5 of the best retinol serums

Have you heard some great stuff about retinol serums? Are you already using one and are curious to see if you’re using the best one? Or perhaps you just can’t get enough of them and love reading all about them?

Or maybe, just maybe, this is your first venture into the world of retinol serums….and if is, then welcome! Because once you discover the world of retinol serums, you’ll want to know all there is to know about them…

What is retinol?

Is a derivative of Vitamin A that’s a major deal within the skincare industry. Pretty much everybody, the experts included, have raved or are raving about its anti-ageing abilities.

Back in the day, the main way of getting your hands on it was via a skincare professional. But over the years, it’s made its way into mainstream skincare ranges. Because of this, it’s more readily available over-the-counter, and there’s lots of choice, ranging from retinol serums and creams, to retinol eye cream, oils and gels. (Just so you know, ‘pure’ retinol is only available via prescription, but there are lots of retinol products readily available online and on the shelves).¹

How does it work?

Retinol works its magic by increasing how quickly skin cells rejuvenate and repair, making it a force to be reckoned with for all sorts of skin. It’s widely used to help prevent the signs of ageing, e.g. fine lines, wrinkles and creases, as well as to help fade pigmentation, fight blemishes and help reduce sun damage.

As for how it actually works, retinol works its magic in our skin, reducing pore congestion, stabilising and balancing pigments. For more insight on retinol read, ‘Is retinol good for skin?’

What percentage of retinol is most effective?

Just as they’re available in different forms, retinol products, retinol serums included, come in lots of different strengths.

Retinol in itself is a powerful active ingredient, which means it can irritate skin if you use the wrong strength. Always start low and then gradually work your way up to using higher levels of retinol, which will enable your skin to get used to it, and to avoid it becoming over-aggravated.²

• If you’ve never used retinol before or have fair or sensitive skin – you should start with a retinol serum that has a really low percentage, so around the 0.025% mark.
• If you have normal or combination skin – you can start with a higher strength retinol product, one that contains 0.25% retinol, with a view to working up to 0.5%
• If your skin is darker, thicker and tougher – then you may be able to 0.4% retinol to begin with, and work up to 1.0% retinol

The highest concentration of retinol you can get without a prescription is 2.0%.

An important note before we move on…

No matter what strength retinol serum, cream, gel or oil you’re putting on your skin, always, always wear an SPF 30 or higher. This is because retinol makes your skin more sensitive to UV rays and sunlight can impact how effective it is.³ (Note: this is one of the reasons why most retinol guidance recommends you apply it at night, so it won’t be broken down by being exposed to the sun).⁴

For more best practice advice on applying retinol read, ‘How to use retinol.’

Is retinol cream or serum better?

Ah, yes, which one should you choose? Is there a difference? Does it matter?

Generally speaking, if you have dry or sensitive skin, then you should go for a retinol cream, which will contain some form of moisturising ingredients. Not to mention the fact that retinol can initially dry your skin out, so if you already have dry skin, then you’ll want to keep it as moisturised as possible.⁵

If you have oily or combination skin, then it’s probably best you use a retinol serum because most of  them are water-based. You may even want to use your retinol serum as a moisturiser, save having to put too many products on your skin.

Which retinol serum is the best?

Knowing which are the best creams with retinol isn’t easy because there are so many different retinol serums, creams, oils and gels out there, right?!

But it’s not impossible to find the best products, you’ve just got to know where to look (as well as know what you’re looking for). In terms of knowing where to look, you’re definitely in the right place, especially now that we’re going to share some of the best customer-rated retinol serums with you…

5 of the best retinol serums

Feeling all raring to go with retinol now? We hope this article has helped you get your head around it and given you a useful steer on some of the retinol serums that are already working wonders for some people.

Which of the retinol serums above have caught your eye and are potentially going to be working their way into your skincare regime?

Last updated: 24 March 2021