The Best Retinol Serums and Creams for Smoother, Brighter Skin
Ask anyone with glowing skin, and they'll likely tell you it's thanks to the best retinol serums and creams (and, okay, maybe genetics). Retinol is often hailed as the gold standard for both fighting acne and reducing wrinkles. But while the skin care ingredient is extremely effective, using it is also notoriously tricky to get right.
Our Top Picks:
- Best for Acne Scars and Acne-Prone Skin: Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil, $55
- Best for Beginners: The Inkey List Retinol Anti-Aging Serum, $13
- Best for Wrinkles: Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Regenerating Cream, $25
- Best for Mature Skin: Kate Somerville +Retinol Vitamin C Moisturizer, $110
- Best for Sensitive Skin: SkinMedica Age Defense Retinol Complex .5, $80
- Best for Hyperpigmentation: Drunk Elephant A-Passioni Retinol Cream, $74
First, let's back things up a little bit to answer the most obvious question: What exactly is retinol? Retinol is basically a catchall term for topical skin care products that contain a vitamin A derivative. If you want to talk specifics, retinol is technically a type of retinoid. “Retinoids work by increasing collagen production, as well as increasing the rate of skin-cell turnover,” says Shari Marchbein, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York. “They also help treat acne, clogged pores, and blackheads by reducing the stickiness of the cells that clog pores, as well as speeding up the rate at which the skin turns over and regenerates.” Because of this, the best retinol serums and creams are ideal for evening out skin tone, minimizing fine lines and wrinkles, improving skin's overall texture, and decreasing pore size.
But all this turnover can also lead to what's known as “purging:” irritation, including redness, peeling, and increased breakouts. Most derms recommend easing into retinol serums and creams, starting with one or two applications a week to build up your tolerance. You can also try buffering—i.e., sandwiching retinol between two layers of moisturizer—to keep retinol burn and dryness at bay. It's also worth noting that retinol works best when used at night. “Most retinoids are not stable in the sun,” says Tsippora Shainhouse, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Los Angeles. Not to mention all retinoids can make your skin somewhat sun-sensitive due to their exfoliant properties, so be sure to wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen every day, she adds.
If used correctly and carefully, though, a good retinol product can truly revolutionize your skin care routine, something many of our editors can say with certainty. We know, because we've tested all the most popular picks on the market and polled dermatologists about their favorite retinol products—the superstars that deliver results without irritation. Read on for the best retinol serums, creams, and oils they swear by, no prescription required.
All products featured on Glamour are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
- Courtesy of brand1/18
L'Oréal Paris Revitalift Night Serum With Pure Retinol
Even if you ease this potent serum into your bedtime routine (like many derms, the brand recommends starting with just two applications in the first week), expect to see results quickly. It contains the brand’s most potent form of retinol, 0.3% pure retinol—enough to brighten your complexion and smooth even deep wrinkle. It also has glycerin and hyaluronic acid to counteract the drying effects of the retinol that former senior beauty editor Lindsay Schallon says left her skin feeling hydrated and soft.
- Pros: Pure retinol; hydrating ingredients counteract irritation.
- Cons: Small bottle
- Active ingredients: Pure retinol, hyaluronic acid, glycerin
- Retinol concentration: 0.3%
- Size: 1 oz.
Save when you shop the best retinol serums with these Target promo codes and these Ulta promo codes.
- Courtesy of brand2/18
Best for Hyperpigmentation: Drunk Elephant A-Passioni Retinol Cream
After reading this review of the DE A-Passioni, contributor Brionna Jimerson decided it was time to introduce her skin to retinol. “I've heard cautionary tales about side effects like drying and peeling, but thanks to the ‘buffering’ trick, I was prepared,” she says. “The vitamin A combined with the jojoba oil in this retinol product delivered a radiant glow the morning after my first application.” Word of caution: That whole “apply a pea-size amount” rule is 100% true for this cream—less is more. “After a few weeks of nightly use, I noticed my complexion was wildly radiant—if I do say so myself,” she says.
- Pros: Hydrating oils, vegan retinol
- Cons: Expensive
- Active ingredients: Vegan retinol, peptides, vitamin F
- Retinol concentration: 1%
- Size: 1 oz.
Save when you shop the best retinol serums with these Sephora promo codes and these Ulta promo codes.
- Courtesy of brand3/18
Best for Beginners: The Inkey List Retinol Anti-Aging Serum
Contributor Jenny Singer says you should ignore the science-y packaging and buy this less-than-$15 product! “It's a nonirritating, incredibly gentle retinoid,” she says. “Very one-and-done.” Since it has squalane oil in the formula, it's a great starter retinol. If your skin freaks out at first, use it every other night or less, and always wear SPF while using retinoids. “Go forth and age gorgeously,” she advises.
- Pros: Budget-friendly; spreads well.
- Cons: Some users complain about the smell.
- Active ingredients: Retinol, retinoid, squalane
- Retinol concentration: 1%
- Size: 1 oz.
Save when you shop the best retinol serums with these Sephora promo codes.
- Courtesy of brand4/18
Best Drugstore: Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 Night Moisturizer
Beauty contributor Sarah Wu says she has a love-hate relationship with the ingredient: “I look for it everywhere, but I'm also incredibly picky about which ones are allowed to touch my face,” she says. “So when I first tried this night cream [also one of Dr. Shainhouse's faves], I was unsure whether it would make the cut. But I'm happy to report: It definitely does.” The moisturizer has a silky whipped texture that's thick yet airy, and when it goes on, Wu says, it absorbs much more quickly than she's used to with regular moisturizers. “It seals everything in, making my face feel instantly plumper and smoother,” she attests. “Truly, when you see the results, you won't believe this stuff is from the drugstore.” No wonder it took home a Glamour Beauty Award in 2020.
- Pros: Absorbs quickly; hydrating.
- Cons: Some users say it makes their skin oily.
- Active ingredients: Dimethicone, glycerin, retinol, niacinamide
- Retinol concentration: Not listed
- Size: 1.7 oz.
Save when you shop the best retinol serums with these Ulta promo codes.
- Courtesy of brand5/18
Best for Acne and Acne Scars: Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil
Bella Cacciatore, a Glamour beauty contributor, describes her skin as irritable, sensitive, and extremely prone to inflammatory acne and scarring. “Prior to doing a round of Accutane, I used a prescription retinol, Tretinoin—spoiler: neither worked)—and while it helped smooth things over a bit, my post-Accutane skin is so sensitive that even the word retinol makes it freak out.” She says Sunday Riley's Luna is the exception since it doesn’t make her breakouts worse or leave her skin dry and flaky. That's thanks to an oil base and calming blue tansy and chamomile in the formula that makes it gentle enough to use on skin a few times a week while still seeing serious results. “It doesn’t do a ton for active breakouts—although it helps minimize pores,” she says, “but it significantly lessens hyperpigmentation and gives me a crazy glow.”
- Pros: Safe for sensitive skin, great for hyperpigmentation
- Cons: Expensive
- Active ingredients: Trans-retinol, blue tansy and German chamomile essential oils, avocado seed oil, chia seed oil
- Retinol concentration: Not listed
- Size: 0.5 oz.
Save when you shop the best retinol serums with these Ulta promo codes.
- Courtesy of brand6/18
Best for Sensitive Skin: SkinMedica Age Defense Retinol Complex .5
“When I decided it was time to introduce my face to retinoids, I asked my derm for a prescription-strength retinol formula—I’m a skin-care extremist,” says Kim Fusaro, Glamour global executive director of global brand marketing. “Instead she suggested a baby step: SkinMedica’s Retinol .25 Complex.” Because it contains a minimal amount of retinol, it’s a gentle way to ease into retinol use without the redness and flaking that often accompany it. “Once my skin could tolerate that product daily, I graduated to the brand’s 0.5 complex and then the 1.0.”
- Pros: Multiple concentrations available, easy to spread
- Cons: Expensive
- Active ingredients: Retinol, niacinamide, squalane
- Retinol concentration: 0.5%
- Size: 1 oz.
Save when you shop the best retinol serums with these Dermstore promo codes
- 7/18
Best for Mature Skin: Kate Somerville +Retinol Vitamin C Moisturizer
“One miserable year with the side effects, prescription-strength Retin-A was enough to put me off anything that sounded remotely similar, but I reached for this cream after a stretch of dull-skin days and haven’t looked back,” says Wu. “While I still had traces of dark spots after using this silky cream for two weeks, they faded at a rate my other products simply couldn't replicate. The clogged pores over my nose and on my forehead diminished, and breakouts healed faster. My skin was dewier than ever, and the shudder-inducing memories of my face on Retin-A faded into the far reaches of my mind.”
- Pros: A little goes a long way; lemon-like scent.
- Cons: Expensive
- Active ingredients: Retinol, vitamin C, wild gooseberry extract
- Retinol concentration: 0.5%
- Size: 1.7 oz.
Save when you shop the best retinol serums with these Sephora promo codes.
- Courtesy of brand8/18
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Adapalene Gel 0.1% Acne Treatment
Board-certified dermatologist Mona Gohara, MD, says she wants everyone to have access to high-quality acne treatments: “That's why I love the fact that this over-the-counter retinoid has prescription-strength ingredients such as adapalene, a form of retinol that's great for targeting acne.” Bonus: It's made without oil or fragrance, so even sensitive skin can tolerate it.
- Pros: Safe for sensitive skin, budget-friendly
- Cons: Low retinol concentration
- Active ingredients: Adapalene
- Retinol concentration: 0.1%
- Size: 1.6 oz.
Save when you shop the best retinol serums with these Dermstore promo codes and Target promo codes.
- 9/18
Shani Darden Texture Reform
Schallon says her skin is “a baby: It's fragile and loves to throw a tantrum when I use anything that's the slightest bit harsh. That means the majority of retinol serums are out of the question for me with a few small exceptions, like Shani Darden's. For those who aren't familiar with Darden, she's the esthetician behind the glows of Jessica Alba, Emmy Rossum, and January Jones, so she knows her stuff. She translated that knowledge into a truly gentle retinol formula that's paired with lactic acid to smooth and exfoliate. My rosacea-prone skin shines in the morning after using it regularly.”
- Pros: Vegan formula; a little goes a long way.
- Cons: Expensive
- Active ingredients: Encapsulated retinol, AHA, apple fruit extract
- Retinol concentration: Not listed
- Size: 1 oz.
Save when you shop the best retinol serums with these Sephora promo codes.
- 10/18
The Ordinary Retinol 0.5% in Squalane
Please save yourself hundreds of dollars on luxury antiaging treatments and buy a retinol from The Ordinary, says Singer, “which costs less than an hour of minimum-wage labor and is backed by rigorous research instead of random claims of ‘pearl essence’ or whatever.” She particularly likes this one, because it's lower-strength and delivered with squalane, for minimal irritation. “Start by using it one to three times per week, use it only at night, and know that if you don’t wear sunscreen after using it, it will damage your skin. Play by those rules and be wowed.”
- Pros: Budget-friendly, great for beginners
- Cons: Should be refrigerated.
- Active ingredients: Squalane, jojoba seed oil, retinol
- Retinol concentration: 0.5%
- Size: 1 oz.
Save when you shop the best retinol serums with these Ulta promo codes.
- Courtesy of brand11/18
Best for Wrinkles: Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Regenerating Cream
Contributing beauty writer and editor Deanna Pai says “every dermatologist she's ever interviewed uses retinol on a nightly basis—so it made sense for me to do the same, especially now that I'm 30.” She says you “can't go wrong with this formula,” which delivers a combo of highly concentrated retinol, a glucose complex to fortify my skin barrier, and hyaluronic acid to hydrate. “I get all the firming and smoothing benefits of retinol cream without the telltale flakes.”
- Pros: Budget-friendly; comes in a fragrance-free version.
- Cons: Retinol is low on ingredients list.
- Active ingredients: Glycerin, dimethicone, retinol, hyaluronic acid
- Retinol concentration: Not listed
- Size: 1.7 oz.
- Courtesy of brand12/18
Mara Algae Retinol Face Oil
Senior West Coast editor Jessica Radloff says her “skin has been through everything—two stints on Accutane and is super sensitive—so naturally I was skeptical of face oils. But then I was introduced to Mara's Algae Retinol Face Oil, and realized I had nothing to worry about since it helps keep my skin moisturized but not oily.” Bonus: It's alcohol-, paraben-, and cruelty-free.
- Pros: Vegan formula, high concentration of retinol
- Cons: Expensive
- Active ingredients: Retinol, fermented green tea, wild algae
- Retinol concentration: 1.2%
- Size: 1 oz.
Save when you shop the best retinol serums with these Sephora promo codes.
- 13/18
Best for Dewy Skin: Beauty Pie Super Retinol Ceramide-Boost Antiaging Face Serum
“My skin is wildly sensitive and loves to turn fire-engine red at the slightest provocation, so retinol has long been scary to me,” says contributor Macaela MacKenzie. “I very cautiously tried Beauty Pie's formula a few years ago based on the hope that the hyaluronic acid in the formula would keep my face calm. To my delight it did. I've been using this consistently for years and it keeps my skin moisturized and glowy.”
- Pros: High concentration of retinol, hydrating ingredients
- Cons: Lower price available only to Beauty Pie members
- Active ingredients: Encapsulated retinol, lactic acid, hyaluronic acid, ceramides
- Retinol concentration: 3%
- Size: 1.69 oz.
- Courtesy of brand14/18
Best Retinol Alternative: Ole Henriksen Glow Cycle Retin-ALT Power Serum
“This was the first retinol product I’ve tried since I’ve stopped taking Accutane, and to say that I was scared of the side effects is an understatement,” says contributor Khaliha Hawkins. “But because this is a retin-alt product—it uses bakuchiol, a plant-based retinol alternative—I was left with brighter, glowing skin without the intensity or peeling that comes with a normal retinol. I’ve already finished my first bottle of this, and I’m on to my second. I’d highly recommend if you want a retinol alternative that actually works.”
- Pros: Plant-based, safe for all skin types
- Cons: Some users say it tingles on contact with skin.
- Active ingredients: Bakuchiol, edelweiss stem cell, AHAs, red algae and tara extracts
- Retinol concentration: Not listed
- Size: 1 oz.
Save when you shop the best retinol serums with these Sephora promo codes.
- Courtesy of brand15/18
Elizabeth Arden Line Erasing Night Serum
To make up for the side effects of a late night (or three consecutive ones), Hawkins says she'll treat her face to this luxe serum. “The antiaging retinol formula goes on smoothly and leaves my skin feeling perkier instantly—so long, fine lines and wrinkles,” she saus. “Plus, I appreciate the single-serving capsules so I know I’m never under- or overdoing it.”
- Pros: Easy dosing; capsules are biodegradable.
- Cons: Expensive
- Active ingredients: Dimethicone, sunflower seed oil, retinol
- Retinol concentration: Not listed
- Size: 60 count
Save when you shop the best retinol serums with these Ulta promo codes.
- Courtesy of Brand16/18
Skin Rocks Retinoid 2
Jordan Samuel Pacitti, esthetician and founder and CEO of Jordan Samuel Skin, says this a great midstrength formula if you are someone who already has experience with retinols. “It's a combination of hydroxypinacolone retinoate and retinol and can be used as your serum step or your moisturizing step, depending on your skin’s current condition and how oily or dry it may be.”
- Pros: Safe for all skin types; a little goes a long way.
- Cons: Expensive
- Active ingredients: Dimethicone, bakuchiol, retinol
- Retinol concentration: Not listed
- Size: 1.01 oz.
- Courtesy of Brand17/18
RoC Retinol Anti-Aging + Firming Night Face Moisturizer
Dr. Shainhouse likes this budget-friendly night treatment that contains both alpha hydroxy acids, “which help to unstick and exfoliate dulling, dead skin cells immediately,” as well as retinol, “which stimulates cell turnover and new collagen production over time.” With regular use over two to three months, she says these can help to reduce the appearance of fine lines.
- Pros: Budget-friendly, hypoallergenic
- Cons: Retinol concentration is not listed.
- Active ingredients: Dimethicone, glycerin, retinol, squalane
- Retinol concentration: Not listed
- Size: 1 oz.
Save when you shop the best retinol serums with these Target promo codes.
- Courtesy of Brand18/18
Dr. Dennis Gross Advanced Retinol + Ferulic Texture Renwal Serum
Another serum Dr. Shainhouse cosigns is this multipurpose product from Dr. Dennis Gross that “contains a number of antiaging ingredients that work well together to minimize the appearance of fine lines, skin discoloration, and stimulate new collagen growth over time.” She says it also contains hyaluronic acid, “which draws hydration into the top layers of skin, temporarily plumping the skin and reducing the appearance of fine lines,” as well as ferulic acid, a strong antioxidant that helps to undo UV and pollution-related free radical damage to DNA and collagen and alpha hydroxy acids that gently exfoliate the top layer of dulling dead skin cells.”
- Pros: Packed with nourishing ingredients; brightening.
- Cons: Expensive
- Active ingredients: Retinol, bakuchiol, rambutan
- Retinol concentration: Not listed
- Size: 1 oz.
Save when you shop the best retinol serums with these Sephora promo codes and these Nordstrom promo codes.
