Skin type: All | Additional ingredients: Oat extract, willow bark extract, licorice extract, peptides | Retinol concentration: 1% 

What you’ll love:

• Contains 1% retinol
• Slow-release formula
• Improves skin brightness and texture

Keep in mind:

• May irritate sensitive skin
• Dry skin may require another layer of moisture

Paula’s Choice is a top pick among dermatologists for its high-potency 1% retinol. The controlled-release delivery allows active ingredients to absorb gradually, preventing skin from drying out. It has the light texture of a lotion, similar to that of a primer—for those with drier skin, I recommend layering a thicker cream or oil over it for more moisture. To note: Paula’s Choice also has a 0.3% retinol formula for beginners.

Skin type: Oily, combination, normal | Additional ingredients: Glycolic acid, shea butter, squalane | Retinol concentration: Unspecified 
What you’ll love:

• Affordable
• Provides lightweight hydration
• Minimizes appearance of wrinkles

Keep in mind:

• Percentage of retinol unknown (could be anywhere from 0.1 to 1%)
• Some say it has an unpleasant odor

When shopping for an affordable product at the drugstore, it can be hard to know when you’re getting true bang for your buck. RoC tends to carry high-quality skincare that has good value, and this retinol cream is one of its more popular products: The non-greasy, hydrating night cream and corresponding eye cream are both bestsellers. In addition to retinol, the Correxion Night Cream also contains glycolic acid to exfoliate the skin while shea butter and squalane help to hydrate. It’s marketed as a wrinkle-fighting cream, but the ingredients make it a good retinol option for oily or acne-prone skin, too.

Skin type: Acne-prone, oily, combination | Additional ingredients: Ceramides, licorice root extract, niacinamide | Retinol concentration: Unspecified
What you’ll love:

• Affordable
• Contains three types of ceramides
• Diminishes post-acne marks and the appearance of pores

Keep in mind:

• Retinol percentage unknown
• Can be difficult to dispense

Retinol naturally exfoliates the skin to help clear debris from pores and can keep acne at bay. If you have oily skin, consider using a lightweight serum like this one instead of a cream. It contains encapsulated retinol to slowly release over time, protecting your skin’s barrier. The fast-absorbing and affordable serum also helps fade acne scars.

Skin type: Dry, combination, sensitive | Additional ingredients: Peptides, vitamin F, jojoba seed oil, apricot kernel oil, avocado oil | Retinol concentration: 1%

What you’ll love:

• Formulated with 1% vegan retinol
• Contains anti-aging peptides
• Comes in recyclable packaging

Keep in mind:

• Some may not love its earthy scent
• May be too heavy for oily skin

This pick has 1% retinol—the highest concentration you can get without requiring a prescription. It balances out the pore-shrinking, fine line-diminishing, uneven texture-smoothing magic with several nourishing ingredients: jojoba, apricot and avocado oils. “As someone with sensitive skin, I had concerns that retinol would cause redness and irritation,” says sleep and mattress editor McKenzie Dillon, who regularly uses this formula. “But after incorporating it into my nighttime skincare routine, it didn’t take long to see an improvement in my skin’s texture—particularly in acne scars. I have oily skin, and I don’t experience any dryness or peeling with this.” While this is suitable for sensitive skin, some people aren’t always a fan of its earthy scent. 

Skin type: Acne-prone, oily, combination | Additional ingredients: Alpha hydroxy acids, ceramides, shea butter, bisabolol, boswellia serrata extract | Retinol concentration: 1%
What you’ll love:

• Formulated with 1% retinol
• Promotes cell turnover
• Concentrated applicator

Keep in mind:

• Expensive
• May irritate sensitive skin

Retinol and alpha hydroxy acids can be most effective at night when your skin is repairing itself, and this cream contains both texture-smoothing ingredients. To balance them out, the formula also features healing botanicals like soothing bisabolol sourced from the chamomile plant, and boswellia serrata extract, which comes from frankincense. If 1% retinol still seems too strong for you, SkinCeuticals’ retinol creams come in three strength levels including 0.3% and 0.5%, which are great if you have sensitive skin or are new to using the ingredient.

Skin type: All | Additional ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, glycerin | Retinol concentration: 0.03% retinaldehyde

Best for:

• Improving the appearance of wrinkles, texture and tone
• Minimizing dryness
• Visibly reducing dark spots

Skip if:

• You want something more potent
• You don’t like pump applicators

Medik8’s formula is made with retinaldehyde (retinal), which has been shown in certain studies to work 11 times faster than retinol. This top-rated, gradual-release serum is good for those new to using topical retinoids to treat things like acne, wrinkles and hyperpigmentation because it doesn’t overwhelm skin and cause irritation. It’s formulated with hyaluronic acid and glycerin to moisturize as it visibly smooths lines, firms skin and reduces spots. And when you’re ready to level up, Medik8’s Crystal Retinal is available in progressively more potent strengths, all the way up to strength 24, which contains 0.24% retinaldehyde.

Skin type: Dry, combination | Additional ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, caffeine | Retinol concentration: 0.1%

What you’ll love:

• Caffeine helps to minimize dark circles
• Works to smooth lines
• Fast absorbing gel texture

Keep in mind:

• May cause skin irritation or peeling
• Might be too heavy for oily skin types

The skin around our eyes is thinner and more sensitive than the skin on the rest of our face, so it’s often be the first area where wrinkles start to appear. This highly-rated, cult-favorite cream pairs retinol with mineral-rich spring water to firm and nourish skin. Caffeine works to minimize dark circles, too.

Skin type: Acne-prone, oily, combination | Additional ingredients: Bakuchiol, squalane, glycolic acid, shea butter, salicylic acid | Retinol concentration: None

What you’ll love:

• Gently exfoliates skin
• Boosts moisture
• Plant-based retinol alternative

Keep in mind:

• Pricey for a small bottle
• May irritate skin with rosacea

Whether you’re pregnant, breastfeeding or just have ultra sensitive skin, you may want to avoid retinol products and go for an ingredient like bakuchiol—a gentle, plant-based retinol alternative that can provide similar results. Developed by a dermatologist, this serum combines bakuchiol with glycolic acid, salicylic acid and antioxidants to lightly exfoliate and hydrate skin while smoothing lines and wrinkles. “This is a great product for those wanting some of the skin-smoothing, brightening effects of retinol in an alternative version,” says deputy editor Jane Sung. “The high-quality ingredients are effective yet very gentle, and the formula is so nourishing that I don’t always need to layer a moisturizer on top.”

Skin type: Dry, combination, sensitive | Additional ingredients: Niacinamide | Retinol concentration: Unspecified

What you’ll love:

• Can help lighten dark spots over time
• Non-greasy
• Provides added hydration

Keep in mind:

• Jar packaging not ideal for unstable ingredients like retinol
• Retinol percentage unknown

Olay’s retinol products are rigorously tested and highly rated among dermatologists for their efficacy. The Retinol24 Max moisturizer is designed to help firm, repair and hydrate dry or sensitive skin thanks to a retinoid complex and reparative niacinamide (also known as vitamin B3). “I love its hydrating-but-not-greasy feel, as well as its lightweight and breathable profile on my dry and quite sensitive skin,” says editorial director Brinda Ayer. “I have deeper-toned skin with a tendency towards hyperpigmentation, and using this product over time has led to a noticeable fading of dark spots.” Although it’s technically a night cream, you can also wear it during the day so long as you pair it with an SPF.

Skin type: Dry, combination, sensitive | Additional ingredients: Bakuchiol, rambutan, shea butter, ferulic acid, evening primrose oil | Retinol concentration: Unspecified

What you’ll love:

• Contains both retinol and bakuchiol
• Hydrating
• Safe for dry and sensitive skin types

Keep in mind:

• Retinol percentage unknown
• May feel too heavy for those with oily or combination skin 

This hydrating cream contains ingredients that help prevent and treat fine lines while nourishing dry or sensitive skin. In addition to retinol and bakuchiol, antioxidant rambutan helps with collagen production. It also contains ferulic acid and niacinamide to keep skin hydrated and minimize hyperpigmentation—all of which contribute to a younger-looking complexion.