Quick answer: the COSRX The Retinol 0.5 Oil comes closest to The Ordinary Retinol 1% in Squalane: it has every key treatment active in it (Retinol). On price, both sit in the Budget tier. It also overlaps with 1 other product below.
Products the The Retinol 0.5 Oil matches
The Ordinary
1 of 1
hero active matched
Same price tierRetinol
Why it holds up: Matches every key treatment active in the original: Retinol.
Full ingredient analysis →See them side by side →The Inkey List
2 of 3
hero actives matched
Same price tierRetinolSqualane
Why it holds up: Shares Retinol, but not the original's Retinyl Retinoate.
Full ingredient analysis →See them side by side →Common questions
Is the COSRX The Retinol 0.5 Oil a real dupe?
It shares hero actives with 2 same-category products in our catalogue, most closely The Ordinary Retinol 1% in Squalane (matching 1 of 1 of its hero actives). "Dupe" here means shared key ingredients, not an identical formula.
Does matching more hero actives make it better?
No. The match count only shows how many hero actives are shared. The base, supporting ingredients, texture and price still differ, so use the side-by-side comparison for the full picture.
Educational information only — not medical advice. Overlap reflects shared hero actives, not clinical equivalence.