You’d be hard pressed to find a skincare expert or dermatologist who doesn’t sing the praises of retinol. The vitamin A-derived ingredient is often called the gold standard of anti-aging, helping to visibly reduce the common signs of aging, improving texture and tone, and even helping with adult acne. For retinol beginners, integrating it into your regular skincare routine can make all the difference between good and great skin. But when it comes to finding the best retinol for beginners, where do you start? And how do you know which retinol is gentle enough to use without going through the retinol uglies or dreaded retinol purge? We are answering all your retinol questions so that you can find the best retinol for beginners and be happy with your retinol journey.
What is Retinol?
Retinol is a commonly used skincare ingredient derived from vitamin A that helps speed up cell turnover (read: helping to improve acne) and stimulates collagen and elastin production for firmer, pimple skin. For years, dermatologists and skincare experts have deemed retinol one of the most effective anti-aging ingredients for improving the health and appearance of the skin. It’s well-studied and has several skin benefits, so it is commonly prescribed as part of a well-rounded routine.
Since retinol helps to increase the rate of normal skin cell turnover, it provides exfoliating benefits to limit breakouts, improve discoloration, reduce the appearance of enlarged pores, and slow down oil production. It also increases the skin’s natural collagen content, helping to smooth away the look of fine lines and wrinkles for a more youthful appearance.
Shop the Best Retinol for Beginners
1. Medik8 Crystal Retinal 1 Serum
Younger-looking skin awaits with regular use of this retinal serum. Featuring an innovative form of retinol that is more effective and works faster than traditional retinol without any irritation, this overnight serum helps to reduce the look of the most common signs of aging for skin that’s more even in tone and texture. Its unique crystal encapsulation system releases retinal over time so that the skin does not become desensitized or receive too much of the ingredient at once.
Key Ingredients: Retinal, hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, glycerin
Skin Type: All
Beauty Insider Tip: If you are new to retinol, start with the lowest done, 0.01%, and slowly move up the ladder of strengths.
2. Avène Retrinal 0.1 Intensive Cream
This cream is one of the best retinols for beginners who want to nip the signs of aging in the bud. Housed within the anti-aging moisturizer is a high concentration of vitamin A that goes hard to work to undo lines and wrinkles, taking years off your face. But the real reason why we like this for retinol newbies is that it’s packed with peptides and vitamin E to help protect the skin from free radical damage while filling in lines and wrinkles and firming the skin, too.
Key Ingredients: Retinaldehyde, pre-tocopherol, thermal spring water, relastide
Skin Type: All
Beauty Insider Tip: Always pair this retinol cream with sunscreen to prevent skin burning during the day
3. Sente Bio Complete Serum
Ideal for more sensitive skin and first-time retinol users, this nighttime serum helps undo the effects of dull, aging skin. While some retinol formulations are too strong for sensitive and retinol beginners to use, causing extreme irritation, redness, and peeling, this formula works with Heparan Sulfate Analog to help keep the skin smooth, hydrated, and soft and unwanted side effects at bay.
Key Ingredients: Heparan sulfate analog (HSA), retinol, peptides, vitamin C
Skin Type: Sensitive, mature, acne-prone & sun-damaged skin
Beauty Insider Tip: Acne-prone skin doesn’t need to worry about the formula causing clogged pores because it won’t.
4. Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil
Oil-based skincare products are amongst some of the best retinols for beginners. That’s because the oil format helps prevent the dryness common to retinol. This oil works wonders at minimizing the look of wrinkles, fine lines, and enlarged pores while also brightening dark spots. Bonus points for the retinol’s inclusion of essential oils, which soothe and calm the skin.
Key Ingredients: Trans-retinoic acid ester, blue tansy, German chamomile, licorice
Skin Type: All
Beauty Insider Tip: Apply the oil to freshly washed skin, and if using another Sunday Riley skincare product, wait at least five minutes before applying it.
5. Osmosis Beauty Calm Gentle Retinal Serum
Finding the best retinol for beginners can be tricky for sensitive skin, but this calming serum provides the benefits of retinol without irritation, redness, or dryness. Gentle enough for even those with rosacea, this anti-aging formula imparts a healthy radiance and glow to the skin while leading to more youthful-looking skin.
Key Ingredients: Glycerin, peptide, feverfew extract, niacinamide, lactic acid, retinal
Skin Type: Sensitive
Beauty Insider Tip: Since the serum is formulated with retinaldehyde rather than traditional retinol, you can use it as part of your morning skincare routine.
6. Isdin Isdinceutics Retinal Advanced Dual Phase Night Serum
This dual-phase retinal-rich serum helps speed up the skin’s natural renewal cycle, making it appear plumper, healthier, and younger. Combining retinaldehyde with high-performance ingredients, the serum exfoliates the skin to improve its texture while minimizing dryness, making it a must for retinol beginners.
Key Ingredients: Retinaldehyde, melatonin, niacinamide, bakuchiol
Skin Type: All
Beauty Insider Tip: The serum is designed to be used as the last step in your nighttime serum routine and can be combined with moisturizer for extra hydration, if needed.
7. Dr. Whitney Bowe Beauty Retinal Night Advanced 0.1 Retinal Firming Treatment
From the queen of skin cycling with retinol comes Dr. Whitney Bowe's namesake skin treatment powered by retinaldehyde for smoothing and firming the skin. This vegan treatment helps to firm the skin while decreasing the visible appearance of lines and wrinkles and restoring a natural, healthy bounce to the skin. It’s also gentle on the skin, and because the formula is form-stable, it supports the skin without compromising its barrier for nothing but a gorgeous glow.
Key Ingredients: Retinaldehyde, peptides, lipids
Skin Type: Mature and acne-prone
Beauty Insider Tip: Use this as part of a skin cycling program and apply it to the skin on night 2 of your routine.
8. Augustinus Bader The Retinol Serum
This lightweight, hydrating serum is a perfect year-round retinol to rejuvenate and restore the skin while minimizing the look of lines, wrinkles, enlarged pores, and even blemishes. This clean retinol, which is formulated without irritants, allergens, or synthetic fragrances, also helps to reduce discoloration and acne scars while optimizing the skin’s microbiome to reduce the growth of harmful bacteria.
Key Ingredients: TCF8, pure retinol, zinc complex, microbiome blend, marine ectoine, Japanese knotweed extract
Skin Type: Aging and blemish-prone
Beauty Insider Tip: Apply any excess serum down the neck and across the décolleté.
9. PCA Skin Intensive Clarity Treatment
One of the best retinols for beginners who suffer from breakouts and the pigment they leave behind is this clarifying facial treatment. Packed with a unique blend of retinol plus salicylic acid, it helps to reduce acne-related inflammation while lightening up stubborn hyperpigmentation. When used regularly, the nighttime serum also controls excess oil production while detoxifying the pores, so they look tighter and smaller and the skin clearer overall.
Key Ingredients: Retinol, salicylic acid, lilac leaf cell culture extract, bakuchiol
Skin Type: Oily, acne-prone, combination, normal
Beauty Insider Tip: Start by applying a pea-sized amount twice a week and gradually increase use to every other night as tolerated.
10. MD SolarSciences MD Revitalize Retinol Serum
If hyperpigmentation, fine lines, congested pores, and the first signs of wrinkles are wreaking If hyperpigmentation, fine lines, congested pores, and the first signs of wrinkles are wreaking havoc on your skin, then you’ll want to grab this retinol serum and put it to good use. Lightweight in nature, so it doesn’t feel greasy or heavy on the skin or like it's clogging the pores, this encapsulated retinol formulation is dermatologist-developed and doesn’t come with the retinol nasties like other products offer.
Key Ingredients: Chamomile, seaweed extract, caffeine, aloe, niacinamide, vitamin C, green tea, encapsulated retinol
Skin Type: All
Beauty Insider Tip: There’s no need to overdo it with retinol. One to two pumps applied all over the face and neck is more than enough product to cover the skin.
11. Cerave Resurfacing Retinol Serum
The lingering scars from past acne breakouts can be debilitating, which is where a solid retinol comes into play. Developed with dermatologists, this retinol is specifically designed to decrease the look of post-acne marks and spots while refining the pores. Gentle in nature yet effective in results, we like that this retinol improves the skin’s appearance without drying it out or causing unnecessary irritation.
Key Ingredients: Encapsulated retinol, licorice root extract, ceramides, niacinamide
Skin Type: Acne-prone
Beauty Insider Tip: After cleansing and toning, apply the retinol and finish with moisturizer and sunscreen (during the day).
12. CosRx The Retinol 0.1 Cream
Retinol novices shy away from using the ingredient because they fear they will experience dryness, redness, flaking, and irritation. While those are the common side effects of retinol when first using it, not all skincare products cause those effects, and this retinol cream is one that does not. Ideal for first-time retinol users who want to get ahead of aging, this irritation-reduced treatment contains the perfect amount of ingredients to make a difference in the skin’s texture, tone, and elasticity without compromising its health or functionality.
Key Ingredients: Pure retinol, panthenol, adenosine, super vitamin E
Skin Type: All
Beauty Insider Tip: If you are new to retinol, limit your initial use to three times per week and gradually increase the frequency over the coming weeks.
13. HoliFrog Moonbeam Retinol Treatment Serum
Fight the signs of aging and improve the appearance of the skin without any of the unwanted effects that some retinol causes. This highly effective serum targets lines, wrinkles, and lost elasticity while strengthening the skin and restoring a youthful radiance to it.
Key Ingredients: Encapsulated retinaldehyde, phospholipids
Skin Type: All
Beauty Insider Tip: If retinol makes your skin sensitive, try cutting the serum with a few drops of moisturizer first and then applying the combination to your skin.
FAQs
How to apply retinol
When it comes to the best way to apply retinol for beginners, always take a low and slow approach. Start with a super low concentration, around 0.1 or 0.25 percent, and only use the retinol a few nights weekly. Then, once your skin acclimates to retinol, you can use it more frequently.
How much retinol to apply when starting is also essential—a little goes a long way. Make sure not to apply more than a pea-sized amount to the face. You can apply the retinol onto your finger first and then dot equal-sized amounts onto the different quadrants of the face before spreading it around. Using more than the recommended amount of retinol doesn’t mean you’ll see better or faster results and too much retinol can cause redness, irritation, peeling, and dryness.
When to use retinol
Retinol is one of those skincare ingredients that should be used at night only since it makes the skin more sensitive to the sun. However, other derivatives of vitamin A that fall under the retinol umbrella, like retinaldehyde, can be used morning or night. You’ll want to always use retinol on clean, dry skin but not on the same nights as other actives or exfoliating agents, which can make the skin sensitive and easily irritated.
What to pair with retinol
Retinol plays nicely with some skincare ingredients and not so well with others. The safest ingredients to pair with retinol include niacinamide, vitamin C (if the combination isn’t drying for your skin), hyaluronic, azelaic, salicylic acids, peptides, and ceramides. It’s also a good idea to use retinol alongside moisturizer and always with sunscreen.
The Bottom Line
Retinol is a skincare powerhouse for more than one reason, and fans of the ingredient love its benefits so much that once they start using it, they often stay on it for the long term. If you are new to retinol, the best retinol for beginners is one that is gentle, has some hydrating benefits, and is a low enough dose that won’t cause any adverse effects. Remember, everyone’s experience with retinol and what they can tolerate is different, so always listen to your skin and do what is best.
Discover Dermstore’s curated collection of retinol skincare products.
Next up, What Are Retinoids? Here’s Everything You Need to Know
