Retinol is a powerful active ingredient and skincare staple for so many reasons. It helps increase skin cell turnover which minimises signs of ageing; it helps to thicken the skin and preserve its integrity to keep your complexion bouncy; and it also helps to reduce excessive oil flow and improve acne-prone skin.
Naturally, there are many products on the market, and finding the best ones without spending hundreds on trial and error is near impossible. A tip that I learned from Medik8 founder Daniel Isaacs is to look at the colour. Effective retinol products should always have a yellow or pink tone, otherwise the percentage may not be high enough. The other way to find a decent retinol? Word of mouth recommendations of course.
As someone with an oily skin type, I’ve used my fair share of retinol, retinal and vitamin A skin products. While there are many effective formulas, only a handful truly offer that glassy, bouncy complexion without drying out your skin. Based on the products that I’ve tried and loved over the years, here my selection of the best retinol creams and serums.
1. Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Retinol Serum
This is a long-standing favourite of mine. It is a stronger product, so best used by individuals who are no younger than 25 or who have visible signs of ageing. It does an excellent job at perfecting without compromising the skin barrier. I could use this every night without my skin drying out.
2. Medik8 Crystal Retinal
This product is a retinal, not a retinol. It’s still under the vitamin A umbrella but its one step further down the chain towards retinoic acid – meaning its stronger. So, if you are switching between retinol and retinal, remember the percentages don’t convert equally. 1% retinal is much stronger than 1% retinol.
The Medik8 Crystal Retinal range is excellent. It has a few different strength options so you can customise your experience based on your skin type and sensitivity. I love the strength 6 option (but start lower if you’re a first time user). This one is particularly good for combatting acne.
3. Skinstitut EXPERT Reveal Retinol Face Oil
While I do also like the retinol in the regular Skinstitut range, this one is a higher percentage. The original one is 0.25%, a great option for younger individuals or those with sensitive skin. But this one, the Face Oil in the expert range is equivalent to 0.9%. It packs more of a punch. I love the dewy, oil formulation – I love in winter when my skin is a bit drier.
4. Rationale #6 The Night Creme
This peachy-toned cream is an all-in-one solution. I love it for travel when you don’t have the space for multiple products. It has both retinol and retinal plus enzymes for exfoliation and a calming complex to preserve the skin integrity. While Rationale does not indicate the strength of the percentage in this product, I believe it’s somewhere in the middle. If you’re new to retinol products, you might need to build up a tolerance or only use this every second night until you can tolerate it.
5. Allies of Skin Retinal & Peptides Repair Night Cream
I’ve used this on and off for a few years and it’s great. I think the potency of the product relative to the price point is very fair, too. The inclusion of peptides means its a great product for targeting volume loss and skin laxity. As an encapsulated formula, its easier to tolerate this retinal if you have sensitive skin. It also means it’s more stable and will last longer once you’ve opened the bottle.
6. Synergie Skin Acceler-A
Synergie Skin has a few retinol products in its range but this is the most powerful. I would not recommend this one if you’re new to the vitamin A umbrella. But if your skin is already tolerant to vitamin A, the results from this one are excellent. My skin always feels glassy after using this.
7. Esmi encapsulated retinol range
These products are great for those who are starting a retinol journey. There are four levels that allow you to start low and slow and work up – or jump straight to a level four like I did. Since its encapsulated, it will be much better tolerated by those with more sensitive skin. I think this range is particularly good for those looking to combat spots and acne. The different strength options and the calming ingredients mean its suitable for younger individuals trying to manage breakouts. Although, of course you get the anti-ageing benefits too!
8. Paula’s Choice Retinol Booster
Paula’s Choice is a brand known for its high quality ingredients, so I will always have an inherent level of trust. What I really like about this product? It’s just a retinol, no extras, no added botanicals. Just retinol. So, if you’re on a prescriptive regime with lots of other actives, this is perfect. If you already have peptides or vitamin Cs elsewhere in your routine, you can add this product without worrying about doubling up. It does exactly what it says on the tin and means you can completely customise your routine.
9. Alpha-H Beauty Sleep Power Peel
This is a product I’ll never take it on a summer holiday. It really does leave you feeling like you’ve woken up with a new face, absolutely do not go in the sun the following day. In addition to 0.5% retinol, it does have a high concentration of glycolic acid for that exfoliating effect, so I wouldn’t recommend if you are intolerant to acids. But if you have the right skin to tolerate this product, it’s excellent for an overnight refresh. It’s currently in my routine and I use it once or twice a week.
10. Glossier Universal Pro-Retinol Overnight Renewing Treatment
Glossier’s answer to retinol isn’t as high-powered as other products on the market, it’s why this one is my travel retinol. It’s just strong enough to keep your skin clear and happy, but without sensitising your skin to the point that you have to stay inside with the curtains drawn. Obviously, you still need to wear a strong SPF after use. But this is a product that doesn’t prohibit me from enjoying summer weather.
What else do you need to know about retinol?
Retinol can travel under the skin
If you’re avoiding a certain area of the face like the eye area, make sure you give a 5-10mm gap as the product can travel once it penetrates the skin.
Retinol and retinal are different
They sound the same but are quite different. When you apply retinol, it turns to retinal, which then turns to retinoic acid. Retinal is a step further down the chain towards a compound your body and skin can use. It means that a 1% retinal is far more potent than a 1% retinol.
So why don’t all brands just use retinal? Well, it’s hard to stabilise and can cause more skin sensitivity. It means retinal products can be more expensive as it requires more technology to formulate it.
You can tell retinol quality by the colour
Effective, high-percentage retinols will be yellow in colour. If they have extra ingredients and botanicals, they can be pink or peach in colour too.
Retinol products can make your skin more sensitive – especially to the sun
If you’re using a retinol, you will a high-quality sunscreen to protect your skin from the sun. Retinol is designed to help expose more new and fresh skin, and this new skin will be more sensitive to the weather, dryness, other types of skincare and more. You can mitigate any sensitivity by introducing a barrier cream.
Feature images: Kristina Yenko and Hannah Scott-Stevenson
