Are They Dupes?: The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion VS Indeed Labs Retinol Reface?

Last Updated on November 23, 2025 by Giorgia Guazzarotti

Is The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion a dupe for Indeed Labs Retinol Reface? The older version of Indeed Labs Retinol Reface used the same two forms of Vitamin A as The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion: Retinol and Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate (Granactive Retinoid). The newer version has done away with Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate and replaced it with Bakuchiol, a Vitamin A-like alternative. Are they still dupes or is one far superior to the other?

What Do The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion And Indeed Labs Retinol Reface Have In Common?

RETINOL TO FIGHT WRINKLES

Let’s face it: when you think of vitamin A, you think of retinol. It’s the OTC gold standard for antiaging. And for a good reason. Or three:

• Antioxidant: It destroys free radicals before they can give you wrinkles and dark spots
• Collagen booster: It makes skin produce more collagen, so it stays firmer and younger for longer
• Cellular turnover: It speeds up the skin’s natural exfoliating process, fading away fine lines and discolourations

The catch? Retinol is irritating. It can cause stinging, peeling and flaking. That’s why I always tell you to start with the smallest concentration you can find and slowly work your way up. There’s another way: microencapsulation. In plain English, pure retinol is put into small capsules that release it into the skin over a period of several hours instead than hitting you all at once. Your skin still get its retinol fix. You don’t get the irritation. Win win. FYI, both The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion and Indeed Labs Retinol Reface use microencapsulation. Yes!

Related: The Complete Guide To Retinol

Want more affordable dupes for expensive skincare products? Download your FREE “Skincare Dupes” cheatsheet and start saving money (without compromising on results) today:

What Else Is In The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion And Indeed Labs Retinol Reface?

THE ORDINARY GRANACTIVE RETINOID 2% EMULSION

• Aqua (Water): So water is basically the thing that dissolves everything else so it can all mix together, and it also helps soften up your skin so the other ingredients can actually get in there and do their thing instead of just sitting on top doing jack shit.
• Glycerin: This grabs water and holds it on your skin. It’s in everything because it works and it’s cheap so companies can actually use enough of it to make a difference.
• Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride: It’s from coconut oil and makes the cream feel smooth without being greasy. Also helps other stuff absorb better which matters when you’ve got actives.
• Ethyl Linoleate: Your skin has natural fatty acids that keep your barrier healthy and this mimics those. Really matters with retinoids because they can wreck your barrier and make your skin a mess.
• Propanediol: Hydrates your skin but also pushes other ingredients deeper so they can actually work. You need that with retinol or it just sits on the surface being useless.
• Dimethyl Isosorbide: This is here to help the retinol sink in deeper and stay stable in the bottle so it doesn’t degrade before you use it.
• Cetearyl Isononanoate: Just makes the texture feel nice and luxe without being heavy. It’s what makes cheap products feel expensive.
• Bisabolol: From chamomile, super soothing. Retinoids irritate your skin so this keeps that under control.
• Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate (HPR): Newer type of retinoid that doesn’t need to convert so it works faster and irritates less. Still does all the anti-aging stuff though.
• Tasmannia Lanceolata Fruit/Leaf Extract: This is Tasmanian pepper extract and it’s here to calm down the irritation from the retinoids. It’s basically damage control so you can use stronger retinoids without your skin freaking out as much.
• Inulin Lauryl Carbamate: Plant-based emulsifier that keeps the water stuff and oil stuff mixed together. Without it your cream would separate into gross layers sitting in the jar.
• Glyceryl Stearate: Another emulsifier but this one also moisturizes a bit. Helps make that smooth creamy texture that feels good when you apply it.
• Ceteareth-12: Keeps everything blended and makes the texture spread smoothly instead of being sticky or patchy. Just another piece of the texture puzzle.
• Ceteareth-20: Does the same thing as Ceteareth-12 basically. They stack multiple emulsifiers to nail the exact texture and stability they’re going for.
• Cetearyl Alcohol: Don’t freak about the alcohol part, this is a fatty alcohol not the drying kind. Actually softens your skin and thickens everything into a cream.
• Carrageenan: Comes from seaweed and thickens the whole thing up while giving it that gel feel. Also keeps it stable so it doesn’t separate over time.
• Xanthan Gum: Natural thickener that stops it from being runny. You’ve seen this in salad dressing probably, does the same job here.
• Acacia Senegal Gum: Another natural thickener from acacia trees. Works with the other gums to get the texture right and keep everything stable.
• Cetyl Palmitate: Emollient that conditions your skin and keeps the feel smooth and non-greasy. Just another texture ingredient basically.
• Sucrose Laurate: Sugar-based emulsifier that’s super gentle. Mixes oil and water without irritating, good for sensitive skin.
• Polysorbate 20: Mild emulsifier that helps everything blend smooth. Makes the texture nice when you’re rubbing it in.
• Isoceteth-20: Another emulsifier doing the same job. All these emulsifiers together keep the formula from separating and maintain the texture.
• Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract: Rosemary extract is an antioxidant that stops the formula from oxidizing and going rancid. Also calms inflammation and works as a natural preservative.
• Hydroxymethoxyphenyl Decanone: Antioxidant that protects the formula from breaking down in the bottle. Mainly for stability but might help your skin too.
• Behentrimonium Chloride: Usually in hair conditioner but here it makes the texture silky and helps with preservation a bit.
• Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate: Grabs onto metal ions that could mess up the formula or make preservatives stop working. Keeps everything stable.
• Disodium EDTA: Another one that grabs metal ions. Stops oxidation and keeps the formula from degrading over time.
• Dehydroacetic Acid: Preservative that stops bacteria and mold from growing. Without this your product would be a science experiment in like a week.
• Benzoic Acid: Another preservative working with the others. Multiple preservatives together are way more effective than just one.
• Ethylhexylglycerin: Boosts the other preservatives so they can use less of each. Also conditions your skin and makes it feel nicer when you apply it.
• Phenoxyethanol: Super common preservative that’s in like half the skincare products out there. Keeps bacteria and mold out, considered pretty safe.
• Chlorphenesin: Last preservative in the system. All of these together keep your product safe to use for months without growing nasty crap.

INDEED LABS RETINOL REFACE

• Water (Aqua/Eau): So this is what makes everything liquid enough to actually use and it gets your skin ready to absorb all the other stuff instead of just having it sit there like oil on a countertop.
• Dimethicone: It’s silicone that makes your face feel all smooth and nice when you touch it, kind of creates this barrier on top that traps moisture in. Honestly just makes cheap products feel way fancier than they actually are and helps everything spread without dragging on your skin.
• Isodecyl Neopentanoate: Fancy name for something that just makes it feel lightweight and not gross on your face. It sinks in fast so you’re not sitting there waiting forever for it to absorb before you can put makeup on or do anything else with your life.
• Isononyl Isononanoate: Same deal as the last one basically, just another ingredient making sure this doesn’t feel like you smeared crisco all over your face. It’s light and absorbs quick and doesn’t clog your pores up.
• Propanediol: This is one of those ingredients that does double duty, it hydrates you by pulling in moisture but also acts like a delivery system pushing the good stuff like retinol deeper where it actually matters. Otherwise all the expensive actives would just sit on top being useless.
• Cetearyl Alcohol: I know alcohol sounds scary as hell but this one’s totally fine and not drying at all, it’s the thick creamy fatty kind not the one that strips your skin. It makes the whole thing feel rich and luxurious instead of thin and watery.
• Caprylyl Methicone: This is a silicone that disappears pretty fast so you get that smooth silky feeling at first but then it’s gone and you’re not left with weird residue sitting on your face. Makes the whole experience feel really clean and not heavy.
• Cetyl Alcohol: Another one of those fatty alcohols doing basically the same thing, thickening it up so it’s actually a cream and making your skin feel soft instead of tight or stripped. It also helps keep everything stable in the bottle.
• Glycerin: This is in literally everything you own and for good reason, it’s like a water magnet for your skin pulling moisture in and holding onto it.
• Pentylene Glycol: Does the hydration thing by attracting water but also helps keep the product from growing nasty bacteria and mold. Plus it helps push other ingredients deeper into your skin so they can actually work instead of sitting on the surface.
• PEG-100 Stearate: This is just keeping the water parts and oil parts from divorcing each other and separating into gross layers in the bottle. Also helps make it feel creamy and smooth when you’re rubbing it in instead of weird and separated.
• Bakuchiol: This is the gentler plant-based cousin of retinol that does a lot of similar anti-aging stuff without making your face peel off or turn bright red. People with sensitive skin can actually use this without their face completely losing its mind and freaking out.
• Dimethicone Crosspolymer: Basically silicone that’s been chemically messed with to make it more gel-like and bouncy. It gives you that really velvety smooth texture and it soaks up excess oil so you don’t look shiny and greasy an hour after applying it.
• Glyceryl Stearate: Another emulsifier keeping all the different types of ingredients from separating into layers, but this one also adds some actual moisturizing benefits while it’s doing its job. Helps create that smooth creamy texture that feels good.
• Cetearyl Glucoside: This is a plant-based mixer that’s super gentle and non-irritating, which is great when your skin freaks out at basically everything you put on it. It keeps water and oil blended together without causing problems.
• 4-t-Butylcyclohexanol: This is basically hired as the bodyguard for retinol to keep it from breaking down and becoming useless before you even get to use the product. It might have some anti-aging properties on its own too but mainly it’s just protecting the retinol.
• 1,2-Hexanediol: This hydrates your skin and helps preserve everything so bacteria doesn’t grow, and it also works as a solvent to dissolve other ingredients so they all mix properly instead of just floating around separately in there.
• Caprylyl Glycol: Adds moisture to your skin and fights off bacteria and mold growth in the formula. It also makes the texture better so when you touch your face after applying it’s not all sticky and gross feeling.
• Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer: Super long ass name for something that basically just thickens everything and gives it that nice bouncy gel texture. Makes it spread really smoothly on your skin without dragging or pilling up into little balls.
• Isohexadecane: This is a man-made oil that’s incredibly light and non-greasy, makes everything glide on your skin smooth as hell without that heavy suffocating feeling. Just improves the whole texture experience of using it.
• Butylene Glycol: This pulls water to your skin to keep you hydrated and helps dissolve all the other ingredients so they mix properly. It also makes the active ingredients penetrate better so they can actually get in there and work.
• Xanthan Gum: This is the same exact stuff that’s in your salad dressing making it thick instead of watery. Does the same thickening job here so the product has the right consistency and doesn’t run all over the place.
• Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil: Just soybean oil that’s loaded with good fatty acids and antioxidants, moisturizes your skin and protects it from all the environmental garbage like pollution and sun damage that ages you. Also helps strengthen your skin barrier.
• Polysorbate 80: This helps mix oil-based ingredients and water-based ingredients together so they blend smoothly instead of separating. Makes the whole thing feel nicer and smoother when you’re putting it on your face.
• Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin: This is like a tiny protective bubble that wraps around sensitive ingredients like retinol so they don’t fall apart and become useless in the bottle. It also helps deliver them into your skin better so they actually work.
• Sorbitan Oleate: Just another emulsifier making absolutely sure nothing separates into weird layers over time. Keeps the texture stable and smooth so it feels the same every time you use it.
• Carbomer: This is a synthetic thickener that creates gel texture and helps stabilize everything in the formula. It’s what gives gel products that bouncy consistency and it keeps all the other ingredients suspended so they don’t just sink to the bottom.
• Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38: This is a peptide that basically sends signals to your skin telling it to produce way more collagen and hyaluronic acid. It’s supposed to help with wrinkles and sagging, like giving your skin orders to act way younger than it actually is.
• Acacia Senegal Gum Extract: Natural thickener that comes from acacia trees and works together with all the other gums and thickeners to nail the exact texture they want. Also helps keep everything stable and mixed properly over time.
• Tocopherol: This is just vitamin E working as an antioxidant to protect both the formula itself and your actual skin from oxidative damage and aging. It stops the oils in the product from going rancid and nasty and gives your skin some protection too.
• Propylene Glycol Alginate: This comes from seaweed and works as both a thickener and emulsifier to keep everything the right consistency. Makes the texture smooth and keeps all the ingredients stable and properly mixed together so nothing separates out.

HYDROXYPINACOLONE RETINOATE VS BAKUCHIOL: WHICH FORMULA IS BETTER?

In case you’re wondering where the Granactive Retinoid in name of The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion comes from, that’s how the brand calls Hyxdroxypinacolone Retinoate. It’s a new form of vitamin A developed to get all the benefits of retinol without any of the side effects. Brands want you think they work the same way. And that may very well be true. But because Granactive Retinoid is so new, we don’t have any independent studies confirming their claims.

What about Bakuchiol, the active in Indeed Labs Retinol Reface? It comes from the leaves and seeds of babchi (Psoralea corylifolia) plant, native to India. A 2018 study published in the British Journal Of Dermatology shows that Bakuchiol has some powerful anti-aging properties. Researchers asked 44 people to apply either a 0.5% Bakuchiol cream twice a day or a 5% retinol cream once a day on their faces for 12 weeks. They then used a mix of computer analysis and dermatologist’s grading to measure the results.

Both Bakuchiol and retinol reduced wrinkle surface area and hyperpigmentation. Impressive, isn’t it? Until you realise retinol does all this when used ONCE a day, while Bakuchiol requires TWO applications a day. Not quite the powerful natural alternative it’s made out to be, is it? Still, if there are no side effects, a double application is worth it, right?

People who used retinol DID experience more peeling and stinging. But Bakuchiol wasn’t entirely without side effects. It caused more redness than retinol. Neither of these alternatives is as effective as retinol. Good things both brands included that, too.

Related: Which Form Of Vitamin A Is Right For You?

What’s The Texture Like?

Indeed Lab Retinol Reface has this siliconey, lightweight thing going on. You know that slippery, almost velvety feel some primers have? Yeah, it’s like that. It glides on smooth without feeling heavy or greasy, which is pretty nice if you hate that thick cream sensation on your face.

The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion is a whole different vibe. It’s this lightweight, milky white liquid that seriously absorbs into your skin like immediately. I’m talking within seconds. One minute it’s there, the next it’s just… gone. Disappeared into your face. No residue, no waiting around for it to sink in. It’s almost freaky how fast it happens.

What’s The Packaging Like?

Indeed Lab Retinol Reface comes in a white tube with a red cap and has a pump dispenser. Pretty straightforward, nothing fancy. The pump is actually convenient as hell because you get consistent amounts every time – no squeezing too much product out like an idiot and wasting half the tube.

The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion comes in one of those dark glass bottles with a dropper. Very apothecary vibes. The dark bottle protects the retinoid from light (which can break it down), so that’s actually smart. The dropper lets you control exactly how much you’re using, though honestly, droppers can be a bit fiddly if you’re half asleep doing your nighttime routine.

How To Use Them

Every other night, after you’ve cleansed your face. That’s it. Don’t go crazy and use it every single night right off the bat – your skin will hate you for it. Start slow, let your face get used to the retinoid, then you can work up to more frequent use if your skin can handle it. And for fuck’s sake, use it at night. Retinoids and sun don’t play nice together. One more thing: avoid this on nights you exfoliate.

Which Of The Two Should You Go For?

It depends on your needs. Go with The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion if:

• You have sensitive skin
• You’re still building tolerance to retinol
• You hate the feel of heavy silicone creams

Opt for Indeed Labs Retinol Reface if:

• You’re a retinol pro ready to go to the next level
• Want to try Bakuchiol

Related: The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion Full Review

Price & Availability

Indeed Labs Retinol Reface: $19.99 at Look Fantastic and Ulta

The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion: $12.10 at Asos, Beauty Bay, Cult Beauty, Sephora, SpaceNK, The Ordinary and Ulta

Is The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion A Dupe For Indeed Labs Retinol Reface?

I wouldn’t say The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion is an exact dupe for Indeed Labs Retinol Reface. Far from it. But it’s a gentler version that will give you the same results without any peeling or irritation.