There’s only one skincare ingredient that has been proven to prevent aging, and that’s retinol. Retinol is a must-have ingredient to have in your skincare routine, so if you’re looking for the best retinol serums that target wrinkles, fine lines, acne, and minimizing pores, then you need to keep reading. Whether you’re looking for the best retinol serums for sensitive skin and beginners, or you’re an experienced retinol user, these products are game changers.
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What are the Benefits of Retinol?
Retinol is a form of vitamin A that is used on the face and body. It’s gained a lot of popularity the last few years because of how great it is for the skin. Some of the benefits of retinol serums for skin and face include:
- Only skincare ingredient proven to ‘anti-age’ by preventing wrinkles and reducing fine lines and wrinkles
- Serves as an exfoliate to brighten the skin and smooth the skin
- Great for acne: reduces breakouts, clears acne, and controls oily skin
- Increase collagen production and elasticity
- Fades dark spots and hyperpigmentation
- Evens skin tone and complexion
- Clear pores
- Speeds up cell turnover
What Percentage of Retinol Serum is Best?
Retinol comes in many different percentages, most commonly 0.25%, 0.5%, 1%, and 2%. Studies that shown that for retinol to actually be effective it needs to be at least 0.25%, so I would not recommend using any percentage lower than this if you want to reap the full benefits of retinol.
Because retinol is a strong ingredient, start with low percentages and gradually increase as your skin gets used to it.
If you have oily skin, then you can probably use a higher percentage to start with, but if you have dry or thin skin, stick to lower percentages first.
Should I Use Retinol Everyday?
Once you get used to the ingredient, retinol should be applied every evening as a part of your skincare routine (it’s better to apply it at night instead of the day because sunlight can deactivate some types of retinol).
But, when you first start using retinol, I would recommend applying it 2 to 3 times a week. As your skin starts to get used to it, you can apply it more often, until eventually you’re using it everyday.
The Best Retinol Serums for Face
Best Retinols for Sensitive Skin and Beginners
La Roche Posay B3 Pure Retinol Serum
This is one of the best retinol serums available because it’s great for all types of skin (including sensitive skin!) and it has amazing ingredients including pure retinol, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and dimethicone.
Whether you’re a beginner or have been using retinol for years, your skin will LOVE this pure retinol serum.
Versed Gentle Retinol Serum
This retinol is one of the best retinol serums for sensitive skin and beginners because it’s very gentle so it won’t dry your skin out and cause adverse reactions, but still very effective at smoothing the skin and reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
P.S. Use it only at night!
Kiehl’s Micro-Dose Anti-Aging Retinol Serum
Not only is this Kiehl’s micro-dose retinol serum amazing for sensitive skin because it has daily strength doses of retinol, but it’s also paraben and fragrance free, which can be irritants for sensitive skin.
This is a great starter retinol serum for sensitive skin and beginners.
RoC Retinol Correxion Sensitive Skin Night Cream
This is an awesome drugstore retinol cream for beginners and sensitive skin!
It’s a mild strength nighttime retinol treatment that has hyaluronic acid, which is great because even if your skin does get dry using this (though it shouldn’t because of how mild it is), the hyaluronic acid restores essential moisture and hydrates the skin.
If you’re looking for the best retinol serums for sensitive skin and beginners, this drugstore option is a MUST.
First Aid Beauty 0.25% Pure Concentrate Retinol Serum
I used this retinol serum when I first started using retinol and it’s AMAZING.
It’s super effective because even though it’s a mild percentage of 0.25%, it’s a pure concentrate. But it also has so many other amazing ingredients like hyaluronic acid, vitamins C and E, and aloe that nourish and plump the skin while reducing lines and dark spots.
The Best Retinol Serums for Face for 2022
Peter Thomas Roth Retinol Fusion PM Night Serum
This is one of the best retinol serums OF ALL TIME.
It has 1.5% retinol, vitamin C, and vitamin E, that smoothes the skin, reduces wrinkles, and exfoliates the skin all at one.
I have loved every Peter Thomas Roth product I’ve ever tried, but this one especially.
Naturium Retinol Complex Face Serum
This is one of the best retinol serums for face if you want something affordable but effective and it’s great for acne.
It has 2.5% retinol which means it’s highly active, and highly effective.
This is one of the best retinol serums for oily skin and people who are used to using retinol.
Sunday Riley A+ High Dose Retinol Serum
If you’re looking for products for anti-aging, then this Sunday Riley retinol serum is a must.
This retinol serum has a 6.5% solution of stabilized retinoid blends that makes it highly active and effective and it’s one of the best retinols for acne.
Be careful, though, because since it’s such a high dose, this is not a retinol for beginners.
CeraVe Anti-Aging Retinol Serum
This is one of the best drugstore retinol serums because it’s accessible, effective, and packed with ingredients like niacinamide and hyaluronic acid that won’t dry your skin out after using retinol.
Lancer Advanced Retinol Treatment
This advanced retinol serum has 1.25% pure retinol, which is great for very oily skin and experienced retinol users.
It also has collagen and prickly pear extract that makes the skin look plumper, smoother, and reduces redness.
This is the ultimate retinol serum to treat yourself and pamper your skin.
Olay Retinol24 Max Night Serum
Olay’s skincare products are so underrated, including this retinol night serum.
Not only is it affordable and available at most drugstores, but it also has vitamin B3 that helps the skin stay moisturized and hydrated all day long.
Ole Henriksen Retin-ALT Power Serum
This retinol serum has some of the most amazing active ingredients for your skin:
- Bakuchiol: evens skin tone, smooth texture, target lines and wrinkles
- Edelweiss Stem Cell: promotes firmness
- AHAs & Hibiscus Flower Extract: exfoliates, evens skin tone, smoothes skin
- Red Algae & Tara Extracts: promotes firmness
- Fruit and Plant Extracts: hydrate skin
Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Retinol Oil
Here’s another amazing drugstore retinol serum that specifically targets deep wrinkles and lines for radiant, more youthful looking skin.
And it’s less than $20!
These are some of the best retinol serums for beginners, sensitive skin, acne, and anti-aging. There’s even some amazing drugstore retinol serums for face!
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