2024's "5 Best" Retinol Serum On The Market
The Good, the Bad & the Ugly - We've Got You Covered!
At the top of our request list in the past few months, we are happy to finally bring you all our reviews of the top Retinol Serums on the market right now. Our team has reviewed over 30 different Retinol Serum skincare products and we’ve selected only the best for you to try out now!
Retinol is a type of vitamin A that supports cell production and skin elasticity. Vitamin A can be found in the form of retinoic acid, which has been proven to revitalize the texture of your skin and promotes a younger appearance; however, it can potentially irritate sensitive skin if the products are not infused with the correct moisturizing and calming ingredients.
As Retinol cannot be synthesized by the body, adding topical products into the skin care elements of daily routines has become a popular way to receive its tried and tested benefits.
Our test team sought out products containing potent active ingredients to identify which formulations are safe enough for long-term use without causing harm to your skin – check out the five top-rated formulas below.
What is so special about Retinol?
Retinol belongs to the retinoid group which is linked to the Vitamin A family. Consumers often wonder about the difference between retinol and retinoids. The main difference comes down to strength. Retinol has a lower concentration of the active retinoic acid component. Vitamin A and its derivatives such as retinol are widely applied in the cosmetic world as they are deemed the most effective substances in slowing the aging process. Due to being a potent dermatological agent, Retinol is also used in the treatment of psoriasis, acne, and other skin-related diseases.
Topical retinol is known for its ability to reverse natural aging by improving the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, stimulating collagen production, and increasing the induction of glycosaminoglycan of which a core property is water retention. Research suggests that the role retinol plays in strengthening the protective function of the epidermis also means the skin has a better ability to prevent ulcer formation and withstand skin injury.
Choosing the Right Skincare
When it comes to choosing skin care products, many of us are tempted to reach for the most affordable and ultimately the cheapest option we can find. Yet, the reason some products are more expensive than others is they are significantly higher in quality. Although they require you to spend a bit more, you are likely to see better results and receive more of the expected benefits of the products you are using.
We know how hard it can be to differentiate the good from the bad with so many brands and products all promising the world – which is why we have created this top 5 list of the best products on the market, based on our research-backed, 10-point rating system.
The Good - What to Look For
With so many choices on the market, finding the right Retinol Serum can be challenging. After extensive research to determine what criteria you should look for, we have identified the following:
- Active Ingredients – It’s not surprising that women are left confused when selecting premium skin care, when labels use phrases to grab their attention but the products themselves are filled with inactive ingredients that produce lackluster results. Active ingredients have been scientifically proven to do what they say they will do and achieve the desired effect by working to address the target skin concern of the product. Active ingredients ensure the label actually matches the outcome.
- High Potency – Everything in a skincare formula should contribute to its overall purpose. Each formula should consist of research-determined optimal ingredient strength to successfully address the target skin concern without irritating, and zero fillers that jeopardize or dilute their effectiveness.
- Purity – not all formulations are created equally. In most cases, active ingredients can be found naturally and derived safely; however, when created synthetically, or hazardous processes are used, these same ingredients can result in a harmful effect on health and put consumer safety at risk.
The Bad - What to Avoid
Here are some useful things to avoid when purchasing a Retinol serum to ensure you (and the rest of mother earth’s creatures) are receiving optimal benefits:
- Low Potency – those who religiously read labels know there are typically multiple barely decipherable ingredients in a skin care product. Each additional substance essentially dilutes the potency and effectiveness of the key ingredients. The ingredients that actually make the difference to the well-being of your skin. This leaves those products with low potency to start with a small chance of achieving what they originally set out to do.
- Unnecessary Ingredients – call them what you like. Fillers, carrier ingredients, or bulking agents. They all decrease the overall potency of the key ingredients, reduce the overall product value, and compromise skin health.
- Tested on animals – simple. Because they matter too.
- Fragranced – while a soothing scent adds to the experience of a product, the term “fragrance” refers to a dark hole of possibly toxic ingredients that governing bodies have little to no control over.
- Overly Expensive – while it is fair to assume at first glance that more expensive products contain a higher concentration of quality ingredients that are safer for all skin types; it is important to dig deeper to ensure that the price you are paying matches up to this rather than being more expensive due to things like marketing, packaging or having proprietary ingredients that often do not have the scientific evidence to back their effectiveness.
The System - Our 10-Step, Research-Backed Ranking Method
There is so much more to choosing a Retinol serum, than just taking marketing and labels at face value. That simply isn’t enough. Instead, we choose to test and compare each Retinol serum against our 10-point ranking system:
- 1The purity and quality of ingredients and sourcing.
- 2 The presence or lack of artificial fillers, preservatives, and additives.
- 3 Regulated manufacturing facilities and high-quality processes.
- 4 The information behind the product - science, research, and development.
- 5 levels of Retinoic Acid availability, digestibility, and absorption.
- 6 Manufacturer governing bodies registrations and certifications.
- 7 Third-party testing to determine validity and accuracy of label information.
- 8 Filtering customer reviews to remove paid/fake reviews to highlight truthful customer experience.
- 9 Price and value for money.
- 10 Return and money-back guarantee policies.
The Guide - How We Evaluated the Top 5
- 20 Hours Researched
- 5 Expert Evaluations
- 60 Customer Experience Interviews
Our Top 5 Retinol products were chosen based on studious research that dove deep into the quality of each individual product; consultation with leading skin care clinicians to gain their expert opinions; and a multitude of user experience interviews, to ensure the products you find below are the best on the market and most beneficial for your skin.
TOP 5 RETINOL PRODUCTS IN 2024
#1 Habitual Skin
Habitual Skin Retinol Serum
Overall Rating (4.9)
4.9/5
- Quality Rating: 10/10
- Expert Rating: 9.9/10
- Users Rating: 9.8/10
Habitual Skin Retinol Serum is the best skin care product for people who are not yet ready to endure lasers or surgery! The blend of two varieties of 0.5% retinol ensures that your face will look healthy, smooth, and radiant without deep wrinkles diminishing its beauty in any way! Their Retinol Serum is not aggressive on your skin due to the use of the latest retinoid technology – Retinol Granactive. This is gentle on the skin while still having high efficacy to combat wrinkles, fine lines, and dark spots.
After further research, the team was impressed by the other ingredients that enhance the product’s potency. This high-quality Retinol cream contains ceramides, squalane, and hyaluronic acid, a combination of moisturizing ingredients known to balance the dryness, softness, and hydration of the skin.
This cruelty-free formula is lighter than other ones tested and works well for all skin types.
It is also important to note that Habitual Skin’s Retinol Serum is free of parabens, phthalates, and synthetic fragrances.
This product lives up to its promise with superior technology and proven results. After a few weeks of use, our team saw smoother, firmer, and even skin, with fewer wrinkles.
The Desirables
- A powerful blend of two 0.5% retinol varieties.
- Reduces fine lines and wrinkles after a few weeks of use.
- Uses the latest retinoid technology – Retinol Granactive.
- Scientifically designed with the top-recommended dermatologic ingredients.
- Clinically tested cruelty-free and vegan formula developed by chemists meeting the highest standards.
- Free of parabens, phthalates, artificial fragrances, and harmful chemicals.
- Made in the UK.
- Free UK shipping with a 90-day money-back guarantee
The Undesirables
- Currently, it is only available for purchase on the official company website.
- Stock issues may occur due to the high demand for the product.
The Final Word
Of every Retinol serum we put up against our 10-point ranking system, Habitual Skin’s Retinol Serum was by far the highest quality product that delivered the most optimal results.
Our testers were impressed with their cruelty-free, vegan formula that is scientifically designed by chemists using the top-recommended dermatologic ingredients. It provided them with smoother, firmer skin and reduced wrinkle depth in just a few weeks of use.
It is clear that Habitual Skin is an inclusive brand that places importance on ensuring a positive experience for their Retinol Serum users through the use of moisturizing ingredients to counteract the risk of irritation, detailed instructions for both beginner and experienced users, and its suitability for use with all skin types.
Habitual Skin offer free shipping on all orders, which allows customers to spend more money on the actual products. They also offer a 90-day money-back guarantee, which gives customers significantly longer than other brands to trial products and determine if they achieve real results. This clearly demonstrates that they believe in their product and its ability to produce true, high-quality skin benefits.
Why Habitual Skin Is Our #1 Pick
After evaluating ingredients, reputability, customer service, and experience across numerous brands of Retinol products, it is clear that Habitual Skin’s Retinol Product is the superior product on the market.
Their powerful dual blend of two high potencies, intuitive retinol varieties provided testers with improved skin color, a more even complexion, and the reduced appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Delivering a stabilized formula using Retinol Granactive, the latest in Retinol technology, ensured testers received treatment to the deeper levels of their skin without the aggressive irritation experienced with some other brands. Their stabilized formula also protects the serum from the risk of degradation.
The inclusion of Hyaluronic Acid and the exclusion of harmful chemicals aid the reduced irritation testers experience by creating a hydrated skin environment.
Alongside these core reasons for why Habitual Skin’s Retinol Product stood out from the rest of the brands, they frequently provide their customers with special offers that allow their buyers to capitalize on what they spend.
#2 Obagi
Obagi Retinol 1.0
Overall Rating (4.5)
4.5/5
- Quality Rating: 9.1/10
- Expert Rating: 9.0/10
- Users Rating: 8.9/10
The Obagi Retinol 1.0 not only delivers a punch of potent 1% retinol, but it also promises to deliver that punch without any irritation. A unique entrapped delivery system gradually releases this powerful ingredient over time so your skin may be conditioned properly for handling its high concentration.
However, the best practice is for beginner users or those with sensitive skin to start at approximately 0.25% and work their way to a higher percentage as their skin tolerates it; therefore, this product would not be suitable for those starting on their retinol journey.
The Desirables
- Additional ingredients to nourish skin such as shea butter and jojoba oil.
- Antioxidant protection is provided by the addition of vitamins E and C.
- High concentration / high potency of retinol.
The Undesirables
- May be too strong for sensitive skin types and retinol beginners.
- Opened items cannot be returned.
- Unavailable for purchase on Amazon or their official website.
The Final Word
The inclusion of vitamins and other nourishing skin ingredients make the Obagi Retinol 1.0 cream gentler on the skin than some of the other retinol products on the market; however, the high potency retinol used unfortunately means despite these counteracting ingredients, it still may be too strong for beginner users or those with sensitive skin. Advanced users were pleased with the results but noted that they took longer to see than other brands they tested. Obagi Retinol 1.0 is not the easiest cream for consumers to get their hands on with it not being for sale on their official website or Amazon UK. We were disappointed to find Obagi do not allow the return of product once opened, which is the only way consumers will know if the product works with their skin and if it is worthy of ongoing purchases.
#3 Drunk Elephant
Drunk Elephant A-Passioni Retinol Cream
Overall Rating (4.3)
4.3/5
- Quality Rating: 8.7/10
- Expert Rating: 8.6/10
- Users Rating: 8.5/10
Testers always have high expectations for The Drunk Elephant brand due to its popularity. Drunk Elephant A-Passioni Retinol Cream is a potent dose of plant-derived, vitamin A-rich formula meant to even out your skin tone and texture while reducing the look (and necessity) for makeup. It also contains a tripeptide blend that helps firm up skin. It is also designed to keep those wrinkles at bay thanks in part to the inclusion of vitamin F and its hydrating properties.
Unfortunately, some testers found the high potency slightly irritating on application to their skin and the metal packaging often caused excessive amounts of cream to come out simply from the pressure applied to remove the twist cap.
The Desirables
- Contains high concentration retinol.
- Cruelty-free and vegan-friendly.
- Triple-peptide boosts retinol efficacy.
- The addition of Vitamin F hydrates and nourishes the skin.
The Undesirables
- Consumers may experience slight irritation due to high potency.
- Packaged in a metal container similar to prescription retinol creams which can ooze more product than needed.
- Expensive compared to other retinol products
The Final Word
Well-known brands like Drunk Elephant come with a well-established level of trust when consumers purchase their products – and rightly so! Drunk Elephant A-Passioni Retinol Cream combines its high concentration of active Retinol with boosting and nourishing ingredients; however, compared to other brands it has a higher price ticket which raises concern when considering the common issue of product waste due to their packaging expelling more product than necessary. Testers highlighted this as a main concern, as when spending a higher amount of money they hope for the product to last as long as possible.
#4 SkinCeuticals
SkinCeuticals Retinol 1.0
Overall Rating (4.0)
4/5
- Quality Rating: 8.1/10
- Expert Rating: 8.0/10
- Users Rating: 7.9/10
SkinCeuticals Retinol 1.0 can be used with normal, oily & combination skin types. Despite it containing skin-calming ingredients derived from chamomile designed to soothe and comfort the skin, it remains unsuitable for use with dry or dehydrated skin meaning consumers with this skin type would need to purchase additional products to get their skin to a state where they could use this serum.
SkinCeuticals claim that their Retinol 1.0 fights breakouts and this could be true given the inclusion of Alcohol Denat; however, while reduced breakouts are desirable, the ingredient and its high quantity are likely to be very irritating to the skin and could even strain normal skin functions. Unfortunately, there was no further evidence found to back their breakout fighting claim when we looked deeper.
We were surprised to find that SkinCeuticals have had several issues with counterfeit or ‘knock-off’ products being created that appear to be spoiled when received by consumers or have caused users facial discomfort on application. While they have tried to warn consumers in their company disclaimer, requesting buyers ensure they purchase authentic products from authorized retailers, they admit that it is “almost impossible to distinguish real from fake” leaving it difficult for consumers to feel reassured when making a purchase decision.
The Desirables
- Pure retinol 0.5%
- No additives or parabens used
- Suitable for combination, dry and normal skin types
- Free samples are offered with each product purchase
The Undesirables
- Unconfirmed claims that it minimizes breakouts
- Retinol is not in an encapsulated form
- Difficult to tell the difference between counterfeit and authentic products
- Unable to be used with all skin types, particularly dehydrated and sensitive skin
- Expensive and made in the USA
The Final Word
SkinCeuticals Retinol 1.0 uses pure retinol and is free from parabens and additives; however, its Retinol is not encapsulated which research suggests could mean the retinol is gentler on the skin, but is also not penetrated as deep into the skin before being activated as other brands. Unfortunately, we were unable to find sufficient information to back their claims that this product minimizes breakouts. SkinCeuticals do offer the cream in 0.5 and 0.3 concentrations to cater to the different levels of user from beginner to advanced; however, it does exclude dry and sensitive skin types.
#5 Murad
Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Night Cream
Overall Rating (3.8)
3.8/5
- Quality Rating: 7.6/10
- Expert Rating: 7.5/10
- Users Rating: 7.7/10
Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Night Cream uses progressive and advanced tri-action technology to deliver fast-acting retinol, time-released vitamin A derivative retinyl propinate, and a retinol booster to ensure users receive maximum results with as minimal irritation as possible.
Their technology is combined with hydrating ingredients such as squalane, shea butter, and fatty alcohols, and reports that it is ideal for ‘thirsty’ skin. However, some testers with dry skin felt it did not live up to this statement, while other users felt the product itself was very small for $82.
The Desirables
- Time-released, fast-acting retinol combined with a retinol booster
- Skin-calming ingredients such as niacinamide and picolinamide calms that support the skin barrier
- Low-irritation formula
The Undesirables
- Small product size in relation to cost
- Only available for purchase online
- Some reviews suggest it does not fully address skin sensitivity and is less effective for dry skin than it claims
The Final Word
What makes Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Night Cream stand out from other brands is its use of three different retinol concentrations – a fast-releasing retinoid, a retinol booster, and a time-released retinoid. It is also pleasing to see the use of skin-calming and barrier-supporting ingredients such as niacinamide and picolinamide. Despite this, a number of testers with dry skin did not feel they received the level of efficacy the brand claims and felt that the product size-to-price ratio was too high. Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Night Cream is only available for purchase online, which was negative for our testers who like to physically see and handle a product before purchasing it.
Honorable Mentions
There is a clear winner amongst our top 5 and we recommend your interest center on them; however, to round off our top 10, here are the next 5 best products from the multitude we researched, trialed, and tested.
Dermalogica Overnight Retinol Repair
Shani Darden Retinol Reform
L'Oréal Paris Revitalift Derm Intensives Night Serum
Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Booster
Final Thoughts
From reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and protecting collagen from degradation, to strengthening the skin barrier and reducing moisture loss; Retinol is one of the most popular and proven skincare ingredients when it comes to anti-aging.
There are many advantages of using a Retinol product in your daily skincare routine, but it can be challenging to find the right product with the well-known concerns of skin irritation and ingredient instability.
After putting a multitude of brands up against our 10-point ranking system that takes into account the science, packaging, marketing, and consumer experience, it is clear that Habitual Skin’s Retinol Product is the best on the market.
Citations
“Retinoids: active molecules influencing skin structure formation in cosmetic and dermatological treatments
Retinoids in the treatment of skin aging: an overview of clinical efficacy and safety
Improvement of Naturally Aged Skin With Vitamin A (Retinol)
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamadermatology/fullarticle/412795