Best Retinol for Beginners

On the first night, when you want to start retinol without picking a fight with your face, Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 Starter Lotion is where we would begin. It is made as a starter-level Pro-Retinol formula for first-time users and sensitive skin, so it answers the beginner question more directly than the Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Retinol Renewal Serum, which carries more irritation concern in a serum format. Against the Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Regenerating Retinol Cream, Olay wins on the clear starter positioning. Visible results may take longer here than you may want from a starter formula.

Some nights, the appeal is a serum you can keep on a short leash while you figure your skin out. Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Retinol Renewal Serum fits that moment because the serum format targets renewal while letting you start light and pair it with moisturizer. Compared with Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 Starter Lotion, it makes more sense when the serum feel is the whole point, not a starter lotion made for sensitive skin. Compared with the Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Regenerating Retinol Cream, it gives you a serum instead of a fragrance-free cream with hyaluronic acid. Serums can be more irritating.

After a day when your skin already feels a little thirsty, a cream can sound less intimidating than a serum. Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Regenerating Retinol Cream (Fragrance-Free + Hyaluronic Acid) leans into that, with a fragrance-free retinol cream and hyaluronic acid for hydration support. We would take it over the Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Retinol Renewal Serum when irritation is the worry, because the serum format can be more irritating and this pick is built around cream plus hydration support. Against Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 Starter Lotion, it wins when fragrance-free texture and hydration support matter more than using a starter formula. Temporary dryness can still happen.