Skincare SuppliesBuild the formula, skip the markup.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. How we earn.

How we build Retinol Peptide Serum

The original, what makes it special and the shelf parts we use. This build already reaches the highest score we can honestly claim.

RETINOL

The original · Face Reality

Retinol Peptide Serum

$60 · 1 oz

A time-released, micro-encapsulated retinol serum with two peptides (palmitoyl tripeptide-38 and N-prolyl palmitoyl tripeptide-56) and copper lysinate/prolinate.

Official product page (opens in new tab)

Prices and listings checked Oct 28, 2026. Amazon prices change; the link shows today's price.

Step 2 · The build

No cheaper rebuild yet 2 parts

  • Illustration of Paula's Choice CLINICAL 1% Retinol Treatment

    Paula's Choice

    CLINICAL 1% Retinol Treatment

    ARetinol · 45 of 60BPalmitoyl tripeptide-38 and related peptides · 6 of 25
    ~$65Buy on Amazon (opens in new tab)
  • Illustration of The Ordinary "Buffet" + Copper Peptides 1% (now sold as Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1%)

    The Ordinary

    The Ordinary "Buffet" + Copper Peptides 1% (now sold as Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1%)

    Adds: Palmitoyl tripeptide-38 and related peptides; Copper lysinate/prolinate

    BPalmitoyl tripeptide-38 and related peptides · 13 of 25CCopper lysinate/prolinate · 8 of 15
    $32Buy on Amazon (opens in new tab)

Partial credit means the part only partly matches that standout.

No cheaper rebuild yet. The closest match we found costs more than Retinol Peptide Serum, so we show no savings.

The 100 points

What stands out 100 pts

We split Retinol Peptide Serum into 3 standout parts. Each bar shows what the build earns.

  • ARetinol45 of 60 pts

    Retinol improved naturally aged skin in a 24-week study (0.4%); this serum's level is unpublished.

    Kafi 2007 · Arch Dermatol
  • BPalmitoyl tripeptide-38 and related peptides13 of 25 pts

    Signaling peptides; evidence for these specific peptides was not located, though a related palmitoyl pentapeptide improved photoaged skin.

    No close retail equivalent: we credit at most 50% of these points.

    Robinson 2005 · Int J Cosmet Sci
  • CCopper lysinate/prolinate8 of 15 pts

    A copper complex; copper peptide literature is largely from makers of copper peptides.

    No close retail equivalent: we credit at most 50% of these points.

    Pickart 2015 · Biomed Res Int

Step 3 · Buy

Buy the closest match

One link per part. Each opens the retailer in a new tab.

Skincare SuppliesOct 28, 2026

Closest match

  1. 01Paula's ChoiceCLINICAL 1% Retinol Treatment~$65

    Running total ~$65

    Buy on Amazon (opens in new tab)
  2. 02The OrdinaryThe Ordinary "Buffet" + Copper Peptides 1% (now sold as Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1%)$32

    Running total ~$97

    Buy on Amazon (opens in new tab)
Build total~$97
The splurge$60
Match66/100
Costs more by$37

Snapshot prices. Each link shows today's price.

How to use

  1. Add The Ordinary "Buffet" + Copper Peptides 1% (now sold as Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1%): A peptide and copper-peptide serum at $32 for the peptide half. Pair it with the retinol serum, they are separate bottles.

Other single-product swaps

One bottle instead of a build. Sorted by match score; scores use the same standouts as above.

mid Closest we found

CLINICAL 1% Retinol Treatment

Paula's Choice

Match score 51 out of 100

No close match yet — we show the nearest formulas.

~$65 Price not confirmed · 1 fl oz
What it shares, what it misses

Shares

  • Retinol
  • Peptides

Misses

  • Time-release

Why it is close. Paula's Choice 1% retinol with peptides at $65. Costs more than the Face Reality serum.

Ingredient list source

Buy on Amazon (opens in new tab)
budget

The Ordinary Retinol 0.5% in Squalane

The Ordinary

Match score 45 out of 100
$9.30 · 1 fl oz (30 ml)
What it shares, what it misses

Shares

  • Retinol 0.5%

Misses

  • Peptides
  • Copper complex
  • Time-release

Why it is close. A published 0.5% retinol in squalane at $9.30. No peptides.

Ingredient list source

View product (opens in new tab)

Not an affiliate link.

budget

The Ordinary "Buffet" + Copper Peptides 1% (now sold as Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1%)

The Ordinary

Match score 21 out of 100
$32 · 1 fl oz (30 ml)
What it shares, what it misses

Shares

  • Palmitoyl tripeptide-38
  • Copper tripeptide-1

Misses

  • Retinol
  • Time-release

Why it is close. A peptide and copper-peptide serum at $32 for the peptide half. Pair it with the retinol serum, they are separate bottles.

Ingredient list source

Buy on Amazon (opens in new tab)

What the science says

Full ingredient list

Show the INCI list

aqua (water), caprylic/capric triglyceride, glycerin, dimethyl isosorbide, ammonium acryloyldimethyltaurate/vp copolymer, tapioca starch, phenoxyethanol, retinol, polysorbate 20, sodium stearoyl glutamate, cyclodextrin, sodium gluconate, o-cymen-5-ol, ethylhexylglycerin, pentylene glycol, methylglucoside phosphate, copper lysinate/prolinate, hydroxypropyl cyclodextrin, palmitoyl tripeptide-38, caprylyl glycol, n-prolyl palmitoyl tripeptide-56 acetate

Source

Questions

What does the 66/100 score for our Retinol Peptide Serum build mean?

We split Retinol Peptide Serum into 3 standout parts worth 100 points in total. The build earns 66 of a possible 66. 66 is the most we claim, because some standouts have no close retail equivalent.

What is the best dupe for Retinol Peptide Serum?

CLINICAL 1% Retinol Treatment by Paula's Choice is our closest single-product match at 51 out of 100 for ~$65 (1 fl oz). It shares Retinol, Peptides.

How much can I save on Retinol Peptide Serum?

Retinol Peptide Serum costs $60 for 1 oz. The closest dupe costs ~$65. Prices change, so check the seller page.

Is CLINICAL 1% Retinol Treatment exactly the same as Retinol Peptide Serum?

No. Dupes share the key actives but can differ in concentration, vehicle and supporting ingredients. Missing from this one: Time-release. See our methodology for how we score.

Related