 32Climbazole
- 33Disodium EDTA
- 34Lonicera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract
- 35Lonicera Caprifolium (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract
- 36Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Seed Oil
- 37Ethylhexylglycerin
- 383-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
- 39Dipteryx Odorata (Tonka) Bean Extract
- 40Hydroxyacetophenone
- 41Polysorbate 60
- 42Sorbitan Isostearate
- 43Vanilla Planifolia (Vanilla) Fruit Extract
- 44Decylene Glycol
- 451,2-Hexanediol
- 46BHT
- 47Coumarin
32 of 47 sit below the line, marked by Phenoxyethanol. Including what it is sold on: Retinal.
The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion
ordered for its first 52%
- 1Aqua (Water)
- 2Glycerin
- 3Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
- 4Ethyl Linoleate
- 5Propanediol
- 6Dimethyl Isosorbide
- 7Cetearyl Isononanoate
- 8Bisabolol
- 9Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate
- 10Retinol
- 11Tasmannia Lanceolata Fruit/Leaf Extract
- 12Inulin Lauryl Carbamate
- 13Glyceryl Stearate
- 14Ceteareth-12
- 15Ceteareth-20
- 16Cetearyl Alcohol
- 17Carrageenan
- 18Xanthan Gum
- 19Acacia Senegal Gum
- 20Cetyl Palmitate
- 21Sucrose Laurate
- 22Polysorbate 20
- 23Isoceteth-20
- 24Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract
- 25Hydroxymethoxyphenyl Decanone
- 26Behentrimonium Chloride
- 27Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
- 28Disodium Edta
- 29Dehydroacetic Acid
- 30Benzoic Acid
- 31Ethylhexylglycerin
- 32Phenoxyethanol
- 33Chlorphenesin
16 of 33 sit below the line, marked by Xanthan Gum.
Below the line is not too little to work: ceramides, retinoids and peptides all act far under a percent. It means the position stops carrying information. Where the line falls is inferred from the first ingredient whose whole job is done at a fraction of a percent, so it is a close read of the label rather than a number from the formula sheet.
The molecule doing the work
Better for…
- Dark spots & uneven toneCrystal Retinal 6
- Fine lines & firmnessEither works
- Dryness & dehydrationEither works
- Sensitive, reactive skinGranactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion
Who each suits
- Medik8 Crystal Retinal 6
- dry, combination, oily, normal · avoid with very sensitive skin, acne-prone skin (at high strength), breastfeeding and compromised barrier
- The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion
- dry, combination, oily, sensitive, normal · avoid with breastfeeding, pregnancy, acne-prone skin (at high strength) and compromised barrier
The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion is the cheaper of the two (~€13 vs ~€86).
Ready to pick one?
Affiliate links, so a purchase sends us a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Glow Simplified earns from qualifying purchases. We make and sell nothing here, so the verdict above never bends toward a sale.
And if you keep both?
Most people reading a comparison are choosing. If you already own both, the question is a different one, and it has an answer.
Use these with care.
Not studied together, but two retinoids work on the same receptors: on one night that reads as one bigger dose of the same thing, more irritation, no more effect.
One a night, and keep two nights a week free of both.
Common questions
Is Medik8 Crystal Retinal 6 or The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion better for dark spots & uneven tone?
For dark spots & uneven tone, Medik8 Crystal Retinal 6 is the stronger pick by our read of the two formulas. Medik8 Crystal Retinal 6 and The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion are close on what they deliver, so it comes down to your skin: The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion is the kinder pick for sensitive or reactive skin since it is fragrance-free.
Which is cheaper, Medik8 Crystal Retinal 6 or The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion?
The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion is the cheaper of the two (~€13 vs ~€86).
Can I use Medik8 Crystal Retinal 6 and The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion together?
They are both serums, so you would normally pick one rather than layer both in the same step. You can keep both and alternate them (morning and night, or on different days) if you like variety, but you do not need two.
What the scene shows
The cross-section at the top of this page is not decoration and not a diagram of the skin in general: it places the molecules these two are sold on at the layer each is understood to act on. Medik8 Crystal Retinal 6 is placed by Glycerin (the stratum corneum), Retinal (the living epidermis), Squalane (the stratum corneum). The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion is placed by Glycerin (the stratum corneum), Retinol (the living epidermis), Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate (the living epidermis). A layer is where an ingredient does its work, never how deep it travels, and never a claim about how well it works.
Compare it with…
46 duels are built for this serum, Celimax The Vita A Retinal Shot Tightening Booster and The Ordinary Retinol 0.5% in Squalane among them: type a name, or pick one below.