The 14 Best Drugstore Retinol Creams For Smoother Skin

Best Overall

Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Night Cream

View on Ulta $21 at Amazon $22 at Target

Key Ingredients: Retinol SA, hyaluronic acid | Dosage: Pearl-sized amount | Size: 1 ounce | Cruelty-Free: No

This night cream is designed to give your skin a smoother, more youthful appearance by pairing retinol with one of the best hydrating ingredients out there: hyaluronic acid. Another skincare favorite, it can hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water and lock that moisture into your skin. One of the main causes of wrinkles and fine lines is dehydration, so to give your thirsty skin exactly what it needs, you’re going to need an intensively hydrating moisturizer along with retinol since retinol on its own can be drying. This product does contain BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene), which has been shown to have carcinogenic properties, but not in the small doses typically found in skincare products like this.

Best Night Cream

Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 Night Face Moisturizer

$30 at Amazon $40 at Ulta $30 at Target

Key Ingredients: Retinol complex, vitamin B3 | Dosage: Small amount nightly | Size: 1.7 ounces | Cruelty-Free: No

Contrary to its “night cream” label, this powerful retinol-infused formula works around the clock for a full 24 hours to keep your skin hydrated and firm. When we tried it out, we loved the lightweight, serum-like texture, and how it absorbed almost immediately into our skin. Plus, it’s fragrance and dye-free, so sensitive skin types can proceed without caution. After a few weeks of regular use, we saw modest improvements in acne scars and dark marks, but feel like we'd see more significant results with long-term use.

Best Serum

L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Pure Retinol

$31 at Amazon $40 at Ulta $31 at Target

Key Ingredients: Retinol, hyaluronic acid, glycerin | Dosage: 2–3 drops daily as tolerated | Size: 1 ounce | Cruelty-Free: No

Many drugstore options will use a retinol derivative—that’s not a bad thing, these just tend to not be as potent as straight-up retinol. However, this serum from L'Oreal Paris is different. You get legit retinol in this featherweight serum. We love how it absorbs quickly into the skin and goes to work right away. In a brand-backed clinical study, 100% of participants found that it improved the look of fine lines and wrinkles, and it’s also been tested by derms for both safety and efficacy. It also contains too major hydrators (hyaluronic acid and glycerin) to help prevent dryness.

Best for Beginners

RoC Smoothing Night Serum Capsules

$25 at Amazon $33 at Ulta $27 at Target

Key Ingredients: Retinol, ceramides | Dosage: 1 capsule nightly | Size: 30 capsules | Cruelty-Free: No

Less is more when it comes to retinol; you need only a pea-sized amount for your entire face, and many newbies will often overdo it, causing lots of unwanted irritation. Enter this innovative option, from RoC, one of the most beloved drugstore retinol brands. Each biodegradable capsule contains the perfect dose for your nightly application and also ensures the formula stays stable and active (read: effective) until you use it. We love that it, in addition to retinol, it contains ceramides, which help protect and strengthen the skin barrier.

Best for Wrinkles

No7 Advanced Retinol 1.5% Complex

$25 at Amazon $32 at Walmart

Key Ingredients: Retinol, peptides | Dosage: 2 pumps nightly | Size: 1 ounce | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Retinol is paired with another well-regarded anti-aging ingredient to up the wrinkle-fighting prowess of this best-seller. “What I like about this formula is that it incorporates a proprietary peptide blend called Matrixyl 3000+, which is a bonus,” says Mariwalla, who’s a fan. Peptides smooth skin by increasing collagen production. Plus, “the retinol is slow-release, which means it won’t cause as much irritation on the surface of the skin,” she adds. Fun fact: It amassed a waiting list of over 100,0000 people when it first launched in the U.K. last year.

Best for Sensitive Skin

CeraVe Skin Renewing Retinol Serum

$27 at Ulta $24 at Target

Key Ingredients: Encapsulated retinol, niacinamide, ceramides | Dosage: Small amount once or twice daily | Size: 1 ounce | Cruelty-Free: No

Despite the drying potential of retinol, even those with sensitive skin can give it a go. The key is seeking out the right formula that relies on a gentler type of retinol and soothing, moisturizing additional ingredients. This creamy serum checks all of those boxes. Along with its time-released, encapsulated retinol, which helps reduce potential irritation, there’s also a combination of skin-strengthening ceramides, hydrating hyaluronic acid, and soothing niacinamide in the mix. Not to mention that it’s also fragrance-free, a must for sensitive skin types.

Best Budget

The Ordinary Retinol 0.5% in Squalane

$9 at Ulta View on Beautybay.com View on Cosmetify.com

Key Ingredients: Retinol, squalane, jojoba oil | Dosage: Small amount nightly | Size: 1 ounce | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Okay, so technically speaking this isn’t a drugstore brand per se, but the jawdropping-ly affordable price makes it worthy of a spot on this list. Everything you need to know about the straightforward formula is right in the name. You get a 0.5% concentration of retinol, potent for any OTC retinol product, coupled with squalane, a plant-derived hydrating ingredient that closely mimics our skin’s natural oil, to help minimize the likelihood of irksome side effects.

Best for Eyes

RoC Retinol Correxion Eye Cream

$30 at Ulta $22 at Target $22 at Walmart

Key Ingredients: Retinol, glycerin, vitamin B5 | Dosage: Small amount once or twice daily | Size: 0.5 ounces | Cruelty-Free: No

When it comes to undereye bags and crow’s feet, you need to give the delicate skin around your eyes some extra TLC. That's where this eye cream comes in. It’s formulated with powerful retinol to reduce the appearance of puffiness, under-eye sagging, and dark circles in as little as 12 weeks. After testing it, we were very happy with the results, especially since they were evident almost immediately. It virtually took care of our dark circles and under-eye bags, which is pretty amazing for a drugstore product.

Best Oil

Pixi Overnight Retinol Oil

$24 at Amazon $17 at Ulta $24 at Target

Key Ingredients: Retinol, peptides, ceramides | Dosage: A few drops nightly | Size: 1 ounce | Cruelty-Free: Yes

We love a good skincare oil, especially for those who are prone to dry skin. And our skin tends to soak up oil more readily than heavy creams. This one relies on a blend of several oils (sweet almond, jojoba, and sunflower seed, just to name a few) as the base for this gentle retinol derivative. It’s silky rather than greasy and absorbs quickly, but makes for a truly luxurious application experience you’ll never want to skip. That said, some users have said that it can feel heavy on the skin, so we suggest using less than you might think you need.

Best Clean Beauty

Honest Beauty Honestly Pure Retinol Serum

$20 at Amazon $30 at Honest.com

Key Ingredients: Retinol, squalane, niacinamide | Dosage: Small amount nightly | Size: 1 ounce | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Ingredient purists will appreciate this serum, which relies on, wait for it, tapioca-derived retinol. It’s slow-released to cut back on side effects, which we love for our sensitive-skinned friends. It's also combined with hydrating hyaluronic acid and squalane to keep dryness at bay. Bonus points for the airtight, pump-top dispenser, which helps keep oxygen from getting in and degrading the efficacy.

Best for Dry Skin

Pond’s Rejuveness Hydrating Night Cream

$14 at Amazon $10 at Target $11 at Walmart

Key Ingredients: Retinol, niacinamide, glycerin | Dosage: Small amount once or twice daily | Size: 3 ounces | Cruelty-Free: No

Extra dryness and flaking is one possible side effect of retinol, the last thing you want when your skin is already dry to begin with. Happily, this luscious cream combines several heavy-hitting hydrators—glycerin, vitamin B3 (aka niacinamide), and dimethicone—with a retinol complex to keep dry skin moisturized and irritation-free. These ingredients can also help smooth skin and diminish fine lines, so it's a win-win. We just wish it came in a more hygienic container (aka not a screw-top).

Best for Acne

Differin Adapalene Gel 0.1%

$15 at Amazon $15 at Ulta $15 at Target

Key Ingredients: Adapalene | Dosage: Small amount daily | Size: 0.5 ounces | Cruelty-Free: No

Differin used to only be available by prescription, but now you can buy it over the counter at drugstores and online. While it's technically a gel rather than a cream, this high-strength formula is your best defense against acne (we also love the lightweight consistency). It leans on a type of retinoid called adapalene to increase cell turnover and help clear and prevent breakouts faster and more effectively than most other products. After just eight days of regular use, we noticed our skin was smoother and we had no new breakouts.

Read our full review: The Differin Adapalene Gel 0.1% Acne Treatment Cleared My Acne

Best for Daily Use

LilyAna Naturals Retinol Cream Moisturizer

$24 at Target $19 at Walmart $30 at Lilyananaturals.com

Key Ingredients: Retinol, hyaluronic acid, shea butter, jojoba oil, vitamin E | Dosage: 1 or 2 pumps once or twice daily | Size: 1.7 ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Some retinol products can be too intense for daily use, especially for folks with sensitive skin—but this cream by the bestselling brand LilyAna is another story. The lightweight, fast-absorbing formula contains a blend of hydrating, nourishing ingredients (including hyaluronic acid, shea butter, and jojoba oil) to prevent excess dryness. You'll also get a dose of vitamin E to combat redness and inflammation.

Best for Body

Advanced Clinicals Retinol Advanced Firming Cream

$17 at IHerb View on Advancedclinicals.com

Key Ingredients: Retinol, mineral oil, aloe vera | Dosage: Sufficient amount as needed | Size: 16 ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Your face and neck aren't the only areas prone to fine lines, crepiness, discoloration, and other signs of photoaging. If you're looking for something you can apply below the neck, go with Advanced Clinicals. This generously sized pump bottle comes with plenty of retinol cream for your entire body so you can work your way toward smoother, more radiant skin on your legs, arms, shoulders, hands, stomach—you name it. Our only word of caution is it may be too heavy for the face, and subsequently cause breakouts.