Side-by-side
COSRX Retinol 0.5 Oil vs Sunday Riley Luna: Which to Choose?
What is the difference between COSRX The Retinol 0.5 Oil and Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil?
| Product | Key ingredients | Skin type (brand) | Fragrance | Worth knowing | Size | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retinol 0.5% | Brand doesn't say | Sold as fragrance free | Nothing flagged | 20 ml | Brand's page Checked | |
| Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate | Brand doesn't say | Sold as fragrance free, but the label lists scent ingredients | Nothing flagged | 35 ml | Brand's page Checked |
Both are retinoid face oils, but they use different retinoids and the scent profile differs sharply. COSRX The Retinol 0.5 Oil lists 0.5% retinol in a 10-ingredient squalane base with no essential oils. Sunday Riley Luna lists hydroxypinacolone retinoate in 19 ingredients, including eight essential oils and two colorants, even though it is sold as fragrance free.
How the labels differ
COSRX The Retinol 0.5 Oil lists 10 ingredients. Its top five are squalane, soybean oil, di-C12-13 alkyl malate, retinol and caprylic/capric triglyceride. It also lists BHT, tocotrienols and tocopherol. COSRX sells it as fragrance free, and the list contains no essential oils or fragrance allergens. The bottle is 20 ml.
Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil lists 19 ingredients. Its top five are grape seed oil, blackberry seed oil, chia seed oil, avocado oil and dimethyl isosorbide. Hydroxypinacolone retinoate is seventh, with no stated percentage. Sunday Riley sells Luna as fragrance free, but the list includes essential oils of bitter orange flower, orange, matricaria chamomile, ylang ylang, vetiver, Roman chamomile, blue tansy and Cape chamomile, plus vanilla extract and the colorants Green 6 and Violet 2. The bottle is 35 ml.
The labels share no ingredients. Neither product file names skin types.
Which to choose
COSRX The Retinol 0.5 Oil
Choose this if you want
- A stated retinol percentage (0.5%)
- No essential oils on the label
- A base led by squalane and soybean oil
- A shorter ingredient list (10 vs 19 ingredients)
Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil
Choose this if you want
- A plant seed oil base (grape, blackberry, chia and avocado oils)
- A larger bottle or jar (35 ml vs 20 ml)
Worth knowing
- Scent ingredients on the label: Citrus Aurantium Amara (Bitter Orange) Flower Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Oil, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Oil and 5 more
Common questions
Which retinoid does each one use?
COSRX lists retinol at 0.5%. Sunday Riley Luna lists hydroxypinacolone retinoate and does not state a percentage in the product data used here.
Is Luna fragrance free?
Sunday Riley says Luna has no added fragrance, but its ingredient list includes eight essential oils, such as ylang ylang, blue tansy and several chamomile oils, plus vanilla extract.
Do they share ingredients?
No. The two ingredient lists have no ingredients in common.