Is retinol 2% profitable to sell on Amazon United States?

The niche generates $101K/yr across 4 tracked products. 90-day search growth is +147.3%. Flapen's verdict: Skip it (41/100).

How competitive is the retinol 2% niche?

1 brands and 5 sellers compete. The top 5 products take 100% of clicks and top 5 brands hold 100% of demand.

What do buyers complain about in retinol 2%?

Top complaints mined from reviews: Oily/Greasy, Allergies, Skin Health. The return rate is 0.6%.

When does demand for retinol 2% peak?

Demand peaks in May–Jun; the busiest month runs 3.1× the quietest.

What does it cost to enter the retinol 2% niche?

Listings span $8.44–$14.31; the average listing price is $11.05 (sweet spot $15–$100). The average incumbent carries 8,182 reviews — the moat a new listing must climb.

retinol 2%

Skip it

A concentrated shelf (top 5 take 100% of clicks) — this niche doesn't clear our bar today.

Returns

Incredible0.6%

return rate — above 5% kills the launch gate

Growth

Incredible+147.3%

90-day search growth — must beat 0% to launch

Conversion

Great7.4%

search→purchase rate — share of searches ending in a sale

Avg price

Okay$11.05

avg listing price — sweet spot $15–$100

Market size

Okay$101K

$101K/yr · 123K searches

Quality gap

Okay4.6★

avg incumbent rating — lower means beatable quality

Review moat

Bad8,182.25

avg incumbent reviews — the moat a new listing must climb

Competition

Bad100%

top-5 click share — a locked-up shelf

Brand share

Bad100%

top-5 brand share — brand-locked demand

Price range

Bad$8.44–$14.31

cheapest to priciest tracked listing — scored on the share inside $15–$100

Signals Trending

According to Flapen's Amazon United States niche tracking, retinol 2% is a $101K/yr Amazon United States market (123K searches/yr). The top 5 brands hold 100% of demand. Demand peaks in May–Jun. Verdict: Skip it — 41/100.

Data updated Jul 16, 2026 · scored weekly · How we score niches

retinol 2% market data

Units sold / yr: 15K–20K; avg 4,000–5,000/product
Revenue / yr: $166K–$221K; units × avg price
Conversion rate: 7.4%
Avg BSR: #70
Page quality: 0%
Prime: 100%
Sponsored: 100%
Out of stock: 0.0%
Avg brand age: 49 months
Avg seller age: 121 days

Competition & brand share

The top 5 products capture 100% of clicks — a locked-up shelf that new listings rarely crack.

Brands

1 flat

Sellers

Top-5 brand share

100%

Top 20: 100%

Top-5 click share

100%

Top 20: 100%

Open market

The Ordinary100%

Demand & seasonality

Weekly Amazon search volume, last 104 weeks — +147.3% search growth over the last 90 days.

Peak months: May, Jun · busiest ÷ quietest = 3.1×

Open Trend

Top retinol 2% search terms

ordinary retinol 2 percent20K/yr >1,000%16.1% conv.
the ordinary retinol 2%8K/yr +992.5%13.1% conv.
the ordinary granactive retinoid 2% emulsion15K/yr +91.8%14.6% conv.
the ordinary granactive retinoid16K/yr +64.3%14.4% conv.
retinol 2%17K/yr +60.2%3.3% conv.
the ordinary retinoid12K/yr +25.4%11.6% conv.
2% retinol7K/yr +176.4%5.5% conv.
granactive retinoid the ordinary11K/yr +17.1%11.4% conv.
the ordinary granactive retinoid 2 percent emulsion5K/yr +93.4%14.5% conv.
ordinary retinoid6K/yr +87.6%10.1% conv.

All search terms

Top retinol 2% products on Amazon

Each bubble is one product — market share against review moat; bubble size tracks estimated sales, color grades how beatable the incumbent looks.

Beatable (≤4.3★) Contested Strong incumbent (>4.7★)

All 4 tracked products in this niche — three views at once, no toggling.

Top sellers

by 90-day click share

The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion Advanced Retinoid Alternative for Anti-Aging and Skin Texture Improvement 1 Fl Oz

The Ordinary$11.584.6★6,019 rev

The Ordinary Retinol 0.2% in Squalane Gentle Retinol Serum for the Face That Is Anti-Aging and Skin Smoothing 1 Fl Oz

The Ordinary$8.444.6★4,874 rev

The Ordinary Retinal 0.2% Emulsion High-Strength Retinoid Serum for Advanced Anti-Aging Support 0.5 Fl Oz

The Ordinary$14.314.6★2,947 rev

The Ordinary Retinol 1% in Squalane High-Strength Retinol Serum for Anti-Aging and Skin Smoothing 1 Fl Oz

The Ordinary$9.894.6★18,889 rev

Newest

by launch date

The Ordinary Retinal 0.2% Emulsion High-Strength Retinoid Serum for Advanced Anti-Aging Support 0.5 Fl Oz

The Ordinary$14.312,947 rev

2y ago

The Ordinary Retinol 0.2% in Squalane Gentle Retinol Serum for the Face That Is Anti-Aging and Skin Smoothing 1 Fl Oz

The Ordinary$8.444,874 rev

8y ago

The Ordinary Retinol 1% in Squalane High-Strength Retinol Serum for Anti-Aging and Skin Smoothing 1 Fl Oz

The Ordinary$9.8918,889 rev

9y ago

The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion Advanced Retinoid Alternative for Anti-Aging and Skin Texture Improvement 1 Fl Oz

The Ordinary$11.586,019 rev

9y ago

What buyers say about retinol 2%

What buyers praise and complain about, mined from review topics.

What buyers love

Quality-Overall14%

“Overall this product is the best bang for your buck”

Value For Money14%

“reasonable price”

Suitability Combination Skin12%

“Works well on my combination skin”

Soft Feel10%

“goes on smooth”

Allergies5%

“No irritation”

Moist/Dry5%

“my skin feels more hydrated overall”

Absorbency3%

“absorbs well”

Symptom Reduction3%

“This is really helped with my dark spots and acne”

Texture/Consistency-Overall3%

“improved texture”

Suitability Dry Skin3%

“which works well for dry skin types”

What buyers complain about

Oily/Greasy14%

“it makes me feel greasy”

Allergies11%

“Allergic reaction”

Skin Health6%

“chemically burnt my face with the tiniest amount”

Smell5%

“Weird odor”

Functionality-Overall5%

“Doesnt work”

Moist/Dry3%

“then my face started getting dry”

Strength3%

“VERY WEAK”

Value For Money3%

“its just expensive”

Absorbency3%

“It does not absorb well”

Size-Overall2%

“Too small”

Top return reasons

Advertised Vs Actual Product12%

Oily/Greasy12%

Functionality-Overall11%

Skin Health9%

Smell8%

Product Condition7%

Value For Money6%

Size-Overall4%

Defective Material/Parts4%